Stubborn
Part 5 (of 7) - Buffy and Willow
Weight of the World
Buffy walked towards the bookcase in the Magic Shop, putting a book away. As it slid into its right place, she paused, just for a second, and in that time, she gave up. In that one second she killed her sister, sealed her fate, and she was relieved. Before she could think much of that second, it started over again. She walked towards the bookcase, with the same book in her hand. As she raised it to the shelf, her mind returned to the fact that they weren't going to win. Dawn would die, and it would all be over. Then she could go back to her life. She sighed slightly in relief. The moment started over again.
Willow watched as her friend tortured herself over and over, a half minute at a time. She could faintly hear the music she'd left on back in the apartment, her only sign that everything in the real world was okay. Finally, the redhead reacted to what Buffy had asked a moment before: "What if I can't snap out of it?"
"Then I guess you're right. And you did kill your sister." Willow turned to walk away. She knew she was being harsh, but she had to get through to Buffy. She had to understand how important she was to the fight ahead, but she was being so damn stubborn.
"Wait." Both versions of her friend spoke, "Where are you going?"
"Where you're needed," the witch looked over her shoulder, "Are you coming?"
And suddenly they were back in Xander's bedroom, sitting across from each other silently. Buffy looked around for a second before she began to weep. She covered her face and leaned over, ashamed.
At first Willow let her cry, let her sit at her side of the room and let all the guilt wash out of her with very sob, with every tear. She hadn't realized how much Dawn meant to the Slayer until their conversation in Buffy's head. Now that her mother was gone, it was as though Dawn was Buffy's only real family, her only link to the girl she was pre-Chosen One.
Willow went to her, finally, putting her arms around her long-time friend. Buffy cried into Willows shoulders, all the guilt in the world at having lost her sister coming out through the tears. The music that Willow had left on filtered through her tired mind, and she listened, thinking Willow knew exactly what she was doing when she had picked the song.
**Tired & jaded
this road is unsafe
have you been there
but time is on your side
you're too stubborn to wait
are you listening
they want you to know
they want you to stay
but its too much to take
so you're running away
it's more than I can bear
car crash
ending your day
at the side of the road
are you trembling
they'll wake up today
to the papers that say
"oh well" it was too hard to tell
he was swerving they were swerving
much too late**
"I'm so sorry Will. I know I put us behind on the finding Dawn. I was just so shocked that Glory had taken her so easily. I knew it had to be my fault." She nodded at the CD player in the corner, and gave a small smile to her friend. "It was too much to take, and I was running away."
Willow hugged her hurting friend tighter and said into her ear, "Its alright. I just wish you'd quit that."
The friends shared a strained laugh and Buffy looked at her redheaded friend, a new determination burning in her eyes. "We'll get them back, Wills. We'll get them both back." She paused a moment, looking at her friend, seeing the love she felt for her reflected in the redhead's eyes. "Thank you, Will. I don't know what I would do without you. You've always been the level head in my life. I love you."
Willow smiled, glad for the pre-battle heart-to-heart, "I know, I love you, too. I don't know what the world would do without you."
They stood up and hugged one last time before they walked out of the bedroom to get the others and head off to save the world. Anya and Tara both looked up from the television as they entered the living room and Anya jumped up, immediately.
"Is she still comatose, or can we go find Xander now?" She looked anxious, and Buffy smiled lightly.
"I'm all better, Anya." She turned to Willow, taking charge, being the Slayer, instead of the hurting sister. "Lets go find the boys, okay? You can fill me in on anything I missed on the way there."
They left the apartment, Buffy leading the way, her famous determined, stubborn look on her face.
Part 5 (of 7) - Buffy and Willow
Weight of the World
Buffy walked towards the bookcase in the Magic Shop, putting a book away. As it slid into its right place, she paused, just for a second, and in that time, she gave up. In that one second she killed her sister, sealed her fate, and she was relieved. Before she could think much of that second, it started over again. She walked towards the bookcase, with the same book in her hand. As she raised it to the shelf, her mind returned to the fact that they weren't going to win. Dawn would die, and it would all be over. Then she could go back to her life. She sighed slightly in relief. The moment started over again.
Willow watched as her friend tortured herself over and over, a half minute at a time. She could faintly hear the music she'd left on back in the apartment, her only sign that everything in the real world was okay. Finally, the redhead reacted to what Buffy had asked a moment before: "What if I can't snap out of it?"
"Then I guess you're right. And you did kill your sister." Willow turned to walk away. She knew she was being harsh, but she had to get through to Buffy. She had to understand how important she was to the fight ahead, but she was being so damn stubborn.
"Wait." Both versions of her friend spoke, "Where are you going?"
"Where you're needed," the witch looked over her shoulder, "Are you coming?"
And suddenly they were back in Xander's bedroom, sitting across from each other silently. Buffy looked around for a second before she began to weep. She covered her face and leaned over, ashamed.
At first Willow let her cry, let her sit at her side of the room and let all the guilt wash out of her with very sob, with every tear. She hadn't realized how much Dawn meant to the Slayer until their conversation in Buffy's head. Now that her mother was gone, it was as though Dawn was Buffy's only real family, her only link to the girl she was pre-Chosen One.
Willow went to her, finally, putting her arms around her long-time friend. Buffy cried into Willows shoulders, all the guilt in the world at having lost her sister coming out through the tears. The music that Willow had left on filtered through her tired mind, and she listened, thinking Willow knew exactly what she was doing when she had picked the song.
**Tired & jaded
this road is unsafe
have you been there
but time is on your side
you're too stubborn to wait
are you listening
they want you to know
they want you to stay
but its too much to take
so you're running away
it's more than I can bear
car crash
ending your day
at the side of the road
are you trembling
they'll wake up today
to the papers that say
"oh well" it was too hard to tell
he was swerving they were swerving
much too late**
"I'm so sorry Will. I know I put us behind on the finding Dawn. I was just so shocked that Glory had taken her so easily. I knew it had to be my fault." She nodded at the CD player in the corner, and gave a small smile to her friend. "It was too much to take, and I was running away."
Willow hugged her hurting friend tighter and said into her ear, "Its alright. I just wish you'd quit that."
The friends shared a strained laugh and Buffy looked at her redheaded friend, a new determination burning in her eyes. "We'll get them back, Wills. We'll get them both back." She paused a moment, looking at her friend, seeing the love she felt for her reflected in the redhead's eyes. "Thank you, Will. I don't know what I would do without you. You've always been the level head in my life. I love you."
Willow smiled, glad for the pre-battle heart-to-heart, "I know, I love you, too. I don't know what the world would do without you."
They stood up and hugged one last time before they walked out of the bedroom to get the others and head off to save the world. Anya and Tara both looked up from the television as they entered the living room and Anya jumped up, immediately.
"Is she still comatose, or can we go find Xander now?" She looked anxious, and Buffy smiled lightly.
"I'm all better, Anya." She turned to Willow, taking charge, being the Slayer, instead of the hurting sister. "Lets go find the boys, okay? You can fill me in on anything I missed on the way there."
They left the apartment, Buffy leading the way, her famous determined, stubborn look on her face.