Willow stood and looked around the room it was strange seeing them all together now. Her old friends the ones whom she had grown up with and her new ones, the people who had opened up there homes their world to her when she had arrived friendless and alone.
She smiled at them looking around the room until she saw Xander, she felt a sharp jolt to her heart when she realised that her best friend, the man she had loved while growing up, the one who would have sacrificed himself for her would not even look her in the eye.
She didn't know what she had expected; she had abandoned him when he needed her most, thinking back now she couldn't believe that she had left when she did. She didn't try to contact him not knowing how he would react to her. He had changed over the years she had missed that change. He still had the same look, which she knew she to bore, the look of someone who had dealt with more, and then they should have in such a short life.
Remus watched her as she stared at the boy, Xander. She had told him about her and he knew how much he had... did mean to her. She was scared of meeting him after so long, scared of his reaction. He looked at the boy and saw that he was unwilling ever to look at her. He felt anger course through him at the thought of any one hurting his fiancé but knew from what he had been told, that the boy's anger was justified. The boy had lost the love of his life and his best friend in the same day, not something that you would forget in a hurry.
He knew from experience, his mind drifted back to Lily and James. He had loved lily, would have married her if she had no been so in love with James. But they had not been meant to be and he accepted that but it did not mean that he didn't love her still or James for that matter, he had been one of the best friends Remus had ever had.
Faith had grabbed Xander's hand when Willow had walked in and was now stroking it gently trying to calm him down, she knew how hard this was for him. She wished she could protect him from this, but this was one problem, which she couldn't slay for him. Nobody was saying anything the Wizards in the room were watching uncertainly there glances being shared between Willow, Remus and Xander. She decided to brake through the awkwardness of the moment, gave Xander a peck on the cheek stood up and hugged willow saying,
"Hey Red, miss me?"
Willow laughed softly and hugged Faith back saying,
"About as much as dry rot."
Spike had chuckled then said,
"Oh slayer she's got you there."
He stood up and enveloped willow in a hug saying,
"Missed you Red, you should have called or at least taken me with you, you know you were the only one of that dull lot I could stand and to think you could have been shacked up with the real big Bad by now, not some wolf pup."
Remus glared at Spike but willow just hugged back, slapped him lightly on the arm and said,
"If only."
Remus had grabbed her by the waist at that comment and pulled her close to him,
"Got the message pup."
Spike said grinning and sat back down, this time close to Sirius who after laughing at willow and spike's interaction had pushed tonks off the couch and offered him the space.
Louise looked a little uncomfortable at the closeness which was being shown by the old friends that she just sat there rigidly until Willow breaking free from Remus' embrace walked over to her and lifted her chin up, stared deep in her eyes and said softly,
"Don't be afraid, you're a slayer you're stronger than this. Always meet people in the eye, never show your fear."
Louise stared into Willow's green eyes and said,
"I know you, I remember you."
Willow smiled and said,
"Yes and I remember you, you were playing baseball when you were awakened weren't you? I remember running beside you as you made your first ever home run, although you have grown up a lot since then."
Louise smiled and said,
"Yeah in more ways then one, I've got Faith and the others to thank for that."
Faith laughed and said,
"You really think so Lou? I'm touched someone thinks of me as a mother figure.... shit I'm not old enough be a mother especially not one with a fifteen year old child am I?"
Faith looked genuinely upset about this realisation and no one really knew what to say until Xander and Spike burst into laughter. Soon after that everyone else followed.
Xander pulled Faith into a bear hug, at that moment Molly walked into the room and said,
"Well dinner's ready if you're all ready for it."
They all looked at each other and followed Molly silently to the Kitchen. Faith didn't know how it had happened but somehow she managed to end up sitting in between Remus and Sirius, not that she was complaining really. Next to Sirius Xander and Tonks seemed to be having an animated conversation about the many uses for marmalade. Spike was sitting with Bill and Mr Weasley who was trying desperately to start a conversation about rubber ducks or something of that nature and spike was desperately trying to ignore him without seeming rude.
"The Big Bad does not play with Rubber ducks... real ones on the other hand you should hear the noise they make as you squeeze them..."
Spike started and causing everyone sitting close to him to flinch, he was chuckling to himself at there obvious discomfort and Xander who was sitting opposite him paused in his conversation with Tonks just long enough to say,
"Bleach boy, these people have taken us into their home and are feeding us! You know how important it is not to offend them? Or do you really want to go back to living off Faith's concoctions."
"Hey, no one makes you eat what I cook,"
Faith shouted up from her vantage point,
"And anyway why was it we ended up having a tin of tuna for Christmas dinner last year?"
Everyone was staring now at the exchange between Xander and Faith both had twinkles in their eyes as they exchanged insults.
"It was Salmon if you must know. And how was I supposed to know that you had to defrost the turkey before cooking it?"
Xander said simply, Louise who was sitting on the other side to him had completely broken down into laughter at this point the memory of said Christmas proving almost to be too much for her. And left everyone else at the table trying desperately to hold on to their stifled giggles.
Molly appeared in the doorway clutching the first bowls of her scrumptious supper.
"I wasn't sure what everyone would want but I thought Turkey pie would be nice."
Anyone who had not been laughing before this was now. Molly looked round at everyone for an explanation she knew that what she had said wasn't really that funny. Her eyes finally settled on Arthur who was almost doubled over.
"Sorry Mrs Weasley... Xander was just telling us all about the proper way to cook a turkey."
Hermione explained in between giggles, Molly looked at him then and said,
"Are you some kind of chief then?"
Xander blushed profusely at this and spike answered saying,
"If he's what's counted as a chief in modern society then I'm glad I no longer need to eat solid food."
Molly looked a bit daze at that but carried on placing dishes on the table and pretty soon the whole room was filled with the delicious smell of roasted turkey pie, new potatoes, mountains of peas and steaming glorious turkey gravy.
The rest of the meal past uneventfully, after everyone had finished they're desert of home made cheesecake and had settled into lazy conversations with whoever was sitting closest to them, that something happened. Faith was just finishing off the last mouthful of her second piece of cake when she heard Willow whisper her name, but it was strange. She looked across at the red head who seemed to be stirring her coffee. Faith passed it off as tiredness until she heard it again,
'Faith,"
Faith looked round again, but this time the voice continued saying,
'For God's sake don't make this any more difficult then it already is."
'Is that you Red?'
Faith's internal voice asked,
'Who were you expecting Prince Charming?'
She almost giggled out loud but instead said,
'I'm sure there's some reason for this delightful intrusion of my privacy so what is it?"
'Someone's feeling Catty."
Faith started to drink her coffee and asked,
'What's wrong?'
'Xander.'
'What about him?'
Faith asked knowing this was going to be hard,
'I need to talk to him, to explain why I did what I did.'
'Well talk to him then.'
'It's difficult when he won't even look at me.'
'Go up to him then and ask him.'
'What if he ignores me or tells me to leave him alone.'
'He won't.'
'How do you know?'
'Cause he misses you just as much as you missed him, He doesn't know what to say to you. It has been seven years and no contact and then he finds out that you were in the same country, same city even and never tried to contact him. It hurts.'
"So what's the lady thinking about so intently, that she doesn't notice that the cup she's drinking out of is empty?"
Sirius asked winking at Faith who realising he was addressing her swiftly dropped the cup from her hands and watched dazedly as it fell to the floor catching it just before impact. But her sudden movements broke the link with Willow so she didn't hear her response.
"Sorry, I was miles away then. Were you saying something?"
"Yes I was just asking you about the new Watchers Councils approach with dealing with the forces of evil?"
"We find them, kill them, and stop them. Pretty simple."
Sirius laughed and said,
"Direct just how I like it."
Faith didn't miss the appreciative look Sirius gave her and neither did Remus who growled softly at his old friend.
"Keeps your eyes to yourself Padfoot."
Sirius laughed and said,
"If I have to Mooney, if I have too."
Willow, who listened to their exchange with a smile on her face. She made her decision and got up from her seat opposite Remus and walked over to where Xander was telling Tonks about the latest mishaps with the trainees. They both stopped talking when Willow came up to them. Xander looked strained at the situation and Tonks just looked uncomfortable.
"Can we talk?"
Willow asked softly looking at the back of her best friends head, she wasn't sure whether he would or not and if truth be told she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to her what she had done had hurt him badly.
Xander sat and thought for a moment, a big part of him wanted to say no, to scream at her that she had left him, that she had made the choice. What he hadn't realised was that everyone else had stopped in their conversation's and were staring at the two of them. Some knowing what was happening and others not. He caught Faith's eyes and almost heard her telling him not to be such an ass and to talk to Willow. He quipped a slight grin at her and turned round to face his old friend and said,
"Let's talk."
She smiled at them looking around the room until she saw Xander, she felt a sharp jolt to her heart when she realised that her best friend, the man she had loved while growing up, the one who would have sacrificed himself for her would not even look her in the eye.
She didn't know what she had expected; she had abandoned him when he needed her most, thinking back now she couldn't believe that she had left when she did. She didn't try to contact him not knowing how he would react to her. He had changed over the years she had missed that change. He still had the same look, which she knew she to bore, the look of someone who had dealt with more, and then they should have in such a short life.
Remus watched her as she stared at the boy, Xander. She had told him about her and he knew how much he had... did mean to her. She was scared of meeting him after so long, scared of his reaction. He looked at the boy and saw that he was unwilling ever to look at her. He felt anger course through him at the thought of any one hurting his fiancé but knew from what he had been told, that the boy's anger was justified. The boy had lost the love of his life and his best friend in the same day, not something that you would forget in a hurry.
He knew from experience, his mind drifted back to Lily and James. He had loved lily, would have married her if she had no been so in love with James. But they had not been meant to be and he accepted that but it did not mean that he didn't love her still or James for that matter, he had been one of the best friends Remus had ever had.
Faith had grabbed Xander's hand when Willow had walked in and was now stroking it gently trying to calm him down, she knew how hard this was for him. She wished she could protect him from this, but this was one problem, which she couldn't slay for him. Nobody was saying anything the Wizards in the room were watching uncertainly there glances being shared between Willow, Remus and Xander. She decided to brake through the awkwardness of the moment, gave Xander a peck on the cheek stood up and hugged willow saying,
"Hey Red, miss me?"
Willow laughed softly and hugged Faith back saying,
"About as much as dry rot."
Spike had chuckled then said,
"Oh slayer she's got you there."
He stood up and enveloped willow in a hug saying,
"Missed you Red, you should have called or at least taken me with you, you know you were the only one of that dull lot I could stand and to think you could have been shacked up with the real big Bad by now, not some wolf pup."
Remus glared at Spike but willow just hugged back, slapped him lightly on the arm and said,
"If only."
Remus had grabbed her by the waist at that comment and pulled her close to him,
"Got the message pup."
Spike said grinning and sat back down, this time close to Sirius who after laughing at willow and spike's interaction had pushed tonks off the couch and offered him the space.
Louise looked a little uncomfortable at the closeness which was being shown by the old friends that she just sat there rigidly until Willow breaking free from Remus' embrace walked over to her and lifted her chin up, stared deep in her eyes and said softly,
"Don't be afraid, you're a slayer you're stronger than this. Always meet people in the eye, never show your fear."
Louise stared into Willow's green eyes and said,
"I know you, I remember you."
Willow smiled and said,
"Yes and I remember you, you were playing baseball when you were awakened weren't you? I remember running beside you as you made your first ever home run, although you have grown up a lot since then."
Louise smiled and said,
"Yeah in more ways then one, I've got Faith and the others to thank for that."
Faith laughed and said,
"You really think so Lou? I'm touched someone thinks of me as a mother figure.... shit I'm not old enough be a mother especially not one with a fifteen year old child am I?"
Faith looked genuinely upset about this realisation and no one really knew what to say until Xander and Spike burst into laughter. Soon after that everyone else followed.
Xander pulled Faith into a bear hug, at that moment Molly walked into the room and said,
"Well dinner's ready if you're all ready for it."
They all looked at each other and followed Molly silently to the Kitchen. Faith didn't know how it had happened but somehow she managed to end up sitting in between Remus and Sirius, not that she was complaining really. Next to Sirius Xander and Tonks seemed to be having an animated conversation about the many uses for marmalade. Spike was sitting with Bill and Mr Weasley who was trying desperately to start a conversation about rubber ducks or something of that nature and spike was desperately trying to ignore him without seeming rude.
"The Big Bad does not play with Rubber ducks... real ones on the other hand you should hear the noise they make as you squeeze them..."
Spike started and causing everyone sitting close to him to flinch, he was chuckling to himself at there obvious discomfort and Xander who was sitting opposite him paused in his conversation with Tonks just long enough to say,
"Bleach boy, these people have taken us into their home and are feeding us! You know how important it is not to offend them? Or do you really want to go back to living off Faith's concoctions."
"Hey, no one makes you eat what I cook,"
Faith shouted up from her vantage point,
"And anyway why was it we ended up having a tin of tuna for Christmas dinner last year?"
Everyone was staring now at the exchange between Xander and Faith both had twinkles in their eyes as they exchanged insults.
"It was Salmon if you must know. And how was I supposed to know that you had to defrost the turkey before cooking it?"
Xander said simply, Louise who was sitting on the other side to him had completely broken down into laughter at this point the memory of said Christmas proving almost to be too much for her. And left everyone else at the table trying desperately to hold on to their stifled giggles.
Molly appeared in the doorway clutching the first bowls of her scrumptious supper.
"I wasn't sure what everyone would want but I thought Turkey pie would be nice."
Anyone who had not been laughing before this was now. Molly looked round at everyone for an explanation she knew that what she had said wasn't really that funny. Her eyes finally settled on Arthur who was almost doubled over.
"Sorry Mrs Weasley... Xander was just telling us all about the proper way to cook a turkey."
Hermione explained in between giggles, Molly looked at him then and said,
"Are you some kind of chief then?"
Xander blushed profusely at this and spike answered saying,
"If he's what's counted as a chief in modern society then I'm glad I no longer need to eat solid food."
Molly looked a bit daze at that but carried on placing dishes on the table and pretty soon the whole room was filled with the delicious smell of roasted turkey pie, new potatoes, mountains of peas and steaming glorious turkey gravy.
The rest of the meal past uneventfully, after everyone had finished they're desert of home made cheesecake and had settled into lazy conversations with whoever was sitting closest to them, that something happened. Faith was just finishing off the last mouthful of her second piece of cake when she heard Willow whisper her name, but it was strange. She looked across at the red head who seemed to be stirring her coffee. Faith passed it off as tiredness until she heard it again,
'Faith,"
Faith looked round again, but this time the voice continued saying,
'For God's sake don't make this any more difficult then it already is."
'Is that you Red?'
Faith's internal voice asked,
'Who were you expecting Prince Charming?'
She almost giggled out loud but instead said,
'I'm sure there's some reason for this delightful intrusion of my privacy so what is it?"
'Someone's feeling Catty."
Faith started to drink her coffee and asked,
'What's wrong?'
'Xander.'
'What about him?'
Faith asked knowing this was going to be hard,
'I need to talk to him, to explain why I did what I did.'
'Well talk to him then.'
'It's difficult when he won't even look at me.'
'Go up to him then and ask him.'
'What if he ignores me or tells me to leave him alone.'
'He won't.'
'How do you know?'
'Cause he misses you just as much as you missed him, He doesn't know what to say to you. It has been seven years and no contact and then he finds out that you were in the same country, same city even and never tried to contact him. It hurts.'
"So what's the lady thinking about so intently, that she doesn't notice that the cup she's drinking out of is empty?"
Sirius asked winking at Faith who realising he was addressing her swiftly dropped the cup from her hands and watched dazedly as it fell to the floor catching it just before impact. But her sudden movements broke the link with Willow so she didn't hear her response.
"Sorry, I was miles away then. Were you saying something?"
"Yes I was just asking you about the new Watchers Councils approach with dealing with the forces of evil?"
"We find them, kill them, and stop them. Pretty simple."
Sirius laughed and said,
"Direct just how I like it."
Faith didn't miss the appreciative look Sirius gave her and neither did Remus who growled softly at his old friend.
"Keeps your eyes to yourself Padfoot."
Sirius laughed and said,
"If I have to Mooney, if I have too."
Willow, who listened to their exchange with a smile on her face. She made her decision and got up from her seat opposite Remus and walked over to where Xander was telling Tonks about the latest mishaps with the trainees. They both stopped talking when Willow came up to them. Xander looked strained at the situation and Tonks just looked uncomfortable.
"Can we talk?"
Willow asked softly looking at the back of her best friends head, she wasn't sure whether he would or not and if truth be told she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to her what she had done had hurt him badly.
Xander sat and thought for a moment, a big part of him wanted to say no, to scream at her that she had left him, that she had made the choice. What he hadn't realised was that everyone else had stopped in their conversation's and were staring at the two of them. Some knowing what was happening and others not. He caught Faith's eyes and almost heard her telling him not to be such an ass and to talk to Willow. He quipped a slight grin at her and turned round to face his old friend and said,
"Let's talk."