A Slayer Lost (8/11: Okay To Cry)
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
~*~
Willow stood silently as she watched Spike's retreating form with a wry smile. Sunnydale would certainly never be the same without the peroxided Big Bad.
She looked over her shoulder. Dawn was sobbing, clinging onto Anya like a life preserver. Anya appeared decidedly uncomfortable. For a second, she considered relieving her ant taking Dawnie herself, but Xander was still inside, and Spike was right; he *did* need all the help he could get.
He was still on the floor when she found him, only now he was sobbing. Not that she could blame him; she knew the feeling well. Especially since they had both already gone through all of this once before, not too long ago.
"Xander." she called softly. His tear-streaked face looked over at her as she sat down beside him.
"It's not fair, Will," he said, his anguished voice cracking even on those four short syllables.
"I know," she soothed. "It's not. We just got her back, and now..."
"Now she's gone. Again. Goddamn that fuckin' bastard..."
"Who?"
"Who?! Spike! William the Bloody, Captain Peroxide; ringin' any bells?"
"Xander, you can't blame him for this."
"I sure as hell can!"
"He did everything he could to save her. You know he did." Xander's eyes, when they met hers, were filled with shock and disbelief. Even after 20 years of little tiffs with Willow, he never in his life imagined that they'd disagree over something like this.
"No, actually, I don't know. And neither do you. How do you know that *he* wasn't the one that turned her? Huh?!"
Willow's voice was soft and calm compared to his loud shouts; the voice of reason, as always. "I don't. You're right, I don't. Not for positive, anyway. But I *trust* Spike, Xander. He's helped us so many times in the past..."
"Probably equal to the number of times he's plotted to kill us," Xander interjected with a glare. By now, Willow was beginning to get fed up with him.
"God, Xander, haven't you ever heard the expression 'Let bygones be bygones'? We're all willing to accept that what happened in the past happened in the past. Why can't you?"
Xander stood, his arms flailing as he ranted. "Oh, I'm sorry for taking his fangs a little more seriously than, say, him doing something normal, something human, like cheating on a girlfriend."
Willow threw her hands up in the air and glared at her best friend. "Fine. You know what?" she asked. "I give up. That's right, I quit. You think whatever the hell you want to think in your thick-skulled little head."
"Fine," he shot back.
"Fine!" she agreed. There was a beat of silence, and Xander's eyes softened slightly.
"You really trust him?" he asked. Willow nodded.
"He earned it. My trust and yours." Her eyes met Xander's, wide and hopeful, but he looked away.
"That's where you're wrong," he said, and left, brushing past Dawn and Anya entering the store without so much as a "hello".
"What...?" Anya trailed off. Willow just shook her head and motioned for the pair to sit down beside her. Dawn sat to her left, Anya at her right. Putting an arm around both of their shoulders, she drew them close.
"He'll come around," she assured them. "In the meantime, we have each other."
"It'll be allright, won't it?" Dawn asked. Willow bent to kiss her on top of the head.
"Yes, Dawnie," she murmured. "Everything's going to be allright."
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
~*~
Willow stood silently as she watched Spike's retreating form with a wry smile. Sunnydale would certainly never be the same without the peroxided Big Bad.
She looked over her shoulder. Dawn was sobbing, clinging onto Anya like a life preserver. Anya appeared decidedly uncomfortable. For a second, she considered relieving her ant taking Dawnie herself, but Xander was still inside, and Spike was right; he *did* need all the help he could get.
He was still on the floor when she found him, only now he was sobbing. Not that she could blame him; she knew the feeling well. Especially since they had both already gone through all of this once before, not too long ago.
"Xander." she called softly. His tear-streaked face looked over at her as she sat down beside him.
"It's not fair, Will," he said, his anguished voice cracking even on those four short syllables.
"I know," she soothed. "It's not. We just got her back, and now..."
"Now she's gone. Again. Goddamn that fuckin' bastard..."
"Who?"
"Who?! Spike! William the Bloody, Captain Peroxide; ringin' any bells?"
"Xander, you can't blame him for this."
"I sure as hell can!"
"He did everything he could to save her. You know he did." Xander's eyes, when they met hers, were filled with shock and disbelief. Even after 20 years of little tiffs with Willow, he never in his life imagined that they'd disagree over something like this.
"No, actually, I don't know. And neither do you. How do you know that *he* wasn't the one that turned her? Huh?!"
Willow's voice was soft and calm compared to his loud shouts; the voice of reason, as always. "I don't. You're right, I don't. Not for positive, anyway. But I *trust* Spike, Xander. He's helped us so many times in the past..."
"Probably equal to the number of times he's plotted to kill us," Xander interjected with a glare. By now, Willow was beginning to get fed up with him.
"God, Xander, haven't you ever heard the expression 'Let bygones be bygones'? We're all willing to accept that what happened in the past happened in the past. Why can't you?"
Xander stood, his arms flailing as he ranted. "Oh, I'm sorry for taking his fangs a little more seriously than, say, him doing something normal, something human, like cheating on a girlfriend."
Willow threw her hands up in the air and glared at her best friend. "Fine. You know what?" she asked. "I give up. That's right, I quit. You think whatever the hell you want to think in your thick-skulled little head."
"Fine," he shot back.
"Fine!" she agreed. There was a beat of silence, and Xander's eyes softened slightly.
"You really trust him?" he asked. Willow nodded.
"He earned it. My trust and yours." Her eyes met Xander's, wide and hopeful, but he looked away.
"That's where you're wrong," he said, and left, brushing past Dawn and Anya entering the store without so much as a "hello".
"What...?" Anya trailed off. Willow just shook her head and motioned for the pair to sit down beside her. Dawn sat to her left, Anya at her right. Putting an arm around both of their shoulders, she drew them close.
"He'll come around," she assured them. "In the meantime, we have each other."
"It'll be allright, won't it?" Dawn asked. Willow bent to kiss her on top of the head.
"Yes, Dawnie," she murmured. "Everything's going to be allright."
