L.A.
"Oh my god Willow!" Buffy cried as she launched herself at the red head in the centre of the room. "Oh thank god, you're OK! You had me soo worried Wills, PLEASE promise me that you'll never ever worry me like that again!"
"Buffy, can't breathe...dead lungs...un-used to...breathing while...being crushed ...by...slayer strength..." Willow managed to breathe out.
The huge smile that graced Buffy's face faded as she released Willow just enough to look her straight in the eyes. "Dead lungs? W-Willlow what do you mean by dead lungs...?"
"I died, but its OK...the PTB gave me a second chance, Buffy it's OK don't cry. What's wrong, come on tell me...Buffy?"
"Just ... j-just tell me everything that happened to you. "
"There isn't much to tell really except for what the PTB told me."
"Well...what did they tell you Wills?"
"Basically? Well basically they told me that your dream wasn't prophetic...you had a dream implanted in your mind by a group of demons who wear cloaks in order for you to send me alone into a trap."
"B-b-but why?" Buffy asked on the verge of tears.
"To get me out of the way so I couldn't do things like help you, or bring you back to life. They wanted to get me out of the way in order to kill you Buffy."
Buffy began to cry but Willow brushed the tears away. "Don't cry Buffy, I managed to destroy the leader before he could kill me, only downside was that I was soo drained of my natural energy as well as my magic, I – I slipped into a coma and died. But the PTB made me a deal. They promised to send me back and let me lead a normal life as long as I promised to bind myself with the person who woke me. When that person dies I will die and then I have to spend the rest of eternity doing whatever job the Powers decide to give me."
Buffy sniffled and looked her friend in the eye to confirm the truth in what she had just been told.
"It's a good deal, really"
"Who is the person you have to bind yourself to?"
"I don't know but I have to find out."
"Willow"
"Yes Buffy?"
"I'm soo happy that you're alright."
Willow's smile was mirrored by Buffy.
"I might as well find out who I'm binding myself to now, then I can come back to you guys and give you all my undivided attention. "
"We'll be waiting," Buffy said softly.
Although she was extremely exhausted Willow gave Buffy one last hug and looked around at the room full of familiar faces. She focused her energies and chanted a small incantation. With a bright flash of white light she was gone.
- - - ~*~*~*~*~*~ - - -
Colorado
"Daniel are you sure that you're going to be alright by yourself? I don't want to leave you all alone in some bar after what you've just been through. Why don't you come with me back to the base huh, I really need to drop off Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over here off in the med lab and I wouldn't say no to some company. Come on, what do ya say Danny boy?"
Daniel just stared at Jack; Willow was dead and her body is missing. Jack had decided that they all needed to wind down and they all proceeded to the nearest bar where Sam and Teal'c didn't feel like drinking and instead stuck to nacho's and free pretzels. Now the two of them were sick as dogs and Jack who was about to take them back to the base to be treated by Janet. But before he left he was trying one for one last plea to get his friend to come with them instead of drowning his sorrows alone in some run down bar.
Daniel shook his head and told Jack that he'd be OK. Just one more drink after this one and he'd call a cab and go straight home and to bed. Jack seemed to accept this answer after much debate and then promptly left with Teal'c and Same to get their stomachs a much needed pump. Daniel did exactly as he promised ... to a point. One drink, cab home, but instead of heading straight to bed he decided to take a shower to wash the days events away.
He stripped away his clothes slowly before standing in front of the bathroom mirror. Running one hand through his short brown hair while, he took off his glasses with the other. He leaned against the counter as he blinked and struggled to focus on his reflection in the mirror. Sighing he set his glasses down and turned to the shower and cranked the hot water on full blast. As he stepped under the spray he missed the bright flash of white light that came from the other room.
He just stood under the spay of hot water for a minute before taking his soap and rubbing in generously across his chest, working his way slowly down to his abs, and slowly still farther down his body. Covering his legs in soap with long, fluid strokes. He continued to wash the rest of his body with the same slow, fluid treatment. When he finished he grabbed a small fluffy white towel from the rack and dried off quickly before wrapping the towel around his mid-section and stumbling off to his bedroom. Not even bothering to turn on any lights Daniel walked over to his bed and let his towel drop to the floor before pulling back the covers and crawling underneath into its warmth.
Trying to settle into a more comfortable position Daniel rolled over and felt something against his face. He reached one arm back towards his bedside table and turned on the light.
"OH –oh god!" Daniel panicked as he sat up straight as bolt staring at the red headed figure lying next to him. It was Willow, still dressed in her hospital garb, breathing. BREATHING! Oh god that meant, yes that meant that Willow was still alive, a huge smile graced Daniel's face as he stared down at her. But just how did she get here? His thoughts were quickly disrupted when all of his movement woke her up. They took one look at each other before she developed a look of pure terror across her face. Daniel's smile disappeared as she began to scramble away from him, muttering something he couldn't quite make out.
"Shh, shh it's OK Willow, you're safe here. I won't hurt you. My name is Daniel Jackson, I was one of the people who umm found you yesterday."
"Y-y-you," she managed to sputter out.
Daniel watched as the emotions played across her face, fear, recognition, understanding, and then terror. She started babbling quietly as she began backing away more until she was teetering over the opposite side of the bed. He was bewildered for a moment when she stopped suddenly, and blushed soo violently he couldn't figure out why she wasn't passing out. It wasn't until he heard the soft 'wow' and seen her look down when he realised that his covers no longer covered him and he was completely exposed. He began to blush as well as he pawed furiously for the sheets to cover himself. Was that a look of disappointment he saw flash across her face? He didn't have time to ponder it as she once again began to freak out.
He tried to grab for her but it was too late, she tried to back up too far and fell off of Daniel's bed, hitting her head on the other bedside table. Daniel sighed. He was soo ecstatic that Willow was indeed alive, but now he feared more then anything that he would never be able to talk to her, especially after she just established a pattern of passing out, knocking herself out, or dying in his presence. He sighed once more as he carefully picked her up and set her gently back down on his bed. He then reached for his phone and dialled a familiar number.
"O'Neill."
"Jack, hey it's Daniel, I umm, I've uh got a small situation over here."
"Daniel what's the matter?"
"Well uh, it's...it's kinda hard to explain, it's very unusual, unprecedented even."
"Daniel just tell me what's wrong."
"There's a woman in my bed."
"You're right that is unprecedented"
"Jack I'm being serious, there is a woman in my bed and I don't know what to do!"
"Oh, no, oh god no please Danny, please tell me that I don't have to give you the sex talk. It's been a rough night. Have you ever seen a Jaffa throw up half a basket's worth of spicy nachos with cheese? Have you? Well I have and let me tell you I would rather die before I seen that again."
"Jack listen to me I'm being serious." Daniel sighed. "There is a woman in my bed and I have no clue how she got there."
"How much did you have to drink tonight Danny boy? I KNEW that I shouldn't of left you alone at that bar, I should of just taken you with Sam and I and the incredible puking Jaffa back to the base.
"She's not from the bar Jack...She's.... She's..."
"She's who Daniel?"
"Willow Rosenberg"
"Oh my god Willow!" Buffy cried as she launched herself at the red head in the centre of the room. "Oh thank god, you're OK! You had me soo worried Wills, PLEASE promise me that you'll never ever worry me like that again!"
"Buffy, can't breathe...dead lungs...un-used to...breathing while...being crushed ...by...slayer strength..." Willow managed to breathe out.
The huge smile that graced Buffy's face faded as she released Willow just enough to look her straight in the eyes. "Dead lungs? W-Willlow what do you mean by dead lungs...?"
"I died, but its OK...the PTB gave me a second chance, Buffy it's OK don't cry. What's wrong, come on tell me...Buffy?"
"Just ... j-just tell me everything that happened to you. "
"There isn't much to tell really except for what the PTB told me."
"Well...what did they tell you Wills?"
"Basically? Well basically they told me that your dream wasn't prophetic...you had a dream implanted in your mind by a group of demons who wear cloaks in order for you to send me alone into a trap."
"B-b-but why?" Buffy asked on the verge of tears.
"To get me out of the way so I couldn't do things like help you, or bring you back to life. They wanted to get me out of the way in order to kill you Buffy."
Buffy began to cry but Willow brushed the tears away. "Don't cry Buffy, I managed to destroy the leader before he could kill me, only downside was that I was soo drained of my natural energy as well as my magic, I – I slipped into a coma and died. But the PTB made me a deal. They promised to send me back and let me lead a normal life as long as I promised to bind myself with the person who woke me. When that person dies I will die and then I have to spend the rest of eternity doing whatever job the Powers decide to give me."
Buffy sniffled and looked her friend in the eye to confirm the truth in what she had just been told.
"It's a good deal, really"
"Who is the person you have to bind yourself to?"
"I don't know but I have to find out."
"Willow"
"Yes Buffy?"
"I'm soo happy that you're alright."
Willow's smile was mirrored by Buffy.
"I might as well find out who I'm binding myself to now, then I can come back to you guys and give you all my undivided attention. "
"We'll be waiting," Buffy said softly.
Although she was extremely exhausted Willow gave Buffy one last hug and looked around at the room full of familiar faces. She focused her energies and chanted a small incantation. With a bright flash of white light she was gone.
- - - ~*~*~*~*~*~ - - -
Colorado
"Daniel are you sure that you're going to be alright by yourself? I don't want to leave you all alone in some bar after what you've just been through. Why don't you come with me back to the base huh, I really need to drop off Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over here off in the med lab and I wouldn't say no to some company. Come on, what do ya say Danny boy?"
Daniel just stared at Jack; Willow was dead and her body is missing. Jack had decided that they all needed to wind down and they all proceeded to the nearest bar where Sam and Teal'c didn't feel like drinking and instead stuck to nacho's and free pretzels. Now the two of them were sick as dogs and Jack who was about to take them back to the base to be treated by Janet. But before he left he was trying one for one last plea to get his friend to come with them instead of drowning his sorrows alone in some run down bar.
Daniel shook his head and told Jack that he'd be OK. Just one more drink after this one and he'd call a cab and go straight home and to bed. Jack seemed to accept this answer after much debate and then promptly left with Teal'c and Same to get their stomachs a much needed pump. Daniel did exactly as he promised ... to a point. One drink, cab home, but instead of heading straight to bed he decided to take a shower to wash the days events away.
He stripped away his clothes slowly before standing in front of the bathroom mirror. Running one hand through his short brown hair while, he took off his glasses with the other. He leaned against the counter as he blinked and struggled to focus on his reflection in the mirror. Sighing he set his glasses down and turned to the shower and cranked the hot water on full blast. As he stepped under the spray he missed the bright flash of white light that came from the other room.
He just stood under the spay of hot water for a minute before taking his soap and rubbing in generously across his chest, working his way slowly down to his abs, and slowly still farther down his body. Covering his legs in soap with long, fluid strokes. He continued to wash the rest of his body with the same slow, fluid treatment. When he finished he grabbed a small fluffy white towel from the rack and dried off quickly before wrapping the towel around his mid-section and stumbling off to his bedroom. Not even bothering to turn on any lights Daniel walked over to his bed and let his towel drop to the floor before pulling back the covers and crawling underneath into its warmth.
Trying to settle into a more comfortable position Daniel rolled over and felt something against his face. He reached one arm back towards his bedside table and turned on the light.
"OH –oh god!" Daniel panicked as he sat up straight as bolt staring at the red headed figure lying next to him. It was Willow, still dressed in her hospital garb, breathing. BREATHING! Oh god that meant, yes that meant that Willow was still alive, a huge smile graced Daniel's face as he stared down at her. But just how did she get here? His thoughts were quickly disrupted when all of his movement woke her up. They took one look at each other before she developed a look of pure terror across her face. Daniel's smile disappeared as she began to scramble away from him, muttering something he couldn't quite make out.
"Shh, shh it's OK Willow, you're safe here. I won't hurt you. My name is Daniel Jackson, I was one of the people who umm found you yesterday."
"Y-y-you," she managed to sputter out.
Daniel watched as the emotions played across her face, fear, recognition, understanding, and then terror. She started babbling quietly as she began backing away more until she was teetering over the opposite side of the bed. He was bewildered for a moment when she stopped suddenly, and blushed soo violently he couldn't figure out why she wasn't passing out. It wasn't until he heard the soft 'wow' and seen her look down when he realised that his covers no longer covered him and he was completely exposed. He began to blush as well as he pawed furiously for the sheets to cover himself. Was that a look of disappointment he saw flash across her face? He didn't have time to ponder it as she once again began to freak out.
He tried to grab for her but it was too late, she tried to back up too far and fell off of Daniel's bed, hitting her head on the other bedside table. Daniel sighed. He was soo ecstatic that Willow was indeed alive, but now he feared more then anything that he would never be able to talk to her, especially after she just established a pattern of passing out, knocking herself out, or dying in his presence. He sighed once more as he carefully picked her up and set her gently back down on his bed. He then reached for his phone and dialled a familiar number.
"O'Neill."
"Jack, hey it's Daniel, I umm, I've uh got a small situation over here."
"Daniel what's the matter?"
"Well uh, it's...it's kinda hard to explain, it's very unusual, unprecedented even."
"Daniel just tell me what's wrong."
"There's a woman in my bed."
"You're right that is unprecedented"
"Jack I'm being serious, there is a woman in my bed and I don't know what to do!"
"Oh, no, oh god no please Danny, please tell me that I don't have to give you the sex talk. It's been a rough night. Have you ever seen a Jaffa throw up half a basket's worth of spicy nachos with cheese? Have you? Well I have and let me tell you I would rather die before I seen that again."
"Jack listen to me I'm being serious." Daniel sighed. "There is a woman in my bed and I have no clue how she got there."
"How much did you have to drink tonight Danny boy? I KNEW that I shouldn't of left you alone at that bar, I should of just taken you with Sam and I and the incredible puking Jaffa back to the base.
"She's not from the bar Jack...She's.... She's..."
"She's who Daniel?"
"Willow Rosenberg"