Buffy was none the wiser that Angel was in town, her mania to have the perfect Thanksgiving distracting her. Also helping keep her occupied was the sickly Xander, the suddenly syphilis afflicted construction worker moaning and groaning on the couch. The Slayer was scrambling to finish her meal while trying to figure out how to help Xander. Spike wasn't helping the situation, whining and making demands from his chair.
It was with relief that Willow wheeled herself outside to ride along to pick up Tara for dinner. Unfortunately, the only driver available was Anya. Buffy took a moment from her cooking to carry the witch and her chair to the top of the stairs of Giles' apartment complex, warning Willow sternly not to attempt the descent without calling her.
Willow pulled herself into the backseat of the car while the clueless Anya shoved the wheelchair into the back of the car without collapsing it, leaving it to roll around while she drove. The former demon chattered cheerfully while she drove recklessly, completely missing that Willow wasn't answering her, too busy holding onto the back of the seat to keep herself from being pitched into the floorboard.
Anya screeched to a halt in front of the dorm building, surprised when Willow slid as quickly as she could from the car, balancing herself carefully on her crutches. She winced as she took her first steps, the firm pressure of the crutches under her shoulders uncomfortable and moving rapidly toward painful. She knew it was probably much too soon to be using the crutches, but the harrowing car ride had left her craving the feel of solid ground under her one good foot.
Her progress was slow, and it took her a moment to get the door to the building open, afraid she would overbalance herself if she let go of either crutch long enough to open the door. She rode the elevator upstairs, and when she made it to Tara's door she didn't attempt to knock with a hand, just banged her forehead against it several times rather than risk moving either hands, crutches, or feet.
Tara's eyes widened as she saw that Willow was on her feet on the other side of the door. "Willow! A-aren't you s-supposed to be in your c-chair?"
Willow was panting for breath, and she nodded. "Yeah, probably."
"W-where is it?" Tara asked. Willow nodded her head back towards the entrance, trying to catch her breath. "I-I'll get it. S-sit," she directed with uncharacteristic firmness, helping the redhead to her bed and guiding the tired witch down onto the edge. Willow hissed at the relief from the throb her crutches had caused in her arms, and Tara rushed from the room, returning after a few minutes with the wheelchair.
Willow felt the now almost familiar rush as Tara's hands helped her gently into her chair, and Willow sighed as she slumped into the seat. "Thanks," she said gratefully. "I really wasn't ready for that."
Tara nodded, bending her knees to crouch beside the chair, bringing herself to Willow's eyelevel. "Are y-you okay?" she asked softly, concerned and gripping the armrest of the chair to stop herself from brushing hair back from Willow's face.
Willow nodded, feeling sweat sliding down the back of her collar, and she took a deep breath. "Thanks," she repeated, glancing regretfully at the crutches where they were leaned against Tara's bed. The blonde rose to her full height, letting out a breath of relief as she turned to collect the crutches. When she turned back to the chair, she was surprised to see that Willow's hands were on the grips for the wheels, prepared to push herself back into the hall.
"No," Tara said firmly, snatching Willow's hands off the wheels. "You h-hold these," she directed, laying the crutches across the armrests and taking the handles to push the chair herself.
Willow had to tilt the crutches so that they could fit the chair through the door and Tara kept a watchful eye on her as she let go of the chair to lock her door.
They made it back to the car without incident, Tara watching carefully as Willow stretched out in the backseat before she climbed into the front. Anya was eyeing her speculatively, sticking her hand out suddenly.
"I'm Anya," she said with her typical bluntness. "I was here when you stole the wheelchair, but you didn't seem interested in waiting for me to introduce myself."
"I-I'm T-Tara," the witch replied distractedly, shaking Anya's hand as she glanced into the back of the car to see Willow smile weakly, rubbing at her shoulder. Without speaking, Tara extended her arm backwards, resting a hand on Willow's closer shoulder. Willow's eyes closed as the tingle shot down her arm, the rush of magic overriding the throbbing pain that had been radiating from her weak shoulder muscles.
"Thanks," she said, eyes still closed. "Anya, we're not going straight back to Giles', Buffy needs us to pick up peas." She heard Anya's acknowledgement, and the Jeep squealed away from the curb. Willow curled her hand around Tara's wrist, keeping them both steady. "Okay?" she checked, ready to let Tara have her hand back if the blonde was feeling the effects of Anya's erratic driving. Tara just squeezed the shoulder under her hand gently, her thumb making unconscious circles against Willow's shirt.
The grocery store was crowded when they parked, and Tara pushed the crutches out of Willow's reach with a stern shake of her head. "I don't think so," she said as she pulled the chair out of the back of the car. Willow sighed, pouting even as she pulled herself into her chair.
Tara pushed Willow's chair into the store, while Anya seemed fascinated by the rampant consumerism around them. They didn't bother getting a cart since it was difficult enough trying to maneuver Willow's chair through the crowd. Of course, being Thanksgiving day, there were no fresh peas left, so they collected a package of frozen peas. They were coming out of the frozen food aisle when Angel appeared. He was suddenly standing in front of Willow's chair, and Tara pulled it to a stop, frowning in confusion as the man just stood there.
"Angel, hey," Willow said, glancing over her shoulder and to the side where Tara and Anya were both watching. "Tara, Anya, this is Angel," she introduced them. "So, what's going on that you came all the way here?" she asked.
"Buffy's in danger," he said shortly. "What's been happening?"
Willow shrugged. "We're still not sure. Something happened to Xander yesterday, and a priest was murdered this morning."
"Xander has syphilis," Anya announced, wringing her hands worriedly. "We can't have sex while he has syphilis, so you need to fix this," she mourned, missing the glances of surprise and disgust the others exchanged.
"Xander got syphilis?" Angel asked, smirking.
"It's an avenging Native American spirit, I think," Willow told Angel, shooting him a chiding look. She grimaced over her shoulder at Tara. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it just sort of came up this morning, and it should be perfectly safe at Giles' apartment, so there's no reason for you not to come to dinner," she said apologetically. "We can take you back to the dorm if this is wigging you out."
Tara shook her head slowly. "N-no, I'm o-okay."
Willow smiled cheerfully. "Good, because I didn't want you to leave." Her eyes moved back to Angel. "Spike is tied up at Giles' house too," she told him.
The vampire's smirk disappeared and he scowled, growling in his chest unconsciously. "I'll take care of him while I'm here," he promised ominously.
Willow sighed, shaking her head. "I think we need him right now actually, but thanks," she told him. "Some people did something to him and he can't bite anymore, we're still trying to figure it out."
Angel was still growling in his chest, but nodded. "Fine. Where's Buffy?"
"She's at Giles', cooking," Willow answered with a smirk. "We're on a grocery run obviously."
He nodded, frowning at the floor. "Okay, well, I'll stay close, but out of sight, in case something happens."
"How'd you get here anyway?" Anya asked curiously. "It's daytime," she said, looking around him as if he was suddenly going to burst into flames at the reminder.
"There's a basement with sewer access," he replied. "You're going back to the apartment now?"
Willow nodded. "Yeah. Where are you going?"
"I have a friend at the museum, I'll go check on some things," he answered. "I'll call if I find anything, and I'll come by as soon as the sun goes down."
"You want me to tell Buffy you're coming?" Willow asked.
He shook his head quickly. "No, it'll be easier if I'm…if she doesn't know I'm here."
"Okay," Willow said doubtfully and gave him a look that showed clearly what she thought of that idea, nodding. "Good luck, Angel."
He nodded, fading into the crowd before anyone could move. "So, that's Angel," Anya said matter-of-factly. "He's large."
Willow snorted at the understatement. "Yeah, he's very big," she agreed dryly. "Now let's get these peas back to Buffy before she comes looking for us."
Tara resumed pushing the chair toward the front of the store. It took a few impatient minutes to get through the line, the crush of people persisting as they exited the store, and Anya caused several people's lives to flash before their eyes before they made it out of the parking lot.
Willow dutifully waited at the top of the stairs for Buffy when they got back to the apartment, sending Anya down with the peas while Tara stayed at the top of the stairs with her.
"Hey, Tara," Buffy greeted her distractedly, surveying the chair and the steep stairs. "Um, Will…"
"Oh, it's okay," Willow said. "Tara knows about you. I sort of told her, I hope that's okay, but it would have been hard to explain Spike being tied up, and you know she's a witch, and I know we can trust her, she wouldn't tell anyone. Would you, Tara?" she rambled, her eyes traveling back and forth between the two blondes.
"I w-won't tell," Tara said, smiling crookedly.
Buffy nodded, grinning as she hoisted Willow and her chair into her arms. "Thanks, Tara. I appreciate it." She carried the witch down the stairs carefully, Tara following them down the steps with the crutches, eyes wide at the Slayer's unthinking display of strength.
Buffy put the chair down in Giles' patio, checking to make sure Willow was okay. She blinked in surprise when Tara swatted Willow's hands from the wheels of the chair.
"She t-tried her crutches e-earlier," Tara said, giving Willow a chiding look.
Buffy scowled at her friend, ignoring Willow's attempt at an apologetic smile. "Willow! You know you're not strong enough for that!"
"You didn't have to ride with Anya! I'm not even sure she has a license! She only figured out what the left pedal did after we turned onto Main Street!" she objected. "I needed to get out of that car!"
"That's what your chair is for!" Buffy objected. "You just got out of the cast, Will! What if you had fallen down? You could have broken your leg worse, or you could have broken your arm again."
"I'm never going to get stronger if I don't practice," Willow reasoned.
Buffy shook her head sternly, still scowling. "You're right, but you know it's way too early to be trying it." Her expression changed as she looked at Tara. "Thanks Tara. I'm glad you were there to look after her." Tara nodded, blushing, and Buffy knocked Willow on the head gently with a knuckle. "Sometimes it's not a good thing that you have such a hard head, my friend."
Tara pushed the chair into the apartment as Buffy rushed back to her cooking. Anya was fussing over Xander on the couch and the construction worker waved tiredly with one hand. Tara waved back, frowning at how sick he looked. She exchanged looks with Willow, the redhead shrugging regretfully.
"He'll be okay once we appease the spirit," Willow said hopefully.
"Who wants to kill us all," Anya chimed in.
Tara blanched, eyeing Spike in his chair, the vampire not straining against his ropes, just watching the proceedings in silence. He noticed her arrival and grinned, looking her over from top to bottom.
"Well, this day just turned around," he commented happily. "How about you come over here and keep me company, sweetheart?" he requested, winking.
She frowned at him, her hands tightening compulsively on the handles of Willow's chair. The redhead scowled at him, shaking her head. "You leave her alone, Spike. She came over to eat with us, not entertain you."
He looked at the pair, his eyes lingering on Tara's hand on the back of Willow's chair, and he smirked. "I think I know what she's here for a bit better than you do, pet," he commented, his voice almost smug, and Tara paled further, shaking her head minutely in a panic.
Willow tilted her head back to look up at Tara, rolling her eyes. "Ignore Spike. He gets his jollies by being annoying," she said with a grin.
Tara blushed, nodding in silence. She glanced uncontrollably at Spike, who winked cheekily and rolled his eyes at the oblivious Willow. "Slayer, I'm hungry!" he called loudly, grinning as she yelled back at him.
It didn't take long before the sun was going down outside and Willow was unsurprised to hear the phone ring almost immediately after it sunk below the horizon.
"I got it," she called, pushing her chair forward a few feet so that she could reach the receiver. Tara was lingering awkwardly behind the wheelchair and her eyes widened as she noticed the man outside the window with a bow and arrow.
"Willow!" she yelped, toppling the wheelchair as she dove to the ground. The chair landed mostly on her legs, and Willow herself landed mostly on her chest, while an arrow struck the metal rail of the chair and ricocheted, sticking with a dull thud in the back of the couch.
"Thanks," Willow gasped, grimacing at the uncomfortable strain on her leg, her arms shaky as she tried to push herself up. "I don't think I can get off of you right now," she said apologetically, pale with pain.
"I-it's okay. Are you h-hurt?" Tara asked, not wanting the extricate herself if it meant hurting Willow further.
"Willow?" Buffy yelled. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Willow called back, struggling to look down at herself. She was still straining to hold herself up off of Tara, but her arms were shaking and Tara put one of her hands on each of Willow's elbows.
"It's okay. You won't hurt me. Just relax," Tara said quietly, tilting her head up to look down at Willow herself. The redhead's injured leg was pinned in between the footrests of her chair, and from where Tara was, it looked impossible to get Willow free without potentially hurting her.
It suddenly occurred to Willow that the phone was still ringing, and she tried to reach it, only to collapse as her weak arm gave out from underneath her. Tara let out a surprised breath as Willow landed hard on her chest.
"Giles, phone! It's important!" Willow called with as much voice as she could muster. Her eyes found Tara and she grimaced. "Sorry," she said more quietly.
Tara was trying to catch her breath, but her hand moved to Willow's right arm, feeling the muscles trembling beneath her fingers. Willow hissed as she felt the heat radiating from Tara's palm, and her head dropped suddenly against the blonde's shoulder, too tired to hold her head up anymore.
There were still arrows flying into the apartment, but they seemed to be safe where they were collapsed behind the table. The phone stopped ringing, and Tara could hear a British man having a one-sided conversation. There was a thump by their feet, and Buffy was there, guiding the chair off of them before scrambling forward to check on Willow.
"Will, come on, you've got to be okay," the Slayer breathed, checking her friend's pulse while she was seemingly passed out on the other witch's chest.
"I'm okay," Willow mumbled, lifting her head slowly. "Tara?"
"I-I'm okay," the blonde affirmed.
Buffy looked at both of them, ducking as a hatchet embedded itself in the back of the couch beside her. She yanked it out, whipping it through the air back at their attacker. "Tara, you got her?" she asked, waiting for the witch's nod before she vaulted herself over the dining room table and into the fight.
Giles had made it to the weapons chest and was quick to toss a knife to Buffy. Spike let out a growl as an arrow hit his chest, complaining loudly even though they had missed his heart. Xander and Anya were scuffling outside while Giles and Buffy fought off one of the spirits who had crashed through the second story window, the Slayer frustrated quickly as she was unable to kill the Indian with her knife.
Willow lifted her head as Tara's hand slipped off her shoulder, the redhead's arms suddenly sturdier and she rolled herself off of the other girl, groaning as she landed on her back. "I'm okay," she gasped before Tara could ask. She yelped loudly as an arrow hit her bad leg, sticking into the cast and quivering. "I'm okay," she repeated. "It didn't go all the way through the cast," she gasped, using her hands to drag herself into more cover under the table.
Tara moved to pull it out, hesitating with a look at Willow's face. The redhead was grimacing, but didn't seem to be in pain, at least not pain caused by the arrow. "It's okay, you can take it out," Willow said, breathing heavily.
Tara got a grip near the base of the arrow, waiting for Willow's nod before she pulled it out. Willow didn't react as it pulled free, and Tara gently probed the hole with one finger, grateful to feel one thin layer of cotton between her skin and Willow's. She let out a breath of relief, meeting Willow's eyes with a tiny smile.
Suddenly, all the chaos faded into silence, the Indian warriors disappearing as Buffy stabbed the one she was fighting with his own blade. Xander and Anya returned from outside after several long minutes, the construction worker already looking much improved from his brush with syphilis.
"Is everyone alright?" Giles asked, looking around at the various arrows and hatchets embedded in furniture all around his living room. "Where's Willow?" he asked, noticing the overturned wheelchair.
"I'm here," Willow called from under the table, and Tara quickly stopped her from trying to drag herself out from their hiding spot.
Buffy and Xander joined them quickly, the witch moving out of their way as the old friends helped the redhead back into her chair.
"You got shot?" Xander asked in surprise, poking lightly at the hole in her cast.
Willow nodded. "Yeah, but it didn't go in."
"Barely," Tara protested. "T-there's only o-one layer of cotton left," she said.
Willow pouted at her. "Tattler!"
Buffy smirked, arching an eyebrow at the redhead. "She's just looking out for you. Thanks Tara. We'll call the doctor in the morning and get you an appointment to get a new cast put on," she stated decisively. She glanced around the living room, taking a deep breath as she surveyed the damage.
Spike was still whining in his chair, an arrow sticking out of his chest, as well as another planted in the seat of the chair between his legs. "Oy, could one of you lot help me out here?" he called, and Giles moved to the chair, yanking out the arrow from the seat before he pulled the one from Spike's chest with only a touch more gentleness.
There was an arrow in the table, but none of the food had been hit, and Buffy sighed in relief. "Well, now that we've had our holiday excitement, let's eat," she said, gesturing to the table. Xander guided Willow's wheelchair into a spot at the table and he took the seat across from her.
Tara took the seat beside Willow after the redhead gestured emphatically, making it clear where she wanted Tara to sit. Buffy returned from the kitchen with the last of her carefully prepared side dishes, including the hastily cooked peas. She and Giles took their seats at the ends of the table, leaving a complaining Spike tied to his chair in the corner.
They chatted idly while they ate, Willow making a belated introduction between Tara and Giles. The meal was a success, everyone doing their best to keep their mouths shut about Angel's presence in Sunnydale. In fact, Willow even got in some teasing about Riley and Buffy's daily increasing flirtations before Xander let the secret spill over their pie.
Buffy looked like she was going to bolt immediately, but she restrained herself, sitting tensely in her seat. Willow gave Xander a glare across the table, the construction worker offering a timid "Oops," in apology.
Willow rested a hand on Buffy's wrist, giving her a sympathetic smile. Spike was watching with a wide grin on his face, and Giles stood up quickly to turn his chair to face the corner, giving the vampire a sharp word of warning.
Tara tapped her fork idly against her plate in silence, able to figure out that Angel must be someone very important to Buffy. She wondered quietly about the details, the something that no one would say about him, curious if it was the same something that no one would say about Oz.
Willow smiled weakly, able to share her friend's pain on this subject, and she closed her eyes as the sharp pain of Oz's departure shot through her suddenly. Buffy slid her chair around so that she was closer to Willow's seat, letting her head lean again her friend's shoulder.
"We can talk, if you want," Buffy offered quietly, seeing the expression on her friend's face and pushing away thoughts of Angel.
Willow opened her eyes, letting her head shake. "No, it's okay. Thanksgiving," the redhead reminded her.
"Later?" Buffy asked, keeping her voice low. Willow nodded silently, struggling to smile normally.
"I-I should p-probably go," Tara said into the silence, and Willow turned her head to look at the blonde witch.
"You don't have to go," Willow objected.
"It's d-dark," Tara reminded her. "And late," she added, glancing at the clock.
Willow was surprised to see that it was almost ten, that the group had been lingering around the table for several hours. "Can I ride back to the campus with you?" she asked.
Tara nodded, smiling shyly. Buffy got up from her chair. "I'll drive," she offered.
Anya nodded cheerfully. "Xander's syphilis is clearing up, so we're going away now," she said.
Xander blushed brightly, but didn't resist as his girlfriend dragged him from the apartment. Giles groaned, but stood up as well and started collecting the dirty dishes.
"We can help with that," Willow offered before grimacing at her chair. "Well, I could stack dishes if someone else could take them into the kitchen."
"There's no need," Giles objected. "You make sure Tara gets home safely, I'll deal with the dishes."
Willow sighed, nodding. The joyful mood of the evening had been suddenly dampened, and she struggled to manage a reassuring smile for Buffy. She pushed her chair into the patio, grateful that Anya and Xander had neglected to shut the door behind them. Buffy and Tara exchanged glances before they followed her in silence.
Willow had been forced to wait at the base of the stairs, and Buffy hoisted the chair into her arms without comment, not saying anything as she helped Willow climb into the backseat. Tara broke down the chair and stowed it in the back before joining Buffy in the front seat. Willow was fiddling idly with her hands in her lap, suddenly fighting tears in the darkness.
Oz had been gone for just a month, and the pain was as fresh as it had been the first day, that bright sunny morning that had signaled the end of life as she knew it. Trapped in the chair day after day, she'd dived into her school work to keep herself from spiraling into depression. But she knew she hadn't dealt with it yet, all the pain was still just under the surface. She had cried, and Buffy had held her, and soothed her, and told her that it would get better, but the pain still came in waves.
It almost made her grateful that she was in the wheelchair and hadn't been left alone for long since the accident.
She tried to control herself, choking back tears, but Buffy heard her shaky breathing and her eyes found Willow in the rearview mirror. "Willow," she started, her voice sympathetic.
"I'm okay, keep driving," she said, leaning her head back against the window, taking a deep breath as she felt warm tears slide down her cheeks. She could feel Tara's sympathetic eyes on her, but didn't open her eyes, just extended one hand toward the front of the car.
She could feel Tara's fingers slide softly over her skin, no magic but the now familiar rush passing between them and she tried to stifle the next sob. It didn't work and she leaned forward, squeezing Tara's hand in her own as she cried, her forehead pressed against her good knee. The car slowed as Buffy pulled over, the Slayer not taking the time to cut the car off as she jumped out and got back in again, squeezing herself onto the seat behind Willow.
"Shh," Buffy breathed, leaning her head against Willow's back, feeling the witch's shoulders trembling as she cried. "Will," she said, rubbing gently at the back of the redhead's neck. "It's okay, Will. We're right here, it's okay."
It took several minutes before Willow got her tears under control, her body trembling with the force of her crying. "Are y-you o-okay?" she asked, turning her head as much as she could to see Buffy.
The Slayer frowned, shaking her head slightly. "Will, what?" she asked in confusion.
"Angel," Willow offered in explanation.
"What about him?" she asked.
"You should go to L.A., talk to him. I tried to get him to see you, told him it wasn't fair…"
"I want to, but I can't leave you at Giles' alone," Buffy objected.
"Tara could stay with me," Willow said, giving the blonde witch a suddenly shy look. "I mean, if you wanted to, of course. You don't have to if you don't want to, but you're all alone there in the dorm, and I like spending time with you, and then Buffy wouldn't feel bad about going to see Angel and leaving me here," Willow reasoned, wiping tears away with the hand that wasn't still holding Tara's tightly.
Buffy found Tara's eyes over Willow's head. "Tara? It's up to you," the Slayer offered.
"I-I'll stay," Tara said slowly, smiling weakly.
Buffy nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Tara. I'll still swing you by the dorm to pick up some stuff, and then we can go back to Giles' place."
"Are you leaving tonight?" Willow asked, surprised despite the fact that it had been her suggestion.
The Slayer sighed, shaking her head after a moment. "No, I guess I shouldn't tonight. It's already late. Tara, you should still stay with us tonight though. I've been patrolling that way, but it's not safe for you to be on campus alone. Those trooper guys are still a mystery, and there's the average baddies that are all over Sunnydale."
"O-okay," Tara said softly, feeling Willow's hand tighten around her own.
Buffy nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Will, are you alright?" she breathed softly into her friend's ear.
Willow didn't answer for a long moment, letting herself relax against Buffy's chest. "I'm okay," she said quietly. "You can let me go," she said, loosening her grip on Tara's hand, realizing suddenly that she had been holding onto the other witch rather tightly. "Sorry Tara," she murmured, letting go of the blonde's hand.
"It's okay," Tara said softly, not taking her hand back but still holding Willow's. "Are y-you alright?"
Willow nodded without speaking, feeling Buffy's arms loosen from around her. "I'll get us back on the road if you're really okay," Buffy said, one hand brushing through Willow's short hair.
"I'll live," Willow said, leaning her head into Buffy's touch.
The Slayer climbed slowly out and back into her own seat behind the steering wheel. The car was still running, and she pulled back into the deserted street. The car was silent as they rode back to the campus, all three deep in their own thoughts.
Buffy looked between the pair of witches as they parked in front of Tara's dorm. "I'll be fine," Willow said. "Make sure Tara gets inside safely."
Buffy let out a sigh. "Fine, but I'll stay at the doors. I'm not leaving you out here vulnerable," she said firmly.
It didn't take Tara long to gather clothes and her shower kit, and Buffy stayed protectively in the doorway, watching the car carefully to make sure that Willow stayed safe. Tara had a duffle bag over her shoulder when she came out of her room, pausing to lock the door before she joined the Slayer in the lobby.
"Is s-she really okay?" Tara asked, her eyes following Buffy's through the dark to the Jeep.
The Slayer shrugged. "I wish I knew, Tara. Oz leaving really hurt her. She's been so busy trying to deal with the wheelchair and keeping up with schoolwork, she hasn't let herself feel any of it." She gave the witch a sideways smile. "I do know that she enjoys you coming over to see her. She gets lonely with just me and Xander to talk to. And you can talk about the magic stuff with her, which me and Xand are completely clueless about."
"I e-enjoy visiting with h-her," Tara agreed with a shy smile.
Buffy let out a deep breath. "Let's get back to Giles'. I don't want to leave Will alone any more tonight."
They both gave Willow surreptitious glances as they got back in the car, checking to see if there were fresh tears on her face, but it appeared that she had regained control of her emotions.
"I'm okay," Willow commented dryly. "I wasn't just saying that."
Buffy smirked, but nodded. "You know I'm just looking out for you," she said. "I need my Willow to be okay."
"And I will be," Willow agreed. "But it probably won't be tonight." She was surprised to realize as she spoke that it was true. It would be slow, and painful, but she would get better, get through this. Definitely not tonight though, she decided as she pushed down fresh tears.
Buffy started the car, letting the silence hang heavy between them as she pulled back onto the road. They were still silent when they arrived back at the apartment, and Tara got Willow's wheelchair from the back of the car without comment.
She turned away as Buffy lifted the witch into the chair before hoisting the chair and all into her arms. Tara's hands were wringing around the strap of her duffle bag as she followed them down the stairs. Willow wheeled herself down the hall, still without speaking, and the two blondes followed her, hearing Giles' shuffling steps in his room on the second floor. Spike's chair was in the living room, but he was no longer tied to it.
Buffy shut the door behind them after taking a moment to peek into the bathroom and ensure that the captive vampire was still restrained. Willow had pushed her chair as close to the bed as she could get, but couldn't muster the strength to pull herself onto the bed.
"Ready to go to sleep?" Buffy asked her softly.
Willow nodded, yawning widely. "It's kind of been a long day."
"Well, if it's okay with you Tara, I think I might sleep in the living room. I think I'll be heading out pretty early in the morning, and Spike's in the bathroom, so he won't be bothering me if I sleep out there," Buffy said, giving the witch a questioning look.
"U-uh, t-that's okay. Can I j-just talk to Willow for a s-second?" she answered.
Buffy nodded, stretching . "Sure. I'll just go brush my teeth. I'll be back in a few to get you into bed, Will," she said with a wink, relieved when Willow giggled.
Tara watched the Slayer leave, her arms crossed over her stomach uncomfortably. She hadn't put her bag down yet, the strap tight over her shoulder.
"What is it?" Willow asked, rubbing her left hand over her good knee.
"I'll s-sleep on the floor tonight," Tara said, not meeting Willow's eyes.
The redhead frowned tiredly. "Why would you do that? I know the cast is gigantic, but I promise I won't hit you with it. And I don't hog the blankets."
"I-I'm gay, Willow," Tara said in a burst of sudden bluntness.
"Oh," Willow said, her eyes widening. "Well, if you don't want to sleep with me, I get that. Not that I mean sleep-with-me sleep with me, but just sleeping. I don't want you to be uncomfortable…"
"No! Willow, I-I'm not u-uncomfortable," Tara objected. "I just wanted, I t-thought you should k-know before…"
"Oh! It's not, I'm fine! I don't want you to sleep on the floor. It's a big bed, and if you're not uncomfortable sharing it with me, then there's no reason you shouldn't sleep in the bed," Willow said. "Besides, just because you like girls, that doesn't mean you like me like that, so there's no reason to feel weird around me," she said, missing the look that crossed Tara's face as she picked at the edge of her cast.
Buffy knocked quietly, letting herself in after Tara spoke up. "Everything good?" she checked, smiling cautiously.
Willow met Tara's eyes, seeing the blonde's tiny smile and slowly fading blush, and she nodded, biting her lip. "I think so. I'm good."
Buffy grinned, moving across the small room to lift Willow into the bed. "You need some clothes?" she checked. Willow had been wearing comfy shorts all day, had worn comfy shorts or sweatpants pretty much everyday since the accident to accommodate her long cast. In an effort to look nice for the holiday though, she'd worn a soft button down blouse.
"T-shirt?" Willow requested.
Buffy had already retrieved one, holding it out with a smile. She crouched beside the bed, bringing herself to Willow's eyelevel. "You want to talk?" she asked softly, one hand resting lightly on Willow's good knee.
Willow paused in changing shirts, her fingers hesitating on the buttons of her shirt. "Buffy," she sighed.
"Will, come on. You need to talk about this. I know Oz hurt you, and he's gone, but I know you miss him, and none of this is just stuff you get over. Talk to me here, Will. I'm your best friend," Buffy pleaded with her.
Tara moved uncomfortably toward the door, not wanting to intrude on a private moment between the friends. Her hand was on the knob when Willow's voice stopped her. "Tara, don't leave, please."
The blonde witch turned slowly, lingering next to the door. "I-it's none of my b-business," she said, shaking her head.
Willow held out one hand to Tara, seeing Buffy look back and forth between the two of them. The redhead realized suddenly that Tara might not welcome the contact given her revelation, and she pulled the hand back slowly. "Sorry, you don't…I just want you to stay."
Tara hesitated slightly before dropping to sit on the bed on the other side of Willow's bandaged leg, nodding. "O-okay Willow, I'll stay," she said softly, glancing sideways at Buffy. "I don't w-want to intrude though…"
"It hurts," Willow interrupted, her eyes squeezing closed, and she wouldn't have been able to say who she was talking to. "It hurts so bad, and you, both of you, and Xander, you guys are the only reason I haven't broken down. I miss him so much, but at the same time, I'm so angry at him."
She took a shuddery breath, her head dropping against her chest. "How could he do that to me? He didn't even tell me that she was like him. He didn't tell you, and we could have done something, we could have caught her, locked her up, but he didn't say anything, just locked them up together, let the wolves do…" She trailed off, her tears sliding down her face.
Buffy leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Willow, letting the witch cry into her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Willow. I'm so sorry. You know I would have done something, anything, if I'd known what she was."
Tara sat silently in confusion. She knew that Oz had cheated on Willow, had slept with another woman, but the redhead had been reluctant to share details beyond that. The picture was starting to become clear now, however, especially given her new knowledge that Buffy was the Slayer. "Oz was a w-werewolf?" she asked.
Buffy stiffened in Willow's arms, pulling back with a heavy breath. "He is," she agreed, glancing between the witches. "And so was the other one, Veruca," Buffy said, spitting the name out bitterly.
"Oh," Tara said, sitting back on her heels. "I'm s-sorry, Willow."
Willow was still crying, wiping at her face. "Me too," she agreed. "I hate that he left me, and I hate this stupid wheelchair, and I hate how bad it hurts, and how it's not going away. Oz left me, Buffy. I loved him so much, and he just left, and I don't know if he's ever coming back."
Her eyes found the Slayer's, and she took a deep breath. "And I don't know if it would fix anything if he did come back. We could have tried to work through it, but he just gave up."
Buffy nodded, not sure what to say. "Will, I'm not saying this to excuse him or anything, but he's going through a lot. He absolutely handled the Veruca thing the wrong way, and he shouldn't have left you, but Oz left to find a cure."
"Who knows if there is one though, Buffy!" Willow objected. "Or if he'll find it, or if he'll come back once he does."
Buffy shook her head, leaning against Willow's knee. "I don't know Willow, and I don't know what to tell you to do. But I know how much you love him, and how much he loved you."
Willow blinked back more tears, staring down at her best friend. "Was it like this when Angel turned?" she asked. "Did it hurt like this?"
Buffy smiled sadly, tilting her head back to look up at her friend. "You know it did, Will. How many times have you held me while I cried over him?" she asked. "But it does get better, even when you can't imagine how it could." She brushed one hand over Willow's cheek. "The only thing you can do is try and live again, live your life, and eventually everything will go back to normal." She sighed, frowning. "It's a gigantic cliché, but it just takes time."
Willow's eyes squeezed closed and she nodded. "I know."
"And we'll be with you for all of it," Buffy assured her. "You just have to get your life back. You're pretty much covering the school work," she teased. "But now you're getting better, so we can start getting back to normal. I mean, no way I'm going to let you go on patrol for a while, but we could go to the Bronze, do normal stuff, you know?"
Willow smiled tentatively, nodding. "Yeah, that will be good," she agreed, yawning uncontrollably, the long day and all the emotions getting to her.
Buffy smiled softly, pushing Willow's hair back gently. "You should get some sleep. You're still recovering."
"Will you wake me up when you leave?" Willow asked sleepily.
Buffy nodded, glancing at Tara. "Yeah, if you want me to. I'll be really quiet, Tara."
The witch nodded, smiling reassuringly. "No problem, Buffy. I normally w-wake up pretty early anyway."
Buffy smiled and pushed herself to her feet, carefully watching Willow as the redhead slid down to lie on her back. Willow let the Slayer help her with the blankets, and Tara was moving to follow Buffy out of the room, intending to change into her pajamas in the bathroom, before she remembered that it was occupied by Spike.
She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that Willow seemed to be mostly asleep already, and she let an affectionate smile cross her lips as she clicked off the lights. In spite of the darkness, she still changed as quickly as she could, lingering at the edge of the bed.
She'd finally told Willow one part of the truth about herself and hadn't been summarily rejected. She just wasn't sure if that made it easier or harder to climb into bed with her. What she did know was that Willow wouldn't be happy if she woke up in the morning to find out that Tara had slept on the floor, making the entire dilemma a moot point.
She jumped in surprise as she slid under the covers and Willow moved, turning her head to look at Tara. The redhead was blinking slowly, fighting sleep. "Glad you decided to join me. It wouldn't have been good for me to get up and get you off the floor." She grinned sleepily. "I'm not so good at the walking right now."
Tara laughed, squirming her head deeper into the pillow. "You're not doing great with staying a-awake right now either, Will. Just stop f-fighting it, go to sleep," she prompted gently.
"Okay," Willow agreed blearily. "Good night, Tara." She reached across the sheet with one hand to pat Tara's arm before she succumbed to sleep, her fingers resting lightly against Tara's wrist. Tara let herself follow after a few minutes, the unexpected excitement of the day quickly catching up to her now that she was still.
Next Time: There's a kind of a hush all over the world tonight…