D/C: Still the same.
Reviewers:
Okay, I know I said five reviews, but I've gotta get this one out there!
Cesare: There just isn't enough about Willow out there is there? Good luck on the story you're working on.
Faith: Funny. I like that. Just keepin' it light until the heavy stuff comes.
Pitti-Sing: Thanx for putting me on your fave stories list. No one I know of has done that besides my "sister-in-law", so cool. Keep on checkin' back!
srbarnett: Thanx for reviewin', although I never said anything negative regarding the escargots. Something just still grosses me out about eating snails. Read this chapter for more references to the snails.
"Why didn't anyone tell me I was eating slugs?" Xander asked, rapidly brushing his teeth.
"Snails," Willow corrected, standing outside of the bathroom, waiting for him to come out so she could use it.
"Hurry up, you've been in there for twenty minutes!" she bellowed, pounding on the door.
Finally Xander stepped out with a beige porcelain coffee cup of mouthwash, gargling. Willow went in and did her thing.
Half an hour later, Willow stepped into her bedroom, which she had agreed to share with Xander for the night because he was too drunk to go home and Giles was crashing on the couch. She sighed as she groped in her suitcase for the jeans she was going to put in the wash. She emerged just as Xander was walking in, hair wet and glistening and a towel around his neck. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans, contrary to what he usually wears.
"I had to borrow some of Giles' clothes. This was the only outfit that wasn't either a suit or sweater set," he explained.
Willow giggled and started to the door, when she knocked over a trinket Gwen, a member of the coven, had given her before she left, a three-inch statuette of a sun, and accidentaly kicked it under the bed.
"I must be clumsy tonight," she said, reaching under for it. She didn't emerge right away, noticing something under the bed.
"Will?" Xander asked. Willow came up slowly, holding the statuette and grasping something else. He fell to her level and noticed a silent tear spilling over her cheek.
"What is it?" he asked. Willow started sobbing and looked at her palm. Xander pried her hand open and stared at the item she was holding. A simple ornate cross necklace with Tara's initials etched into the back. He tried to comfort her with no avail.
"Hey, it's been a long time and it's time for you to remember she's in a better place," he said, absently wiping a tear from her cheek. They looked into each other's eyes and drew in for a kiss.
***********
The sunlight streamed through the window, awakening Willow. She reached up to rub her eyes and found something strange about where her arm was. Xander stirred under her arm, turning over on his side to avoid the sunlight. There was another problem: she wasn't wearing the pajamas she usually wore. In fact, she wasn't wearing anything at all under the pale blue sheets. She lifted the sheet up and briefly glanced to her left.
"Well, looks like Xander's comfortable-" she thought, remembering the night before. She bolted up, clutching the thin sheet which was all that was keeping her nakedness concealed. Xander stirred again and slowly woke up, a pounding headache and hangover accompanying him and beckoning him to rise. He sat up and reached down to the floor, looking for something.
"What happened last night?" she asked.
"I don't know, but I've gotta have some asprin, or my head's gonna blow up," he replied.
"Xander, look down," she said, still clutching the sheet.
He did as he was told.
"Aaahhh!"
***********
Xander paced anxiously around the room, now wearing his boxers.
"Okay, refresh my memory?" he asked.
"Do I even have to do this again?" she shot back, looking for her clothes.
"Forget I even asked. Lets just forget about it. We don't have to tell anyone, you know," he said.
"That's more than fine with me," she said, collecting some clean clothes.
***********
They tried to get on with the rest of the day, somehow succeeding. Xander went home to change before he went to work and Willow was going to see the new school with Buffy.
Buffy was convinced something was wrong there, probably caused by the Hellmouth.
"I know we need to check the basement. It's always the basement," she remarked.
Willow followed her down the stairs to the dark room, carrying a flashlight.
"Sure is creepy down here," she admitted.
"Will, it's always dark down here. It's a basement?"
"Never mind."
There was a commotion in the next room. Buffy switched off her flashlight and motioned for Willow to do the same. Buffy took a stake from her bag and poised it, ready for action. A familiar blonde head was in the way.
"Spike?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Spike's got a new best friend," Buffy remarked.
"Best friend?"
"I didn't tell you he got his soul?"
"No. I thought he had a chip, or maybe that was last time I checked," Willow looked thoughtfully at the blonde in the corner.
"Must... get... it... out..." Spike moaned in the corner, interrupting the friends.
"Hold his arms down," Buffy commanded.
"Wha..." Willow started.
"He's been suicidal for awhile. Just hold his arms down and make sure he doesn't keep hitting himself."
Willow took her advice and held the pale skinned vampire against the wall, preventing him from harming himself. He calmed down after Buffy gave him a few reassuring words when Willow looked down at her feet. There was a small pocket knife on the floor with crimson blood contrasting the shiny steel. Buffy pulled away from Spike and looked at her hands, now moist.
"Will, turn on your flashlight," she commanded.
She did as she was told and pointed the light at Buffy's hands, now moist with Spike's blood.
"I must hurt for hurting the girl," Spike muttered, reaching for the pocket knife. On reflex, Buffy pounced, taking the bloodied knife from the floor.
"He can't exactly stay here. I guess we wait to take him home. First lets clean him up," Buffy motioned to her to open her backpack. Buffy wiped her hands on Spike's drenched shirt and removed it, revealing an ugly fuchia gash above his heart.
Buffy worked for awhile cleaning the cut and bandaging it. While she was doing this, Willow looked around the dark room using Buffy's flashlight. She came across the black leather duster Spike was known for. Other than a gash in the leather, it was in good enough condition for him to wear it instead of the soaked shirt.
They waited for another hour before they left for Buffy's.
A/N: Five more reviews! You know the drill.
Reviewers:
Okay, I know I said five reviews, but I've gotta get this one out there!
Cesare: There just isn't enough about Willow out there is there? Good luck on the story you're working on.
Faith: Funny. I like that. Just keepin' it light until the heavy stuff comes.
Pitti-Sing: Thanx for putting me on your fave stories list. No one I know of has done that besides my "sister-in-law", so cool. Keep on checkin' back!
srbarnett: Thanx for reviewin', although I never said anything negative regarding the escargots. Something just still grosses me out about eating snails. Read this chapter for more references to the snails.
"Why didn't anyone tell me I was eating slugs?" Xander asked, rapidly brushing his teeth.
"Snails," Willow corrected, standing outside of the bathroom, waiting for him to come out so she could use it.
"Hurry up, you've been in there for twenty minutes!" she bellowed, pounding on the door.
Finally Xander stepped out with a beige porcelain coffee cup of mouthwash, gargling. Willow went in and did her thing.
Half an hour later, Willow stepped into her bedroom, which she had agreed to share with Xander for the night because he was too drunk to go home and Giles was crashing on the couch. She sighed as she groped in her suitcase for the jeans she was going to put in the wash. She emerged just as Xander was walking in, hair wet and glistening and a towel around his neck. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans, contrary to what he usually wears.
"I had to borrow some of Giles' clothes. This was the only outfit that wasn't either a suit or sweater set," he explained.
Willow giggled and started to the door, when she knocked over a trinket Gwen, a member of the coven, had given her before she left, a three-inch statuette of a sun, and accidentaly kicked it under the bed.
"I must be clumsy tonight," she said, reaching under for it. She didn't emerge right away, noticing something under the bed.
"Will?" Xander asked. Willow came up slowly, holding the statuette and grasping something else. He fell to her level and noticed a silent tear spilling over her cheek.
"What is it?" he asked. Willow started sobbing and looked at her palm. Xander pried her hand open and stared at the item she was holding. A simple ornate cross necklace with Tara's initials etched into the back. He tried to comfort her with no avail.
"Hey, it's been a long time and it's time for you to remember she's in a better place," he said, absently wiping a tear from her cheek. They looked into each other's eyes and drew in for a kiss.
***********
The sunlight streamed through the window, awakening Willow. She reached up to rub her eyes and found something strange about where her arm was. Xander stirred under her arm, turning over on his side to avoid the sunlight. There was another problem: she wasn't wearing the pajamas she usually wore. In fact, she wasn't wearing anything at all under the pale blue sheets. She lifted the sheet up and briefly glanced to her left.
"Well, looks like Xander's comfortable-" she thought, remembering the night before. She bolted up, clutching the thin sheet which was all that was keeping her nakedness concealed. Xander stirred again and slowly woke up, a pounding headache and hangover accompanying him and beckoning him to rise. He sat up and reached down to the floor, looking for something.
"What happened last night?" she asked.
"I don't know, but I've gotta have some asprin, or my head's gonna blow up," he replied.
"Xander, look down," she said, still clutching the sheet.
He did as he was told.
"Aaahhh!"
***********
Xander paced anxiously around the room, now wearing his boxers.
"Okay, refresh my memory?" he asked.
"Do I even have to do this again?" she shot back, looking for her clothes.
"Forget I even asked. Lets just forget about it. We don't have to tell anyone, you know," he said.
"That's more than fine with me," she said, collecting some clean clothes.
***********
They tried to get on with the rest of the day, somehow succeeding. Xander went home to change before he went to work and Willow was going to see the new school with Buffy.
Buffy was convinced something was wrong there, probably caused by the Hellmouth.
"I know we need to check the basement. It's always the basement," she remarked.
Willow followed her down the stairs to the dark room, carrying a flashlight.
"Sure is creepy down here," she admitted.
"Will, it's always dark down here. It's a basement?"
"Never mind."
There was a commotion in the next room. Buffy switched off her flashlight and motioned for Willow to do the same. Buffy took a stake from her bag and poised it, ready for action. A familiar blonde head was in the way.
"Spike?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Spike's got a new best friend," Buffy remarked.
"Best friend?"
"I didn't tell you he got his soul?"
"No. I thought he had a chip, or maybe that was last time I checked," Willow looked thoughtfully at the blonde in the corner.
"Must... get... it... out..." Spike moaned in the corner, interrupting the friends.
"Hold his arms down," Buffy commanded.
"Wha..." Willow started.
"He's been suicidal for awhile. Just hold his arms down and make sure he doesn't keep hitting himself."
Willow took her advice and held the pale skinned vampire against the wall, preventing him from harming himself. He calmed down after Buffy gave him a few reassuring words when Willow looked down at her feet. There was a small pocket knife on the floor with crimson blood contrasting the shiny steel. Buffy pulled away from Spike and looked at her hands, now moist.
"Will, turn on your flashlight," she commanded.
She did as she was told and pointed the light at Buffy's hands, now moist with Spike's blood.
"I must hurt for hurting the girl," Spike muttered, reaching for the pocket knife. On reflex, Buffy pounced, taking the bloodied knife from the floor.
"He can't exactly stay here. I guess we wait to take him home. First lets clean him up," Buffy motioned to her to open her backpack. Buffy wiped her hands on Spike's drenched shirt and removed it, revealing an ugly fuchia gash above his heart.
Buffy worked for awhile cleaning the cut and bandaging it. While she was doing this, Willow looked around the dark room using Buffy's flashlight. She came across the black leather duster Spike was known for. Other than a gash in the leather, it was in good enough condition for him to wear it instead of the soaked shirt.
They waited for another hour before they left for Buffy's.
A/N: Five more reviews! You know the drill.