A/N- 1st off, warning for character death (but no character created prior to season 7). And second off , spoilers for season 7.
Basically, I'm rearranging the results of chosen. characters who need not be here, go away, characters i love, get to stay. And the title will be explained next chappie! ( I know I said that last time, but I got sidetracked incredibly.)
And about my sidetrackedness, Ive slacked on all three of my Fics in Progress. And I feel that I need to justify myself to you all, so here goes. My english teacher, for the past four months, has given us back-to- back-to-back-to-back projects. And with us just starting ANOTHER one, Ive been swamped. And to make matters worse, finals are coming up shortly.
So here what Im doing about it...
Until further notice, THE CHILD FROM A LOTUS BLOSSOM has been shelved. I feel that there was a lack of intrest, which in turn made me shy away from it.
WHEN THE DUST SETTLED : Chapter Four, is on its way. Ive got the plot figured out (A funhouse filled with reflection stealing demons?.....interesting. You'll have to wait to see) and should be out asap.
As for this story , REWARDED, I will admit that this chapter is very short. But I needed a tiny bridge to get from plot island A to plot island B, and this is serving its purpose.
COPYRIGHT- ITS JOSS' CHICKEN FEED, I JUST PECK.
::::REWARDED::::Chapter Two::::Tired Champions::::
Willow cringed as the school bus hit another bump, sending her head roughly into the window. Faith was not the best bus driver. She kept her forehead resting against the cool glass and watched the road to home fade away. Principal Wood, Rona,....Kennedy. Warm tears rolled down the dirty window as she thought of all the people she knew who had just died to save the world. A fighter's death for each of them. And her parents. They had severed ties with her not long before the hellmouth collapsed, and she had no idea whether they had gotten out of town.
Not wanting to move or draw attention to herself, Willow used her mind's eye to look over the interior of the bus. In the middle of the aisle, sat Buffy and a badly burned Spike, his non-charred cheek resting in her lap. She had already told everyone how the amulet started glowing and pinned Spike against a wall and at the last second when it had actually started to set him on fire, she had used the scythe to break its chain, letting it fall from his neck just as energy started expelling from it. Then , with Spike's duster over his head, they had made a mad dash for the bus with everyone else.
Xander sat near the back with Anya, whose shoulders were freshly bandaged. Amanda and Andrew sat infront of them with identical ice packs on their heads and across the aisle an exhausted Dawn snored softly on Giles' shoulder.
Willow let her mind wander through the events of this morning, and didn't notice that Giles had sat down next to her until he cleared his throat politely. Her head snapped up towards him, and she smiled sadly.
"I'm never going to get all of those books back." Giles said with a small chuckle, taking off his glasses for inspection and cleaning. "I suppose I should give up, I make a horrible librarian."
"Phooey. You were the bestest book keeper that ever... kept books." Willow gave the former high school librarian a small grin reserved for only the Scooby Elite. But the grin soon faded.
Giles continued."I'm very proud of you, Willow. You have proved to me that you, Good Willow, are far stronger than I have ever given you credit for. What you did today, facing your ultimate fears in order to save, essentially, the world, was the single most amazing thing I have ever seen in all my years as a watcher."
Even though Willow knew she didn't deserve them, Giles' praises brought her to tears. "Thanks Giles. But it wasn't me. It was Tara." Willow sniffled. "As soon as the magic, the light, started filling me, all I felt was Tara. She was all I could see, hear, and smell even. It felt like I was breathing her in. For over a year, I've felt like all of my goodness died with her. But... she was with me this morning."
Willow let out a tiny sob, and threw herself on Giles's chest. The watcher held tightly onto the redhead as her tears soaked through his shirt. Smoothing back her hair, he rested his chin on the top of her head, watching through the window as they day was washed away by a blanket of stars.
A/N- Again, this is just a bridge. Please review, I need the motivation to continue ( and its about to get good!)