Those Magic Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters portrayed within this work. The situations portrayed wherein are fictional, and any original characters not owned by Joss Whedon or J.K. Rowling are owned by me. By using the characters of Mr. Whedon and Ms. Rowling, I am not getting paid, nor am I benefiting in any other way from use of their characters. Enjoy!

Something was bothering Buffy. This was apparent to Willow. Since returning from Europe, she hadn't been the same. Even a simple vamp slaying seemed excruciatingly difficult for the slayer.

Slayer but was she now? With the disintegration of the Watcher's Council, her slaying duties disintegrated as well. Now she merely slayed out of habit, seeking a comfortable connection with her past. Without a little bit of familiarity, change would be far too overwhelming.

Even with the safety cushion of slaying, the changes were tearing her apart. There were only five of them now, really. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn, and Spike. Anya was dead; Tara was dead; Oz was dead; Joyce, Cordelia, Riley all dead. Giles...Giles was gone as well. Not dead, but gone all the same. He was in England, rebuilding the Council and training the new Slayers.

New Slayers. Could she be replaced that easily? The thought plagued Buffy (not for the first time) and she perilously let her awareness drift away.

"Buffy! Vampire!" Willow's shout brought her back to the world. With quickness only the Slayer possessed, Buffy spun and rammed the stake into the vamp's heart. Immediately, it exploded into dust. She checked her watch.

"Let's go, Wil. I think all of the creepy-crawlies are done for the night," Buffy said, heading home. Willow followed.

It wasn't just the dead friends change and Giles being in London that was troubling Buffy. There was also Sunnydale. With the destruction of the town, the Scoobies and Spike were forced to move to L.A. home of Angel and Faith.

On her first night in L.A., Buffy had met up with Angel. He had been acting rather strangely towards her, and when Buffy asked if she could go to his apartment, he had declined, saying it wasn't a good time. Curious, she had followed him undetected to his apartment. Faith was waiting for him; they embraced and went inside.

So Angel had moved on. So his latest conquest was Faith. So what? Still, this upset Buffy immensely. It almost upset her as much as what was going on with her best friend, Willow.

The two of them walked to the house in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts. They reached the steps, and both sat side by side on the top step, knowing without words that they needed to talk.

"So what goes on, Miss Buffy?" Willow asked in an attempt to lighten a conversation she knew would be anything but.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me," Buffy looked, "What is bugging you, Buff?" The question came out as almost a command, very uncharacteristic of Willow.

"I...it's everything. Absolutely everything, Wil. Anya, Riley...Giles replacing me. Angel being with Faith...and...and you leaving "

"My leaving?" Willow interjected, "I thought you said you were happy for me!"

"I am! I am...it's just that you're gonna be so far away. And their world is in chaos. Right now, I'm scared for you."

"Their world? It's in London." puzzled Willow, causing Buffy to roll her eyes.

"You know what I mean, Willow."

"Oh, right. Right y'are there, cap'n." Willow replied, saluting Buffy.

"Are you all right? You're acting a little on the weird side yourself."

"I must admit, I'm a little confused," Willow confessed, "I had no idea that there was a whole magic...race out there. Born that way. Called to it. Kinda like you and this Slayer business."

"And Giles studied at the school "

"and was expelled for dabbling in the Black Arts "

"but he went back. He was the only expelled pupil ever admitted back."

Willow nodded, "Because he was exceptional."

"He is exceptional," Buffy started before catching herself and making up hastily, " -ly good at being a Watcher. He's an exceptional Watcher."

Willow raised an eyebrow, then asked sympathetically, "You miss him, don't you, Buffy?"

" 'Course I miss him." Buffy replied with a peculiar crack in her voice.

"Me too," Willow told her, "Every day."

"Oh, so that's why you're leaving me here? 'Cause you miss Giles?"

"No! No, it's not like that! It's the job, Buff. The learning experience. You know that I wanna do that...that 'fancy - schmancy' magic stuff! And I wanna make other people kinda sorta learn it too!"

Buffy sighed, "I know it, Wil. But that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"You could come, you know. There really isn't anything keeping you here," Willow frowned.

"What about Xander? Dawn? Spike?"

"What about 'em?"

Buffy was flustered, "Well, don't you think they're reason enough to stay? I mean, you know...I need to be here to be the...the best Slayer I can be to protect them. Save their lives."

"That's not a reason "

"What the hell do you mean 'that's not a reason'? It's reason enough for me."

"I mean that you need to care a little bit more about number one than about everyone else for once."

"Hmm...not following you here."

Willow expressed her annoyance by raising her voice, "I mean that you put everyone else ahead of yourself, and that's not the way it should be. Take care of yourself first, then save the world afterwards."

"You know I'd die for them, Wil."

"I know. You have. Twice."

"Exactly."

"Well, remember this, Miss...Miss High-and-Mighty: The third time is the charm. If there's a third time, there might not be any bringing you back. We worked so hard to keep you from staying dead both times, and...and I'll be damned if you throw all of that away."

There was another lengthy pause, broken by Buffy. "Wil...?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"I...I was wondering. I've been wondering for some time...why did you bring me back? I mean...I know...we're friends and everything but...you could have brought Tara back, but you didn't. You risked it for me, but not for Tara. Why is that?"

"Number of reasons. No offense, Buffy, but it wasn't my idea to bring you back. Despite the risks, when there are people forcing you to do a spell to bring someone back, you generally go through with it. Even if the risks are too much. They said that there wasn't anything to lose, and they won." Willow told her truthfully.

"Oh."

"So you going?"

Buffy frowned, "Going...where?"

"London!"

"Oh. I don't think so. I have duties here."

"You're not the Slayer anymore!" Willow shouted, suddenly angry, "You don't have duties. The only thing that matters is you what you want! We gave you another chance at life so you wouldn't have to put up with that Slaying garbage...not that it's garbage...I just mean it ruined your life."

"Whatever."

"No...no...no, don't you 'whatever' me. I've been 'whatevered' for the last time, you...you...person-that-I-can't-think-of-an-insulting-name-for-at-this-moment. Giles is even concerned! He wrote a letter about it, and I didn't give it to you because I knew it would upset you. But now...now I think you really need to read it. If you won't listen to me, I can only hope you'll listen to Giles. 'Cause... 'cause he's British and stuff."

"You took a letter Giles wrote me and hid it?"

"I...I thought it was best." Willow stammered.

"Well, stop caring about what's best for me. You should be caring about number one first, Wil," Buffy mocked, "So now...give me the letter."

"Fine. Fine. Take the stupid letter." Willow reached in her pocket and produced several folded up pieces of paper covered in Giles's tiny print.

Buffy unfolded the letter and began to read.