Title: Something New (13/15)
Author: Luisa
Notes/Disclaimers: as in the Prologue
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Part 13
A heavy silence descended as everyone shifted uncomfortably in his or her place, unsure as to whether to be relieved or angry with the Wicca. She fidgeted a bit on the stair in response. "I... um... oh god, I'm so sorry you guys. I didn't mean to..."
Anya scowled and laid a hand protectively and possessively on Xander's thigh, speaking up. "Yes, well, you never mean to, do you? You only ever think about yourself... you don't care about how your little spells affect the people around you. You made Xander go blind and you turned Spike into a demon magnet. You're just putting us all in danger and you could've gotten us all *killed*." Suddenly noticing Buffy glaring at her she decided to shut up.
Buffy turned back to face Willow and let a small smile of understanding show, noticing unshed tears in the redhead's eyes. "We know you didn't mean to hurt us, Will." She moved slowly to the foot of the stairs, aware of everyone's eyes on her as she did so. "I just thought... I guess I thought you were more responsible than that. I mean, sure a spell might take the pain away for a moment, but what did you expect to happen when the spell got broken?"
"I don't know." The words tumbled out in a sob and a hiccup as Willow gently shook her head.
The Slayer ascended the stairs and sat beside her friend, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. "I know how it feels. Been there before, remember? Only instead of doing a spell, I ran away. But that didn't stop everything hurting inside. But things *did* get better for me - and they will for you, you'll move on. I know you can't see it now, and you probably don't *want* to right now... but I *promise* that we'll all help you get through this." She lifted her head and looked at the small group. "Right, guys?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Giles and Xander responded together.
"O-o-o... of course"
"Sure, Wills. Count on me."
Xander elbowed Anya and she scowled at him. "What? You think I'm just gonna..." She exhaled noisily as he nudged her again. "Oh, okay, fine then. Yes I'll let Xander support you. But don't think I'll let you off so easily. This is by far the stupidest thing you've done since I met you and forgiveness doesn't come easy for ex-vengeance demons." She crossed her arms in front of her and sank into Xander's embrace. He grinned at Willow.
"That's about as close as you'll get to Anya's support."
Willow gave a watery smile in return. Anya tried not to smile back, but against her better judgement her face brightened as an idea came to her. "Of course, you could always prove how sorry you are, by... say... maybe buying us all ice cream?"
"Sure," Willow nodded, "Whatever it takes." As Xander and Anya got up, the Wicca turned to the Slayer and whispered to her. "Look Buffy, I'm *really* sorry for all this. I hope I didn't do anything really horrible to you."
"Do...?" The question died before Buffy had a chance to process it. [Oh god.] She pulled her arm away from her friend's shoulders and looked down at her left hand. [Oh shit] It was still there, the gold gleaming brightly around her finger. She looked up, her eyes seeking out Giles'. Their gaze locked across the room and she felt the colour drain from her face as he quickly looked away, busying himself with clearing up some of the debris created by the demon invasion. A soft gasp of comprehension by her ear reminded her that Willow was beside her. Still pale, Buffy turned to her friend. "Willow... what did you do?"
The redhead stammered out a response, "I... I... I'm sorry Buffy... I was just so angry at you for running to Giles when I needed you."
A panicky tone entered the blonde's voice. "*What* did you do?"
"I... I just said that... that you and Giles should just get married..." Willow watched worried, as colour suffused her friends face. "Buff...?" But Buffy wasn't listening. Instead she had shifted slightly on the stair and her eyes were fixed on the doorway to Giles' room. Willow swivelled her head around too, to see what Buffy was looking at. Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh, Buffy... you didn't..."
Buffy turned back, not even paying heed to Willow. She looked back at where Giles continued with shoulders slumped to clear away his living area. "Giles...?" When there was no response, she looked down again fiddling absently with the ring on her finger.
"Uh, Will?" Xander moved to the foot of the stairs, watched keenly by Anya. "Now might be a good time to buy that ice cream." She nodded gently and slowly rose, aware of Buffy looking forlornly at the metal band.
"Oi, Red! What about me? You tried to sodding *kill* me with that 'demon magnet' spell of yours. I think you ought to get *me* something, too."
The witch smiled softly at the vampire still lying on his back. "Ice cream okay for you? Cuz I don't think I'd like to buy blood." She pulled a face and Spike smirked in response.
"In that case I'll have some blood. Wouldn't want to make it easy on you now pet, would I? Oh, and while you're at it you can get me a packet of fags."
Willow sighed in defeat and joined Xander. "Are you sure we should go?" She asked the question softly, yet it was obvious that neither Buffy nor Giles heard it, each lost in their own little worlds of regret.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Trying to erase the images that the sounds of Watcher and Slayer lip-smacking had conjured, Xander desperately grasped each of his girls' hands and they exited the small apartment together.
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Part 13
A heavy silence descended as everyone shifted uncomfortably in his or her place, unsure as to whether to be relieved or angry with the Wicca. She fidgeted a bit on the stair in response. "I... um... oh god, I'm so sorry you guys. I didn't mean to..."
Anya scowled and laid a hand protectively and possessively on Xander's thigh, speaking up. "Yes, well, you never mean to, do you? You only ever think about yourself... you don't care about how your little spells affect the people around you. You made Xander go blind and you turned Spike into a demon magnet. You're just putting us all in danger and you could've gotten us all *killed*." Suddenly noticing Buffy glaring at her she decided to shut up.
Buffy turned back to face Willow and let a small smile of understanding show, noticing unshed tears in the redhead's eyes. "We know you didn't mean to hurt us, Will." She moved slowly to the foot of the stairs, aware of everyone's eyes on her as she did so. "I just thought... I guess I thought you were more responsible than that. I mean, sure a spell might take the pain away for a moment, but what did you expect to happen when the spell got broken?"
"I don't know." The words tumbled out in a sob and a hiccup as Willow gently shook her head.
The Slayer ascended the stairs and sat beside her friend, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. "I know how it feels. Been there before, remember? Only instead of doing a spell, I ran away. But that didn't stop everything hurting inside. But things *did* get better for me - and they will for you, you'll move on. I know you can't see it now, and you probably don't *want* to right now... but I *promise* that we'll all help you get through this." She lifted her head and looked at the small group. "Right, guys?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Giles and Xander responded together.
"O-o-o... of course"
"Sure, Wills. Count on me."
Xander elbowed Anya and she scowled at him. "What? You think I'm just gonna..." She exhaled noisily as he nudged her again. "Oh, okay, fine then. Yes I'll let Xander support you. But don't think I'll let you off so easily. This is by far the stupidest thing you've done since I met you and forgiveness doesn't come easy for ex-vengeance demons." She crossed her arms in front of her and sank into Xander's embrace. He grinned at Willow.
"That's about as close as you'll get to Anya's support."
Willow gave a watery smile in return. Anya tried not to smile back, but against her better judgement her face brightened as an idea came to her. "Of course, you could always prove how sorry you are, by... say... maybe buying us all ice cream?"
"Sure," Willow nodded, "Whatever it takes." As Xander and Anya got up, the Wicca turned to the Slayer and whispered to her. "Look Buffy, I'm *really* sorry for all this. I hope I didn't do anything really horrible to you."
"Do...?" The question died before Buffy had a chance to process it. [Oh god.] She pulled her arm away from her friend's shoulders and looked down at her left hand. [Oh shit] It was still there, the gold gleaming brightly around her finger. She looked up, her eyes seeking out Giles'. Their gaze locked across the room and she felt the colour drain from her face as he quickly looked away, busying himself with clearing up some of the debris created by the demon invasion. A soft gasp of comprehension by her ear reminded her that Willow was beside her. Still pale, Buffy turned to her friend. "Willow... what did you do?"
The redhead stammered out a response, "I... I... I'm sorry Buffy... I was just so angry at you for running to Giles when I needed you."
A panicky tone entered the blonde's voice. "*What* did you do?"
"I... I just said that... that you and Giles should just get married..." Willow watched worried, as colour suffused her friends face. "Buff...?" But Buffy wasn't listening. Instead she had shifted slightly on the stair and her eyes were fixed on the doorway to Giles' room. Willow swivelled her head around too, to see what Buffy was looking at. Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh, Buffy... you didn't..."
Buffy turned back, not even paying heed to Willow. She looked back at where Giles continued with shoulders slumped to clear away his living area. "Giles...?" When there was no response, she looked down again fiddling absently with the ring on her finger.
"Uh, Will?" Xander moved to the foot of the stairs, watched keenly by Anya. "Now might be a good time to buy that ice cream." She nodded gently and slowly rose, aware of Buffy looking forlornly at the metal band.
"Oi, Red! What about me? You tried to sodding *kill* me with that 'demon magnet' spell of yours. I think you ought to get *me* something, too."
The witch smiled softly at the vampire still lying on his back. "Ice cream okay for you? Cuz I don't think I'd like to buy blood." She pulled a face and Spike smirked in response.
"In that case I'll have some blood. Wouldn't want to make it easy on you now pet, would I? Oh, and while you're at it you can get me a packet of fags."
Willow sighed in defeat and joined Xander. "Are you sure we should go?" She asked the question softly, yet it was obvious that neither Buffy nor Giles heard it, each lost in their own little worlds of regret.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Trying to erase the images that the sounds of Watcher and Slayer lip-smacking had conjured, Xander desperately grasped each of his girls' hands and they exited the small apartment together.
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