Chapter 10-Together
Xander stopped at the base of the fort and he looked up. He could see the flickering light from the lantern he had left up there so long ago. Willow had found it and lit it, and now she was up there, alone. She wouldn't be alone for long, he decided. He began to climb up to the fort.
He managed to get inside and as he did, he saw Willow watching him as he entered. She didn't say anything to him, but her eyes never left him. She was sitting with her back to the wall, the shoe box open on her left, and the photo album lying open before her.
Xander closed the trap door and he turned to look at Willow. "Do you remember hitting your thumb with the hammer, Will?" he said softly as he glanced at the nail holding the Refuge sign. "You weren't the only one who felt pain that day. So did I. When you cried, I wanted to cry for you. I wanted to take your pain away...just as I want to do that now."
Willow looked at him. She wanted to say something to him but couldn't make herself open her mouth to tell him anything. She was so glad he came to her.
Xander took Willow's hand in his, unaware that in her other hand was his journal. "This place has always meant something more to me than just a fort, Will, 'cause you helped me with it. It's made me realize the one thing in my life that has truly been missing has always been you. I know that now. Maybe that's why I couldn't figure this out until now. That's why I didn't know what happened to you because back then, I was blind."
She shook her head at him. "No...y-you're wrong, Xander."
Puzzled, he looked at her. "Willow, what do you mean? I'm trying to tell you how sorry I am. I should have known something was wrong. I--"
"You did know," she said softly as she showed him his journal. "Y-you realized that I was changing and that-that somehow, I wasn't really the person you knew. So-so you did know something was wrong." She looked into his eyes. "You just didn't know what the change was." She paused. "I remember wanting you so badly to fall in love with me...and-and now I know you did." Willow swallowed. "I-I love you so much, Xander." In a whisper, she said, "Everything is so different. M-my life is gone. At-at least, the life I had, and-and I have to live with that, but I-I don't care what happens as long as I ha-have you."
Xander took her in his arms. "You do have me, Willow. You always did."
She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. "Wh-what do we do now, Xander?" she asked quietly.
"We make a new life, Willow."
She looked at him. "H-how?"
"Together."
They held each other and offered comfort to one another. A new day was on the horizon. They didn't know what it would bring, but at least they would face it together. Willow's pain was still deep, but because of Xander, she was willing to face anything as long as he was there by her side. They laid together in the sleeping bag he brought, and Xander reached over to put out the light. That night, they held each other and they talked about everything. Willow asked about what she had been like when she wasn't herself and he told her. He told her about his life, his relationship with Anya, and the realization of what he had been missing in his life.
They talked all night long. When the morning came, they were both fast asleep and Willow's head was upon Xander's chest. In her sleep, a small smile touched her lips.
_____
Quentin Travers placed the accursed trophy on the surface of the table before the Watcher's Council in England. "This is the most pressing matter at hand," he said to all those present. "We must do something about Catherine Madison." He looked around and made eye contact with everyone present. "She has begun a terrible work while she possessed Willow Rosenberg and we must find out what that work is...and stop it before it's too late. My sources tell me that Madison had a secret agenda. A purpose of dark intentions." He paused for affect. "If we don't find out what she intended, we may very well seal our doom and the earth's as well."
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FINISH...?
Xander stopped at the base of the fort and he looked up. He could see the flickering light from the lantern he had left up there so long ago. Willow had found it and lit it, and now she was up there, alone. She wouldn't be alone for long, he decided. He began to climb up to the fort.
He managed to get inside and as he did, he saw Willow watching him as he entered. She didn't say anything to him, but her eyes never left him. She was sitting with her back to the wall, the shoe box open on her left, and the photo album lying open before her.
Xander closed the trap door and he turned to look at Willow. "Do you remember hitting your thumb with the hammer, Will?" he said softly as he glanced at the nail holding the Refuge sign. "You weren't the only one who felt pain that day. So did I. When you cried, I wanted to cry for you. I wanted to take your pain away...just as I want to do that now."
Willow looked at him. She wanted to say something to him but couldn't make herself open her mouth to tell him anything. She was so glad he came to her.
Xander took Willow's hand in his, unaware that in her other hand was his journal. "This place has always meant something more to me than just a fort, Will, 'cause you helped me with it. It's made me realize the one thing in my life that has truly been missing has always been you. I know that now. Maybe that's why I couldn't figure this out until now. That's why I didn't know what happened to you because back then, I was blind."
She shook her head at him. "No...y-you're wrong, Xander."
Puzzled, he looked at her. "Willow, what do you mean? I'm trying to tell you how sorry I am. I should have known something was wrong. I--"
"You did know," she said softly as she showed him his journal. "Y-you realized that I was changing and that-that somehow, I wasn't really the person you knew. So-so you did know something was wrong." She looked into his eyes. "You just didn't know what the change was." She paused. "I remember wanting you so badly to fall in love with me...and-and now I know you did." Willow swallowed. "I-I love you so much, Xander." In a whisper, she said, "Everything is so different. M-my life is gone. At-at least, the life I had, and-and I have to live with that, but I-I don't care what happens as long as I ha-have you."
Xander took her in his arms. "You do have me, Willow. You always did."
She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. "Wh-what do we do now, Xander?" she asked quietly.
"We make a new life, Willow."
She looked at him. "H-how?"
"Together."
They held each other and offered comfort to one another. A new day was on the horizon. They didn't know what it would bring, but at least they would face it together. Willow's pain was still deep, but because of Xander, she was willing to face anything as long as he was there by her side. They laid together in the sleeping bag he brought, and Xander reached over to put out the light. That night, they held each other and they talked about everything. Willow asked about what she had been like when she wasn't herself and he told her. He told her about his life, his relationship with Anya, and the realization of what he had been missing in his life.
They talked all night long. When the morning came, they were both fast asleep and Willow's head was upon Xander's chest. In her sleep, a small smile touched her lips.
_____
Quentin Travers placed the accursed trophy on the surface of the table before the Watcher's Council in England. "This is the most pressing matter at hand," he said to all those present. "We must do something about Catherine Madison." He looked around and made eye contact with everyone present. "She has begun a terrible work while she possessed Willow Rosenberg and we must find out what that work is...and stop it before it's too late. My sources tell me that Madison had a secret agenda. A purpose of dark intentions." He paused for affect. "If we don't find out what she intended, we may very well seal our doom and the earth's as well."
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FINISH...?