AN: Only one chapter to go after this folks. Thanks for reading.
Thanks Missy!
--
What She Needs
Chapter 4
Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, Willow looked towards the entrance of the cafe for what seemed like the millionth time that minute. She wished she wasn't alone. She wished Tara was there, holding her hand and reminding her to breathe. 'Oh, breathe. Thats right, thats what I'm forgetting. Breathing. Breathing is good.' Willow greedily gulped in breath after breath before reminding herself as her head got lighter and lighter that to much breathing was not good. That too much breathing could lead to bad things, 'Like loss of consciousness. Or... other things that aren't healthy.'
She wished Tara was there.
But she wasn't. She was all alone, and no one was going to come and remedy that.
'At least not for another 14 minutes.'
She was early.
--
He was really asking for it. The pus colored demon was unaware of the fact that his immediate future only held bad things, as the demon eyed what he thought was his bounty, Spike plotted his downfall. 'He actually thinks he's going to get away with it. Stupid demons.' Spike thought. With a snort at the stupidity of the demon who was reaching a scaly hand to grab up what he thought, 'Mistakenly thought' he had a right to touch, Spike slapped down his cards on the table.
"Full house boys. Read 'em and weep." Reaching out Spike snatched up the three kittens just as Hank's hand brushed the fur of a calico.
Spike's action was followed by the requisite moaning and groaning, a few halfhearted accusations of cheating thrown in for good measure. The song of the sore losers. Spike smirked as he tossed back a shot of O-neg and collected the cards for the next hand.
--
The table at which she was sitting, no longer alone, was silent.
Willow was almost positive that was for the best.
--
Spike ambled into The Bronze, nonchalant as he walked past grinding couples and rythm-less teenagers. Heading over to the bar he waited as a co-ed ordered an elaborate coffee mixture, full of abbreviations and code words, her companions looked suitably impressed. When she finished he stepped up and ordered a beer. Her companions looked just as impressed with him.
He walked around the main room of The Bronze, managing not to look like he was looking for anyone. He spotted the Boy and Demon Girl taking a breather from dancing at a table. He casually wandered over their way, walking past them, only stopping and backtracking when Demon Girl called out his name. The Boy didn't look pleased at his arrival, which only served to motivate Spike to stay longer.
"So where's the Slayer?" Spike asked scanning the crowd. He didn't see her or her boy toy around.
"She's probably out on patrol with her new commando buddies." The Boy answered, a smile lit his face as he suggested Spike go wander through the cemetery and try and find them. Spike ignored him. He usually did.
"Where's the Witch then?"
"She's in LA for the weekend." Demon Girl answered as she looked around the club, she turned her attention to the Boy, with a suddenness that nearly made Spike jump. "I think she had a new boyfriend. I bet she's having lots of orgasms as we speak." Xander closed his eyes at her choice of words. Not noticing as Spike's face darkened at the thought of what Willow might be doing.
"Hey! Maybe it's Angel!" Anya offered excitedly, she didn't notice Xander's shudder at the very thought as she decided it was time to dance and pulled him towards the dance floor. Xander, for some reason, turned around to inform Spike that Willow was in fact in LA to visit her parents, only to find Spike gone, his beer bottle tottering on the table top.
--
"So your sure they were alright with it?" Tara questioned for the umpteenth time since Willow had gotten back from lunch with her parents. The big coming out lunch with her parents.
Tara had nearly gone into shock when Willow announced the day prior that she was ready to tell everyone about them. Starting with her parents, who were in LA for a conference. She had resisted at first, not sure if Willow was as ready as she said she was to come out to everyone. She was afraid Willow had decided to do it because Tara wanted her to. Which she did, she just wanted Willow to be ready on her own to tell everyone. She didn't want her to do it just to avoid future arguments. But when Willow informed her she would be going to tell her parents she was gay whether Tara decided she come along or not, she had agreed to go along.
Willow, for her part, seemed much calmer now that it was out in the open. Even though she didn't consider her parents the big ones she had to tell, she still felt they deserved to be the first to know. So they were. The Scoobies were next, but for the time being neither of them were thinking about that conversation. What might happen afterwords, how her friends might react. It was to nerve wracking.
--
Willow rolled over in bed and stared at the clock. Almost 1 am. Tara was asleep next to her in bed, but Willow had been unable to sleep.
She was so happy. Her parents knew and had accepted her and Tara. Well they knew, and they at least acted like they liked Tara and accepted Willows decision. Willow hadn't thought their reaction would affect her much, but surprisingly it had lifted a weight off her shoulders she hadn't even felt. Willow knew they probably thought it was standard college experimentation, but in time they'd understand that this wasn't just a college thing, and by then they would be used to it.
Sitting up Willow reached for the phone. She dialed a number and waited for it to be picked up. But no one did. Buffy wasn't home. 'She's probably with Riley.' She debated calling Xander, but she wanted to talk to one of her friends. She decided that Xander wouldn't mind if she woke him, which she doubted she would be doing, and dialed. No answer there either. Willow knew from experience that if neither of her friends answered at their respective dwellings that they were probably at Giles'. Taking the chance she called him.
Giles picked up on the second ring. He sounded very energized, so she knew she probably hadn't woken him up.
"Hey Giles."
"Willow! How are you?" He sounded happy to hear from her, "Is something wrong?"
"No." Willow assured him. "I just couldn't sleep so I called to harass Buffy and Xander, but no one answered. I figured they were probably at your house."
"Yes, we're all here." Giles answered, "Researching you see."
"Oh is everything alright?" Do I need to come back?"
"Oh no dear. Just a run of the mill research session. Would you like to speak to Buffy or Xander?" He asked.
"Well... no. Listen, I'll be back tomorrow evening. Around 6. I need to talk to you all, would it be alright if we met at your house around then?"
"Yes, I suppose that could be worked out. I'll tell everyone."
"Thank you Giles. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with your research. Good night."
"Good night Willow. Sleep well."
-----
Thanks Missy!
--
What She Needs
Chapter 4
Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, Willow looked towards the entrance of the cafe for what seemed like the millionth time that minute. She wished she wasn't alone. She wished Tara was there, holding her hand and reminding her to breathe. 'Oh, breathe. Thats right, thats what I'm forgetting. Breathing. Breathing is good.' Willow greedily gulped in breath after breath before reminding herself as her head got lighter and lighter that to much breathing was not good. That too much breathing could lead to bad things, 'Like loss of consciousness. Or... other things that aren't healthy.'
She wished Tara was there.
But she wasn't. She was all alone, and no one was going to come and remedy that.
'At least not for another 14 minutes.'
She was early.
--
He was really asking for it. The pus colored demon was unaware of the fact that his immediate future only held bad things, as the demon eyed what he thought was his bounty, Spike plotted his downfall. 'He actually thinks he's going to get away with it. Stupid demons.' Spike thought. With a snort at the stupidity of the demon who was reaching a scaly hand to grab up what he thought, 'Mistakenly thought' he had a right to touch, Spike slapped down his cards on the table.
"Full house boys. Read 'em and weep." Reaching out Spike snatched up the three kittens just as Hank's hand brushed the fur of a calico.
Spike's action was followed by the requisite moaning and groaning, a few halfhearted accusations of cheating thrown in for good measure. The song of the sore losers. Spike smirked as he tossed back a shot of O-neg and collected the cards for the next hand.
--
The table at which she was sitting, no longer alone, was silent.
Willow was almost positive that was for the best.
--
Spike ambled into The Bronze, nonchalant as he walked past grinding couples and rythm-less teenagers. Heading over to the bar he waited as a co-ed ordered an elaborate coffee mixture, full of abbreviations and code words, her companions looked suitably impressed. When she finished he stepped up and ordered a beer. Her companions looked just as impressed with him.
He walked around the main room of The Bronze, managing not to look like he was looking for anyone. He spotted the Boy and Demon Girl taking a breather from dancing at a table. He casually wandered over their way, walking past them, only stopping and backtracking when Demon Girl called out his name. The Boy didn't look pleased at his arrival, which only served to motivate Spike to stay longer.
"So where's the Slayer?" Spike asked scanning the crowd. He didn't see her or her boy toy around.
"She's probably out on patrol with her new commando buddies." The Boy answered, a smile lit his face as he suggested Spike go wander through the cemetery and try and find them. Spike ignored him. He usually did.
"Where's the Witch then?"
"She's in LA for the weekend." Demon Girl answered as she looked around the club, she turned her attention to the Boy, with a suddenness that nearly made Spike jump. "I think she had a new boyfriend. I bet she's having lots of orgasms as we speak." Xander closed his eyes at her choice of words. Not noticing as Spike's face darkened at the thought of what Willow might be doing.
"Hey! Maybe it's Angel!" Anya offered excitedly, she didn't notice Xander's shudder at the very thought as she decided it was time to dance and pulled him towards the dance floor. Xander, for some reason, turned around to inform Spike that Willow was in fact in LA to visit her parents, only to find Spike gone, his beer bottle tottering on the table top.
--
"So your sure they were alright with it?" Tara questioned for the umpteenth time since Willow had gotten back from lunch with her parents. The big coming out lunch with her parents.
Tara had nearly gone into shock when Willow announced the day prior that she was ready to tell everyone about them. Starting with her parents, who were in LA for a conference. She had resisted at first, not sure if Willow was as ready as she said she was to come out to everyone. She was afraid Willow had decided to do it because Tara wanted her to. Which she did, she just wanted Willow to be ready on her own to tell everyone. She didn't want her to do it just to avoid future arguments. But when Willow informed her she would be going to tell her parents she was gay whether Tara decided she come along or not, she had agreed to go along.
Willow, for her part, seemed much calmer now that it was out in the open. Even though she didn't consider her parents the big ones she had to tell, she still felt they deserved to be the first to know. So they were. The Scoobies were next, but for the time being neither of them were thinking about that conversation. What might happen afterwords, how her friends might react. It was to nerve wracking.
--
Willow rolled over in bed and stared at the clock. Almost 1 am. Tara was asleep next to her in bed, but Willow had been unable to sleep.
She was so happy. Her parents knew and had accepted her and Tara. Well they knew, and they at least acted like they liked Tara and accepted Willows decision. Willow hadn't thought their reaction would affect her much, but surprisingly it had lifted a weight off her shoulders she hadn't even felt. Willow knew they probably thought it was standard college experimentation, but in time they'd understand that this wasn't just a college thing, and by then they would be used to it.
Sitting up Willow reached for the phone. She dialed a number and waited for it to be picked up. But no one did. Buffy wasn't home. 'She's probably with Riley.' She debated calling Xander, but she wanted to talk to one of her friends. She decided that Xander wouldn't mind if she woke him, which she doubted she would be doing, and dialed. No answer there either. Willow knew from experience that if neither of her friends answered at their respective dwellings that they were probably at Giles'. Taking the chance she called him.
Giles picked up on the second ring. He sounded very energized, so she knew she probably hadn't woken him up.
"Hey Giles."
"Willow! How are you?" He sounded happy to hear from her, "Is something wrong?"
"No." Willow assured him. "I just couldn't sleep so I called to harass Buffy and Xander, but no one answered. I figured they were probably at your house."
"Yes, we're all here." Giles answered, "Researching you see."
"Oh is everything alright?" Do I need to come back?"
"Oh no dear. Just a run of the mill research session. Would you like to speak to Buffy or Xander?" He asked.
"Well... no. Listen, I'll be back tomorrow evening. Around 6. I need to talk to you all, would it be alright if we met at your house around then?"
"Yes, I suppose that could be worked out. I'll tell everyone."
"Thank you Giles. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with your research. Good night."
"Good night Willow. Sleep well."
-----