***
A bunch of people have been asking about Angel...I just wanted to tell everyone that I haven't forgotten about him! He'll be dealt with in the near future (sort of) *g*
Thank you to everyone who sent feedback on part 7! You guys made my week with all the wonderful comments I got and I really appreciated them!
Oh yes...Cliff! (yes, I know, I suck)
~Isis
To read the other parts in this series, use the following URL:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
***
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Part 8
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"Oh my God!" Buffy whispered harshly at seeing her former best friend, and also Oz, standing only a few feet away.
"Buffy! You're all right!" the redhead raced into the room and pulled Buffy into a tight hug.
Buffy was shocked into stillness over the sudden appearance of Willow. A desperate urge arose inside of her to run and never look back, but well first off, running was very much out of the question considering her condition, and second, she didn't think her feet would move even if she wanted them too. Her mind couldn't seem to process the fact that Willow, one of her best friends and one of the people who had deeply hurt her, was clutching at her stunned body. Not knowing what to do, her eyes looked to Cordelia, pleading for help.
"What are you doing here, Willow?" Cordy responded to her friend's silent cry for help.
At hearing the new voice, Willow released Buffy and spun around to face its owner. "Cordelia?"
"Who did you think it was? The Queen of England?" the brunette snapped harshly. She'd never really been friends with Willow, and after what had happened to Buffy she thought even less of her.
"But...but...what are you doing here?' Willow stuttered, looking from Cordy and then to Buffy. "Together?"
"I think the more important question is what are you doing here? Especially after what you and your merry band of friends did!" Cordy folded her arms over her chest and stared angrily.
Willow's eyes immediately went downward, her shoulders slouching, at the reminder of what had gone on in Sunnydale. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly.
"Yeah, well, it's a little late for that. Don't you think?" snorted Cordy, not backing down.
"Cordy!" Buffy spoke quietly, giving her friend a look. She was feeling a torrent of emotions. Mostly, there was anger, but there was still that part of her that remembered Willow was once her best friend.
"Umm, maybe we should, uh, go," Doyle interrupted the scene before him from his spot next to Lorne. Neither man had much of an idea what was going on except that the redhead was named Willow and was obviously someone both Buffy and Cordelia knew.
"No," Buffy shook her head and tried to gather herself back together. "Well, I mean you can go if you want, but you're my friends and you can stay."
Realizing there were other people in the room, Willow spun around and flinched slightly at the sight of the two men, well, actually it was one man, and one obvious demon. She backed up slightly to get closer to Oz who had come to stand next to her.
"Don't worry, they're fine. Doyle is a...friend, and Lorne, the green guy, is our boss and landlord," Buffy stated, rubbing her now throbbing temples. Sighing, she sat herself back down in her desk chair, knowing that dinner was just going to have to wait. "What are you doing here, Willow?"
Cordelia moved to speak up on Buffy's behalf when Doyle put a hand on her arm, "Leave it, Princess. They need to work this out." Although he hated seeing Buffy distressed, he knew it would be better for her if she had a resolution to something from her past.
"Buffy...y-you just disappeared. I...we...were worried!" Willow exclaimed, her face reflecting the hurt she was feeling.
"Gee, sorry, Willow! What was I supposed to do when everyone made it perfectly clear that they wanted nothing to do with me!" Buffy bit out angrily, leaning her elbows on her desk. This was so not what she needed right now.
"You didn't give me a chance. Buffy...you just sprung that on me, us, and I didn't know how to react. I was shocked, and hurt you hadn't told me, and of course I was angry over the risk you had taken. I just needed some time to let it set in," Willow explained softly, her voice beseeching forgiveness.
"You just sat there and let them treat me like dirt," Buffy turned her head away from those present and hastily wiped at the tears beginning to fall. She didn't want to cry, not anymore, but she couldn't stop herself.
Willow walked over to where Buffy was sitting and kneeled in front of her. "I'm sorry, Buffy. You'll never know how bad I feel about what happened that day."
Looking into her (former?) friend's eyes, Buffy could see that Willow was honestly sorry for her actions. As much as she had been hurt over what had gone on that day, she missed her friend. "Thank you."
"I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday," the redhead whispered. "I-I went to your house, the day after...everything...to apologize, but your Mom....s-she slammed the door in my face. I was so worried that something was really wrong. I called Oz and we waited until your Mom left and snuck into the house. When I saw that most of your stuff was gone, I panicked. We went to Giles', but he didn't answer the door, and Xander...well, you don't want to know what Xander said...," she trailed off, fighting the tears threatening to fall.
Oz, seeing his girlfriend's struggles, put a hand on her shoulder and continued. "We looked all over town for you, but obviously didn't find you. Willow's been searching on the net ever since."
The room was quiet for a few short minutes while those present digested the conversation and let their emotions settle. Cordelia was tempted to get Gunn and have him usher Willow and Oz out of the room. Buffy had been doing so well, and now she was sitting at her desk crying. This really wasn't what the pregnant Slayer needed, especially not with her due date so close. But Cordy begrudgingly admitted that Doyle was probably right. It would be better in the long run if Buffy were to make some peace with all that had happened before they left Sunnydale. So instead of asking Willow and Oz to leave, she grabbed a couple tissues from her purse before walking over to the blonde's desk and handing them to her.
"How did you manage to find us...or rather Buffy?" Cordy asked as she sat herself on the edge of the desk.
Willow looked strangely at Cordy, completely flabbergasted to not only find Buffy, but to find her with Cordelia of all people. That was definitely unexpected. Bottom line, though, she was just happy to have finally found Buffy and that her friend seemed to be all right. Sighing, she sat down on the ground near Buffy and folded her hands in her lap.
"It was kind of an accident, actually," Willow started her explanation. "We'd been searching for a while, but there was nothing. Then, umm, Oz's band wanted to go on tour, so I was researching places to play on the 'net. I came across information for a club that would be opening soon called 'Black Destiny'. It sounded interesting so I looked into it further and saw on one of the site's pages to contact Lorne or Buffy for information on guest bands and it gave a phone number. Something told me it had to be you...and well, here we are."
Doyle gave Lorne an annoyed look. "I thought I told you to take her name off the contact info on the website."
"Whoa, whoa! Hold up there, Mr. Protector. I did. They just must have seen it before I had the site changed," Lorne defended himself. Doyle had not been happy to find the Slayer's name, well at least just her first name, advertised on the club's new website, saying anyone could figure out it was the Slayer and come after her.
"Sorry," Doyle mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. He knew he was being perhaps over cautious. He just didn't want to unnecessarily put Buffy in any more danger than she already was.
The blonde Slayer in question shook her head at the two and was about to speak when her stomach decided to remind her it was dinner time and growled loudly. Everyone in the room laughed and eyed her in amusement causing her to blush. "Sorry...my stomach has a mind of its own these days."
"That's okay, Sweetpea. We understand. The offer for pizza still stands. Your...," Lorne paused for a second. "Friends are welcome to join us and then you can finish talking after we get you fed."
Buffy ran a hand through her hair and glanced at Willow out of the corner of her eye. There was still so much to be said, and truth be told, she was still angry. How could she not be angry when the person who was her best friend, at the time, had turned a blind eye while Xander had said the horrible things he did and Giles had mocked her and walked away? She had needed her best friend the most then and Willow hadn't been there. On the other hand, she could understand what Willow must have been going through. The question was, could she forgive her for it? Maybe...probably....she really didn't know, but she supposed she could try.
"Yeah, I think food would be good," Buffy agreed, pushing herself out of the chair once again. She turned to the two guests, deciding she might as well extend the olive branch. "Willow, you and Oz are welcome to come."
"A-are you sure it's okay? We don't want to intrude," the redhead questioned in her typical shyness.
Buffy saw Cordelia about to say something and silenced her with a glare. "Please come."
"Umm, sure, okay," Willow mumbled, taking Oz's hand as he offered it to help her up.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
A little while later, after having a tense and quiet dinner at a local pizza parlor, Buffy, Cordelia, Doyle, Willow and Oz were in the elevator on their way up to Buffy and Cordy's apartment while Lorne had decided to do a little more work down in the club before going home for the night. They'd decided to go up to the apartment to talk some more since it was more comfortable there. In the meantime, they were all silently standing in the elevator unsure of how to act or what to say.
Doyle coughed slightly and decided to break the tension. "Umm, do you two have a place to stay tonight?"
"Not really, we came straight here after getting to Seattle. We just figured we'd find a hotel somewhere," Willow shrugged, looking to Oz who nodded.
"Well, err, I have an extra room...actually three of them, on the floor above. Yer welcome to stay there," the half-demon offered before briefly wondering if he should have asked Buffy if it was okay first.
"Umm...w-we don't want to impose," the redhead stuttered slightly, feeling awkward accepting a room from someone she didn't really know even if Buffy seemed to trust him.
"It's fine, Willow. There's no sense in getting a hotel room when we have extra space," Buffy stated, smiling slightly at Doyle to show it was okay.
"Oh, I...umm..sure...if it's okay with Oz," she looked to Oz for confirmation.
"Yeah, fine with me," the ever-quiet Oz answered.
"Good," Buffy nodded just as the elevator came to stop at their apartment. "This is our floor. Doyle, why don't you go get a room ready for them."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted her with a chuckle and stayed in the elevator as they exited.
The moment Willow left the elevator, which opened directly into the living room, her eyes went wide with surprise. "Wow. You guys live here?"
"Yup, home sweet home," Cordy replied, her voice not entirely pleasant.
Buffy took off her coat and hung it in the closest in one corner of the living room. "Umm, why don't you guys have a seat on one of the couches. Do you want something to drink?"
Both Willow and Oz declined the drinks and sat down next to each other. Cordy took a seat on the stylish black leather chair while Buffy nervously wandered the room. None of them knew how to start the conversation that was to follow even though they knew there were things that needed to be talked about. Willow finally took the initiative and asked what she'd been wanting to know all night.
"How did this all happen? I mean...how did you two end up here together? And this...the jobs, and the apartment...," she trailed off, her eyes wandering over the rather nice living room.
"It's kind of a long story," Buffy mumbled from where she was leaning against one of the walls. "Let me go change into something more comfortable and then we can talk."
Nearly and hour later Buffy and Cordelia had filled Willow and Oz in on everything that had happened that led to their current situation. From Buffy's falling out with her Mother, to the accidental meeting at the cheap motel in Sunnydale with Cordelia, to the trip to Seattle, to living together and then meeting Doyle, and finally to how they'd come to live in such a nice apartment and have great jobs. For their part, Willow and Oz had sat and listened quietly, taking in every little detail.
"Ugh," Buffy groaned uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have drunk all that juice. I'll be right back."
Willow watched as Buffy waddled out of the room and toward the bathroom before turning to Cordelia. "How is she doing?"
Cordy looked at her with accusing eyes, "didn't she just tell you?"
"Yes, but I mean how is she *really* doing?" the redhead questioned in concern.
"She's..," Cordy sighed and shook her head a little. "She's doing better than she was. The first couple months she was really quiet and I could hear her crying a lot, but it's gotten not been as bad lately."
"I can't imagine how hard this has been on her," Willow glanced in the direction Buffy had gone.
"Why'd you do it Willow? You were her best friend. She needed you," Cordelia asked bluntly.
"Cordy, I'll never forgive myself for not standing up for her that day. But put yourself in my shoes," she stated softly. "First she told us she was pregnant, and then that the father was Angel. I mean, we all knew what could happen if they were together. I was just in shock. That whole day seems like a blur, but I know I was wrong not to support her."
"I'm glad you know that," came a voice from off to their left. Willow looked up to see Buffy standing there listening to them.
"Buffy," Willow squeaked in surprise.
"Willow...I-I know you had every right to be angry at me and upset...but it hurt that you just sat there the whole time," Buffy stated as she walked back to the couch and carefully sat herself down. Her fingers gently rubbed her abdomen as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"I'm so sorry, Buffy. I know that doesn't mean much, but I am. I just hope someday you'll be able to forgive me," spoke Willow barely above a whisper.
"It still hurts, Willow, and it will for a while, but I'd like to try. I miss my best friend," Buffy replied in an equally quiet voice.
"Oh, Buffy," Willow cried out and reached over to pull her friend into a hug. She knew it would take her a while to regain her friend's trust, but she was glad that they were getting a chance to make things work.
The two girls embraced each other for a long while, both shedding tears over their trials and tribulations, until Buffy pulled away. "I'm sorry I cried all over you."
"It's okay, I did it to you, too," Willow laughed, brushing at the tears that had wet her face.
"Soo...I hate to ask this, but how are things in Sunnydale?" Cordy asked out of the blue, wanting to break up the endless crying going on around her.
"Oh, well, umm, t-they're fine," Willow answered hesitantly.
Buffy and Cordelia shared a look, not believing the redhead one bit.
"What's wrong?" Buffy demanded, looking straight at Willow.
"There's nothing wrong...," she trailed off.
"Things there are just...different," Oz filled in for her.
"Different? How?" inquired Buffy, somewhat nervous.
"Well, you're not there so we really had no reason to do the demon fighting thing anymore. We haven't talked to Xander since right after you left. I...I tried to talk him about...well, you know, and it was useless. So we just kinda stopped talking," Willow told them, holding Oz's hand tightly in hers. "And Giles..."
"What about Giles," Buffy interrupted, feeling worried for her one-time father figure despite how he treated her.
"He...he moved back to England about two months after you left. He said he knew you weren't coming back this time," Willow replied delicately.
"Oh," Buffy mumbled, not knowing what else to say.
"He calls every once in a while to check up. I think he likes being back in England," Willow shrugged and then shared a look with Oz, knowing the next thing she had to say would ruffle some feathers.
Buffy noticed the look, a sinking feeling developing in her gut. "What?"
"Umm...there's...uh, another Slayer has been handling the demons in Sunnydale," Willow stated, avoiding looking at Buffy.
"What?...but...but...," Buffy stuttered in disbelief. "Who?"
"Faith," Willow muttered in disgust.
If she had been physically able to, Buffy would have shot up out of her seat. Instead, she only sat up straight. "WHAT?!?" she screeched loudly.
"She...she came out of her coma about three months ago. The hospital called me when they couldn't get a hold of either Giles or you. By the time Oz and I got there, she had disappeared s-,"
"Damnit," Buffy cut her off. "I knew something like that would happen. How'd she become Miss Slayer again?"
"We started looking for her and found her at the same cheap motel she stayed at when she first came to Sunnydale. She wouldn't answer the door so Oz picked the lock and we found her sitting in a corner in the dark. She was shaking and her eyes...they just had this look in them. I don't even know how to explain it," Willow explained, shuddering at the memory.
"It was like she had no clue what was going on," Oz supplied for her.
"Next thing we knew, these Council goons burst into the room and grabbed Faith. They shot her up with something and took her away. It was like we weren't even in the room. Next thing we know, Faith is patrolling like everything is peachy and there's a new Watcher in town," she finished explaining.
"Is it just me, or is that entirely weird?" Cordy spoke up, frowning.
"No, it's not just you. I wonder what they did to her," Buffy pondered, not at all trusting the Council or Faith.
"I called Giles to tell him about it and he thinks that the Council might have given her something when she was in the coma to wipe out some of her memory, or some kind of behavior modification. It's the only thing he could come up with, but he doesn't know for sure since the Council's cut him off," the redhead relayed, yawning after she'd finished speaking.
"It's wouldn't surprise me," Buffy shook her head, remembering the test they'd put her through on her eighteenth birthday. "So she's just out their patrolling like everything's fine?"
"Yeah, as far as we know. So far no dead humans have turned up that could have been her. I guess whatever they did to her is working for now," Willow replied, yawning again.
Buffy noticed her sleepiness and looked at the clock on the wall. "You guys must be exhausted. Why don't you go up to Doyle's and get some sleep? We can talk more tomorrow."
"Thanks. We've been up since early this morning," Willow blinked her eyes, fighting the exhaustion that was quickly settling over her.
"Cordy? Can you take them up and show them their room?" requested Buffy of her friend.
"Yeah, sure," Cordy shrugged, getting out of her chair. "Do you guys need to get your stuff?"
"Yeah, it's down in the van," Oz nodded, helping his tired Willow up from the couch.
Buffy watched as the three left the apartment and the events of the evening finally started hitting her. She was still surprised that they'd managed to track her down. There was still a large part of her that was hurt over everything, but really, she was glad to have Willow back in her life. It would take some time to rebuild their friendship to what it had once been, and maybe they'd never again reach that point, but she felt better having made peace with her best friend.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~a few days later~
Willow laughed as Cordelia told them about how Doyle had almost jumped an old lady as they were walking down the street one day because he'd thought they were being followed. They were all sitting around the club's office talking about random things. It'd been three days since their arrival in Seattle, and since that first day, they had pretty much avoided talking about anything serious. The closest they'd come to it was when Willow had asked about the baby and how the pregnancy was going. Willow hadn't missed the sad look on Buffy's face as she talked about her unborn child. She knew that Angel was the cause, but she hadn't brought it up, not knowing if Buffy would want to discuss the love of her life that had walked out on her.
So instead of rehashing the past further, Buffy and Cordelia had showed them around the club and told them of all the plans they had. Oz had been quite interested in the music aspect and talked at length with Lorne about DJ's, bands and such. They all seemed to be enjoying their time together. Even Cordelia had eased up a bit about Willow's presence.
Their casual conversation was suddenly interrupted when Buffy grunted loudly and clutched at her stomach.
"What's wrong?!?" everyone on the room who was not Buffy questioned at once.
"M-my water just broke. I t-think I'm in labor!" she raised her head showing her eyes, wide with fright.
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TBC!!!
A bunch of people have been asking about Angel...I just wanted to tell everyone that I haven't forgotten about him! He'll be dealt with in the near future (sort of) *g*
Thank you to everyone who sent feedback on part 7! You guys made my week with all the wonderful comments I got and I really appreciated them!
Oh yes...Cliff! (yes, I know, I suck)
~Isis
To read the other parts in this series, use the following URL:
http://www.geocities.com/flyersgagne_12/sit.htm
***
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Part 8
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"Oh my God!" Buffy whispered harshly at seeing her former best friend, and also Oz, standing only a few feet away.
"Buffy! You're all right!" the redhead raced into the room and pulled Buffy into a tight hug.
Buffy was shocked into stillness over the sudden appearance of Willow. A desperate urge arose inside of her to run and never look back, but well first off, running was very much out of the question considering her condition, and second, she didn't think her feet would move even if she wanted them too. Her mind couldn't seem to process the fact that Willow, one of her best friends and one of the people who had deeply hurt her, was clutching at her stunned body. Not knowing what to do, her eyes looked to Cordelia, pleading for help.
"What are you doing here, Willow?" Cordy responded to her friend's silent cry for help.
At hearing the new voice, Willow released Buffy and spun around to face its owner. "Cordelia?"
"Who did you think it was? The Queen of England?" the brunette snapped harshly. She'd never really been friends with Willow, and after what had happened to Buffy she thought even less of her.
"But...but...what are you doing here?' Willow stuttered, looking from Cordy and then to Buffy. "Together?"
"I think the more important question is what are you doing here? Especially after what you and your merry band of friends did!" Cordy folded her arms over her chest and stared angrily.
Willow's eyes immediately went downward, her shoulders slouching, at the reminder of what had gone on in Sunnydale. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly.
"Yeah, well, it's a little late for that. Don't you think?" snorted Cordy, not backing down.
"Cordy!" Buffy spoke quietly, giving her friend a look. She was feeling a torrent of emotions. Mostly, there was anger, but there was still that part of her that remembered Willow was once her best friend.
"Umm, maybe we should, uh, go," Doyle interrupted the scene before him from his spot next to Lorne. Neither man had much of an idea what was going on except that the redhead was named Willow and was obviously someone both Buffy and Cordelia knew.
"No," Buffy shook her head and tried to gather herself back together. "Well, I mean you can go if you want, but you're my friends and you can stay."
Realizing there were other people in the room, Willow spun around and flinched slightly at the sight of the two men, well, actually it was one man, and one obvious demon. She backed up slightly to get closer to Oz who had come to stand next to her.
"Don't worry, they're fine. Doyle is a...friend, and Lorne, the green guy, is our boss and landlord," Buffy stated, rubbing her now throbbing temples. Sighing, she sat herself back down in her desk chair, knowing that dinner was just going to have to wait. "What are you doing here, Willow?"
Cordelia moved to speak up on Buffy's behalf when Doyle put a hand on her arm, "Leave it, Princess. They need to work this out." Although he hated seeing Buffy distressed, he knew it would be better for her if she had a resolution to something from her past.
"Buffy...y-you just disappeared. I...we...were worried!" Willow exclaimed, her face reflecting the hurt she was feeling.
"Gee, sorry, Willow! What was I supposed to do when everyone made it perfectly clear that they wanted nothing to do with me!" Buffy bit out angrily, leaning her elbows on her desk. This was so not what she needed right now.
"You didn't give me a chance. Buffy...you just sprung that on me, us, and I didn't know how to react. I was shocked, and hurt you hadn't told me, and of course I was angry over the risk you had taken. I just needed some time to let it set in," Willow explained softly, her voice beseeching forgiveness.
"You just sat there and let them treat me like dirt," Buffy turned her head away from those present and hastily wiped at the tears beginning to fall. She didn't want to cry, not anymore, but she couldn't stop herself.
Willow walked over to where Buffy was sitting and kneeled in front of her. "I'm sorry, Buffy. You'll never know how bad I feel about what happened that day."
Looking into her (former?) friend's eyes, Buffy could see that Willow was honestly sorry for her actions. As much as she had been hurt over what had gone on that day, she missed her friend. "Thank you."
"I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday," the redhead whispered. "I-I went to your house, the day after...everything...to apologize, but your Mom....s-she slammed the door in my face. I was so worried that something was really wrong. I called Oz and we waited until your Mom left and snuck into the house. When I saw that most of your stuff was gone, I panicked. We went to Giles', but he didn't answer the door, and Xander...well, you don't want to know what Xander said...," she trailed off, fighting the tears threatening to fall.
Oz, seeing his girlfriend's struggles, put a hand on her shoulder and continued. "We looked all over town for you, but obviously didn't find you. Willow's been searching on the net ever since."
The room was quiet for a few short minutes while those present digested the conversation and let their emotions settle. Cordelia was tempted to get Gunn and have him usher Willow and Oz out of the room. Buffy had been doing so well, and now she was sitting at her desk crying. This really wasn't what the pregnant Slayer needed, especially not with her due date so close. But Cordy begrudgingly admitted that Doyle was probably right. It would be better in the long run if Buffy were to make some peace with all that had happened before they left Sunnydale. So instead of asking Willow and Oz to leave, she grabbed a couple tissues from her purse before walking over to the blonde's desk and handing them to her.
"How did you manage to find us...or rather Buffy?" Cordy asked as she sat herself on the edge of the desk.
Willow looked strangely at Cordy, completely flabbergasted to not only find Buffy, but to find her with Cordelia of all people. That was definitely unexpected. Bottom line, though, she was just happy to have finally found Buffy and that her friend seemed to be all right. Sighing, she sat down on the ground near Buffy and folded her hands in her lap.
"It was kind of an accident, actually," Willow started her explanation. "We'd been searching for a while, but there was nothing. Then, umm, Oz's band wanted to go on tour, so I was researching places to play on the 'net. I came across information for a club that would be opening soon called 'Black Destiny'. It sounded interesting so I looked into it further and saw on one of the site's pages to contact Lorne or Buffy for information on guest bands and it gave a phone number. Something told me it had to be you...and well, here we are."
Doyle gave Lorne an annoyed look. "I thought I told you to take her name off the contact info on the website."
"Whoa, whoa! Hold up there, Mr. Protector. I did. They just must have seen it before I had the site changed," Lorne defended himself. Doyle had not been happy to find the Slayer's name, well at least just her first name, advertised on the club's new website, saying anyone could figure out it was the Slayer and come after her.
"Sorry," Doyle mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. He knew he was being perhaps over cautious. He just didn't want to unnecessarily put Buffy in any more danger than she already was.
The blonde Slayer in question shook her head at the two and was about to speak when her stomach decided to remind her it was dinner time and growled loudly. Everyone in the room laughed and eyed her in amusement causing her to blush. "Sorry...my stomach has a mind of its own these days."
"That's okay, Sweetpea. We understand. The offer for pizza still stands. Your...," Lorne paused for a second. "Friends are welcome to join us and then you can finish talking after we get you fed."
Buffy ran a hand through her hair and glanced at Willow out of the corner of her eye. There was still so much to be said, and truth be told, she was still angry. How could she not be angry when the person who was her best friend, at the time, had turned a blind eye while Xander had said the horrible things he did and Giles had mocked her and walked away? She had needed her best friend the most then and Willow hadn't been there. On the other hand, she could understand what Willow must have been going through. The question was, could she forgive her for it? Maybe...probably....she really didn't know, but she supposed she could try.
"Yeah, I think food would be good," Buffy agreed, pushing herself out of the chair once again. She turned to the two guests, deciding she might as well extend the olive branch. "Willow, you and Oz are welcome to come."
"A-are you sure it's okay? We don't want to intrude," the redhead questioned in her typical shyness.
Buffy saw Cordelia about to say something and silenced her with a glare. "Please come."
"Umm, sure, okay," Willow mumbled, taking Oz's hand as he offered it to help her up.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
A little while later, after having a tense and quiet dinner at a local pizza parlor, Buffy, Cordelia, Doyle, Willow and Oz were in the elevator on their way up to Buffy and Cordy's apartment while Lorne had decided to do a little more work down in the club before going home for the night. They'd decided to go up to the apartment to talk some more since it was more comfortable there. In the meantime, they were all silently standing in the elevator unsure of how to act or what to say.
Doyle coughed slightly and decided to break the tension. "Umm, do you two have a place to stay tonight?"
"Not really, we came straight here after getting to Seattle. We just figured we'd find a hotel somewhere," Willow shrugged, looking to Oz who nodded.
"Well, err, I have an extra room...actually three of them, on the floor above. Yer welcome to stay there," the half-demon offered before briefly wondering if he should have asked Buffy if it was okay first.
"Umm...w-we don't want to impose," the redhead stuttered slightly, feeling awkward accepting a room from someone she didn't really know even if Buffy seemed to trust him.
"It's fine, Willow. There's no sense in getting a hotel room when we have extra space," Buffy stated, smiling slightly at Doyle to show it was okay.
"Oh, I...umm..sure...if it's okay with Oz," she looked to Oz for confirmation.
"Yeah, fine with me," the ever-quiet Oz answered.
"Good," Buffy nodded just as the elevator came to stop at their apartment. "This is our floor. Doyle, why don't you go get a room ready for them."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted her with a chuckle and stayed in the elevator as they exited.
The moment Willow left the elevator, which opened directly into the living room, her eyes went wide with surprise. "Wow. You guys live here?"
"Yup, home sweet home," Cordy replied, her voice not entirely pleasant.
Buffy took off her coat and hung it in the closest in one corner of the living room. "Umm, why don't you guys have a seat on one of the couches. Do you want something to drink?"
Both Willow and Oz declined the drinks and sat down next to each other. Cordy took a seat on the stylish black leather chair while Buffy nervously wandered the room. None of them knew how to start the conversation that was to follow even though they knew there were things that needed to be talked about. Willow finally took the initiative and asked what she'd been wanting to know all night.
"How did this all happen? I mean...how did you two end up here together? And this...the jobs, and the apartment...," she trailed off, her eyes wandering over the rather nice living room.
"It's kind of a long story," Buffy mumbled from where she was leaning against one of the walls. "Let me go change into something more comfortable and then we can talk."
Nearly and hour later Buffy and Cordelia had filled Willow and Oz in on everything that had happened that led to their current situation. From Buffy's falling out with her Mother, to the accidental meeting at the cheap motel in Sunnydale with Cordelia, to the trip to Seattle, to living together and then meeting Doyle, and finally to how they'd come to live in such a nice apartment and have great jobs. For their part, Willow and Oz had sat and listened quietly, taking in every little detail.
"Ugh," Buffy groaned uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have drunk all that juice. I'll be right back."
Willow watched as Buffy waddled out of the room and toward the bathroom before turning to Cordelia. "How is she doing?"
Cordy looked at her with accusing eyes, "didn't she just tell you?"
"Yes, but I mean how is she *really* doing?" the redhead questioned in concern.
"She's..," Cordy sighed and shook her head a little. "She's doing better than she was. The first couple months she was really quiet and I could hear her crying a lot, but it's gotten not been as bad lately."
"I can't imagine how hard this has been on her," Willow glanced in the direction Buffy had gone.
"Why'd you do it Willow? You were her best friend. She needed you," Cordelia asked bluntly.
"Cordy, I'll never forgive myself for not standing up for her that day. But put yourself in my shoes," she stated softly. "First she told us she was pregnant, and then that the father was Angel. I mean, we all knew what could happen if they were together. I was just in shock. That whole day seems like a blur, but I know I was wrong not to support her."
"I'm glad you know that," came a voice from off to their left. Willow looked up to see Buffy standing there listening to them.
"Buffy," Willow squeaked in surprise.
"Willow...I-I know you had every right to be angry at me and upset...but it hurt that you just sat there the whole time," Buffy stated as she walked back to the couch and carefully sat herself down. Her fingers gently rubbed her abdomen as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"I'm so sorry, Buffy. I know that doesn't mean much, but I am. I just hope someday you'll be able to forgive me," spoke Willow barely above a whisper.
"It still hurts, Willow, and it will for a while, but I'd like to try. I miss my best friend," Buffy replied in an equally quiet voice.
"Oh, Buffy," Willow cried out and reached over to pull her friend into a hug. She knew it would take her a while to regain her friend's trust, but she was glad that they were getting a chance to make things work.
The two girls embraced each other for a long while, both shedding tears over their trials and tribulations, until Buffy pulled away. "I'm sorry I cried all over you."
"It's okay, I did it to you, too," Willow laughed, brushing at the tears that had wet her face.
"Soo...I hate to ask this, but how are things in Sunnydale?" Cordy asked out of the blue, wanting to break up the endless crying going on around her.
"Oh, well, umm, t-they're fine," Willow answered hesitantly.
Buffy and Cordelia shared a look, not believing the redhead one bit.
"What's wrong?" Buffy demanded, looking straight at Willow.
"There's nothing wrong...," she trailed off.
"Things there are just...different," Oz filled in for her.
"Different? How?" inquired Buffy, somewhat nervous.
"Well, you're not there so we really had no reason to do the demon fighting thing anymore. We haven't talked to Xander since right after you left. I...I tried to talk him about...well, you know, and it was useless. So we just kinda stopped talking," Willow told them, holding Oz's hand tightly in hers. "And Giles..."
"What about Giles," Buffy interrupted, feeling worried for her one-time father figure despite how he treated her.
"He...he moved back to England about two months after you left. He said he knew you weren't coming back this time," Willow replied delicately.
"Oh," Buffy mumbled, not knowing what else to say.
"He calls every once in a while to check up. I think he likes being back in England," Willow shrugged and then shared a look with Oz, knowing the next thing she had to say would ruffle some feathers.
Buffy noticed the look, a sinking feeling developing in her gut. "What?"
"Umm...there's...uh, another Slayer has been handling the demons in Sunnydale," Willow stated, avoiding looking at Buffy.
"What?...but...but...," Buffy stuttered in disbelief. "Who?"
"Faith," Willow muttered in disgust.
If she had been physically able to, Buffy would have shot up out of her seat. Instead, she only sat up straight. "WHAT?!?" she screeched loudly.
"She...she came out of her coma about three months ago. The hospital called me when they couldn't get a hold of either Giles or you. By the time Oz and I got there, she had disappeared s-,"
"Damnit," Buffy cut her off. "I knew something like that would happen. How'd she become Miss Slayer again?"
"We started looking for her and found her at the same cheap motel she stayed at when she first came to Sunnydale. She wouldn't answer the door so Oz picked the lock and we found her sitting in a corner in the dark. She was shaking and her eyes...they just had this look in them. I don't even know how to explain it," Willow explained, shuddering at the memory.
"It was like she had no clue what was going on," Oz supplied for her.
"Next thing we knew, these Council goons burst into the room and grabbed Faith. They shot her up with something and took her away. It was like we weren't even in the room. Next thing we know, Faith is patrolling like everything is peachy and there's a new Watcher in town," she finished explaining.
"Is it just me, or is that entirely weird?" Cordy spoke up, frowning.
"No, it's not just you. I wonder what they did to her," Buffy pondered, not at all trusting the Council or Faith.
"I called Giles to tell him about it and he thinks that the Council might have given her something when she was in the coma to wipe out some of her memory, or some kind of behavior modification. It's the only thing he could come up with, but he doesn't know for sure since the Council's cut him off," the redhead relayed, yawning after she'd finished speaking.
"It's wouldn't surprise me," Buffy shook her head, remembering the test they'd put her through on her eighteenth birthday. "So she's just out their patrolling like everything's fine?"
"Yeah, as far as we know. So far no dead humans have turned up that could have been her. I guess whatever they did to her is working for now," Willow replied, yawning again.
Buffy noticed her sleepiness and looked at the clock on the wall. "You guys must be exhausted. Why don't you go up to Doyle's and get some sleep? We can talk more tomorrow."
"Thanks. We've been up since early this morning," Willow blinked her eyes, fighting the exhaustion that was quickly settling over her.
"Cordy? Can you take them up and show them their room?" requested Buffy of her friend.
"Yeah, sure," Cordy shrugged, getting out of her chair. "Do you guys need to get your stuff?"
"Yeah, it's down in the van," Oz nodded, helping his tired Willow up from the couch.
Buffy watched as the three left the apartment and the events of the evening finally started hitting her. She was still surprised that they'd managed to track her down. There was still a large part of her that was hurt over everything, but really, she was glad to have Willow back in her life. It would take some time to rebuild their friendship to what it had once been, and maybe they'd never again reach that point, but she felt better having made peace with her best friend.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~a few days later~
Willow laughed as Cordelia told them about how Doyle had almost jumped an old lady as they were walking down the street one day because he'd thought they were being followed. They were all sitting around the club's office talking about random things. It'd been three days since their arrival in Seattle, and since that first day, they had pretty much avoided talking about anything serious. The closest they'd come to it was when Willow had asked about the baby and how the pregnancy was going. Willow hadn't missed the sad look on Buffy's face as she talked about her unborn child. She knew that Angel was the cause, but she hadn't brought it up, not knowing if Buffy would want to discuss the love of her life that had walked out on her.
So instead of rehashing the past further, Buffy and Cordelia had showed them around the club and told them of all the plans they had. Oz had been quite interested in the music aspect and talked at length with Lorne about DJ's, bands and such. They all seemed to be enjoying their time together. Even Cordelia had eased up a bit about Willow's presence.
Their casual conversation was suddenly interrupted when Buffy grunted loudly and clutched at her stomach.
"What's wrong?!?" everyone on the room who was not Buffy questioned at once.
"M-my water just broke. I t-think I'm in labor!" she raised her head showing her eyes, wide with fright.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!!