Disclaimer: I really need to get some sleep, I'm hallucinating. It's not really mine. (sob!)
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Chapter 28
"What do you think they're doing in there?" Dawn asked as she shifted the file of papers that she held in her arms and stared at the big "Do Not Enter" sign on the door to Willow's magick room.
"How would I know?" Xander asked, squinting at the door, wishing he had x-ray vision. "They're probably in there…meditating or something else all enlighteny."
"Enlighteny?" Dawn raised an eyebrow at Xander, who just waved his hands in the air.
"Yeah, you know. They keep acting all hoity-toity, at least Buffy does. I mean, did you see her back at in the office? She wouldn't even argue with me. The old Buffy would have hit me over the head with something by now or at least yelled a lot."
"So let me get this straight," Dawn cocked a hip and looked straight at him, "You're mad at her from before because she 'acted like a child' and ran away; now you're mad at her because she's actually acting like an adult and willing to accept her responsibilities?"
"Don't put it like that." Xander's shoulders slumped a bit. "When you put it like that, it doesn't make any sense."
"That's because your behavior idoesn't/i make any sense, Xander," Dawn admonished, pushing her hair back off her forehead. "Look Xander, I get that you're mad at her. I've done the anger thing too. And just 'cause Buffy and I are talking now doesn't mean that everything between us is all puppies and kittens. We've still got some real stuff to go over. But for the first time in a long time we are talking. She's not preaching and I'm not ignoring. There's actual conversation of the adult kind being had."
"I know." Xander seemed to slump even more and his one eye bore a hole in the wood flooring beneath his feet. "It's just, at least when she was yelling I felt like I mattered to her. So when she ignores me or is calm, I-I-I don't know, it's stupid."
"I don't know," Dawn reached out and patted his arm, "Makes sense to me. Affection of the Sunnydale kind."
"Maybe," he admitted, shrugging. "But we don't have time for that now. We're gonna have to interrupt them, no matter what the sign says."
"Yeah," Dawn agreed as she turned back to the door. "This is important enough. So, what ido/i you think they're doing in there?"
"I don't know. They're still hiding something, that's clear enough."
"Yep."
"I think between the two us we can badger it out of them." Xander grinned at his partner in crime.
"You should always go with your strengths." Dawn smirked and raised her hand to knock.
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"Tell me about the thing that happened earlier, Buffy," Willow asked a she ran her fingers through Buffy's hair absentmindedly. "The thing during the connection. You said you'd explain it later. What was that?"
"Okay," Buffy sniffled a little and shuffled herself around so that she was sitting with her back against Willow's front. The surprised, but happy, witch slipped her arms around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her close.
"Because we're supposed to help each other fight, there's a built in connection between us now. We used it a little bit before when I helped you heal or you took power from me to perform spells. It's what helped you raise me from the dead. But now that we've gotten more powerful, it's growing." Buffy began explaining. "I've been aware of it for a while, since the Original Slayer…showed me what everything was all about."
"That," Willow thought for a moment, "Buffy, that had to have been a while ago. You told me about that vision thingy, remember?"
"About two years ago or so," Buffy confirmed.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Willow huffed.
Buffy turned her head and looked up Willow. "Stop pouting, Will." She stroked a finger along the redhead's cheek. "You're distracting me with your cuteness. As I was saying," she ignored the blush that fired up Willow's cheeks, "I'm not in full control of my powers yet and I won't be for a while."
"Once I really open up the connection Willow, there'll be no going back. You'll have complete access to me and I, to you. What'll happen then? Even with all the knowledge I have stuffed in my head right now, I can't tell you. But I do know it'll be pretty explosive."
"I spent a long time just shuffling through memories. Memories from old slayers, new slayers and even the memories of the Original Slayer. I had a lot to learn and I still do. I-I closed that part of me off because I didn't want to come back 'till I had control. Until I could trust myself with everyone…with you."
"Silly," Willow chided, shaking her head. It didn't surprise her that that was the reason. Buffy could be very pigheaded when it came to the safety of her loved ones.
"It's not silly," Buffy grumbled, crossing her arms and sinking into Willow even more.
"It is silly," the witch told her, "but I get it. Don't like it, mind you, but get it."
Maybe it was just a flashback to Sunnydale, when she'd had to rely on Buffy to save her and fight for her, but Buffy trying to protect her felt right. It felt safe. But she still needed Buffy to view her as an equal. She knew if this relationship was ever going to work that she had to have that. She would stand for nothing less than that.
"I need you to tell me what that connection is," Willow said quietly. "I need you to show me."
"What you'll see there, Willow, it'll change you." Buffy turned and cupped her face, making Willow look her straight in the eye. "How you see the world. How you see everything."
"It's how you see things now, isn't it?"
"Yes." Buffy shifted her eyes away for a moment and whispered, "I don't always like it though."
"Then that's all the more reason for me to be there with you." Willow pulled her hands from Buffy's shoulders and placed them on her cheeks, cupping her face in return and pulling her closer. "If what you're saying is correct, Buffy, we're supposed to do this thing together. We're supposed to be together. And we can't do that if…"
Buffy sushed the plaintive voice as she leaned in softly pressing her lips to Willow's. Pulling back, she smiled and said, "I can't argue with you when you're being all logical like and batting your eyes at me."
"I am not…batting my eyes," Willow groused, slightly irritated that the kiss hadn't lasted longer so she could appreciate it.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm…," Willow sputtered and dropped her hands, "Stop with the arguing, missy, and gimme the goods."
"You asked for it," Buffy smirked. Without warning, she gripped either side of Willow's head and swiftly pulled her forward and said, "This is a way lot more fun than how the Original showed me."
Willow caught the smirk right before Buffy's lips touched her own, sealing the connection between them.
Willow inhaled sharply, stunned by the force of the kiss. Her eyes were wide open, locked with Buffy's as their lips clashed. Willow watched with an absentminded fascination as hazel swirled to shining gold. Then her tiny magick room in the basement of the school was swept away and the entire universe opened before her.
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"They're not answering," Dawn pouted at the door as if it was at fault.
"Knock harder," Xander suggested.
"My hand hurts," Dawn frowned and flexed her hand.
"Move over, kiddo, and let a man work," Xander smirked and, bringing his fist up, pounded loudly on the door.
"Oh please," Dawn spat, "Like flexing your construction guy muscles is gonna impress me, Xander. I remember you when you had a doughnut belly."
"I've worked hard on my abs," Xander glanced down at his stomach and then pounded on the door again. "This is getting us nowhere. Let's just find the key."
"Only Willow has the key," Dawn shoved him aside and knelt down in front of the door, setting aside the file and pulling a small case out of her jacket pocket.
"Do you always walk around with lockpicks?" Xander watched in interest as one of the senior members of an esteemed, ancient organization proceeded to pick the lock of the door with ease.
"I learned a lot of things at college," Dawn grunted, "Willow never thought to magick the lock so we're lucky. Ooooh!" She squealed as the door popped open under her skilled hands and then nudged it inward.
"Hey, you two, stop with the meditating," Xander yelled. "We know where the bad guys…are…going…"
"I…don't think they care," Dawn's smile grew as Xander choked beside her, his eyes bugging out at the scene inside.
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Author's Note:
Sorry this took so long, next chapter should be up soon;)
Hopefully this should satisfy those wiffy crazy people out there, at least for a little bit. For those of you who hate my cliffhangers...i am frail and tend to bruise easily!