A high gray arch marked the entrance, showing in gloom old dirty letters "municipal cemetery". Cleveland main cemetery put up here its dark graves and sinister crypts, light only by a crescent moon in an otherwise totally dark sky.

Wild grass grew along the deserted alleys and climbed on the less visited steles: the ones whose lettering showed names of people too-long departed for anyone to care to honor their memory any more.

On the other hand, some graves seemed like they wanted to scream to the world how much the dead had been loved and missed, seeing how flowers and adornments were obvious to the most absent-minded person.

Attentive ones would notice that kind of details.

But there were not too much visitors that late.

And the group that were moving silently in the main alley was obviously not here to admire the flowers or for a last prayer before going to sleep.

A dozen of young girls were walking cautiously in the cemetery, paying attention not to do a sound, all senses in alarm. The younger ones were probably around 14 and were surrounded by girls a little older and stronger but all probably being less than 20 years old. Only the three girls who were leading the way seemed older than their companions. All of them were holding something in their hands: weapons, which designed shapeless shadows on the rocky ground of the cemetery.

Buffy had just a simple stake in her hand and Faith had done the same. But a long, tapering dagger was hanging from both original Slayers' belts. Kennedy had chosen a crossbow, a weapon she specially liked, among a collection of stakes and knives on her belt or hidden in her pockets.

The young Slayers were all holding similar equipments, each of them taking example on her model among Buffy, Faith and Kennedy.

The latter had been really proud to notice she was more popular than the rogue Slayer for the younger girls. Faith had just retorted that Buffy remained the most popular. But Kennedy did not care, explaining that no one could compete with a Slayer who had come back twice from the dead. Faith had shrugged and let Kennedy to her enthusiasm.

Buffy the most popular of them? The contrary would have been surprising. Buffy had ALWAYS been popular. And Faith had learnt to do with it.

The three elders suddenly stopped all together dead in their tracks. They shared a quick glance and her fingers tensed on their stakes for Buffy and Faith, on her crossbow for Kennedy. Jenny's voice reached them as this one came to Buffy's height.

"Vampires, on our left, in the next alley"

Buffy nodded and cast a glance to the younger Slayers behind her before considering Faith and Kennedy by her side.

"We're enough. We're going in the red"

"Of course" Faith grumbled. "I could take care of them myself. We just bolt in the middle and no details!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and noticed Jenny's surprised glance to Faith's comment.

"Will you ever change?" the blonde Slayer asked.

"Hey!" Faith protested. « I'VE changed! »

« So, we're going or we're having a lecture? » interrupted Kennedy.

Buffy did not answer but took the alley on her left, closely followed by the whole group. The blonde Slayer could feel the girls getting excited and the adrenaline building up in her own body.

The small group crossed the distance between them and the group of vampires within seconds. They were between fifteen and twenty according to Buffy's quick appraisal. A gathering quite important she thought, but it did not seem to disturb neither the Cleveland Slayers, nor Faith and Kennedy, always ready to get them into trouble without asking questions. Buffy guessed that groups that numerous were commonplace around here.

Upon their arrival, the vampires stopped what looked like conciliation between them, probably about their plans for the evening. A wild smile played on their lips and one of them took a step forward and sniggered.

"Look what we're given for dinner!"

Buffy crossed her arms, a mocking smile on her lips. The smile on the distorted face of the vampire vanished when his eyes fell on the stake Buffy held in her hand.

"Slayers" screamed one of the vampires.

This scream was enough to make the group beat a retreat as fast as they could by a dark alley behind them. But the Slayers were so quick to react that the retreat was cut short after just some steps. The fight engaged with two Slayers facing about three vampires. Buffy found herself facing the leader while Kennedy was shooting the runaways with her crossbow and Faith was giving kicks and punches with her trademark rage.

The blonde Slayer noticed she was far from rusty despite her total lack of training since her departure for Rome. She avoided easily a punch her opponent threw to her face and shot back by a kick in his stomach, which had the vampire step back within several meters. Buffy jumped after him and chained her blows without letting him time to recover. As she was about to finish him, she felt another one coming from behind and flipped-flopped. She slipped on the side and her new opponent's fist ended its trajectory on the previous one's face. Buffy let escape a smirk.

"Hey ! I'm here! That one's your buddy!"

The vampire turned around, obviously upset by his mistake and threw himself on Buffy with full force. But it was not enough. Buffy took shelter behind a stele, which was immediately destroyed by the vampire's fist. Buffy stepped back to another grave and leant on the tombstone to somersault above her opponent and finally stood behind him. When she sank her stake in his heart, the vampire turned around and Buffy could see disbelief pass in his eyes before he disappeared in dust. The blonde Slayer did not have time to enjoy her work, her first opponent attacking her again.

A harder fight than before started between them. Blows and kicks started to rain down, sometimes effective and sometimes not. Buffy's agility gave her the advantage but he kept striking back.

"Need a hand B?"

Faith's voice rang to her ears from her back. Buffy turned back quickly and saw Faith holding under her arm a vampire who was struggling to escape as she was about to dust him.

"I'm good" Buffy answered, half-amused, half-annoyed and raised a thumb to tell Faith she could handle herself.

She turned tack again to her opponent who was trying to take advantage of this lapse of concentration. But Buffy rolled to the floor to avoid his blow and tripped him up in the same gesture. The vampire stumbled and the blonde Slayer jumped up on her feet. She took a step forward with lightning speed and plunged her stake in the vampire's back, right in his heart. Buffy didn't even look at him turn to dust and turned her gaze to the battlefield to gauge the situation. Faith jumped to her side and cast a circular glance to the scene played under their eyes.

All the Slayers were still fighting one or several vampires and Kennedy had finally dropped her crossbow to fight with fists and feet with an evident pleasure playing on her face.

"Looks like the slaying ain't over!" Faith exclaimed happily.

Then, she jumped back into the crowd, choosing the first opponent she found to give him a powerful uppercut. Buffy sighed and tried to count the remaining vampires, surprised that the group had not already overcome them.

"Others arrived" said Jenny, appearing beside her and answering Buffy's silent questions.

The younger Slayer seemed a little out of breath and to her entangled hair and bruised face, Buffy understood she had just finished with a particularly tough opponent.

"Others?" Buffy asked, frowning.

"Yeah, others" Jenny nodded. "Ten more"

In front of Buffy's puzzled expression, Jenny couldn't help but smile and added :

"It's commonplace around here. Groups that numerous. I guess they try to get organized since our arrival"


The battle's noise would have weirdly contrasted with the silence reigning over the new Watchers council's gardens. A light breeze was blowing and the sweet moonlight jagged the shadows of the centennial trees standing in the back and was reflected in the clear water of a swimming pool at 30 meters from the hotel's doors and surrounded by little flourishing bushes.

Willow was there. She was sat on the swimming-pool edge and had her hand dunked in the water underneath her. Her other arm was put on her tucked up knees. Her chin was on her hand and her gaze seemed to stare blankly to the wavelets that were forming around her fingers.

"So, my sweet princess is waiting for her… princess?"

Willow did not jump to Xander's voice. She had felt him getting closer. She raised her head and saw his profile in the hotel's lights. He was smiling to her, with that smile she knew by heart and that seemed so essential for her survival.

Willow smiled back and the carpenter closed the distance between them.

That smile Willow was giving him, Xander knew it all too well. It was not her big happy smile, the one showing only joy and happiness, it was a melancholic one, almost sad, the only one Willow was able to give when her thoughts came back to Tara.

Xander let himself fall smoothy near the one he was so proud to call his best friend.

"What did you do with Dawn?" asked Willow in a sweet voice.

"Oh, after what seemed hours to play all kind of cards games, I let her talk with a group of Slayers." He answered, gesturing vaguely with his hand. " You know, about girlie stuff"

Willow smiled again, warmly this time.

« It was a so long time, » she whispered.

"What?" asked Xander.

"Us, all together in the same place for weeks"

Xander nodded seriously.

"Yeah. I missed you, you know?"

Willow said yes with her chin.

"I missed you too"

"Really? I thought that between your training to the Slayers and your demons hunts, you didn't have time left to think about us!"

He might have added her romantic and sexual life with Kennedy to Willow's list of activities but her melancholic and dreamy look was one screaming that Tara was running in her head, and he thought that probably a joke about Kennedy would have the best effect right now.

Willow did not even notice his joking tone and resumed in a blank tone:

"It's weird, you know. We spent all those years living together, never leaving each other. We faced the worst together and we just… split for months just like all this was past and over."

"But, it's past, Will" Xander said slowly. "It's past"

He seemed to hesitate, to search his words.

"But, it doesn't mean that what's between us is over or less strong. I was… so happy to see you all again. Weren't you?"

"Of course I was! I waited for this for so long! It's just…"

Willow stopped, looking for the good words to say.

"Sometimes, I'm melancholic about all this, you know, Sunnydale, high school, university… Well, more about university than high school of course… But us, all of us united like a family. Do you remember that day, when Tara's dad came to take her and Buffy came between and said we were a family? We were so happy… We didn't know yet how dangerous Glory was, we didn't know yet how much our lives were about to change…"

Xander sighed, himself suddenly back in memories that seemed so far. He put tenderly his arm around the redhead's shoulders and pulled her to him.

"But, ain't you happy now?" he whispered in her ear.

Willow turned to him and smiled. She then let her head rest on her friend's shoulder, enjoying silently the moment.

"I am. I'm happier than I thought I would ever be able to be. But I miss you. I miss Sunnydale"

Xander was ready to answer that but Willow resumed immediately:

"Do you know I don't have any photograph from her? There's nothing left of her Xander…"

Xander did not need to ask what Willow was talking about. It was only too obvious. Himself knew that feeling Willow was talking about. And the despair in the witch's voice constricted his heart in his chest.

"There's nothing left of her Xander." Repeated Willow. "No more grave I can go to, nothing of her things, all her clothes, her books, her magical supplies… everything has disappeared. Everything she ever possessed has been sucked in. and I didn't even have a photograph to look at…"

Xander squeezed Willow's shoulders more firmly and thought about this photograph of Anya and himself that had never left his jeans back pocket during the whole last battle against the First, saving it from the destruction of Sunnydale. Willow had not been that lucky. And Xander knew all too well how this insignificant photo was important to him.

"There're Giles' photographs, the ones that were in England, at his place. I think Tara's on them"

Willow nodded.

"Yeah, she's on one or two photos Giles took to Westbury. But… I meant our photos, you know? She and I, together…"

"Yeah, I know" Xander said, hugging Willow tightly against him. "I know…"

They both remained this way for long minutes, saying nothing, enjoying simply each other company and allowing themselves a moment to wander in the past.

"So, what about you?" Finally asked Willow.

Xander smiled warmly and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm lot better since I have my little Willow back"

Willow had a small laugh and put on a fake proud face.

"I know that!"

Then, she resumed, lower and more seriously:

"I meant, most of the time? You know, since… since Sunnydale's destruction?"

Xander sighed, thinking again about that day. For a second, he thought about telling everything was alright. But it was Willow he was holding against him. Willow who had gone through the same path before him. Willow the person he was closer than anyone in the world. Willow to who he could not nor would not hide the truth.

"Sometimes, it's hard" he said finally. "I miss her…"

He shut his mouth, seemed to search his words while Willow was hugging him this time, as she wanted to give him some courage.

"But you know" he added. "Maybe it's stupid, but… I'm proud of her… so proud about what she'd done. That she died to save Andrew… It makes it better to know she didn't die in vain, that she gave the best…"

Xander turned to Willow and didn't have time to see a shadow crossing her face as the redhead was now smiling.

"No, it's not stupid" she answered. "not stupid at all. Anything that can help you is stupid…"

Xander smiled again and resumed.

"And… that we want it or not, like takes back its right, time's healing slowly… I'm better Will, I promise"

"I'm happy to hear that"

Saying this, Willow turned to Xander and pulled him in a new hug he immediately gave back.

"I'm really happy to hear that" she repeated.


Buffy turned suddenly to her right and in a sure and precise gesture, sank her stake in another vampire's heart. He was only beginning to disappear in dust that the blonde Slayer was turning around to do the same to another one. A third vampire was coming to her but was abruptly pulled backward by two strong arms and thrown away. Then Buffy saw Kennedy coming from nowhere and giving her an apologist smirk for borrowing her opponent. Buffy nodded her approval and Kennedy began to take care of that one.

The blonde Slayer used that break to shake her jacket covered in dust and to study her state. She wasn't hurt in the slightest. Despite the lot of vampires they were fighting, she had been rarely touched, thanks to her own agility and the Slayers' actions synchronism.

But her look was not really appealing any more. Her hair was dirty and entangled, glued in her neck by sweat, and a lock was hanging miserably between her eyes. Buffy put it behind her ear before starting to clean her clothes. She was so covered in dust that even after several brushing from her part, jeans and jacket were still not in her origin color. And her shoes were just unrecognizable. Buffy cursed herself for not having change her clothes before going on patrol.

"What's the hell gotten into me?" she grumbled. "Faith, I HATE you! Why did I follow her? That new pair of shoes is now almost rui…"

"Buffy! Behind you!"

But Buffy had felt the vampire coming before Kennedy's warning hit her ears. She jumped on the side at lightning speed to avoid his charge, grabbed his arm at the same time before turning him to her and plunged her stake in his heart. It had last less than a second.

"…ruined I was saying!" resumed Buffy as she had not been interrupted in her clothing soliloquy.

"The remaining ones are trying to escape" said Kennedy gesturing with her a chin in an uncertain direction.

The brunette Slayer was now by Buffy's side, after having killed her last vampire and warned the blonde about the previous attack.

"What?" Buffy asked, still centered on her shoes and having not noticed that Kennedy was now so close.

"They're running away" Kennedy repeated.

She looked again the way she had pointed before and added:

"Looks like Faith is running after them"

Buffy raised her head and watched what Kennedy was talking about. As she had just said, the remaining vampires were running away as fast as they could by a small dark alley in front of them. And Faith was already chasing them, followed by several young Slayers.

"Faith, wait!" Buffy screamed. " You have no idea where they might go! "

Faith stopped, turned around to cast a glance behind her to Buffy, then just shrugged and resumed running before the blonde Slayer could add something.

"God, that girl's gonna drive me nuts!" grumbled Buffy.

"We should follow" Kennedy said. "Don't know what might happen."

"That's what I said" Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "They just came from everywhere sooner, there might be another groups not too far in the cemetery"

"Exactly" said Jenny's voice, who just popped up from their left.

She was also covered in dust and sweat, mixed with dried blood coming from her nose. The younger Slayer had obviously not spent her easiest evening.

"There're a lot of big nests in that cemetery. They're probably trying to join their HQ. If they reach it, we have no idea what we'll find there. And the battle's noise probably warned others vampires that we're here"

Buffy and Kennedy exchanged a glance to the Cleveland leader's words.

"We're going to help them" they said almost together.

"I wouldn't be too worried if it was just Faith but three of your girls followed her" added Buffy quickly. "Gather the others, we have to catch up with them"

Jenny nodded and started to do as she had been told, while Kennedy reloaded her crossbow as Buffy and herself took the path followed by Faith an instant before.


Buffy flopped down in a bush after violently hurting a tombstone one of her opponent had thrown her onto. The blonde Slayer laid there for a moment, cursing silently Faith for that new event, and herself for agreeing to come in the first place.

But it was nothing compared to the curse words she let escape when she noticed that one of her jacket's sleeve had been ripped by a branch during her fall. Centered as she was on the leather tatter hanging miserably from her sleeve, she did not see Kennedy shoot the last remaining vampire with her crossbow and coming to her to ask her about her state.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" Buffy began.

Then se raised her head to the younger girl and put her jacket under her nose before resuming in a exasperate tone:

"Actually no! How could I be okay after THAT?"

Saying this, she was shaking her sleeve in front of Kennedy, as this one could have not notice the sleeve's pitiful state.

"It's the first jacket I bought in Rome, with my first Italian salary! It was important to me, like a symbol of my new normal young woman's normal life going normally shopping with her sister!"

Buffy stopped and stared at Kennedy, waiting probably for a comprehensive or approval sign. But she got none. The other Slayer was looking at her, shared between amusement and consternation, and she obviously found nothing to answer to such clothing reflections. A covered in dust Faith's arrival put her out of her embarrassment. The dark-haired Slayer smirked and turned to Buffy.

"I think we're done this time!" She said happily. "So B, how was that big scary back to the basics?"

Buffy did not answer and turned to Jenny who had just joined up with them.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked.

Jenny nodded.

"I think Melinda ricked her ankle and Kathy broke her nose, but nothing too serious"

"Good. We're done for tonight. Let's come home"

Kennedy looked around her with her hand still firmly clasped on her crossbow, then cast a glance to her watch – a gift from Willow whose sight was enough to make her smile.

"I'd killed some more but hey, I guess we didn't come in Cleveland for that, right?" she said, turning to Buffy.

"Right" Buffy confirmed. "And I'd rather come back before ripping up all my clothes tonight."

Saying this, Buffy was staring at herself and wore a disapproval wince on her face, not sure that any of her clothes would survive such a treatment. She did not notice Jenny's quite amused gaze as she ordered her group to come home before following them on the path back to the hotel.

Kennedy did the same, her crossbow still in hand, ready for anything that might come their way. Buffy followed some steps behind after trying to shake the dust from her again, Faith on her heels.

The dark-haired Slayer looked at her counterpart with curiosity and even some apprehension seeing Buffy's scowl. After several minutes of silence, Faith finally talked.

"So, B, good evening? Well, except the thing with your jacket?"

Silence.

"That's so bad for your jacket?"

Silence again.

"I guess it is" Faith went on. "I guess you lost your habits. I never wear clothes I like on patrol…"

Faith kept quiet a second, looking like she was thinking about what she had just said. She went on, without noticing Buffy's angry glance.

"But probably I have less clothes I like than you have. You being all…"

"Faith, just shut up!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed.

At first, Faith was about to answer in the same tone but her mouth opened then closed without any sound going out from it. She breathed in deeply to try to calm down then asked in the most casual tone she could:

"What's the matter with you B? I'm not the one ripping up your clothes!"

Buffy raised her arms to the sky in a gesture of despair.

"Of course not! But YOU ran after those vampires without wondering e second if they could lead you into a trap. And after finding groups of dozens of vampires!"

Faith let escape a long sigh, clearly showing she was not happy at all with that conversation.

"And? I don't see the problem. They're vampires, we meet them, we kill them. Simple as that!"

"We don't know how things work in that town, Jenny said there were big nests in that cemetery, that we had to be careful. It could have been dangerous!"

"And now B's worried about me!" Faith said sarcastically, rolling her eyes but with a half-smile on her face. "So, see, everything's fine, I'm all okay!"

Buffy stopped walking and turned to Faith with a serious look plastered on her face.

"I'm not worried about you Faith. But there were those girls with you."

"They're Slayers!" answered an exasperated Faith. "Like you and me!"

"No!" Buffy shouted. « Not like you and me. We are the Chosen ones, the first ones of that generation, the 'natural' Slayers. Those girls look at us like models, we have a responsibility towards them"

"YOU are a model, not me" retorted Faith.

"They followed you without hesitating when they hardly know you and without telling Jenny who's their leader. They trusted you because it was YOU"

"So, everything's fine, no one died, end of story"

"You're lucky" said Buffy firmly. "If you want to take that kind of chance, do what you want. But don't drag those girls with you. Chance is not always enough"

"I follow my instinct and that'd always been enough to survive"

"You're still alive cause you spent a good part of your calling not fighting the good fight or locked away"

Faith looked hurt by Buffy's comment but the expression faded from her face as soon as it came, and Buffy had hardly enough time to see it.

"So, what advice a Slayer dead twice could give me to stay alive ?"

Buffy did not pay attention to Faith ironic tone and went on:

"You should be more patient and careful sometimes, you should think about what to do before doing it. That'll help you to survive"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you were the best, always knowing better than anyone what to do and when!"

"I WAS the best" emphasized Buffy. "I was 'cause I have to. 'Cause I was alone. You'd never been alone to do that job. I was."

Faith could not help but sniggered. Then her face closed and she laid her eyes on the blonde Slayer with solemnity.

"You weren't alone B. It's about time you stop with that. You weren't alone, you never were"

Buffy rolled her eyes, losing her patience.

"Did you lost your memory by dint of all those blows on your face?"

"And you?" added the brunette. "Except if Willow and Xander don't count? They CHOSE to fight when you just always did what you had to do. And the second you had a choice, you just walked away!"

"Oh, of course!" Shouted a now ramping Buffy. "You have to find something to blame me about! I just wanted to live a normal life!"

Faith rolled her eyes and opened her arms in a dramatic gesture.

"Yeah. And I wanted to have a mother who loves me and to celebrate Christmas. I wanted to have a brother to play with. And y'know what ? I bet Will and Xander just wanted to live the rest of their lives with the girl they loved. But you've been the only one to be fulfilled here, B."

"Don't talk about my friends" Buffy said in a tone now hard as steel. "You know nothing about them"

"'Cause you know better than me?"

Buffy swallowed hard, clenched her teeth and put her cold gaze in Faith's. The dark-haired Slayer kept quite and waited the verbal – or physical- outburst when she saw Buffy's hard expression. But nothing came.


The hotel was silent and plunged in darkness when the small group came back. The Slayers parted, some of them going to put the weapons back to their place, most of them just coming back to their rooms to grab a shower and to go to sleep.

Jenny had took her wounded to the sickbay, Faith had disappeared without a word and Kennedy had left for her room after a 'night' to Buffy and a half-smile.

The blonde Slayer remained then alone in the lobby and listened to the voices fading away until she couldn't hear anything more.

Despite the late hour, Buffy didn't feel like going to sleep right now and she decided for a nightly walk in the hotel's gardens.

The air was cool and Buffy wrapped her arms around herself to find some warmth while walking along a little rocky path that lead to the swimming pool. She was surprise to see a thin silhouette sat on the swimming-pool edge. A step later she recognized Willow. Buffy speeded up and reached the witch quickly.

"Hey" she said, sitting cross-legged beside her friend.

"Hey" Willow answered, smiling to Buffy. "Patrol's over?"

"Yeah, we just got back. Kennedy left to grab a shower I think"

Willow nodded. Silence fell back between them, each of them looking like they were lost in their world and searching for something to say.

"So, how was patrol?" finally asked Willow.

"Well, you know, nothing big. Killed some vampires, lost my new pair of shoes which is

full of dust et won't probably be clear again, and Faith just made her Faith enough to upset me. Nowhere I ever been before."

Willow smiled again to Buffy's enumeration, nodded her head and displayed the most sorry look on her face she could when Buffy showed her jacket sleeve.

"So you?" Buffy asked. « What're you doing outside that late? »

Willow shrugged, the gesture probably meaning something like "nothing special" before adding:

"I just needed some fresh air… To think, that kind of things…"

Buffy's expression immediately became one of worry.

"Something happened? You fought? With Dawn? Or Xander?"

« No, no » protested Willow vehemently. "We talked with Xander here, sooner. He just came back in"

Buffy nodded and settled herself more comfortably next to the redhead.

"So, a lot of things in your head lately?"

Willow smiled thoughtfully.

"Yeah… Well, most of the time I have plenty of things in my head. But, you know with the Slayers training, the south America demons hunt and Kennedy, lately it was all about work. Not really had time to think about something else lately… And suddenly, everything's calm and all the people I love are there after months apart… It's… Well… kind of weird…"

"Yeah, I know. We didn't see much of each other lately… It's a big damn change…"

Buffy kept quiet and stared at Willow's melancholic and thoughtful face before resuming:

"But, it's quite nice to meet again?"

Willow raised her head and looked at Buffy. She could read hesitance and question in the Slayer's gaze.

"Yeah, of course." She hurried to say. "Of course it's nice, it's super nice. I was waiting for this with much impatience, you can ask Kennedy. I even just talk about that for weeks. Well, I can even say I totally bothered her with that for weeks. And I'm really happy to be there. Really"

Buffy smiled to Willow's trademark quick delivery of words and to her shy smile.

"I know Will. I know you're happy to see us. But you seems so…"

Buffy stopped again, searching the right word for what she meant.

"Melancholic?" she finally offered.

Willow opened her mouth but said nothing at first. She gestured with her hand.

"Yeah, yeah, a little"

She stopped in her turn, seemed to hesitate.

"It's…Actually, I was thinking about Tara"

Buffy frowned, obviously never seeing that coming.

"Ah. And, what?"

"You know, I think…really often about her. But, being here, all together, without being home, it reminded me that we have no home any more, that Sunnydale has just disappeared, taking away everything that was left from her. It's not that I forgot before or anything…'cause I really often think about that but… there're moments like that. It's more vivid than it usually is"

Willow kept quite and Buffy laid a tender and worried gaze on her.

"Sometimes, it feels like I'm moving on, like I'm getting better. And other times, I think I'll never really get over it… Like… You know, I'm not even 25 and the road ahead of me seems so long, so endless. Like the best was already behind me…"

There was a new silence and Willow wiped stealthily a tear about to roll on her cheek.

"And… I don't know why I'm talking about that. We meet again after months apart and the first I do: I'm crying like a doofus. »

"No, no!" Buffy exclaimed. "It's ok, Will, I'm happy you talk to me you know"

Buffy hugged Willow tightly against her, just like Xander had done sooner. And sharing that cozy moment with her friends made Willow feel a lot better. Buffy felt the witch relax and let go on her shoulder and she pulled her friend closer.

"I'm a lot better after that" Willow said, smiling to the blonde Slayer.

"After what?" Asked Buffy, trying to sound cheerful.

"Crying on her shoulder" Willow explained with a trademark grin.

Buffy smiled and a new silence settled between the two friends. Willow looked like she had got back to her time travel while Buffy was gathering her thoughts, the witch's words, and she came to the realization they never had that conversation before.

"What about Kennedy? I thought… I mean, you two, it seemed to be all right"

Willow raised her head to her girlfriend's name.

"Oh, she's perfect! I mean, nearly perfect, as perfect as someone can be, a normal someone I mean, except she's not really normal 'cause you know: Slayer and all. But perfect as a girlfriend actually. And I love her. I really love her. Truly. And..."

Willow shut her mouth, letting her sentence unfinished. Buffy looked at her with affection, at the time amused to have back 'her' babbling Willow and touched by her obvious vulnerability. She waited for the redhead to go on. Seeing nothing coming, the blonde Slayer gently asked:

"And?"

"And, that's why I know I can't move on"

Willow stopped again but resuming quickly:

"I can't move on, I won't ever move on completely. 'Cause, I mean… Everything's so perfect between us… And though, there's something missing. There's always Tara. Do you get it?"

Willow turned to Buffy after avoiding her gaze during her explanation. Her eyes were clear and frank and Willow's expression was one of too soon scoffed, too soon torn off innocence.

"I get it" finally got out Buffy with difficulty, as her throat was constricted with emotion. "I get it"