The Road Home
Summary: AU; everyone's human. Buffy Summers dodges family and friends to escape her wedding and make it back home, single. But when she returns to L.A., she finds herself stuck with a grumpy, homeless roommate without who, she soon finds, home wouldn't be home at all.
Disclaimer: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and all associated with it belongs to Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss Whedon etc. I own squat.

A/N: Here you are. Lovely reviews, guys: thanks. Let me know what you think.

21. Two Directions

Buffy woke up with a smile, her face lit up by the early morning sun and her body spooned against a harder one. She sighed against the fingers at her lips and instantly, he gripped her arm and turned her gently so she was facing him.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the deep blue of his.

"'Morning, pet," Will purred, rubbing his nose against hers.

Buffy smiled and, sneaking a hand behind his blond head, kissed him gently. Breaking apart after a soft minute, she said, "Good morning to you, too. Ready to get to work...?" She rubbed her hand against his sweaty back.

Will moaned. "Luv, I think you've broken me." He rained kisses all over her face as she ran her fingers through his hair. When her other hand found a particularly sensitive spot, he gasped. Pulling back, he narrowed his eyes at her sheepish, yet triumphant look and said, "Of course, we'll just have to see about that..."

When Will finally came down the stairs that day, it was almost noon. Grinning from ear to ear, he trotted into the kitchen, hands deep in the pockets of his sweats. There, he froze when he saw Willow, feeding Pontiac, dressed impeccably in a suit of pastel green.

She looked up as she heard him approach. "Oh, good, you finally found the time to get out of bed." She straightened, putting away the pack of cat food and washing her hands.

"Aw, Red, don't fret." He poured himself a bowl of cereal, but couldn't find the milk. Willow handed him a carton and he said, "By the way, what're you so dressed up for?"

Willow turned to look at him, hands on her hips, eyes menacingly narrowed. "Don't tell me—you were so lost in the throes of passion with Buffy you forgot Tara arrives today?"

Will's eyes widened. "Red, I—"

"No, don't 'Red' me! I specifically asked you to get up early so we can go pick her up!"

"Wi-Willow! Pet, just listen—"

"No. I can't believe you forgot, Will!" She banged around the pots that she was trying to clean in the sink. "I haven't seen her for so long, and when she's arriving in just—"

"Just three hours, Willow. Remember, pet? The flight was delayed?"

Comprehension dawned on Willow's face as she remembered. "Oh." Then she blushed. "Oh. Yeah, I remember now."

Will laughed. "Good for you, Red." A beat, then, "I can call you Red now, right?"

His hesitating made her want to laugh. But she kept it in check and said, "Okay."

"Good." He replied, diving into his cereal.

"Good what?" Buffy asked as she skipped down the stairs, hair still wet from her shower.

"Good that you're up. That's our last cereal and he's about to finish it off." Willow said, loading the dishwasher.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend and grabbed the box out of reach. "I'm starving, here! Do you want to kill me?"

"Why not?" He countered, "You do it every night!"

Buffy froze, a handful of cereal on way to her mouth. She watched apprehensively as Willow halted work for a second, then chose to ignore his quip and moved on. Whapping Will hard on his arm, she reached out for the milk and asked, "So, Wills. Whatcha so dolled up for?"

"Buffy, don't tell me you've forgotten too." Willow sounded genuinely upset.

Buffy frowned. "Are you talking about Tara's flight? Cause if you are, then I didn't forget. It's three hours from now so I was just thinking of why you're wearing such formal clothes."

Willow's eyes widened in panic. "Formal?" She squeaked. "You think this is formal!"

Buffy spoke with difficulty, given the food in her mouth and the kicks she was receiving under the table from Will. "Um, no, Wills, not at all! You look fine! Just, you know, all office-y clothes so I asked—

"Oh, great," She sighed, grabbing her purse and pulling out her house keys. "I'm going to change, guys. See you in a bit." The back door gently banged back in place behind her, startling the cat. Pontiac jumped into Buffy's arms, meowing.

"Me and my big mouth," Buffy muttered, stroking the cat's back. Will watched as the black and brown animal stretched in ecstasy, then narrowed his eyes at Will. Boy, one of these days that cat was going to... "I wish I hadn't said anything."

"Actually, pet," He said, pushing away their bowls to clear the counter, "This leaves us all alone." He reached out to pull the cat off her lap, and dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor. Pontiac started to hiss, but apparently thought better of it and walked away with a flick of his tail.

Buffy sighed, albeit more amused than irritated. "Again?" She said, her voice small and tired. "I just had a bath..."

Three hours later, Willow and Buffy clambered into Will's DeSoto. Willow, happy with her short sleeved dress of white with green batik block prints, stretched leisurely onto the back seat while Buffy sat ahead. "This is so roomy," She told Will when he got in a moment later.

He grinned at Buffy, who looked away with a blush, and told Willow, who was examining the leather seat with her nose, "Yeah, pet. Very roomy."

The ride to LAX was mostly silent, each lost in his or her own thoughts. Whenever they stopped at a light, Will would run his knuckles up and down Buffy's bare arm, making her shiver. Willow didn't notice, or, if she did, chose to let it slide.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Willow gave herself a last nervous check in the rear view mirror and bolted ou of the car. Buffy started to follow, but before she could open her door, Will grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Stealing a quick kiss from her, he started to say, "Let's not—"

But the Macarena interrupted them. Groaning, Will pulled away and motioned for her to leave. "You'll follow?" Buffy asked, and he pulled out his cell phone. Looking at the display, his mouth became a thin line.

"Yeah, pet. You go on."

Rupert Giles sighed. He held a silver frame in his hand, his thumb gently tracing the features of one of the faces in it. Suddenly, he put the photo down and grabbed the phone. But, changing his mind as quickly as before, he put it back onto its cradle and sighed, pulling off his glasses and polishing them with the spotlessly clean handkerchief that lay on the desk before him.

"Anne..." He whispered, eyes gazing at the figure in the photograph, "Tell me what to do..."

His wife's laughing eyes that reminded him so much of his son gave him the answer. He swallowed, suddenly determined, and putting his glasses back on, reached for the phone.

"Hello?" The tone Will used was abrupt and Giles knew that his son had recognized the number.

"Well, hello, Will," He responded, trying to sound casual.

"Da." Flat, now, an expressionless tone. "Tell me. What can I do?"

Giles sighed. He couldn't say he wasn't expecting this, but... "You really want to know, William?" Wihout waiting for an answer, "Come home."

"I am home."

"No, Will, you're in a city where nobody knows you so you can't be singled out. Look, Will, I'm sorry; I know I was a bit harsh, but—

"A bit harsh, Da! You fucking kicked me out of the office! You reminded me how I was just living off your money like a leech and you cut off my accounts! You—

"Will!" Giles cried out. "Look, I'm sorry, Will—but listen to me— I—

"NO, Rupert." Will's voice was cold, and Giles hated it. He'd much rather Will yelled at him. "You listen. You PNG'd me out of my own office, Da. You left me on the fucking road, alone to find my own way. And guess wha', Da? I've found my way. I'm joining a new firm here in L.A., and I'm getting a house with my advance. Didn't you always say, Da, that wha' matters not is how high we are bu' how high we rise after we fall? I fell. Heck, you bloody pushed me over, Da. And I think it says a lot about me, how I'm rising does."

"William," Giles was pleading, now. "William, please, you don't have to prove anything. I know how apable you are, my lad! Please... please come home, Will. I miss you."

There was a long silence on Will's side at that. Then he said, softly, "Dad, I would, but I found my life here."

"But Will—

"Da. I've found my life here." They were both silent for a while. "Her name is Elizabeth. I love her, she loves me. I'm not leaving."

And when he joined Elizabeth a few moments later, engulfed in a group hug between Willow and Tara, she could see a special light in his eyes that told her everything would be just fine.