Red Series: New and Old by Rin

Rating: R
Disclaimer: Aww, shucks...I don't own 'em. I just like to play with 'em, and take 'em down from the shelf every once in a while.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse: /mysticmuse.net
Rin's Spot: /www.geocities.com/rin_wag/index.html
Feedback: Sure, if you feel like it.
Spoilers: Who knows? I wrote the series in a real world setting here, so I guess anything goes.
Author's Notes: This is my baby, the Red Series. There are several stories already in production, and I've decided to keep adding them in different places.
Pairing: Willow/Buffy

Summary: Willow gets a phone call from somebody from her past, inviting her to an art gallery. At the opening, she discovers new things and is faced with the old.

Sitting in her office, she had been quiet most of the day. The only time that she spoke up would be in meetings, and times that her job called for her to reprimand an employee. This did not go unnoticed, either. Alexander Harris walked into the office of his best friend and coworker, and took a seat without her permission, something only he was brave enough to do when she was in this type of mood. He knew this mood all too well, and he was prepared to break her one way or another.

"So, Wills…what's the what?" She just looked up from the file she was going over, and he internally cringed at the glare coming from her. However, he was not one to give up so easily.

"Xander! Please, just get out, and leave me alone." She sighed, placed the file to the side after writing a quick note on it, and then looked at his bubbling face and bouncing figure. "Shut the door." He moved quickly, knowing that it was rather easy to break her…a little too easy, he was afraid. "Now what makes you think I'm cranky?"

"I do not have a gloom and doom face." He arched his eyebrow in a 'think again' gesture.

"Okay…okay…so I'm not going to win any awards for the Happiest Person in America. I'm entitled to my bad days, and it's not like I'm yelling at people!"

"Well, Wills…your bad moods have a tendency to be contagious. If you haven't noticed, not many people in the office are happy go lucky, either." She walked to her window, and peeked out the blinds, noticing that not many people were smiling and bubbly like they usually were. "I rest my case." She walked over, and sat in the chair next to him.

"Xander, do you think I'm attractive?" His eyes opened wide, and started looking around her office, trying to look at anything but her. "Xander! I'm serious!" He sighed, relaxed his shoulders, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Will, you know that I do…if it weren't for your other side of the tracks status, and my marital status, I would totally have hit on you back in high school. What makes you think you're unattractive?"

"That was two years ago; we've been over this. She just wasn't right for you. You'd even said it many times before she left, or cheated on you."

"Yeah but I apparently wasn't enough for her that she had to go find somewhere else to get her kicks."

"Will, that's because you were never home. She had a weak moment. It happens sometimes in unhappy coupledom."

"That's not the point. She adored you, practically worshipped the ground you walked on, and you ignored her most of the time. It just wasn't working out, and you knew it was bound to end sooner or later. Besides, I thought you'd gotten over that whole situation a long time ago. How many girls have you dated since then?"

"Will…calm down. I'm just saying that you have had at least two girlfriends since then, and dated more than that. Two years is a long time. What brings this on all of a sudden anyways?" She sighed dramatically, and started fidgeting with her fingernails.

"Oh, well…she wanted to invite me to her gallery opening tonight. Apparently, she's taken up painting, and found somebody that liked her work, so they're showcasing it downtown tonight at this big elaborate party thingy. She called to get me to come…said it'd be nice to see me again." She tentatively looked up at Xander, and had a tense body reaction to the memory of the morning conversation. "She said that she missed me, and that she hasn't been the same person since we parted ways."

"I remember that it was a nasty breakup, and I know that it hurt her more than it did you…you said so yourself…but Wills, what does that have to do with your attractiveness?"

"Wills…that has nothing to do with whether or not you're unattractive. You know that. It's pretty short notice, and besides…you never asked me." Her eyes beamed at the thought. "Yes, Wills. I'll give Anya a call, and let her know that I'll be your escort this evening. That is…not your escort…because that would assume that I'm…oh, boy. I'll just go call." He stood up, and opened the door. She moved back around to her desk chair, and looked at him as he walked out the door. That was silly. I should've just thought about that to begin with…good one, Rosenberg.

Her attitude changed, and the rest of the day went a little better than usual. Then, Xander walked in with an apologetic expression, and she feared the worst.

"Xander! No…you have to go!! I can't go by myself. I won't know anybody there, and I don't want to get stuck talking to Kennedy all night because you know what happened last time that happened!!!"

"I'm sure that you won't start having drunken sex with her in the ladies room again. Besides, it'd been a year after you broke up when that happened, and you said that she was alright to talk to."

"Okay, calm down. I am going with you." She relaxed back into her chair, and let out a sigh of relief. "But Anya is, too."

"What?! No, Anya can't go…you know what happens when Anya goes!" She jumped out of her seat, and practically fell from the momentum.

"Well, turns out that Kennedy called and invited us, too. Anya being Anya never says no to a big party. You were right about it being big. Anya was telling me that it was hard to get into, and only the most prestigious are invited. Kennedy must be something. I don't remember her ever being interested in anything but you, sex, and well you and sex combined."

"Well, at least you'll be there, and I won't do something stupid again." She sat down, and crossed her arms. "You'd better not leave me alone."

"I'll try to stick by your side the whole time. If you want, I'll bring something super glue, and then we're bound to stick together the whole time."

"Yeah, well…it's late. You should think about taking off…we're the only two left in the office. It's like…" He glanced over at the clock above her head. "6! Oh, no…I should be on my way. I'll meet you downtown later, Wills. Wear something hot! You never know who'll be there."

"Bye, Xander." He took off quickly, and she started to turn things off, and closing up shop for the evening. She turned all of the lights off, and noticed the pictures hanging on the wall behind her head. Her office was plain, painted a light blue, and there was a window that showed the outside of Sunnydale from three floors in the sky, and another that let her watch her employees at work.

When they graduated college, her lover at the time, Tara, convinced her to open a small computer business but she didn't really like the idea. Finally, after much debate, she opened a small recording company. It wasn't even two years into the business, and that's when Tara was shot in a drive-by shooting one night. It had taken Willow a year to get over the death of her lover, especially since they were even college sweethearts from their freshman year. If it weren't for Xander coming in to help with the company, it would've lost what little business it did have. Luckily, Willow finally started to heal day by day, and remodeled her office to give her a new start. She didn't want the bright colors, and wild accessories that Tara had decorated it with, so she went for the opposite, and went with plain. The business had picked up once she came back, and had been good for the past three years. At 26 years old, Willow Rosenberg was a successful independent businesswoman. Her record label had gotten lucky, and managed to sign many artists that the popular audience took to easily. After her father died last year, she even took over the Bronze nightclub, and managed the business there, mixing the two together when she had new artists that needed play time. Things were good for the young woman but she hadn't been able to connect to anybody emotionally, just physically, and all of her relationships since Tara had been unfulfilling. She buried herself in her work to compensate for her lack of intimacy. She thought it would work with Kennedy but the only thing she really connected with was their bodies…a lot. Even a year after the breakup, they collided in a bar, and both talked awhile, with every intention just to talk…until Willow was so drunk that she pulled her ex-girlfriend into the restroom, and connected with her again. After the initial guilt wore off of hurting Ken again, she vowed to try and stay friends if it ever came up again…which it hadn't since that morning. Now, she had to test herself, and she if her vow was true. Her first step was to stay away from the open bar.

"You look nice, Willow. I'm glad that your ex-lover decided to allow us to join her in this evening's festivities." Xander walked beside his wife, completely used to her many attempts at adding more tact into her conversations. Willow, though, was still not used to the young shopkeeper's speech, and worried that she'd pick the worst time to lose the tact act. The three walked into the gallery, and noticed immediately that there were several security guards, and this black-tie affair was quite remarkable. Maybe I should've paid more attention to when she'd sketch those little doodles on her beverage napkins at the bars. They entered the main room, and Willow immediately noticed Kennedy in the middle of a group of professional-looking men and women. Deciding that she'd wait until later to greet her, she walked to grab water from the bar. Xander was true to his word, and the couple stayed with her, mingling with a few people that recognized them from other parties, and a few members that were in their more successful bands.

"Yeah, I'm surprised." Willow watched the crowd in surprise, agreeing completely with Xander.

"We don't even know what type of art she's into yet, Anya. Maybe we should go check it out. See what she's done to get her this big of a crowd. Whaddya say, Will?" The three made their way further into the gallery, and went into the rooms to check out the paintings, sculptures, or whatever Kennedy had gotten herself into for the past year. Walking up to the first painting, they noticed that it was contorted images mixed together with rough brushstrokes, and vibrant colors.

"What's it supposed to be?" He walked up to the nametag. "Red Series – One Year Later. I still don't get it." All of a sudden, the images became clear to Willow, and she looked like she was about to hyperventilate. Before they drew too much of a crowd, Xander reached his friend, and helped her in breathing exercises. Once Willow calmed down, she relaxed a little, until Anya lost her tact at the worst time possible.

"What? How do you see that?" Xander turned back around to the painting, and continued staring until Anya went closer, careful not to touch the painting, and pointing the particulars.

"See. This girl here with the obvious red hair is preparing for an orgasm from this girl here that has the brown hair." She looked closer, and found more details, causing Willow's face to turn beet red at the memory, and the disbelief that her sexcapades with Kennedy are what made the girl's works amazing. She could only hope that nobody recognized her from the paintings, and that they weren't too vivid or clear to people that it was her in the painting. Maybe it's just this one. Maybe her others are about other things…like puppies…or zebras. Yeah…maybe she has a red zebra. Please, let it be a red zebra. "And they're in a public restroom." Anya beamed, proud to have solved the problem, until Xander finally recognized the scene, and the look on Willow's face. Finally, he put two and two together, and tried to reassure his friend.

"You can't even tell it's you, Wills. Come on, let's go check out the other ones." She nodded, and they went to the next one. "OhmyGod!"

"Willow's a demon?" Looking wide-eyed at the next painting, she noticed that her features were contorted but that it was obvious to her friends that it was her dressed as a demonic creature, flying in what appeared to be a hell-type dimension. However, the colors and still contorted images showed that it wasn't done in hatred but rather passion. The painting was wicked but it held such a passionate overtone that Willow couldn't help but wonder: Am I really a demon in the sack?

"Moving right along…" Her entire body was blushing, and she was afraid that she'd pass out if the pictures became anymore provocative. Sure enough, the next one had the two lovers having rough sex in an elevator, reminding Willow of the time they went to New York to visit her parents, and the elevator broke for two hours, and they entertained themselves while waiting. "New York? She even named the painting 'New York'…man, could they get any worse? It's like my entire sex life with her is mapped out for the world here."

"Anya, please. Okay, Will…don't worry. We're probably the only ones that know that it's you. I mean, at least the images are contorted." They moved to the next one, and Willow wasn't sure if she could take anymore. Right there, for everyone to see was a painting of her most private place. She thought she'd pass out from shock, and luckily, Xander held her up in place, trying not to stare at the contorted image of his friend's sex. However, Anya walked up to look at the nametag, and studied it a little too closely for Willow's comfort.

"What? I'm just admiring the artwork, that's all. It's really quite brilliant. I'm shocked to find that your ex-lover can use her hands so well. You must know, though, since these paintings are obviously all you." Willow scanned the room, and noticed several more paintings that were full of passionate colors, and sexual images. After finishing the embarrassing tour of their sex life on canvas, Xander and Anya walked Willow into the main room, and deposited her on a couch. "We'll be right back. Please, stay." Willow watched them wide-eyed, realizing that Anya was pulling Xander away from her, and leaving her on the couch. She scanned the room quickly, making sure that she was safe from Kennedy. Noticing that she was once again preoccupied, she relaxed. After several minutes, she made her way to the bar, deciding that her first step was definitely going to have to be broken. When she had downed her third cosmo, she took her fourth one, and stood by the appetizer table. Without paying much attention, she picked up a napkin, and grabbed a strawberry, only to realize that she wasn't holding a strawberry but something warm and soft. Looking up, she noticed that it was a beautiful blonde, and her eyes were locked with hers. They were still almost holding hands, and slightly bent over the table when the blonde spoke in a soft, sarcastic tone.

"You gonna eat that?" Her eyebrows arched, causing Willow's to do the same but neither girl broke eye contact, or let their hands free from their slight touching.

"I don't know…were you?" The smiles that both girls produced were sexual, warm, and light-hearted. Willow decided to break the contact first, however reluctantly. She stood straight up, and held out her hand gently for the blonde to grasp firmly. "I'm Willow. Willow Rosenberg." The tiny blonde grabbed the redhead's hand without losing her smirk, or gaze.

"Buffy Summers." They both kept their hands together again, both amazed at the softness of the other. Finally, Buffy broke away first. "What brings you here? Are you one of those artsy magazine reporters?"

"One of those artsy magazine reporters." They shared a light-hearted laugh. "How do you like your friend's work?"

"You're not going to write me up in your magazine, right?" Willow was nervous all of a sudden, both from being around the striking blonde, and the thought of her noticing her from the paintings. The blonde just shook her head in assurance. "Oh, well. From what I've seen, they're okay. I like the workmanship, the technique."

"You sure you're not wanting interviewed?" Willow just smiled back at the leering blonde, and shook her head. "What did you think about that Red Series in the primary hall? That's a pretty racy set." Once again, Willow's blush crept up. First, because of the mention of Ken's obvious montage to their sex life, and another at fear the gorgeous blonde did indeed notice it was her, and that's why she brought this set up. "Whoever that redhead is, she must've put a mark on Ken. I've only met the girl twice but from what I can tell, she's quite the spitfire herself."

"Oh, you've…" Willow felt rejected, and felt her stomach do painful back flips at the thought of Kennedy and this woman having sex.

"Oh, no. Goodness, no. I only interviewed her for tonight's show. She seems too…hmmm…"

"Arrogant?" Willow only meant to say it in her head but once she noticed that the blonde heard her, she started to panic. "I mean, that is…she's not really…well, she is but she's not bad. It works for her in some ways, and I mean, she has other endearing qualities that make her okay…" She noticed the blonde's smile, and chuckle, and she didn't know whether to be angry or confused. "What?"

"Your babble." Willow just beamed. Nobody's called my babble cute before. Tara used to call it quirky but never cute. Who is this woman?

"Well, I'm Buffy. I moved to Sunnydale from Los Angeles. I went to UCLA, where I received my bachelor's in Creative Writing. I live with my dog, Bubbles, and work as a journalist at Art Today. Actually, it's my little sister's dog. I'm not so good with pets. I once had a gigapet but I sat on it, and every time my mom would get me fish, they died the next day. Not so much luck…but Bubbles is good. I've had her for two years, and haven't sat on her yet." Willow smiled at the blonde's easy comfort. "Oh, and I like crunchy peanut butter. What about you? What's your life story, Willow?"

"Well, let's see. Oh! I had fish when I was in high school but somebody thought it'd be funny to tie them up with hooks."

"And creepy. Anyways, well…I've lived in Sunnydale my entire life. Went to UC Sunnydale to be with my friends, even though my parents wanted me to go to Harvard. I double majored in Business Law and Psychology. Um…I like 'Peanuts' the cartoon." She was noticing the blonde staring at her, and she couldn't help but stare back. "Anything else you wanna know?"

"What about work…you didn't say where you worked. I mean, business law and psychology, there has to be some interesting jobs available to you."

"Oh! Yeah, I forgot. I run Watchers Records." The blonde's stare turned impressed, and she nodded her head in wonder.

"Yeah, hard to forget a little something like that. Wow. I'm impressed, Willow."

"It's nothing impressive really. I like my job, started the business when I graduated, after my girlfriend practically begged me. She wanted me to start a computer program but I finally decided to start the label." Buffy's face fell, and her stomach tied itself in knots rather painfully. She tried not to worry the girl but she didn't want the redhead's girlfriend to come over and catch her flirting.

"She left?" Buffy was confused at the sudden sadness in the redhead's expression.

"No. She was killed four years ago." Buffy internally smacked herself for being so ignorant but couldn't help but do a happy jig that the redhead might still be single. She's so gorgeous. I should be sad that her girlfriend was killed but I can't help but notice how beautiful she is, and how easy she is to talk to. I'm glad I've never had to go through losing a girlfriend or boyfriend. Losing mom was bad enough.

"It's not your fault. It happened, time went on, I started dating again. I still miss her but I'm okay." The redhead's sudden sadness disappeared as soon as she locked eyes again with the blonde. She couldn't escape their hazel depths, and figured that she could stand there for hours just studying this woman's eye color. It's so amazing. She's amazing, and she hasn't run away yet, which is always a good sign. "So, have you done a lot of interviews tonight?"

"Oh, well…a few. I needed some comments from the spectators but mostly, I just had to go around, and study every piece. They let me in earlier today to properly study everything without interruption from the guests. I even talked to Kennedy a little again. That reminds me, I haven't seen her in a while." Both women looked around, noticing that the brunette was missing in action. "Maybe she's in the office, signing some paperwork for sales."

"What?! You mean, people show these in their homes? Like, in their private homes and offices? Ken doesn't just keep them all?" Willow started to panic, unaware of the fact since she had no knowledge of how art show's worked. "I just assumed that they were displayed, and that was it!"

"Calm down, Willow. That's how artists make money. Matter of fact, Kennedy probably doesn't have to paint for a long time, and she's set with that Red Series. They were all sold within an hour of the opening, which is a record for the gallery." Noticing that Willow was hyperventilating, and about to pass out, the blonde tried not to panic, and went into worry mode. "Are you okay? Do you need some water? Do you wanna sit down?" Buffy ushered Willow to a couch, and helped the redhead start to breathe normally again before she passed out completely. "Are you sure you're okay? You had me scared there for a minute. What happened?"

"Oh, oh nothing. I just don't understand how these art shows work, and wasn't aware that the paintings were…really? All of them? You mean, people are going to walk by those paintings everyday?"

"Way to go, Ken." It was said sarcastically but Buffy misinterpreted for joy at her friend's success.

"Not if it's your sex life being displayed!" Willow clamped her hands over her mouth quickly, realizing that she'd said that out loud…again. She stared wide-eyed, pleading to the blonde not to freak out. Buffy just sat there, wide-eyed, and quiet, causing the redhead to think she was freaking, and was going to think of some lame excuse to move away from her.

"Interesting? Not if your ex-girlfriend decides to make money off of you unknowingly."

"No…but I know what you're thinking because once I got over the initial shock and anger, I decided that Ken was just relaying emotions…something she wasn't the best at sometimes. But now, these are going to be in other people's homes…she's making money off of my body…it's…it's like she's my pimp!" Willow groaned, and leaned back on the couch. Buffy turned, and placed a comforting hand on her knee, wondering if it was too forward but Willow didn't seem to mind. In fact, she pushed her knee further into contact, relishing the tingly feelings that the touch sent all over her body by that one gesture. "It's fine. I'm fine. It's freedom of art, and I won't go too ballistic. It's just…she could've told me."

"I understand. If it makes you feel any better, she offered to paint me in the buff."

"A buff Buff…" They both laughed but Willow's face was turning crimson again at the images playing out in her head. I'll bet she is a buff, buff Buff, too. From what that type black dress tells, she's quite fit. "Um, so…what did you say?"

"I wasn't really much into the relationship but she was. It was more like…an arrangement that last year once the initial passion wore off, even though there was still lots of great sex…and I just shared too much, didn't I?"

"No…that was actually light sharing compared to what you shared involuntarily in the Red Room." Both girls laughed again, and Willow finally relaxed completely for the first time that night. "So…"

"Just a guess. The guy that used to own the Bronze was a Rosenberg, are you related?"

"Yeah, he's my dad…or was. He died last year. We weren't really close, though…before you start apologizing again. I can tell you have that 'I'm sorry' look on your face." Buffy mock pouted, and Willow knew she was a goner. "I run the Bronze now, too."

"You're quite the business woman, Rosenberg." Xander and Anya returned, looking a little frazzled, and interrupted the two just as Willow had managed enough nerve to ask her out.

"Hello." Buffy didn't know whether to be scared or amused but noticing that the redhead was embarrassed, she figured that this was a normal occurrence. "I'm Buffy."

"Xander Harris. This lovely woman that paraded our sex life to the room is my wife, Anya."

"Did you guys want something?" Willow gritted her teeth, and tried to act nonchalant when she nodded her head towards Buffy, indicating that she was trying to get the hook up but Xander never taking the hint, dropped the bomb.

"Now?" Willow was still trying to get Xander to realize her intentions but he was still clueless. Her voice was almost pleading and desperate, and Buffy smirked at the cute redhead. Ask her out, Summers. You can do this. You've done it a million times before. Oh, but this isn't like before…you actually like this girl…not just for a one night stand. Hurry up, hurry up!! "Fine." Willow's voice was chilly, and she narrowed her eyes at Xander, wishing for once that he would get a clue. She stood up from the couch, and Buffy followed her.

"If you're not ready to go, I could drive you. I promise that my driving has improved since high school, and I won't wreck us." Buffy was panicking, not knowing what to do. She'd never been this nervous before trying to ask anybody out: boy or girl. "That is unless you're ready to go."

"No, I can stay a little longer. Xander, you go on ahead. I'll see you in the office tomorrow."

"Yeah…now go on home, you two." Anya didn't have to be told twice; she grabbed Xander, and they were out the door in no time with two giggling girls laughing at the display. Rolling their eyes in amusement, they sighed, and turned back to face one another. "Actually, I may have lied a little. I do want to leave."

"Oh, well, okay…you'd have to run from the looks of their departure but you could probably catch them. You look fit…although I don't know if those heels would stay in one piece." Willow smiled at Buffy's attempt at being nonchalant while checking her out.

"Well, no. They probably wouldn't. Maybe…I don't know…if you're through here, we could grab some mochas at the Espresso Pump. It's just a block from here; we could walk, since it's a nice night."

"I'd like that. Just let me grab my things. I'll be right back." Willow sighed dreamily, excited and still a little nervous that she would be spending more time with the blonde. When they left, she completely forgot the reason she was at the gallery in the first place: Kennedy wanted to talk.

"She really did that? On the bus?" Both girls were laughing hysterically, and it had been two hours since they ordered their first mocha. "I don't believe it."

"Oh, believe it. When it comes to Anya and her lust for Xander, anything is possible. Even in the middle of the day, on the bus, with chaperones, and heading on a school field trip. At least you weren't the one sitting across from them that had to witness it."

"They had a blanket but having been around them long enough to know better, I well, knew what she was doing."

"Now, that's wild. The girl sure has spunk…a little not so much with the tact but at least he knew what he was getting into before they married."

"I think that's why he married her. She's as bad as he is with the hormones." The giggles continued, and both girls had to sigh dreamily. Buffy looked at her watch, and noticed it was getting late.

"No, my sister…Dawn. She's driving here from college. She says that she misses Bubbles but I know better."

"Oh, well, did you park far? I actually live right there." Willow pointed up to a window across the street. Buffy followed, and noticed that she lived above the movie theatre. "I could walk you to your car."

"No, well…yeah…but I meant that I didn't drive here. I live a few blocks from here in a little suburb. Revello Drive?"

"Oh, yeah. I know where that is. Lived here all my life, remember?" They stood up, and put their jackets on, grabbing their purses. "I'd love to walk you home."

"No, it's okay. You're already home practically. No sense in walking out of your way."

"Well, then, I'd have to walk you home, and it'd be this big back and forth thing."

"Yes, ma'am." The walk home was quiet, and comfortable, each girl wanting to touch the other but unsure what was safe at this point. When they arrived at the Summers house, they stood on the front porch.

"Dawn's already here, so I should probably go inside." Buffy was pointing towards her door but her body stayed in place, facing Willow.

"Yeah…well, it was nice meeting and talking to you. You made an embarrassing night bearable."

"No problem." Buffy bit her lower lip, unsure of who should make the first move, if there even was a first move to make. Her eyes kept scanning Will's, and lowering to study her lips. They're such kissable lips. Such a pouty little mouth…it's adorable. "Well…good night."

"Okay…" Willow, finally frustrated that neither was doing anything, decided to leave it for the night. She started to walk off the porch, when she was suddenly jerked back by the arm. Without warning, she was enveloped in Buffy's embrace, lips crashed against lips, and her eyes were at first wide in surprise. Then she relaxed into the kiss, thankful that she wouldn't regret leaving without doing anything. Willow moaned, which elicited a moan from Buffy as well, and they wrapped their arms around each other tighter, letting the kiss deepen even further. After several minutes of heavy making out, the front porch light flicked on, and the door was opened. They quickly broke apart, and Dawn peeked out in her tank top and blue pajama bottoms, with Bubbles (a very cute cocker spaniel) panting at her feet, trying to investigate as well.

"Oh, Buffy. It's just you. I heard a noise, and thought somebody was trying to break in the house."

"So, your first reaction is to come outside where they are?" Buffy was still breathing heavily, trying to come down from cloud nine, and her face was flustered. Willow wasn't faring much better.

"You never know…she gets protective." Buffy turned to look at Bubbles who was currently being loved on by a crouching Willow. Aww…that's so cute. "Buffy, are you okay? You look like you just ran the 10K."

"Oh, Dawn, this is Willow. Willow, this is my sister, Dawn." They smiled at each other, and grasped hands in a friendly shake.

"Hi, Willow. Whatever my sister told you about me, don't listen. She has a tendency to always make herself look good, and me look like the enemy."

"Well, I can assure you, Dawn. I've only heard good things. About Bubbles here, too."

"Are you okay? You look like you ran, too. Would you like to come in? I can get you a glass of water."

"She gets offered a glass of water, and I'm a burglar?" Willow just laughed at the sisterly banter, and shook her head.

"Thanks, Dawn but I should be headed back to my apartment. I was just making sure your sister got here in one piece. It was nice to meet you, Dawn." Willow bent down, and started petting the excited tan spaniel. "Nice to meet you too, Bubbles." She stood back up, and faced the blonde. "Well, I guess I should get going. Thanks for the show."

"Thanks for the coffee and body-guarding." Both girls just beamed, and Dawn rolled her eyes, figuring out what was going on finally, and she took Bubbles back inside the house. "Do you maybe wanna…"

"I would love to!" Willow jumped in before the blonde had a chance to finish her proposition.

"Okay…now, I could've said a million things just then…and you just agreed. What if I asked you to go to the Reptile House at the Zoo? I hear you're quite fond of frogs." Willow cringed, and that caused Buffy to laugh. "Okay, no Reptile House but how does a movie sound? Maybe some dinner? Or, if you want, we could hit the Bronze…from what I understand, you know the owner personally."

"Yeah, we've known each other since birth. Yeah, I'd like that. I mean, that is…whatever, it doesn't matter which…you can pick. I'm flexible. I mean, that is…I can go either way. Or…rather, no, I'm only on one side of the fence but I meant that …you can decide what you want to do and…" Buffy stopped Willow by placing a gentle, warm kiss against her lips, which Willow had no problem returning.

"Yours is the only apartment up there, right? Do I need to buzz, or call, or anything?"

"No, you just walk in the door provided, walk up the stairs, and there's only one door. That's me. The whole floor."

"Definitely okay." Buffy kissed her softly again, and waved Willow down the sidewalk, walking inside to be greeted by a cross armed Dawn, and a tilted head Bubbles.

"Big deal? You have only been this smitten once before…it is a big deal. Who is this girl? What are her intentions? As a matter of fact, what are your intentions?"

"It's okay, Dawn. She's different. It's definitely not just a one-night stand with her. I'm already hooked."

"Buffy, oh my…so, tell me everything." They moved into the living room, and Buffy proceeded to tell Dawn everything (except for the fact that the paintings were of a sexual nature). "Wow. Just…wow. Buffy, so did you ask her out again?"

"Buffy, you have got it bad. I've heard of falling in love at first sight but I never thought it was true."

"Actually, it wasn't really at first sight, and who said I was in love with her?"

"You didn't have to. It's obvious; it's written all over your face, and when you talk about her, it's like you're on overload."

"Okay. I like her…a lot." Dawn started to protest but Buffy stopped her. "Not another word. It's too soon for something like that. I want to take it slow with her. I get this feeling that we have a long time to think of things like that."

"What are you going to do? I mean, I hope you're not going to take her to that seedy bar that you usually take dates to. Are you?" Dawn's eyes were pleading for her sister to answer in the negative, and Buffy giggled. "Did you just giggle?"

"What then? Going to take her to that greasy diner like you took your last boyfriend? I swear that Riley never saw a romantic dinner when it came to dating you."

"Hey! Helen's wasn't all that bad. Besides, it's not like I honestly cared for him."

"No, that much was obvious, which is why he left when he got that transfer in the army. Farm boy…he was nice but soooo not your type."

"I didn't say that I didn't. I like it but you are going to have to let me drill her. I have to do the sisterly thing, and make sure that she's good enough for you."

"Well, I was thinking dinner and a movie but that's cliché first datey, and then I thought maybe the Bronze but she owns it, so she's probably there all the time already."

"Forget about all that…she's fine. I've sisterly approved her for coolness based on her choice in profession. If you want, I'll even make up a stamp, and stamp her ass."

"Wasn't I always?" Buffy mocked hurt, and Dawn playfully slapped her forearm. "I don't know Dawn. Angel was always the one that decided, and we never really had fun on our dates. He was the last person I ever really dated, and that was back in high school before he went all evil."

"What do you think I should do then? Should I go with the cliché, or try to find something hip and new?"

"Saturday. I'm picking her up at her apartment at 7. She lives above the cinema."

"Okay, yes. You do have to marry her. That place is like huge! Janice was telling me how her dad is a real estate agent, and that he took her there when she was little, and that even bare, it was like a castle."

"Yes, well…it's more than amenities or profession here. This is about Willow…and Buffy…Willow and Buffy. That sounds nice…." She started to get that far away look again.

"Buffy, you're getting that look again. Snap out of it. We only have two days to figure this out!"

"Alright but we should head to bed. I have to go into the office sometime tomorrow, and type these notes into some order. It's…" She turned around to look at the clock on the VCR. "Okay, it's 4 in the morning so now would be a good time." The two Summers sisters walked upstairs, and prepared themselves for sleep, with a lazy Bubbles following closely behind their feet. As she snuggled under her covers, one word hung in Buffy's head. Willow…

That was the first word that popped into a sleepy Willow's head as she opened her eyes back into the real world. The last two days had proven to be extra successful in the office. More artists were signed than usual, more things were accepted than usual, and the dislike was at an all time minimum coming from the top dog. Xander just beamed at his best friend's happiness because she finally agreed to give him that raise he'd been asking for since he started working for her four years ago. This made for a happy Anya, as well…and soon, the entire office was a fairyland of happy, shiny people. When she arrived at work that day, she was skipping off of the elevator towards her office, and all of the office workers just smiled at her obvious bliss. Only Xander was aware what that bliss really was, since he had drilled her the next day after the gallery about the blonde. Everyone else assumed that Willow was just being her usual bubbly self, only moreso because their top-rated band's new album just went double platinum. The entire day had been nothing but giddy smiles, and dreamy sighs, and Xander almost couldn't help but leap for his friend's obvious happiness. He didn't know the blonde, though, and knew that it was really early in the game for Willow to be acting so smitten. This worried him but he just warned her to be careful, and not get hurt, or he'd be paying a certain blonde a visit. She even left the office early that day to get ready for her date, and everybody that was working on that Saturday took the opportunity without question.

She wasn't sure if she should invite Buffy in before they left but she wouldn't mind if that's what happened. She was going to take Xander's advice, and take things slow. Willow really, really wanted Buffy to work. When the buzzer went off, she began to panic. 'Oh, no. What if I don't look nice enough? What I look too nice? What if I'm too dressy, and I make her feel bad because it's supposed to be casual? Breathe, Rosenberg. One, two, three…okay… '

When she opened the door, all of her fears and nerves flew away, as she noticed the stunning blonde wearing simple black slacks, and a nice, simple white sweater. Looking down at herself, she compared her simple blue sweater, and black slacks. Then, they both just laughed at the synchronicity of their dress. She opened her door further, and allowed Buffy to move into the little coat nook. Shutting the door behind her, she ushered the blonde further inside, anticipating what they were going to do but also nervous at the blonde's reaction to her apartment.

Buffy looked around, and the first thing that she noticed was the size of the general area. It was huge, from one side to the other, and the walls were simple white, giving the lighting in the room more glare. The ceilings were high, and they held the same fancy chandeliers that the theatre downstairs had in their lobby. The furniture was elegant, and screamed of a person with taste. The tables, cabinets, and curios were all matching dark, cherry oak, which gave the home a sophisticated feel. The wraparound couch was shaped like an oblong U, and was black leather, making Buffy arch her eyebrow at the lifestyle the redhead actually led. 'Hmm…black leather…could be a sign but she doesn't seem the type. Oh, well. We'll see when we get there. I don't think I'd mind one way or the other, just as long as we get there.' She took in the elegant decorations: the simple maroon rug that lay under the coffee table in the middle of the U-couch, the statues, sculptures, and paintings that all looked to be original artwork. 'Thought she said she didn't know anything about art shows…' Then, her eyes scanned the curios, and tried to find tacky little figures, or something that would give this place a flaw but she found none. All she saw were fancy, silver dishes that looked like they were from medieval times but were still well-polished, several artifact looking items, and her favorite that she associated with the redhead: music memorabilia that looked as though it cost a bundle.

As Willow ushered her in further, Buffy finally had a good look down the long room, and got a glimpse of the large dark, cherry oak dining table, and Victorian style chairs. There was a cutout in the wall that had dark, cherry oak stools but the opening had blinds pulled down to hide what Buffy assumed was the kitchen, since there was a similar white door close by the black marble countertop. She also noticed the bar set up in the corner, and turned to look at Willow, raising an eyebrow. Willow noticed what Buffy was referring to, and explained.

"Oh, well. Sometimes, we'll have dinner parties here with executives and producers that work on albums or tours with our bands, and sometimes even the bands themselves. You'd be surprised the celebrities and musicians that've been here in Sunnydale that people are unaware of, which surprises me since it's right above a cinema. Another thing that surprises me is that you can't hear any of the movies below. I asked the owner, and he said that his father had more padding placed or something when they renovated back in '79. I didn't ask too much, was just glad that it was quiet."

"You look great, Will. That is, I hope you don't mind me calling you that." Willow just smiled at Buffy, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to contain herself. "Your apartment is nice, too. Very cozy."

"I know it's a little extravagant but I needed a place to bring private dinner parties outside from the public, and I found this place after Kennedy and I broke up two years ago. Anya was the one that said that I needed to decorate all fancy if I expected executives to be impressed, and from there, it just stuck. It's about the only thing useful Anya has ever contributed to my life." Both girls laughed.

"Would you like a tour of the apartment? It won't take long, I promise." Buffy nodded, and followed Willow into the living area. "Well, there is the living area, obviously, and hidden behind that cabinet is the big screen plasma that Xander picked out last Christmas."

"Oh, I am but they're not. I grew up sneaking out of the house to watch 'Charlie Brown Christmas' with him every year. Boy, if Ira Rosenberg knew that, I would've been sent to a Jewish boarding school in no time."

"Lucky for me that he never found out then." Willow blushed almost as deep as her table's maroon rug, especially seeing the stare coming from Buffy.

"Well, over here is the dining area of the room. I know it's a really big room…too big for one person but it cuts down on renting another place for those dinner parties, like I said."

"Well, behind here is the kitchen." Willow opened the white, wooden blinded door, and moved in after Buffy. She noticed Buffy's eyes open wide, and she felt guilty for having too much. 'I'm making her uncomfortable. She must not have a lot in her house…crap. I'm making a fool out of myself.'

"This is amazing, Will. I've never seen such state of the art kitchenry in my life. Not to mention the fact that it all matches! I'm impressed." Buffy walked further into the kitchen, and noticed the well-equipped kitchen, taking mental notes of where everything was for future reference. "So, this is where Willow Rosenberg makes pancakes in the morning."

"Yeah…" Willow was only half-listening, since she was more concerned with Buffy's reference to breakfast, which brought about more naughty Buffy thoughts, and sweet morning after cuddles.

"Alright, so do I get to see what's behind door number 2?" Buffy walked out of the kitchen, and pointed to the white door that was positioned between the dining area, and the living area. "Is that your bedroom?"

"Oh, well. Not exactly. I mean, yes, my bedroom's back there but there are other rooms as well. That just connects to a hallway really." Willow walked across the expanse that was her main room, and ushered Buffy into her hallway. Buffy noticed the wide hallway was adorned with similar original paintings, and made a mental note to ask Willow about that, and their conversation the night beforehand. Willow opened the first door on the left, and allowed Buffy to enter. Buffy looked around, and found a large wraparound desk that took up one whole wall, and cornered into the next one halfway across. There was what she assumed was a great computer, since she hadn't seen one in the local mall shops, and several other fancy gadgets that she couldn't even name. Along the walls, there were file cabinets that were once again, dark, cherry oak, and Buffy smiled. She noticed the wall adorned music memorabilia, and posters framed from tours that Watchers Records had sponsored. She turned to a fidgety Willow.

"Well, I guess I'll have to break you of that habit then." With that, Buffy walked seductively past a flustered Willow, and out the door. Willow snapped out of her Buffy-daze, and went to join her in the hallway, opening the door opposite the one they had just left. Buffy walked in first, and was stunned at the elegant, Victorian decorating that adorned the bedroom. Her jaw dropped open at the beauty of the four-poster canopy bed, the craftsmanship of the matching furniture, and the sculptures and art that fit perfectly with the theme. "Willow, this is gorgeous."

"They were my great, great grandmother's, and my mother gave them all to me after dad died. Actually, the majority of the artwork and things in the house are dad's. Mom didn't know what to do with them, so she sent them to me since my wall's were so dead." 'Well, that answers that question then. Man, she is so amazing.' "There are two other rooms down the hall." They moved into the first one on the right, and Buffy noticed the silliness of it. There was a billiards table near the end, and it had many gaming consoles, along with a wide screen plasma, wall mounted television, and black leather reclining chairs on either side of the matching couch. Everything was tucked neatly in place, and things were even marked alphabetically according the console on the large bookshelves that sat at either side of the television. Then, she noticed that the wall that the door was in moved back, and there was a long bookshelf that covered the entire wall, and was completely filled with books. She assumed that they were alphabetized as well. The entire room screamed Willow: intelligent, organized, with a large dose of fun. "Xander comes over a lot to get away from Anya when she has her 'girly parties,' as he calls them. They all gather around the television, and watch sappy romances, so Xander decides to come over here to beat something up on a game."

"Sounds like a blast." They moved out of the room, and Willow opened the door across the hallway, and ushered them in while they still talked.

"It is actually. You'd be surprised. I like to go in there a lot to escape reality. The high school librarian was from England, and before he retired and moved back, he made sure that I had a list of books to get. He still calls me once a week, which is nice. Giles was so British but…what?" Buffy's eyes were glazed over, and she couldn't stop scanning the room. The large black wooden sleigh bed, the matching furniture, the skylight, and even the amazing view of Sunnydale that was shown through the curtained windows. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, it was just my favorite room, and I thought it'd be neat to see the stars every night before I went to bed."

"Oh, no need to apologize. It's gorgeous, Wills. The whole entire apartment is amazing. Plus, the fact that you live here by yourself. It's almost overwhelming at first but it's not all about you. This room, and your playroom and workroom. These three rooms seem to be you. Even then, your playroom is for your friends, as well. It's amazing. You're amazing." Willow ducked her head, and blushed. Buffy moved over to her, and cupped her cheek with her chin, moving her head up to look her in the eyes. "I mean it, Willow. You are truly amazing." As the two girls stood there, and just locked eyes, so much was said without actually saying a word. "I do have to ask one thing, though."

"Oh! There's actually two bathrooms. One that's connected to the main room. In case you didn't notice, the other bedroom was smaller than the others. That's because there's a small half bathroom there. It just has a toilet, and a sink. There's a small closet, too, where I keep a lot of first aid supplies."

"Actually, right through there." Willow pointed to two glass doors that Buffy didn't notice until they were pointed out. She had been too busy scanning the contents of the room that she completely missed that detail. "Um…do you wanna see? It's kinda big, too." Buffy nodded, and Willow opened the double doors, revealing her large bathroom, equipped with a large, fancy tub that looked like a Jacuzzi, and a large, fancy shower next to it. Then Buffy noticed the modern feel of the room, matching Willow's bedroom with the black and white tile, decorations, and rugs. There was a long, black marble counter that held two different sinks, and a length-matching mirror. Even the toilet looked fancy.

"And the wow keeps on coming. What if others are back here, and want to use the bathroom? Surely you don't want them walking through your bedroom to get there."

"Oh, no. There was a door in the 'playroom' that connected to the half bath, and one that one that connected through the other bedroom."

"Never mind…I'll see it one day. Right now, I have other plans." Buffy pulled Willow out of the bathroom, and into her bedroom seductively.

"Will, calm down. That's not what I had in mind. Although, I wouldn't mind, either. I wanna play this right. I'm going to take it slow, and I have no intention of seducing you tonight. However, if you play your cards right, I might kiss you goodnight."

"Well, then, I'd better hope that I have a flush." Buffy continued pulling Willow back into the main area, until they were at the door to the apartment.

"Not if we're taking it slow." Buffy blushed at that one, especially considering the lustful grin that Willow was shooting directly at her. They locked up, and started walking down the street. "So, where are you taking me?"

"Oh, really? Well, this surprise doesn't involve anything dangerous, does it?" Buffy kept quiet as they walked down the street, and Willow began to panic. She stopped as Buffy kept walking, and ran to catch up after she heard Buffy giggle under her breath. "Buffy! That wasn't nice." She playfully swapped her forearm with her right hand, and Buffy caught the offending hand with her left, entwining the two together in an intimate gesture.

"Yes but your face was priceless. No, it's nothing dangerous. At least, I hope it's not but you never know. I promise that you'll like it, and if not, then you get to pick the next date anyways."

"We haven't even been on our first date yet, and you're already planning on a second? What makes you think I'll agree to that?" Buffy stopped them, and grabbed Willow's head, pulling her forward to connect their lips together, and kissed her sensuously on the mouth, not stopping until she heard that seductive moan that sent chills down her spine. She broke off, and started to move down the street again, as though it were just a normal occurrence. Both girls were trying to catch their breath, and Willow finally spoke.

"Okay…I agree." They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes until they reached a nice little French restaurant hidden in the back of an alley. Throughout the entire meal, there were moan of delight coming from each girl, signifying their pleasure at the meal placed before them. Once they finished off their final course, Buffy was feeding Willow, and vice versa, both girls never breaking eye contact until the waiter took the check. They left, hand in hand, and took a stroll through the park, making sure to huddle close to one another. "That was one of the best meals I've ever had. You really didn't have to pay for it all. I could've paid for my half."

"Shh…we went over this in the restaurant. I wanted to pay. This was my choice. I agreed to let you buy next time."

"Just be there, and it'll already be topped." They leaned in to kiss each other gently as they continued to stroll along. They enjoyed idle chitchat, relishing in the feeling of comfort and safety, and the all but forgotten feeling of intimacy. They sat on a park bench, and talked for hours, not paying any attention to the time until they noticed that the sun was started to rise. "Oh, wow. We've been out here for hours. Are you cold?"

"No but if you cuddled with me, I'd be warmer." They cuddled on the park bench, watching the sunrise along the horizon, continuing their conversation. "Anyways, when mom died, I had to take guardianship over Dawn, and never really had time to grieve until she left for college. I'm not surprised Riley left. What surprises me is that he stayed at all. I've never been very good at relationships. This is the first time I've ever wanted to be, really. Even with Angel, there was always something missing."

"Me, too. Never being relationship girl, that is. I mean, there was Fred in high school, and then Tara but after that, I just went numb to the relationship aspect of a relationship. I'm not surprised that Kennedy cheated. I was horrible to her. My two short-live, month long relationships after her were even worse. At least those two had the mind not to stay for two years."

"Will, this is different, new, scary but I don't want it to end. Are you okay with that? That I want a real, honest, fully committed relationship here? Cause if you're not, you can tell me."

"No, no. I do. Want that, that is. I definitely want that with you. This. Us. I agree, though…not about the new part but about the different and scary. This is almost completely different from Tara and I. It's…more intense? And it's happened so fast. It's almost overwhelming." Buffy turned around on the bench, allowing her head to look up into Willow's face from her place on her lap. Willow looked down at her, and continued stroking her bottle blonde locks.

"That's fine." Both girls smiled warmly at one another, and Buffy sat up from her comfy position. "Something wrong?"

"I'm sleepy gal, and Dawn's probably wondering where I'm at, since it's past sunrise."

"Yeah. I'm sure that Cordy and Fred have emailed me a thousand times each, wondering what happened. They both can get so antsy when it comes to me and relationships. They're always hounding me to settle down…raise a family…"

"You're so cute." Willow snapped her head slightly, completely taken aback by the subject, not prepared for it at any time.

"No, you are. Your hair is silky, and so is your skin. Your eyes are the most amazing shade of green, and your mouth is so kissable. Don't forget the freckles…very kissable. Lickable, even." Willow blushed, and stared at Buffy lovingly, feeling the heat coming from their locked eyes. "I've never known anybody like you before, and I'm glad because I want you all to myself. I'm gonna be selfish."

"I'm okay with that." They started to kiss again, and an early morning jogger jogged by, cat-whistling, causing the two girls to break away, and just put their foreheads together to gaze into each other's eyes, and feel each other's breath against their mouth. "I suppose I have to give you back now."

"Somehow, I don't think we'd just be cuddling. So, I think I'll just walk you home, and hope that I get that kiss goodnight."

"That's the point." She leaned in to kiss her gently before moving to pull them off of the bench, and head for Willow's apartment. "What if I promise to be a good girl?" At Willow's smiling admonishment, she raised her free hand in defeat. "Okay but don't think that I don't expect extra cuddles when we do get to that point." They arrived at Willow's apartment, and Buffy walked her into the apartment. She tried to sneak past Willow into the main room but Willow held her back, catching on rather quickly.

"Buffy, please don't make this harder than it already is. We're trying to take it slow, and we both know that cuddling isn't the only thing that will happen if you walk into this apartment any further." Buffy pouted, and Willow kissed the pout away, causing Buffy to deepen the kiss. Willow pulled away, and tried to push a reluctant Buffy out the door, only to pull her back again for another kiss, and this happened several times before Buffy finally decided to go. "I'd say good night but I'm afraid it's morning." Buffy was completely down to the bottom, and was preparing to open the door when she decided to just let it all out. She turned back around to see Willow leaning against her door, watching her leaving with an intense, glazed over look, like she was fighting to keep all control to not pull her back in the apartment.

"Okay, I'm leaving…but just know that I can't wait until this weekend. You'd better have something extra special planned because of the way you're sending me home."

"Well, I would hope so…but still. There better be at least some Willow cuddles because I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold off without any."

"Alright. Bye, Wills." She opened the door, and shut it behind her, wanting more than anything to just run back up those stairs, and completely ravish the redhead, and worship every inch of her body. 'I haven't made love since that one time with Angel. I just know that this is going to be so worth the wait. She's worth it. All of her.'

It was Wednesday, and Willow was more than excited about the weekend. She'd already planned the entire evening's main festivities, with many opportunities for added activities. She'd even taken the time to color code every activity that she prepared so diligently. It was a simple evening. Nothing but pizza at her apartment, and watching a few rented films but she was so excited that she needed to write it over and over again, making sure to underline Buffy's name every time that she wrote it on the paper. She talked every night for hours to her girlfriend, and she would even call during work, especially during their coinciding lunch hours. Since her lunch hour was in five minutes, she decided that she'd surprise Buffy over at her magazine with lunch but before she could grab her purse, Buffy entered, holding a large white paper bag, and two to-go coffee mugs. Willow jumped up from behind her desk, and ran over to her girlfriend. 'Can I call her that? I really like that sound of that.' She kissed her startled girlfriend swiftly, and shut the door behind her, closing the blinds that went into the main work area.

"Buffy, what are you doing here? I was just about to come surprise you with lunch."

"Well, great minds think alike, and looks like I beat you to it! Here's a mocha, with extra whipped cream."

"Of course, I remembered, silly. And here's something that I think you'll enjoy." She pulled the contents of the bag out onto the desk, and Willow noticed two wrapped deli sandwiches, and two Styrofoam tubs of coleslaw. Buffy noticed Willow's 'aww' look, and explained. "I got it at the deli next to the magazine's building. I eat here almost everyday, and the owner knows me by heart, I think. It's the best sandwiches and coleslaw I've ever had. The guy that runs it is Jewish, and it's a little known secret that all his food is kosher. I thought…what better way than to bring some of his delicacies down, and surprise my Jewish girlfriend! Plus, he even added a piece of chocolate pie his wife made from scratch that he hides behind the counter. He only sells it to a select few, mostly me…almost everyday, like I said. Trust me, you're gonna love it." Willow was beaming, not only did Buffy surprise her with lunch but she even took the time to make it a kosher meal, bring her favorite drink, and acknowledged her as her girlfriend. To Willow, the day couldn't get any better. That is, until she ate the food.

"Told ya. You'd love the family that runs it, too. The owner is always trying to get me to date his youngest son that probably went to school with you."

"Oh, Jonathon. He was always so quiet, and picked on, too. What's he doing these days?"

"Not sure but his dad mentioned something about him living in Los Angeles. I'll have to take you there, and show you off in person." They ate their lunch, and were finishing the chocolate pie with audible moans of pleasure, feeding each other, when there was a knock at the door. Willow groaned, and moved from the couch in her office to get the door. On the other side, Xander stood, fidgeting nervously.

"What's wrong, Xan? You look like you just lost your entire comic book collection." He moved into the office, waving a quick hello to Buffy before Willow closed the door behind them. "Come on, Xan. What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to do." He began pacing her long office. "I'm not ready. We're not ready. This is all too much. What if something goes wrong?" He grabbed Willow's forearms, and shook her slightly, panic and fear resonating from his expression.

"What's wrong, Xander?" Buffy decided to help her girlfriend out a little, and it also gave her the opportunity to get to know her friends. "Did something bad happen? Are you okay?"

"No, nothing bad happened. At least, I don't think it's bad. But I'm not sure that it's good, either. I mean, I'm not ready to be a father. Look at my own father. I don't wanna turn into him. What am I going to do?" He huffed, and planted himself dramatically on the couch beside Buffy, who tentatively placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as he groaned into his hands.

"Well, Xander. You're a big boy." Willow moved to the other side of her life long friend, and placed a comforting hand on his other should, causing him to look directly at Willow. "You've been through so much worse in your lifetime. More than anybody should have to go through with your parents but I look at you now, and all I see is a man that survived. A good man, and I know that you won't be anything like your father because you had to live through it. And if you do, then…well, I'll just have to smack you back to reality. Remind you that it's not what you want. You'll be a great father, that's assuming that you're telling us Anya is pregnant. At least, I hope it's Anya."

"Yes, I do. Don't worry. You're just shocked at the news. Once the shock settles, you'll be walking around, planning your baby's entire future before it even has time to grow to full size in Anya's belly. I believe in you, Xander. You're nothing like him, and never think that you are. Okay?"

"Yeah. You're right. I just need to breathe, and calm down. Let it settle." He took several calming breaths, and a few minutes later he sat up sharply from the couch, startling the two women. They sat stiffly still, wondering what he was going to do when he jumped up suddenly from the couch, and looked deep in thought. "I'm going to be a father."

"Yes, Xander. We've established this part already." Buffy looked quizzically towards her girlfriend, hoping that she had some form of explanation for her friend's behavior.

"No! You don't understand. I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father!" His face lit up, and suddenly, his drab, panicked expression turned into instant joy and bliss. He ran to the door, and through the entire third floor, you could hear him yelling his decree. Both girls just nodded, and Buffy stood up, silently stating that she needed to head back to work.

"Do you really have to go? It feels like you just got here." Willow wrapped her arms around Buffy's waist, causing Buffy to do the same thing, pulling the redhead's body further into her own. "You can stay here, work from here. I have a computer, and you could use it."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid that I need to go back. There's a meeting at 3 that I can't miss, or the editor will have my hind."

"Yes, it most certainly is." They kissed awhile until there was a feminine coughing in the doorway. "I'll talk to you tonight. Bye."

"Anytime." Buffy left, and Willow sighed dreamily as she watched her girlfriend wave from the closing elevator doors. She turned to acknowledge her secretary.

"Well, you look smitten." Vi walked in, and closed the door behind her. She took a seat, and Willow sat at her desk.

"Well, there's news on the front that there's a local band that's got some talent. I received a few calls from their manager today, and they were hoping to catch a meeting with you sometime this week if you had time."

"Well, they're a quartet. A drummer, an upright bass, a hollow body guitarist, and a pianist that also works the lead vocals. He's going to drop by a garage recorded demo, and he warns us ahead of time that it's not of great quality but assures that it's worth the time."

"Don't they always." They both smiled, and nodded in obvious agreement. "What else ya got?"

"Well, apparently, the pianist has sex appeal, so that'd be easy to sell, or at least according to the manager." They both rolled their eyes, used to this scenario. "He's going to send some snapshots of the band both playing on stage, at practice, and just doing daily activities. I told them there were no guarantees but I'd see what I could do."

"Oh, I talked to some of the people in the building, and a couple had actually caught one of the band's sets, and there were only positive comments, especially on the sex appeal of the pianist. I have the notes from the phone call, the number to call him back, the listed times you have available, and the comments from the office, just as usual in different colored pencils." Vi handed over a manila folder, and Willow stretched a little to grab it. "Do you need anything else while I'm here?"

"No, this is great. I'll look into it. See if they have an amateur website, or something posted on the web. Thanks, Vi." The younger redhead opened the door, and Willow looked up. "Actually, Vi. Take the rest of the day off; you'll still get full pay. Just enjoy the day. This weather won't be here much longer."

"If you don't me saying, by the way…" Willow looked up from the new file's contents, and looked at her questioningly. "The blonde? Yowsa! Good job there, boss. That's definitely a keeper. Especially if she's bringing you homemade chocolate pie."

"She wasn't sure where your office was, and I asked to make sure it wasn't a gun."

"Yes. I have no problem with that." Willow laughed at the retreating redhead's enthusiasm, and couldn't help but think back on her previous lunch with her girlfriend. She sighed dreamily again, and then went back to work on the current file.

"Okay, let's see here." She flipped to the first page in the folder, which gave all of the band's information. 'Rogue Slayer. Interesting…okay, same stuff Vi already told me. Names, this helps. Two boys and two girls. Mixed company, which works to advertise both markets. Faith…hmmm…interesting name. Oh, this is funny. 'Has a bad ass image but the music is mellow.' How does that work exactly? Oh well, what else ya got for me?'

On the next page, she found the list of things that the manager was going to send them, including his number and times that she would be available the rest of the week. 'Well, if he gets me the demo and things by tomorrow, I can have a listen with Xander, and we can discuss the primaries before the meeting. Oh, he's free anytime. I can definitely work around that. He's just lucky we're an independent label, and not some hot shots, or else he'd never get a chance. We are building, though. 74 bands signed. Hmm…53 successful, and business is definitely booming for them. Guess we're doing our job right somewhere. Oh, back to the 'Rogue Slayer.' I still find that funny.' She chuckled, and moved on to the next sheet, giving comments from the office workers, which she liked Vi and Xander's secretary to spy, and listen for any hot tips around the town that they weren't getting. She was pretty sure that the workers knew that they did this, and would readily put in their comments freely but Xander wanted to be all James Bondy about the whole deal. He said it made the job more exciting. 'Larry in covers said that he caught them at a local pub outside of town, and states 'They actually sound decent but I couldn't keep my eyes off of the singer. She was a knockout.' Hugh was talking to Mike from technical support, and said, 'I caught this band up in LA this weekend, and let me tell you…that lead singer chick was hott. She had on all this leather, like she was all dangerous and shit, and then she starts singing, and it's like…woah! She had this really husky voice like she was practically screaming 'sex me baby now.'' When asked the band's name… ''Rogue Slayer,' I think…was strange but still worked.''

After checking with Xander, she dialed the manager, and told him to just drop the stuff off by tomorrow afternoon, and they'd be available to meet with him in the afternoon. After confirming times, and information, and listening to the manager talk up the band a few minutes, Willow finally smiled at the enthusiasm that was always in the voice of manager's when she talked to a potential band. She went through the rest of the day thinking about her work, and a certain blonde with chocolate pie.

"Hi." Both girls just stood in the doorway on opposite sides, carefully examining each other.

"So do you. Um…would you like to come inside?" Willow moved to the side, and Buffy walked into the coat nook, and when she did she noticed that the lights in the main room were dim, and candles were burning almost everywhere.

"I thought I'd already done that." Buffy's eyebrows arched when she noticed the smug grin on Willow's face. Buffy decided to start the date off properly, and leant in to give Willow's pouty lips a quick, gentle kiss in greeting.

"Yes, you did." She smiled against her lips, and took her coat off, hanging it in the coat closet. She moved further into the apartment, and Willow followed closely behind, careful to watch her girlfriend's movements. They had been dating for a total of three weeks now, and both girls had followed closely (no matter how difficult) to their taking it slow rule. Things were going great, and both girls could not be any happier. They made sure to have lunch at least twice a week in Willow's office, since Buffy mentioned that her editor would probably yell if she had guests at work. Willow was more than curious about Buffy's job, since she never really mentioned anything about it, and also her house, because even three weeks into the relationship, she had yet to see the inside. However, she wasn't about to complain, as long as they were together at some point in time, in some place.

Buffy moved to sit on the oblong U-couch, and Willow followed suit. She kicked her shoes off, and waited to hear what Willow had in mind for the evening. When she received the phone call from her redheaded girlfriend at work, she was more than excited about getting to spend another Friday night with her. She quickly took the invitation without question, and slipped out of work early to pick out just the right outfit.

"Dawn's Christmas break from school starts next week. She's in finals right now. She said that she can't wait to actually get to meet you in a proper setting."

"Well, I would like that, too. How is she holding up with that math class? Did she say whether or not that email I sent her had helped or not?"

"Yes, actually. She said that it helped a lot, and that she even was starting to understand calculus to a degree."

"Good. I'm glad." They cuddled together on the couch, and Buffy was holding Willow against her chest, running her fingers through the silky, auburn locks.

"Well, this is putting a little variety in the mix. No sense in falling into too much of pattern, since I wouldn't mind seeing you every day of the week."

"I highly doubt that." There was a calm silence, and a quiet moan from Willow as Buffy continued playing with her hair. "How would you like seeing me twice this week?"

"Buffy…you know what I mean. That new band I was telling you about that Xander and I went to check out last week? Well, I booked them at the Bronze for a two-night set. That way we can see how the crowd responds before we make any real decision on signing them. Xander's on watch duty tonight, and I'm taking tomorrow. So, whaddya say? Wanna be my date?"

"Plus, you'll get to see the seedy underbelly. I'll even reveal what's exactly behind those 'employees only' doors."

"So, whatcha want to do tonight then? Since you've already seduced me into coming all the way here just to ask me out for tomorrow."

"Well. I was thinking that maybe we could just hang out here. I know that last week we were going to just sit around, eat pizza, and watch movies here but unfortunately…"

"Okay, fortunately, Xander came over, and dragged us out to celebrate Anya's pregnancy. I still don't understand what bowling had to do with it."

"Yes. That's definitely true. So, I was thinking we could just order pizza, and hang out here. I didn't rent any videos because I left the office later than usual but I still have a collection. Or, we could go to the playroom in the back, and play pool, or video games. I even have board games, if that's your drug."

"Well, it doesn't matter to me. Anything is fine, just as long as you're there."

"Well, it's a good thing I like cheese then." Willow leaned her head up towards Buffy, and they met in an upside down kiss. "Speaking of cheese, what kind of pizza do you want? I know a little joint that'll deliver here, and it's also Sunnydale's best-kept secret. Well, pizza wise at least."

"Okay, so there are some limits. Just make sure there's nothing that comes out of the sea, and we'll be okay."

"I think I can manage." She moved from her comfortable position, and went into the kitchen.

"They do…" Willow came out of the kitchen holding a pizza pan. She placed it, along with napkins on the coffee table between the oblong U-couch. "There you go."

"Yeah…my dad taught me how to cook when I was growing up. Mom was always away for some lecture tour, and dad wanted me to be able to take care of myself since he had to be at the Bronze all the time. So, he taught me how to cook. Even taught me his grandmother's secret pizza recipe. Hence, Sunnydale's best kept secret."

"I'm impressed but I'm confused. Your family is Jewish…what are they doing with pizza recipes?"

"Apparently, a little known family secret was that my great grandmother had a love affair with an Italian man. You can't tell anybody, though…"

"Well, all the more incentive to tell people." She grabbed a slice, took a bite, and her immediate reaction was a pleasurable moan, and her eyes shot open wide, and looked at Willow. "Will, this is amazing. You weren't kidding. Remind me to thank your great grandmother one day." Willow just smiled, and watched her girlfriend eat the pizza. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry…went into a little daze there watching you eat. Um, what do you want to drink? Another skill that my father taught me was bartending."

"No, actually…that was because I worked as a bartender at the Bronze in college."

"Oh, I can see it now. I'll bet you were just like those girls in Coyote Ugly, weren't you?"

"No, actually. When that movie came out, one of the other bartenders decided to jump on the bar and dance, and the glass case broke in…she didn't work there anymore after that."

"Alright." Willow went over to the bar, and finished making strawberry daiquiris, bringing a pitcher plus two frozen glasses and a plate of strawberries over to them. "How's this?"

"Yes, well, this time we don't have to fight over who gets it because there's a whole plate."

"Yep." They continued to eat and drink the entire pitcher in light-hearted conversation. After they were finished, Buffy grabbed the dishes from the table, and proceeded to clean up, despite Willow's protest. When they were in the kitchen, Willow just rolled her eyes amusedly at her girlfriend when she loaded the dishwasher, and threw away the trash. "See? All taken care of, and no worse for wear."

"Oh. Be still my heart, you know how to load a dishwasher." Willow mock swooned, and Buffy made sure to kiss her gently before moving back into the main room. "What's next?"

"Oh, um…you mean like…toys…that you'd play with…like games. Oh, um…video games or board games…those kind of games…and…and…" Buffy placed a quieting kiss on Will's lips, and pulled her blushing, babbling girlfriend back to her playroom. They played a few video games, ones that weren't too intense, and were more directed on the one on one action. Then, they played a game of pool, which took an hour because neither girl was very skilled at sinking the balls, or rather neither girl was paying much attention to the sinking balls but to each other as they bent over to try and concentrate. Then, they curled up on the couch, and watched a movie, cuddled into one another. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, they began to heavily make out, and once the end credits rolled, neither girl could even remember what they watched. After that, Buffy decided that she'd better leave before her hormones took over completely, and pushed the slight redhead into her bedroom. "Do you really have to go? So soon?"

"You'll see me tomorrow, Wills. I promise. I'll even come over early if you want me to."

"But I won't be here. I'm going to be over starting in the afternoon, and until it closes."

"Well, then, I'll come over, and keep you company. I don't have to go in to the office tomorrow. It'll be a long Willow-filled day, and I'll even stop and bring you a mocha before I get there."

"You know it." Standing in the doorway to the apartment, Buffy didn't want to let go of her embrace on Willow but knew that she had to before she was pulled in completely. 'Taking it slow. Just remember…breathe…breathe. Oh, she smells so good.'

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. When you walk in, just ask Frank to show you up to the office. Okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, of course you wouldn't know who Frank was…that was silly. He's tall, always wearing muscle shirts to show off his body, and you'll definitely recognize him from his two gold earrings. They're hard to miss."

"Maybe not that bad but it could be if I let myself go completely. You never know, especially with the way just the thought of you makes my body do crazy things." Willow blushed, and Buffy kissed her sensuously, wrapping her up in a tighter embrace, making sure to leave her with a lasting impression. "Okay…really need to go now. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Will."

"Bye, Buff." Willow closed the door to her apartment, and couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips as she moved back to her bedroom, and got ready for bed, with visions of naked Buffy dancing in her head.

When she woke up around 10, she almost couldn't wait to see Willow again. It'd not even been that long since they were apart but inside and out, her entire being was screaming to be near the gorgeous redhead. She'd been working on self-stimulation but she was finding it harder and harder to become completely satisfied after talking, or being near the redhead. It was her first honest relationship since high school, and she didn't want to be hurt again. After they had consummated their relationship after two months of dating, Angel had completely ditched her, and even went so far as to make sure that her mother knew that she wasn't very good in bed. When all of this was happening, she turned to her best friend, Gunn, and her heart was so broken that she was ruined for other relationships. She had tried but she emotionally numb, and not very respondent in that aspect. When she graduated high school, she went to UCLA, while her mother took her sister to a small town in Sunnydale, about two hours north of Los Angeles. When she graduated, her life was put on hold a year later when her mother became ill, and she found a new job working for Art Today. She moved up in the magazine, becoming one of its top writers, but it still wasn't what she wanted to do. She kept the job because she wanted to make sure that Dawn's college was paid for, and that she could keep the nice home that her mother and sister had established in this quaint little town. She had managed to have a slew of one-night stands, and the times that she actually tried a relationship, they faltered because she just had no desire to be in them. Now, though, her every desire was to make sure that Willow Rosenberg would be part of her life for a good long while.

When the afternoon finally arrived, she made sure that she was casual yet dressy enough for the entire day. This way, she wouldn't have to spend a moment away from Willow unless the redhead needed space to work, in which Buffy was more than willing to help. She arrived at the popular club, and entered the empty building. There were only a few people scattered around, obviously preparing for the band, and the large crowd that the club usually produced. She looked around, and she finally noticed a man holding a clipboard with an earpiece that signified that he was of some importance. Walking over to him, she smiled when she noticed that her girlfriend had baited her with the gold earrings. 'Okay, Will…you'll get yours. You just wait.' He had two piercings in his left ear, and they were properly aligned to form a woman's chest.

"Ah, you must be Buffy. I've heard a lot about you." He said something to one of the workers setting up the stage, and motioned her to follow him up the stairs.

"Oh, I assure you that they were only good." Buffy smiled, and the tall, muscular brown-skinned man motioned for her to an office door down a hidden hallway. "It's just on the left. Hard to miss."

"Oh, I will." Frank shut the hidden hallway's entrance, and Buffy went to knock on the door that was in the tight, lonely corridor. 'This is actually kinda creepy. There's barely any light in here.' The door flung open to reveal a flustered, obviously worried redhead. She visibly relaxed when she noticed that it was her girlfriend. "Whoa, Will. Major wiggins there. This place is kinda creepy." She walked inside, and Willow shut the door behind her.

"I know. I used to hate coming up here when I was little. If my dad couldn't find a babysitter, he'd have to leave me in his office. I think he knew I wouldn't leave because I would get freaked out in the hallway…afraid a vampire or demon was going to make me his snack."

"Yeah, that'll work. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I feel really safe now." Willow acted like she was making fun of her but Buffy knew better.

"Hey! Maybe I have some supernatural strength or something. You never know. Looks can be deceiving."

"At times, yes." They smiled warmly at each other, and Willow kissed her gently in greeting.

"Aww, Will…I didn't know you thought of me that way." Willow rolled her eyes amusedly, and Buffy kissed her again, handing her the insulated cup. "So, this is Bronze headquarters, huh?" Buffy took a moment to scan the office. There was a large desk, with a nice computer, and more gadgets that Buffy couldn't name. There were more fancy filing cabinets, and a big, comfy couch, which Buffy planned on using in abundance for the rest of the day. The decorations were basically posters that were from bands that had played at the Bronze over the years. The carpet wasn't squishy but the charcoal color did add to the dark blue walls, giving it a nightclub feel. "Nice place you got here."

"Yeah, well. I didn't really do much renovation wise. Before my dad died, he made a lot of changed to the club. There was a big fight a couple years back that lashed out downstairs, and the people literally tore up the place. It was closed for about a month, while my dad fixed it up. On a good note, it looked more modern, and not so grungy anymore."

"Yes, well. I remember that month. It was a month of having to drive up to LA to go dancing. So, I thank your dad."

"Well, do you wanna sit down? I just have to finish up some paperwork, and then I'm yours all day. If you're extra good, I'll even give you that tour I promised."

"Workaholic, remember? I've been on an extra high kick trying to get things finished early today."

"I have no problem with that. It'll just take a few minutes. I promise." Buffy moved to sit on the plush couch, and made herself comfortable, studying with more detail the office. There was a tiny refrigerator, and even a little television that Buffy imagined Willow watching in here when she was a little kid, waiting for her dad to close shop. 'Aww…little Willow. I'll bet she was adorable.'

Meanwhile, Willow worked with precision on the files that she needed to review. Mostly, they were advertisement packaging for two of her newer bands that needed to be sent to radio stations. There was one major file that took her a little longer concerning Xander's comments on the crowd reaction towards the band the night before, and this made it easier for her to come to a decision. When they went to see their set the weekend before, both thoroughly enjoyed their music but they knew it wasn't based on their opinions alone. They heard something there but they wanted to double check with the audience, just like they always did. Willow had been working all morning on their contract, knowing that they would probably without doubt be signing the band by the last set. Unless something went terribly wrong, Watchers Records was going to have another band added to the family. She looked at the clock once she finished reviewing things, and chastised herself for completely ignoring her girlfriend for an hour and a half. Turning around, she noticed Buffy lying down with her eyes closed on the couch. 'Aww…sleeping Buffy. I wonder if I kiss her, would it wake the whole kingdom from its curse?'Filing things away carefully, and turning unneeded gadgets off, she crept over to the couch, where she knelt down, and kissed the sleeping mouth of her girlfriend until she felt a moan, and a tentative response. Buffy pulled Will up on the couch, where she spooned her from behind.

"'Sleeping Beauty.' They should've called it sleeping Buffy." Buffy kissed the nape of Willow's neck, which caused a breathy sigh, and her body to lean further back into hers. "Sorry about that. I just get in work mode, and it's hard to stop me."

"No…definitely no. I just could've paid more attention to you. Maybe then I wouldn't have bored into sleeptown."

"Hey, it was well worth it for the way I was awoken." Buffy kissed her shoulder, and drew lazy circles up and down her arm. "So, you're finished for the day now?"

"A little of both…" Willow turned her head, and kissed her teasing girlfriend. They just lie on the couch for a while, completely comfortable just being so close. "Not that I don't mind staying just like this for hours but you promised me a dangerous adventure that involved the seedy underbelly of a dark nightclub."

"I like it here." Buffy leaned in to whisper in Will's ear, purposefully causing goosebumps to rise on Willow's neck, and her baby-soft hairs on the back of her neck to stand at attention.

"Me, too." From Buffy's lazy circles, and her hot breath on Willow's sensitive spot behind her ear, Willow literally shivered in anticipation. 'Oh…oh…she's doing that thing again…I think she's trying to torture me. I don't know how much more of this waiting I can take. It's slowly killing me. This frustration is constant, and I even started to take care of the problem myself. Yes! I've rarely done that, and just the thought of Buffy…man…she's…oh…with the sucking…and the nipping…ohhh…mmm…'

"Buffy…" Willow was begging but she didn't know whether she was begging for her to stop, or to keep going. 'This taking it slow thing is …oh…again…ohhhh…ohh… she found the spot…oh, oh God…I think I'm gonna…' "Buffy…" This time, her begging tone was not mistaken, it was pure lust, and wanton need, and Buffy knew she had found the perfect spot on her Willow's body. Knowing that Willow wouldn't be able to stop if she kept doing it, Buffy had to pull all of her willpower to climb over the redhead that was still hmming from the sensations. "Where are you going?" Willow stood up to join her girlfriend by the office door, trying to catch her breath, and to come down from her Buffy high.

"You promised me a tour, and from the sounds you were making, I'd say I was being extra good...or extra naughty, either way you wanna look at it."

"Oh…yeah…" Willow moved to push Buffy against the office door, and trapped her underneath her body. Kissing her senseless, Buffy was caught off guard by her girlfriend's sudden boldness. Just when the kissing was about to turn into groping as well, there was a sudden knock at the door, startling both girls from their positions on the other side. They both quickly tried to make sure they were decent, and not too flustered before Willow opened the door to reveal Frank. "Yeah?"

"You two behaving up here? You look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar."

"Definitely no cookies." Buffy wanted to help her girlfriend's sudden discomfort but went into teasing mode instead, causing Willow's blush to deepen.

"What?! When? They're early! They're not supposed to start until 8! It's only…" She turned around to look at the guitar clock above her desk. "8:21?! What…I don't…huh?" She looked at Buffy for answers as to where time went but her girlfriend just shrugged, and smirked happily.

"Exactly. Now, the manager has been asking for you, and I can't stall him anymore. He's kind of…persistent."

"No problem, Ms. Rosenberg." Frank left through the hidden hallway door, and both girls waited until it was shut again before they started to giggle loudly.

"I didn't get here until around 3, and you worked for almost 2 hours. Then, came the kissing…and the snuggling…doesn't seem like it would take that long but with us…you never know. We were even until sunrise one morning, if you recall."

"Well, I say we ditch this cozy nook, and go make with the merry before something happens we're both not ready for…"

"I know." Both girls sighed, and then headed out into the club. "Well, I guess you get to see me working my mojo here."

"As long as it doesn't take almost 2 hours, and I fall asleep again…I'm sure seeing you in action is well worth it."

"Aww…Buffy…ya big sap." Willow leaned in to kiss her quickly, as she took her hand walking down the stairs onto the main floor.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate you playing for us this weekend, and being patient with the process." Willow had Buffy, the band, and the manager sitting around a table in the club after everything was closed down for the night. "I want you to know that we are interested in signing you guys, and have the paperwork upstairs right now. If you want, I'd like you all to come in sometime this coming week to discuss the details concerning the deal, and also get some feedback of what it is exactly you're hoping to accomplish. Basically, it's just a casual business meeting concerning the details…nothing too big. Are there any questions right now that I can answer for you?"

"Yeah." The pianist took her feet off the table, and leaned her chair back down to the floor, moving forward to ask her question. "Are you for real about this, Red, or are you just shittin' around with us like the others?" Willow was taken aback by the brunette's bluntness, and looked at her girlfriend for reassurance, who just smiled at the blush creeping up her neck.

"Oh…no. We're serious here. I can bring down the contract, and show you if you want. It's right there on my desk upstairs." Faith relaxed in her chair, and put her cigarette out in the tray.

"Nah…that's cool. I think we're gonna just head out. Tom here'll take care of stuff, and we'll see ya later." They all stood up, and Willow walked the band to the door, reminding the manager to just call her secretary, and they'd meet any day she had available. Buffy just leaned on the pool table, and watched her girl in action. Willow closed and locked the door, and turned swiftly on her heel to acknowledge the blonde.

"Yes…that would be an understatement." Willow walked over, and wrapped her arms around Buffy in the darkened building. "So…do I finally get to dance with my girlfriend, or what?"

"What? All that slow, mellow sensual music played the entire night…I got kinda worked up, and especially frustrated because I couldn't pull you against my body, and make with the moves."

"It's dark, and it's late. I'm sorry about tonight. I wasn't prepared for him to talk nonstop the entire time."

"No, the highlight was when he decided to tell us the story about how he found Faith. What was it? She was helping a broken down church bus while naked, and just happened to be pulled into a hug by the preacher at the same time the cops arrived? Yeah…that's a story to tell the grandkids."

"Yes, well, they certainly are a savory bunch but we'll be talking about it next week. Let's not worry about them anymore because now, I'm officially off duty, and I believe you said something about a dance."

"Yes…I did." Buffy pulled Willow's body tight against hers, and wrapped her arms around Willow's neck and shoulders. They swayed for a few minutes, and then Buffy decided to break the silence of the building. "Will?"

"No…not walk me home…well, that would be involved but I mean…I want you to come in with me."

"You mean like for some coffee, maybe watch a movie, sure. Sounds like fun. It's late but I don't mind." Buffy buried her face into Will's neck as their bodies continued swaying to their own music. She giggled slightly, causing the redhead's body to shiver from the vibration against her neck. Suddenly, all of her sense were once again in tune with the blonde, and she smelled the herbal shampoo that she thought smelled like a flower shop, and the cool, pleasing scent of her body wash mixed in with her perfume, and the invading smell of cigarettes from the club. The feeling of her skin brushed along her neck, and her blonde hair rubbing against her shoulder and cheek. Then, Buffy looked up to peer at Willow amused at the fact that she wasn't understanding. She leaned in, and kissed her passionately, causing their rhythm to break as the kiss deepened. When they broke apart after several minutes, all was forgotten, and only the warm breath felt on their parted lips was felt.

"It's ending rather nicely, I think." Willow and Buffy walked back to the Summers house hand in hand, purposefully staying close to one another for more than warmth from the cool breeze. When Buffy opened her front door, Bubbles was there to greet the two tired women. Buffy walked inside, and pet the cocker spaniel lightly, leaving Willow on the outside, and the tan dog waiting for her to enter. Willow was confused why her girlfriend was just forgetting about her, until she turned around to acknowledge her.

"Or something…" Buffy motioned for Willow to come inside the house with her index finger, smiling seductively at the redhead, as Willow entered the foyer, also petting Bubbles lightly.

"Maybe…" Buffy was walking backwards, continuing to motion Willow forward until she felt her foot at the bottom stair. "Wanna shut the door, and come on in the house?"

"Oh! Yeah…sorry." Willow was becoming extremely tingly all over from the look and language that the blonde was giving. She shut the door quietly, locked it, and took her coat off, hanging on the rack provided. "Um…so what did you have in mind?" When she turned around, she noticed that Buffy had disappeared. "Buffy?"

"I'm up here, Will." The distant voice could be heard coming from up the stairs, and Willow looked down at a panting Bubbles that was standing next to the bottom step.

"Are you coming?" She stopped Bubbles, and began to panic, knowing that if she walked up those stairs, there was no turning back. She took the tentative first step, and then she crept up the staircase. She kept her voice low, finally reaching the top step with the tiny cocker spaniel in close pursuit. The dog walked on past her, and went immediately into an open bedroom. Willow just followed, her breathing becoming more rapid at the anticipation of what exactly lay beyond that barrier. "Willow…" Buffy's voice was oozing sex, and the redhead thought that her name had never sounded more beautiful. Willow walked into the bedroom slowly, and took in the image of her girlfriend sitting at the end of a bed in the dark, still fully clothed. "Took you long enough."

"Well…I had a quiet guide." Buffy turned to look at Bubbles lying sleepily on the floor.

"Buffy…you know as well as I do that if I come over there, there's no going back."

"I am serious, Will. I want the last thing I see when I fall asleep, and the first thing I see when I wake up to be you."

"Just snuggling, I promise. I have some pajamas you can use, and an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. So, you can't use either of those excuses."

"No…no what abouts…I promise no hanky-panky, or grabby hands…If you want, I'll even handcuff myself to the bedpost to assure you."

"I do trust you but I don't know if I trust myself." Buffy moved off of the bed, and came to embrace her obviously worried and aroused girlfriend. "If I agree, then there must be absolutely no grabby hands, missy, and I mean it. I'll pull out resolve face, if I have to."

"No need. I just want my Willow cuddles to last through the night." Willow sighed, knowing that Buffy had won already. "Now, strip!"

"I agreed to sleeping over, not giving you a private strip show. Now, where are these pajamas,

and point me to the bathroom." Buffy went to her drawers, and pulled out one of her black nighties, showcasing it to Will. "Buffy…"

"Yeah…see?" Buffy handed the cotton pajama set to her girlfriend, and they both giggled. "The bathroom is across the hall, and the extra toothbrush is in the cabinet. I'll change in here while you get ready." Willow nodded, and headed to the bathroom, changing into the pajamas, noticing they rode a little above her ankles but they fit around the waist. She found the toothbrush, and the other things she'd need to prepare herself for bed. Once she finished, she returned to Buffy's bedroom, and found her girlfriend wearing the aforementioned cow pajamas.

"I know…nobody can resist the cow pajamas. Speaking of which, I knew it wouldn't be long before you got into my pants…"

"Huh?" Buffy motioned towards the pjs she was wearing, and Willow recognized the joke.

"Maybe…" Buffy pulled the covers back, and they settled into the bed, snuggling up against each other.

"Well, I didn't say there wouldn't be some girl-on-girl kissage involved." Buffy leaned her head up from Willow's shoulder, and kissed an inviting Willow. Their kisses lasted a little while longer, until both mutually agreed that they should stop if the pact was not to be breached.

"Good night, Buffy." Both girls drifted off, their bodies molded together comfortably, and smiles on their faces.

Through the sheer curtains, the sun was shining directly into the two sleeping sets of eyes that were facing each other on separate pillows, heads close but not quite touching, hands loosely grasped in between the two positioned bodies. When the remnants of sleep began to wake her body, Buffy's eyes gradually peeked open, and shut a few times more before she recognized the sleeping figure next to her. She stretched slightly, burying her face in the pillow, hiding a warm smile, clasping the hold on her girlfriend's hand a little tighter. Willow started mumbling in her sleep but it was so incoherent that Buffy couldn't make any sense of the few words that she did manage to catch. She moved a few stray auburn strands that had fallen into her girlfriend's face, and tucked them loosely behind the auditory organ, causing the redhead to stir slightly, and groan from the sleep intruder. When her eyes were open, and focused slightly, a lazy smile peered on a sleepy face.

"Mmm…morning." Willow stretched her body slightly, still keeping their hands clasped together. Under half-lidded eyes, she leaned over, and gave her girlfriend the first kiss of the day. "Sorry 'bout the morning breath."

"Make sure to wake up in the morning with my girlfriend being the first thing I see. So, as you can tell…the suggestion box never lies." Buffy leaned forward, and kissed Willow lightly again, keeping their faces somewhat close. "See…I just made sure to fill one of your suggestions."

"Oh, now the suggestion sounds like a bad one…I don't ever wanna move from this spot again."

"It is rather warm and comfy. The company's not that bad, either." They kissed gently again, and just looked at each other's features first thing in the morning after a restful sleep. "Buffy?"

"How come this is the first time you ever invited me in your house?" Buffy was quiet for a moment, and averted her eyes from Willow for a couple seconds, rubbing her thumb gently up and down her girlfriend's hand.

"Yeah but…it's not as nice as your apartment, and I guess I just thought you'd laugh at me."

"Buffy? What? No…I would never laugh at you over something like your house. From what I can tell, based on what I saw in the dark last night, and the few things I've managed to see this morning, it's a nice house."

"Yeah but I don't have all of those things like you do. I didn't want to make you feel guilty for having such a nice place."

"Buffy…look at me." Buffy looked into Willow's eyes, and she saw nothing but sincerity and love. "It's your house. It's your life. When I signed on to be with you, I meant all of you. I don't care if you have a thousand state-of-the-art gadgets lying around your house, or if your furniture doesn't match. They're yours, and that makes me love the house, no matter what." Buffy thought she was going to cry because she had never heard anybody talk that way about her since her mother died. She just stared lovingly back into green pools, and smiled warmly at her girlfriend's warmth and comfort. "Never be embarrassed for being who you are. You could live in a trailer with nothing but a broken yellow recliner for furniture, and I'd still want to be there because you are there, okay?"

"That I did. Come on…get your butt outta bed. You'll have to be my helper because I'm not the world's best in the kitchen." They climbed out of bed, and proceeded to make breakfast. Buffy gave Willow the tour of the house, inside and out, and even gave a few stories about times she spent with her mother and sister in certain places. All in all, it was a perfect morning. Buffy made sure to note that even her pancakes were fluffy, which in itself was a feat since they usually turned out flat. After breakfast and the tour, the two girls cuddled together on the couch, and just took the time to relish in the comfort of being together.

Walking through the halls of the third floor building, Willow and Xander were chatting about the meeting they had just vacated from with their newest band, Rogue Slayer. The meeting went rather calm, and the band only had a few qualms about the contract. A few things were changed, and within two hours of having everything completely mapped out, the newest addition to the label was made official. It was Friday, and Buffy decided that she'd cook a nice dinner for Willow and her sister, since Dawn was moving back in for the holiday break. Willow was surprised that the meeting let out earlier than expected, and planned to be over to Revello Drive earlier.

"Yeah…it is, which works out great since I really like her, too." They entered Willow's office, and she began shutting down shop for the day. Xander just leaned on her desk.

"What? Just asking…you used to tell me all the time about your sexual conquests, maybe I miss hearing your colorful explanations."

"Xander, I never told you anything. I told you that I had a date, and you'd make assumptions."

"Xander…" She put on her jacket, and slid her purse onto her shoulder, kicking Xander out of the office as she locked it for the weekend. "This time is different."

"Well, you always have this look like you just hit the jackpot, and your eyes are always glazed over when Buffy comes over for lunch…not to mention the contact. Plus, I've had to yell several times to get you to come out of your Buffy-induced haze just to get your attention. You've got it bad…and this is worse than Tara."

"I know…but it's so completely different than it was with Tara, or Fred even."

"That's the way these things usually work, or so I've heard." He walked her to the elevator, and held the doors open while she stepped inside. "Listen, Buffy's great, and she's great for you, and I can tell that you want this just as much as she does."

"There is. I'm just saying that you're in love again, and happy. And a happy Willow makes for a happy Xander, which makes a happy Anya, and I am very thankful for that but I'm more thankful that you found love again."

"Thank you, Xander but I'm not even sure if we've reached the point of love yet."

"No…more like things that people fail to see for themselves. I'm like the heart of the little operation. You're the soul. It just works that way. Now, go have fun with your new lady friend."

"Bye, Xander. Have a nice weekend off, and tell Anya I said hello." He waved bye to her as the elevator doors shut, leaving a contemplating Willow to progress downward. 'I hate it when he's right sometimes. I really am in love with her but it just feels like it's happened too soon. I should be overwhelmed but I'm nothing but content. Oh, well. No use denying it now. Yep, I'm in love with Buffy Summers.'

After she dropped her things off at her apartment, she readied herself to officially 'meet the family,' and dressed casually enough to be relaxed but dressy enough to be elegant. She finally decided to wear her brown pants, green turtleneck, and put a button-up blouse that matched the outfit, finishing it off with her brown dress boots. Grabbing a bottle of wine from her mini wine cellar in the kitchen, she walked the few blocks to her girlfriend's house, hoping to surprise her with some kisses as an appetizer. When she knocked on the door, Buffy greeted her with a surprised expression before she finally let her in the house.

"I brought some wine for dinner. You said Dawn's 21, so I thought it'd be okay."

"It's perfectly okay." She took the offered wine, and kissed Willow sweetly before walking back to the kitchen. "I just finished preparing dinner, and it should be ready in a couple hours."

"Lasagna, salad, bread…and now, wine! Thank you." She laid the bottle on horizontally on the empty rack by the microwave, and turned back around to talk to her girlfriend. "How's that sound?"

"Oh, you've not been to heaven yet but play your cards right, and you may get lucky…"

"Depends…" Buffy moved around the counter, and wrapped her arms around Will's waist, pulling her closer. "…on whether you play your royal flush or not." Willow's breathing became faster, and she became extremely aware again of how close their bodies were. Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss, the front door opened, and Dawn yelled for help. Moving to help the younger girl with unloading her car, the two women finally rested on the couch with each other. "I'm thinking that I should maybe cut down her clothes allowance. What do you think?"

"Well…she wouldn't be as stylish as her older sister anymore, and she might complain a little but…it'd be less to carry when she came home for breaks."

"My thoughts exactly." Buffy took Willow's head by the ear, and buried her fingers in slightly wavy auburn locks, pulling her in softly for a sensual kiss. They were so wrapped up in their kissing that they didn't hear Dawn coming down the stairs.

"Eww…get a room. Geez. I'm not going to have to live with you two swapping spit for a month, am I?" They pulled apart, and Willow hid her head behind Buffy's shoulder. Buffy just smiled, and giggled at her little sister.

"I did. I'm finished now." She walked into the living room, and sat in the recliner. Bubbles jumped up on her lap, and she immediately went into interrogation mode. "Okay…so Willow…."

"Good, 'cause your all she talks about on the phone, or in emails, or instant messages. She's always talking about you. I haven't even heard her talk about her writing in a long time." Buffy clenched her jaw, and sent a warning glare at Dawn to drop the subject but the brunette refused.

"Well, when is? You haven't had time to write since you moved here. It's like you completely gave it up."

"Buffy, you write?" Willow was curious because she had been wondering why Buffy majored in creative writing but worked for an art magazine.

"She's really good, too. She was always winning these awards, and getting her stuff published in journals but then when she moved here, it's like…she just stopped."

"You didn't have to stop what you loved because of that. You just use us as an excuse."

"Why would I? That's all in the past. I've moved on, end of discussion." Willow sat there, not sure what to do while the sisters bantered back and forth. She made a mental note to bring Buffy's writing up in private, trying to coax the blonde into letting her maybe even read some of her work. The oven timer went off, and Buffy went into the kitchen to remove the pasta from the oven. Dawn just crossed her arms, and huffed, leaving an uncomfortable Willow on the couch.

"They were okay. Thanks by the way for sending me that math stuff. It helped a lot. I think it may even helped me to get a B in the class overall."

"Anytime. All you have to do is ask." Discomforting silence filled the room, neither girl knowing what to say.

"You're not going to hurt my sister, are you? She's been hurt pretty bad in the past, and this is the first time I've ever seen her open up like this to anyone."

"She loves you, ya know." It was more of a statement of fact than an actual question. Willow just smiled, glad to hear that somebody cared enough for Buffy other than her…enough to make sure that she was good for her sister.

"That works out, then." Both girls shared a knowing smile, and a bond was beginning to form. Buffy walked back in after moving all the food to the table, and ushered the two women into the dining room. "This looks delicious, Buffy. Who knew you could cook?"

"Yeah, and not burn the house down." Willow giggled, and Buffy rolled her eyes, taking the joke. "It does look good, Buff. You must've learned this from Willow because I never remember your lasagna actually coming out looking like…well…lasagna."

"Haha. Just shut up and eat it." They prepared their plates, and continued eating through idle chitchat, making it through a peaceful meal without any major impending doom.

"Dawn, if you like…while your home, I could use some help over at the Bronze behind the counter."

"Really?! That would be great! I'd love to, Willow!" She moved to hug the startled redhead that tentatively hugged her loosely back. "No wonder my sister's so in love with you…you're like the coolest ever." She squeaked, and started picking up the dirty dishes, and moving them back to the kitchen, as a shocked Buffy, and a smirking Willow watched her go.

"I think you're a miracle worker, Will. I've never seen her move so fast just to do the dishes."

"Oh…I think it's the ones you don't know about yet that you'll like the most…" Buffy arched an eyebrow, and felt her body heat rising rapidly at the seductive comment. You could hear Dawn washing dishes in the kitchen, and Willow moved over to sit on Buffy's lap, while Buffy wrapped her arms firmly around her waist. "So…Buffy…what else do you wanna do tonight? Dawn mentioned calling up some old friends, which leaves the house pretty empty except for a certain blonde, and myself."

"Not particularly…just thinking out loud." They locked lips, and they heard a squeak, indicating that they'd been caught by Dawn again. They parted, and looked over at an excited Dawn.

"This is so great, you guys!!" She was moving her hands excitedly all over the place for emphasis. "I just called Janice, and she and Beth are coming over to have a sleepover. Is that alright, Buffy? Willow?" She looked from one girl to the other, waiting for an answer. Willow wasn't quite sure she needed to be in the conversation, so she waited for Buffy to answer.

"That's fine, Dawn. Willow and I were just going to stay over at her apartment tonight. The house is all yours. Just make sure it's still in one piece when I get back tomorrow." Willow looked at girlfriend, realizing that it'd be the first time Buffy actually slept over in her apartment. Buffy indicated for Willow to let her up, and Dawn moved back to hug Willow again, while Buffy went upstairs to pack a few things. When she came back downstairs with a small bag, she noticed that Dawn and Willow looked like they'd known each other for years, and easily fell into conversations together. She smiled at the way her girlfriend could charm anybody, and she moved into the living room to start the rest of the night. Willow hugged Dawn before they said goodbye, and Buffy clasped her left hand with Will's right, pulling her out the door, and down the few blocks towards her apartment. When they entered, Buffy immediately made herself at home, moving to the back hallway as though she had lived there for years. Willow just smiled at her girlfriend's comfort within the large space, and the fact that it did indeed feel like more of a home when Buffy was there.

Now bag-less, Buffy came back into the main room to find her girlfriend flipping channels on the television. She went to snuggle with her on the couch, and together they found a few things to watch as the night drew along too quickly. After some heavy making out, Willow stood up from the couch, bringing Buffy with her. She kept body contact with her, and continued the hungry kisses, as she pushed the blonde down the hallway, and into her bedroom. She didn't stop until she gently pushed Buffy back on the bed, crawling with her as the blonde inched up towards the headboard. Never breaking contact, she continued kissing Buffy passionately as her hand snuck underneath the off-white sweater that hid skin. She moved her kissing down Buffy's neck, making sure to add more sucking pressure to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her hand continued to roam underneath the shirt, studying every inch of warm skin that it could touch. When she finally reached her chest, she kneaded gently, relishing the feel of the mixture of flesh and cotton against her palm. Buffy gasped, and her moans were no longer small and quiet. Taking this as a good sign, Willow moved back up to kiss her, as she inched the sweater slowly off of her body, asking for permission. When it was to her neck, Buffy broke contact, and clumsily threw the sweater to the floor, returning to Willow's mouth as soon as it was over her head.

The kisses grew even more heated and desperate, and soon Buffy felt the need to feel Willow's skin against her own. She started to unbutton her blouse, and that was quickly discarded without having to break contact but they did have to break contact when Willow needed to pull the turtleneck over her head. Going back to their new routine, both girls moaned into each other's mouth as they felt the first contact of warm flesh against their body. Willow moved her kisses, sucks, nips, and licks all over Buffy's torso, neck, and face, as Buffy just kept total contact, making sure that she was touching the redhead with both hands at all time as she moved around her upper body. As Willow moved back to plant a searing kiss on Buffy's mouth, Buffy's eyes opened wide, and rolled back in her head in pleasure as she felt the redhead release the clasp on her bra, and move to teasing her chest. When they came up for breath, Buffy flung her bra from her shoulders, and immediately went about removing Willow's, kissing her upper body as Willow straddled her thighs. When she finally had the offending garment off, she pulled Willow back down on the bed with her. Their hot, wet kisses, and teasing continued until Willow's hand moved down the blonde's body, and unbuttoned her jeans. Buffy felt the zipper being pulled down slowly, and her center felt every slow millimeter that the clasp was taking, crying out to be next. Willow tucked her hand slowly under the waistband of her jeans, running it teasingly up and down her thighs, purposefully missing her center. From there, they went about removing the rest of their clothes, and falling back underneath the black, high thread count sheets that felt like floating on a cloud. Willow went to work, making sure to please every single inch of her girlfriend, making sure that their lovemaking was perfect, and would be remembered fondly. Buffy was moaning, groaning, and whimpering, and when they broke apart for a second, she looked up into Willow's eyes, and had never felt more loved than in that very moment, and she realized that this was the right time.

"I love you, Willow." It was breathed out heavy as their eyes stayed locked, and their bodies continued to move together. "So much…"

"Oh, Buffy…I love you, too." They broke their gaze, and crashed their lips together in another soul-searing kiss, as their passion moved throughout their bodies, and exploded in a blinding moment of true bliss.

As the last remains of her sleep started to come down, Buffy remembered the night before, and a slow smile crept through her entire body. Afraid that she'd find Willow gone, she slowly opened her eyes, only to be looking into warm green ones. Willow moved gently closer, and kissed her firmly on the lips, indicating that the night before wasn't a dream, and that they really made love, and declared it to one another. Buffy turned her head up slightly to notice the bright sky, and clouds floating through the sky window. Willow moved her hand to Buffy's sheet-covered waist, and stroked her fingers in lazy circle.

"I almost forgot about that…are you sure about that? Having her work the counter? Doesn't that involve bartending?"

"No. She'll just work the register, and take orders for food, that sort of thing. Nothing too terribly strenuous."

"Why not? Dawn said that you were good at it, and that she was surprised that you quit because you loved it so much." Buffy felt uncomfortable for a moment until she realized that this was her lover, and that Willow loved her no matter what. She felt safe, content, and trust completely in her girlfriend, and decided to finally explain a situation that she'd tried to hide for years.

"Right before we found out that mom was sick, I had finished this huge novel. I had a publisher, and it was going to be in print come spring. Then, mom's test results came back, and I started writing. It wasn't because I wanted to so much as it was that I just completely lost it. It was like my mind shut down one end to make room for another. So, I moved here, and devoted my time into taking care of Dawnie."

"More like a blocker. I felt the pressure of having to take care of Dawn, and had to face reality that not everybody gets to live out their goals."

"Yeah but you said that they were going to print the book. You were already there. You still could've taken care of Dawn."

"Just because a book is published, that doesn't mean that it will be a big seller. I had no guarantee that I could help run the house, and pay for Dawn's college. I needed more certainty than that."

"I had my plate full. I had Riley down my throat about not paying attention to him, Dawn nagging me about school stuff, the bill collectors knocking every five seconds, my boss constantly down my throat, and I never even had time to properly grieve for mom. I was expected to be the stronghold, the thing that kept everything together, so I just quit." Willow's brow furrowed, and pulled Buffy tight against her as she began to cry. "I just quit, Will. I couldn't handle it all, so I put my whole life on hold."

"Shh…Buffy, it's okay. That happens all the time. You're not the only one. When Tara died, I practically crawled into a shell. If it weren't for Xander, there wouldn't even be a Watchers Records anymore. Things get better, though. I mean, look at me. I bounced back…and now I have you, which makes it all the better. Maybe now, you can start writing again. There's nothing blocking your way anymore."

"I know but what if I don't remember anything? What if my writing's a big joke?"

"It's all up here." Willow released her hold on her girlfriend, and looked into her eyes as she lightly tapped her head. "You can't fake talent. And you can't get rid of it, either. You're stuck with it…and I believe in you. I know that you can do it."

"Yeah but knowing who you are, and reading your articles from the magazine, I know that you're an accomplished writer. Plus, you have an amazing mind that's always working…your imagination, the way you see things…I wish that I could find beauty in anything. Dawn believes in you, too."

"Well, then, there. You can write about me. It'll be about how I'm the bestest girlfriend ever, and am going to even make us lunch in bed." Buffy wiped her tear-stained face, and kissed the redhead genuinely.

"You are the best girlfriend ever, and nobody could ever do you justice by trying to put you into words."

"Oh, yeah? I thought it was because of the way you cried out my name in the heat of passion…"

"Anything you make would be perfect." They kissed a few more times before Willow reluctantly pulled out of bed with a sheet wrapped around her body. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, pull her hair back, and put on a robe, and then went into the kitchen to fix a quick lunch while her girlfriend crawled out of bed to do the same, minus the lunch.

When she brought the tray filled with sandwiches, carrots, and chips, she noticed that Buffy was missing from her bed. She laid the tray down on her dresser, careful not to spill the juice. She checked the bathroom, and she found a very naked Buffy in a very bubbly Jacuzzi.

"Well…you provide the lunch, I provide the entertainment…" Buffy's look was oozing 'come and get it,' and Willow hurried into the bedroom to grab the tray. Laying it down on the marble cabinet, she moved the plates and glasses next to the tub. Removing her robe, she slowly crept into the boiling water. "Mmmm…just what I wanted for lunch…Willow soup." She kissed the redhead seductively, and pulled her into the seat beside her.

"Actually, I brought deli sandwiches, carrots, and chips but your alternative doesn't sound bad, either. Just as long as I get to try Buffy soup afterwards."

"I think that can be arranged." They started kissing, and rubbing their slippery bodies together, and then Buffy's stomach growled. "Well, sounds like I have a protest from the lunch menu. Looks like we'll have to just have Willow and Buffy soup for dessert."

"Sounds like a plan." The girls took their time feeding each other the carrots, and tried to keep the sandwiches and chips from getting wet. Unfortunately, the bubbles would rise too high at the most inopportune moment, and make the tips of the bread soggy. Discarding that soggy sandwich bits onto the plate, the girls giggled through the lunch conversation in the hot tub, knowing that this would be a memory that would be forever remembered. Once lunch was finished, and pushed away from the tub, the girls quickly sought out each other's mouths again, and had several helpings of their dessert until their skin became too pruny.

"Do I really have to give you back?" Willow was pouting, and tried her best whiny tone to convince Buffy not to leave but so far, it wasn't working. Buffy would just kiss away the pout, and explain that she had to make sure Dawn and her friends hadn't trashed the house.

"I promise that I'll come back later. I need to get another change of clothes, and make sure that Dawn has money to order a pizza. I won't be gone but maybe an hour, two at tops." They were standing in her open doorway, and they both were dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, knowing that it'd be a lazy, comfortable day together.

"Okay…but I expect extra cuddles and kisses." Buffy kissed the pout away again, and then turned to leave. When she started to open the bottom door that lead to the street, Willow called her name. "Buffy! Wait. Why don't you bring some clothes and stuff over, and I'll empty out some space in my closet, and a drawer." Noticing Buffy's silence, Willow began to panic. "Oh, um…that is…you don't have to. I was just offering. I'm not saying move in because that would be cliché, only not really because there have been more than two dates, and no U-haul…but is it too soon? Did I ask too much?"

"Willow. No, I would love to bring some stuff over here. I'll even keep my extra Scooby-Doo toothbrush here for safekeeping next to yours. You can bring some of your things over to my house, too." Willow relaxed considerably, and her face just beamed, knowing that the relationship was definitely worth the risks involved.

"Yeah, and I can get a Scooby toothbrush to keep next to yours at your house. Oh, we can be like the Scooby gang."

"Love you." Buffy left, and Willow just stood in her doorway, and sighed. A sudden thought came to her mind, and she went back to her bedroom to put on some jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Locking up her apartment, she made her way down the block, and walked into a nice café that was also a bookshop. She waved at some of the customers she knew, and then went back into the personal journal section. Finding a nice brown, leather bound book with blank pages, she found it to be perfect, and proceeded to browse through the aisles, picking up several books that peeked her interest in the literature and poetry sections. She even went to the magazine rack, and found a few current creative writing journals and magazines. Making her way to the counter, she placed her several items down, greeting the all too familiar shopkeeper.

"Hi, Anya. How are you feeling? Xander said that your morning sickness has been getting worse." Anya started ringing up the items, and made faces as she punched in the price.

"I'm good. Thank you for being concerned about my general health and well being concerning myself and my unborn child. The doctor gave me a bunch of pills of different shapes and sizes that are supposed to aid in the sudden release of my bodily fluids." Willow's face cringed, knowing that she should have known better than to ask Anya about her health. "Now, what about you Willow? Why in the world are you buying all of these? You usually buy books concerning psychology, and other academic interests."

"They're so that I can help understand Buffy's writing better. I want to know how the system of creative writing works so that I can help her get back into the thing she loves."

"Well, Xander said that she obviously loved you, and I'm sure that she's had no problem in that department." Willow blushed, hoping that the small crowd in the café wasn't listening. "Is this all you're purchasing?"

"No. Actually, I wanted to see if that book I ordered on the history of witchcraft came in yet. Plus, I wanted to get something to take back for dinner later."

"Pregnant or not, I still enjoy the capitalist society, and enjoy people spending money. It makes the baby happy, too. You can feel it kicking whenever it hears the ding of the register, indicating another purchase." Willow's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as Anya went back into the storage room, and brought the ordered book to the front. Willow looked over the menu that she knew practically by heart but she wanted something to distract her from getting into that conversation with her friend. "Well?"

"Well what?" She looked up from the menu, and silently asked Anya for an explanation.

"Are you going to order? There are other people waiting to find their way to the counter in order to give me their money, and go home happy with their books and coffee."

"Two of everything? Have you lost your mind? There's no possible way that much food can be consumed by your tiny body."

"I don't know what Buffy would like from here, and you'll be closed by the time she gets back to the apartment."

"Yeah." Anya looked around, and did something that she never thought that she'd do. She helped Willow narrow the menu down to a few items. "Okay, well, then. I'll take two of those things then."

"I can do that." Anya finally finished ringing up Willow's purchases, and Willow handed her the money. Willow let Anya take the order back to the kitchen, while she bagged her books, magazines, and other items that she'd picked out from all over the store. Her food and drinks came out fifteen minutes later, and once she maneuvered everything for the walk home, she found Buffy sitting at the bottom of the stairwell waiting for her.

"Buffy, what are you doing?" She stood up, and helped Will with her bags and cups.

"What are you doing? It feels like you bought the whole bookstore." They walked up the stairs, and Willow unlocked the door. Once the food and mochas were on the counter, Willow pulled the blind up so they'd be able to eat at there. She laid all of her bags from the bookstore on the table, ready to show them to Buffy once they were finished eating. She began pulling out all of the food containers, while Buffy went to take her large bag back into her room. When she returned, she noticed that Willow had everything ready, and had even managed to light a candle for ambience. "Wow, Will. I'm gone for an hour, and you manage to buy the bookstore, and the café."

"Actually, this is narrowed down. I ordered two of everything but Anya helped me pick a few items that I thought you'd like. I eat there a lot because Anya runs it, and it's just two buildings down. Plus, bookstore…added bonus."

"Smart girls are so sexy." Buffy sat on the stool next to Willow, and kissed her firmly on the mouth. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation, and noticed the cornucopia of items that were presented. There were a few different hot sandwiches, different side dishes, two different dessert offerings, and even mochas to boot. "Wow, Will. You went all out…but you could've just picked something, and I would've been fine. I'm not the pickiest eater in the world."

"Yeah but this place is special to me…just like your deli by your work. I wanted to make sure that you found something that you liked."

"No need to worry, Willow. If I don't like something, you'd know by now…and everything here looks yummy, especially the melted roast beef. What's on this?"

"It's horseradish. I have them take the cheese off of one because of the whole mixing dairy with beef ordeal. That gives you the choice of either way…with the cheddar, or without." Buffy continued to scan wide-eyed at the feast before her, and her stomach agreed. "This sandwich is my favorite. It's heated turkey, Provolone cheese, lettuce, cranberry sauce, and wheat bread that's toasted lightly."

"It's like Thanksgiving rolled into one. Alright, let's try it then." Buffy grabbed a half of the sandwich, and couldn't believe that the crazy concoction actually was rather delicious. She devoured the half, and couldn't wait to try the rest. She grabbed one of the melted roast beef halves with the cheese, and found that her stomach still agreed. Then, she started digging into the coleslaw, and a few other foreign salads that Willow explained were from Morocco, since Anya's from an area close by called Arash Ma'had. When they finished the delicate desserts, Willow was amazed at the amount of food that Buffy had managed to devour. "Mmmm…that was amazing, Will."

"Oh, I have an extremely fast metabolism. The doctor said something about one girl in every so many blah blah has a high metabolism rate, and I even heal quickly. That hickey you gave me on my right pelvic bone? Gone." Willow was wide-eyed, and disbelieving until Buffy showed her that the dark bruise from last night was completely missing. Buffy sat back down, and kissed a worried Willow's wrinkles away. "It's nothing bad. It just means that I have something that others don't. Does it bother you?"

"No, no. I'm not bothered…just wow. I've never read anything about that before…I'm surprised is all." Buffy started boxing up the leftovers, and placed them in the fridge, while Willow washed her hands, knowing what she'd be holding, and wanting the sauce and grease from her fingers to be clear. Buffy followed suit, and soon they were cuddled on the couch in the living room. Willow brought the bags from the shop, and sat them on the table, and opted to put in some needed smoochies before her surprise. Breaking apart, Buffy finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"So, what's in the bag? Did you buy nudey mags?" Willow blushed, and Buffy arched an eyebrow, thinking that she'd actually guessed right, surprised that her Willow would even buy them.

"No…no…nothing like that. That is to say that…well…they do sell them but I wouldn't…buy them, that is." Buffy kissed the babble away.

"Relax. Just show me what you did get." Willow smiled, and nodded, pulling out several books of literature and poetry, and showed them to Buffy. "Wow. I'm impressed that they'd actually hold these titles. These are some high quality writers that people don't usually read. Rilke? He's known but you wouldn't find him in a classroom. You really know your stuff." Willow pulled out the literary magazines and journals, and Buffy flipped through the pages, beginning to see a pattern. "Will? What is all of this?"

"I wanted to understand your craft more…I thought that maybe I could help you, I don't know…kill the blocker, and get back into writing? See? I even bought a book on the laws and process of the literary world, so I'll know the business aspects." She pulled out that book, and noticed Buffy's dazed look. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No…definitely no to that question. It's just that…when I think you can't be anymore amazing, you turn around and do something like this. This is the nicest thing anybody's done for me. Thanks, Will." She wrapped her arms around Willow's neck, and kissed her cheek before pulling away, and browsing through the plethora of books.

"More? See? You did it again." Willow pulled out the fancy pens, the tray of floppy disks, a tray of CD-R's, and a professional stationary kit. "They have all of these things there? In that one little shop?" Her eyes were wide, and she was trying to fight the tears from falling.

"It's bigger than it looks from the outside because it actually takes up that whole building. I wasn't surprised when Anya decided to expand."

"Willow, I don't know what to say. Not even my professors took this much of an interest in my work…thank you."

"One more thing, and I'm through. I promise." She pulled out the leather bound journal, and Buffy tentatively took it, grazing her fingers softly over the outer material, and opening the pages to find nothing but blank ones. "I figured that you could write ideas, thoughts, concerns, and anything else that you'd need for the creative process in there. It'd give you a place to escape for a moment or two." Buffy kept looking up at Willow, and back to the journal, and finally, she laid the journal beside the dozens of books, and flew into Willow's arms, causing her to grasp for air as she was pushed back on the couch. Buffy planted a thousand kisses all over her face, and kept saying 'Thank you,' and 'I love you.' She finally stopped her loving assault on her girlfriend, and just stared down into genuinely happy eyes, and couldn't help but kiss the lids softly.

"Willow, you make me so happy. You have no idea what this means to me. Not only are you taking an interest but you are actively participating, and even encouraging me. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Buffy. I was worried that it'd be too much but I know that you have the raw talent, and I honestly believe that you can do it but you'll have to let me read some of your work, so that I can prove my theory."

"Will, sweetie…nothing will ever be too much from you. You're like the baby bear…you're just right."

"And you're my Goldilocks?" Buffy nodded, and ducked to kiss her passionately again, letting her know exactly how much she appreciated the love that she gave her, and that she returned.

Two weeks passed, and the two lovers spent both weekends together, switching from one house to the other. Dawn had started working at the Bronze, and once she got the hang of what exactly she was supposed to do, she became a great employee, which made both Willow and Buffy happy that the young girl was doing a decent job. She even went with the bartenders after work sometimes to go to an after hours bar for a few drinks before retuning home. Buffy had started writing minor details and ideas in her journal but she still hadn't started writing anything progressively.

Willow had been working with Rogue Slayer, and even went down to the second-floor recording studio to sit in on some sessions. Everything was turning out great in that department, and other than minor disagreements, the album was coming together nicely. She found a producer to take on the album, had Vi set up appointments for photo shoots, and made sure that everything was running smoothly in the technical aspects regarding each track; she wanted the best quality that they could offer, and that was one reason Watchers Records had been a successful independent label. When the first album was finally finished, she would assign the band to one of her management team that would be able to work with them the entire time that they were on the label, which would give her more free time once again. She loved finding new bands but she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect at the beginning, so she always took on overseeing that things were perfect, while she also did her regular duties as the person that ran the entire label (she still thanked every deity that Xander had decided to work for her, taking on some of those duties along with her). Even though they had signed more bands along the years, she still wanted to run her business with 'heart and soul,' as Xander always told her. She hadn't been able to eat lunch with Buffy for two weeks, and their phone conversations at night were shorter than usual because of her vast amount of work that she was forced to bring home. Only being able to see her on weekends, Willow was starting to go through Buffy withdrawals.

It was Wednesday, and she was down in the studio while Faith laid down some piano tracks. Not paying much attention to her watch, she was startled to find Buffy wrap her warm arms around her waist. After the minor scare, she relaxed into the arms before turning around to kiss her lightly in greeting. Buffy just smiled, and Willow finally took notice that she'd been down there for two hours, and it was time for her lunch break. Luckily, she had finished most of the work for that day already, and was able to take a long break that day. She told the engineer and producer, and they gave Faith a break as well, having her come back after she had something in her belly before they laid down the vocal tracks.

"I couldn't find you in your office, and Vi mentioned that you might be down here. After searching through this labyrinth, I finally found what I was looking for after about twenty minutes."

"A date for lunch. I thought that we could go out today, maybe eat at that café of Anya's…they have outside seating, and it's a beautiful day. I took a chance that you'd be free. If not, I would have just kidnapped you."

"Sounds like a plan…" She kissed her gently, and they both heard a cough behind them. Turning around in Buffy's arms, Willow saw Faith standing there alone, looking like she wanted something. "Something wrong, Faith?"

"Nah…I was just thinking that…I'm on a lunch break, too…so thought I'd go with you two…maybe keep you in line."

"I kinda like the line when it's crossed…over and over and over…" Willow blushed at the sensual tone in her girlfriend's voice, and unwrapped herself from the embrace, grabbing Buffy's hand to keep contact.

"Sure. I don't mind. We're going to Anya's. I should buy you lunch anyways, since you've been working so hard the last few days."

"What's this? You're buying other women lunch? I'm jealous." Willow kissed the mock pout off Buffy's puppy-dog face. "Okay…just as long as I'm the only one that gets dessert." Willow rolled her eyes amusedly, and motioned Faith to follow them out the door, and the few blocks to the café. When they arrived, the three women found a cozy table under the shade of an umbrella, and waited for somebody to take their order. Looking over the menus that resided on the table, Buffy was astounded at the variety and choice. "Will? You were going to get two of each of these?"

"Well, I'm not even sure my appetite could've handled all of this. I'm glad that you narrowed it down." Faith continued looking over the menu with interest, while Buffy and Willow laid their menus back in the holder that was attached to the umbrella pole. The two girls just stared at each other lovingly, as Buffy moved her knees closer to her girlfriend's, just so that they were lightly touching. A young man came over to the table, and took their orders. "Um…I'm thinking a chipotle chicken salad sandwich, and I'll take the fresh fruit thingy." Willow smiled warmly at her girlfriend's enthusiasm for food, and then turned her attention back to the waiter.

"Just give me the usual, Johnny." He nodded, wrote something on his pad, and then turned back to Faith who was still halfway buried in the menu. "Faith? You ready?"

"Oh…yeah, Red. Just trying to get my bearings straight. When I get hungry, everything starts to look appetizing. I almost ate this salad that Jake the drummer made until Frankie warned me that he had mixed it with vinegar."

"No…it was macaroni and cheese. I think Frankie even said that Jake put cloves and carrots in there. I didn't care at the time…it was food, and I was starving." Both girls, and even the waiter scrunched their faces in utter disgust at the thought of the common side dish with added extras. (A/N: Just a funny note, when I was ten, I tried cooking mac and cheese, and put cloves and carrots in there…and it was gross. Luckily, I did not add the vinegar. That was something my younger sister did once.) "Anyways…I'll take just a slice of the Boston crème pie." Faith put her menu back in the holder, and Willow looked at her in confusion.

"That's not the vibe I was getting from you a second ago when you had your head practically buried in the menu. Come on, Faith…let me buy you a decent lunch. When we get back, you have to lay down vocal tracks…you don't want your belly to sing backup, do ya?"

"Yeah…whatever. I guess bring me one of those clubs." The waiter nodded, wrote something briefly, and before he could leave the table, Faith piped in again. "And a slice of that pie." The young man took off towards the back, to let them prepare the lunch, and Buffy went back to staring awestruck at her girlfriend. "Come on, blondie. I'm sure Red's got the message by now. Don't let me stop ya." Faith leaned back in her chair to stretch a little, and get more comfortable. Willow blushed, and Buffy did a double take to make sure she had heard Faith correctly. "Look…I got no qualms. I can wait for the food. I'm sure this joint's got a bathroom or something."

"Faith! No…that's not…I mean, we aren't…that is that, we do but not now. It's lunchtime."

"Hey…do what ya gotta, Red. I'm just saying that if you and blondie here wanna have a nooner, don't let me stop ya." Willow blushed, and had that wide-eyed look that Buffy had claimed as her 'gaping fish' expression when she got nervous. Realizing that Willow was actually thinking along those lines, Buffy wanted to save her before the redhead revealed too much.

"Faith, while it is an…odd offer, thank you but we're here to eat lunch. That's all." She looked over at Willow, and lowered her voice a little seductively. "There'll be plenty of time for the dessert later." Willow wanted to change topic, so she went with the first thing that she could think of at the top of the bat.

"So, Faith. Are you and the others having fun? With the record, I mean…making it?" Faith smirked, knowing that she could easily take her teasing further but relented to the redhead's obvious change in mood.

"Yeah…the others like it fair enough. They've laid down tracks before as background musicians…it's my first time in the studio...it's not overwhelming, just a lot more work than I thought it'd be, ya know?"

"Yeah, we get that a lot from new bands. The public doesn't realize just how much goes into getting an album ready for sell, and then the work that goes into publicizing it so that they'll actually buy it."

"It's cool that you're all involved with it, too. That surprised me. Frankie said that the different jobs he's taken over the years, and he's never seen the guy that ran the whole shebang sit in at all. That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it's something I like to do at the beginning. It won't be that way all of the time because…hello, running a label, should actually get back to the office sometime. It'll be cool, though. I'm working on finding the perfect management team to run your contract length."

"No, I know that. This is a management team…the person or persons that make sure everything's taken care of for you guys. Photo shoots, press conferences, interviews, tours, signings…that sort of thing. I'll be around every once in a while but I won't be in charge of taking care of those things for you anymore. I'll get the paperwork, and approve them but I won't be the one actually talking to the photographers, magazines, and the like." Faith nodded her head in understanding, finally beginning to relax in the company of the two lovers. The food arrived, and the rest of the lunch was light, and the conversation turned more towards likes and dislikes other than serious business or life issues. When Faith finished her huge slice of pie, the three moved into the bookstore to pay for the meal. Buffy and Faith went around to browse, since neither had actually been to the store before today. Picking up a few books, and some extra pencils and red markers for work, Buffy found Faith standing by the magazine rack, flipping through a Playboy. After giggling at the choice, she finally rolled her eyes, and they scanned through it together, laughing at the poses, and sexual cartoons. Meanwhile, Willow as at the counter, talking to Anya as she forked over the cash for the meal.

"Hello Willow." Anya was perched on her stool casually, looking a bit frumped and tired but still eager for business. Since the lunch crowd had already diminished rapidly, the two girls had a little time to chat. "I have something for you."

"Oh, yeah? What is it?" Anya reached under the counter, and pulled out an envelope, handing it to the redhead. Willow scrunched her brow in confusion, and Anya just shrugged. "Why is it addressed to me here?"

"I don't know. Do I look like the postal service, or the idiot that decided that you lived here instead of that apartment of yours?"

"Okay. I guess not but still…it's a little odd. They could've sent it to me at work if they didn't know my address."

"I didn't open it this time. Xander made sure to let me know that it wasn't proper to open another person's mail, even if it does come to the wrong address."

"Well, he mentioned that, too…but I don't really understand all of these laws."

"Anya, you've lived here eight years…surely you've picked something up along the way…at least, I hope you have."

"It was, wasn't it?" Willow, trying to avoid another Anya-money-business lecture, looked around for her girlfriend, and Faith. Seeing them giggle together, and looking at a magazine, she rolled her eyes in amusement, just watching the way Buffy's eyes would glow every time she smiled, laughed, or found something funny. How her hair would move with her as she giggled, and the way her nose crinkled when they came across something obviously unpleasant. When Buffy finally looked up from the magazine, she noticed Willow watching her, and smiled lovingly back at her. Deciding to tease her lover, she arched an eyebrow suggestively, and motioned towards the restroom with her head. Knowing that Willow was blushing furiously from the startled look on her face, she told Faith that it was time to head back to work. Putting the magazine down, the two girls walked up to the counter, and Buffy paid for her items, trying not to pay attention to the serious banter that Anya was reeling on about capitalism, and the way that people browse, and don't buy the browsed items.

"Bye, Anya. It was nice to see you again." Buffy took Willow's hand, and practically dragged her giggling girlfriend out of the store. Faith followed behind, trying to figure out what the hell the shopkeeper's issues were. When they finally reached the studio, the two lovers said bye to Faith as she exited the elevator on the second floor. Faith thanked Will for lunch, and proceeded down the hallway to finish her tracks. When the two lovers finally reached Willow's office, the first thing Willow moved to do was make sure all of the blinds were secure, and tossed her purse, jacket, and the envelope from Anya on her desk. Then, when Buffy finished hanging her jacket on the rack, Willow pushed Buffy into the door, crashing their lips together in a feverish kiss that surprised the blonde at first, until she moaned into the redhead's mouth, and moved her own arms up and down her back hastily. Reaching under her shirt, Willow made contact with Buffy's bra, and made quick movements to one side up to give her hand better access to the mound it concealed. When Buffy gasped from the sudden movement, she pushed Willow back without losing contact from the kiss or grabby hands, until they both fell onto the couch. Kissing a wet path down Willow's jaw line, the blonde nipped her sensitive earlobe before whispering breathily into the ear. "Not that I mind the sudden attack…but you are at work…" Willow never stopped running her hand through the blonde locks, or her other hand kneading her girlfriend's left breast.

"Yeah but I haven't had dessert yet…" Willow pulled Buffy back down to capture her in a kiss, and as soon as the redhead managed to unzip the blonde's jeans, and reach down under her panties, Xander came storming into the office, only to turn right back around when he saw them, and close the door. The two girls jumped off the couch, embarrassed, and unkempt from their impromptu 'dessert' making, and heard Xander knock on the door.

"Will…if you're not too terribly busy…you may wanna come and see this." Trying to put some order to her tousled hair, and smooth her clothes, Willow kissed Buffy gently with a promise for no interruptions that weekend. "Now would be good, actually…"

"Yeah…working on a new story…I'll tell you about it later. Talk to you later, Will." She kissed her sweetly, and hugged her tightly before grabbing her jacket from the rack. She followed Willow out of her office, finding a fidgety Xander with a goofy grin as he acknowledged them. "Hi, Xander."

"Willow didn't stay for dessert?" Buffy noticed that her girlfriend was crimson, and Xander was totally clueless to the innuendoes being passed.

"Oh…no. Willow stayed for dessert, all right. She was the one that actually insisted we get some today."

"Lunch hour was just up then, huh? I hate when I'm still hungry, and just about to get to the creamy filling of my dessert, and have to stop eating. I can sympathize. What did you have?" Willow was choking, covering it up with a cough, as Buffy watched Xander's ignorance of the entire situation with amusement. Her playful smirk returned when she looked back at a beet-red Willow.

"Strawberries and cream. I didn't get to the creamy filling yet, either." Willow was trying to avert her gaze but her entire body was still tingling from their earlier encounter, and now from the blonde's quiet seduction. Her entire being was honed in on Buffy, and she wasn't sure if she could wait two days before she could see her girlfriend in private again. "Well, I should get going, Xander. Have fun, Wills. Talk to you later." She kissed the red cheek, and playfully brushed the redhead's thigh as she began walking to the elevator, leaving a flushed redhead, and smiling Xander watching her leave.

"That's quite the woman, Willow. I must say…you did good." Willow still watched as the elevator doors closed, and she groaned from the loss. "You okay, Will? I realize that I walked in on quite the interesting moment…sorry about that. It's just that, there's something you need to take a look at ASAP." Willow finally looked at Xander, her body still tingling, her brain still mush, and her eyes still lust-filled. "Woah, Will…turn the dial down to about 3 there before you hurt somebody."

"Huh?" He pointed at her eyes with two fingers, and she shook her head to clear them of thoughts of her frustration, arousal, and irritation. "Oh…what is it, Xan?"

"Yeah…well, he was found in a dumpster this morning brutally murdered. Somebody had practically ripped his skin off completely…it's really disturbing. The other two are in my office right now, and the media has been all over this. You're going to need to make an official statement to the press in an hour, and I'm glad that I found you in time…even though I'm sorry for interrupting the girl-on-girl action you had going." They started walking down the hall towards his office, and entered to find the other two sitting on the couch, shaking their legs nervously. "I got Will here, guys. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this." Willow went to sit down on the couch between Andrew and Jonathan. Her face showed compassion, and obvious regret, and she attempted to reassure the guys that she'd figure something out before the hour.

"What if whoever did this is after all of us, though?" Jonathan was trying to stop his leg from shaking by putting his hands on his knees but they only started to go up and down with them.

"Yeah…I don't want that to happen to us." When Andrew mentioned that in a high-pitched voice, Xander brought over the police photos to show Willow. As she looked through the media's release photos, her body shook with disgust, and fear for the other two. She handed back the photos to Xander with a look of an idea forming.

"Well, we'll make sure that there's extra caution taken with you two, and assign bodyguards to be with you at all times."

"Andrew…obviously, for private activities, you won't be escorted. We'll have the guards check your rooms before you enter, and then they'll stand watch outside the room."

" We don't even know if this was an attack at the band as a whole, or just Warren. For all we know this far, it's just a random killing." Xander sat down atop his desk, facing the three on the couch. "After the police confirmed the identity of the body, you were called here in the office, so I had to take the call, Wills. The media being the media has already posted the news…naturally, all we can do is wait until the forensics team finds something useful that tells us it was a planned attack, and wait for the detectives to let us know if the other two have anything to worry about at all."

"No matter, we're taking precautions. Safety first." Her brow furrowed in sympathy at the two nerdy boys sitting beside her. "Are you guys gonna be okay?"

"Well, Willow…I think it's obvious that we're not gonna be able to finish the tour now, though. Without Warren, it's just the two of us. Plus, we're gonna have to go to his funeral, and actually deal with the fact that he's not there anymore. It feels strange. We just saw him last night."

"I know, Jonathan. It is strange…it always is when somebody dies that you know. I know the two of you had your differences with Warren but he was still a friend. If you really want to cancel the rest of the tour, we'll do that. It's perfectly understandable."

"Andrew…we'd find a bass player to finish the rest of the tour with you guys. That's no big deal. It's up to you guys what you want to do. We'd still love to have you here with us…have an evil duo instead of an evil trio." The two nerds smiled thinly at Willow's attempt at making light of the intense situation.

"Yeah. I think I'd like to finish the tour. It'll help me keep my mind off things…"

"Yeah, and maybe that's what this evil flayer guy wants…it happens all the time in movies. The criminal wants to scare somebody into not doing something…like Demi Moore in "The Juror." The guy wanted her to make sure she wouldn't vote him guilty…so he killed her friend. Maybe that's what he's trying to do…keep us from touring."

"As far fetched as it sounds, all options are still open, and we're not going to throw caution to the wind on this one. We'll find a substitute player for the tours, and when it's over, I'll meet with you guys, and see what you want to do then. Does that sound good?" They both nodded, and Xander's secretary said that the pressroom was ready for Willow. Willow nodded, and stood up to leave. "Guys…be careful, all right? If you need something, don't hesitate to call Xander or myself. Nice to see you guys again but I wish it were under different circumstances. I'll call you later, Xander…let you know how things went at the press conference." Xander nodded, and the boys said their goodbyes to the redhead, as she made her way down two floors to give a statement on what she knew was going to keep her occupied all weekend. 'Dammit…can things get any worse? Wait…please don't answer that.'

Unfortunately, she was correct in her earlier assessment that the whole Warren murder fiasco would take up her weekend. She was constantly on the phone with somebody from the label, Xander, or the police on updates. She had been forced to stay in the office late on Friday, staying to catch up on the other work that she was forced to push aside during the entire ordeal, and she had to cancel her weekend with Buffy…something that she was still groaning about, and to make matters worse, she could only talk to her for about 15 minutes before some new information was found, and then she'd have to begrudgingly get back to work. She found herself at work early Saturday, and the work still never stopped. On a good note, the guy who flayed the bassist had been arrested, and had actually confessed the entire thing. Apparently, Warren had 'fucked his girlfriend, and then left her pregnant but not until she was kicked out of his hotel room without her clothes.' The guy stated that he wanted him to know exactly what it felt like to know the pain she withstood from that. The DA had found that the young man had a record of violent acts, and he had been on trial for aiding in two other murders before Warren. Willow and Xander had gone to the private, closed-casket funeral, and had been contacting lawyers and their publicists to make sure that Warren's antics weren't tagged directly to the label's business. To say the least, Willow was tense, over-stressed, hadn't received much sleep, and she missed her girlfriend immensely. When the media started to lay off the case, everything was running smoothly with Jonathan and Andrew, and those working on it at the label were finally given a break. I hate when something like this happens, and I'm in the office all weekend. I need a shower, and to take a breather for a while.

Walking into her apartment, Willow finally began to relax. She moved to her office, placing her briefcase down on her desk, placing the mail in there as well. She sat down in her big, comfy computer chair, and went through her mail. When she finished sorting through the junk and bills, she began taking out things from her suitcase, and filing them away in the cherry-oak cabinets. Closing her briefcase, she pulled out the envelope that went to Anya's, and opened it. She found a short letter inside, and began to read it.

out. I know you were at the gallery opening, and I realize that it may have been wrong

for me to paint those things from our private life but my teachers always told me to

It was impossible not to paint our times together. I was hoping that we could talk at

the gallery but you took off before I had a chance to get away from all the art critics,

and potential buyers. I would've written sooner but I wanted to give you time to cool

off in case you were mad at me. I figured that's why you took off so fast. I wanted

to give you something but I'm not sure that you'll even want it anymore. Please, call

When she finished reading the letter, Willow placed it down on the desk, and groaned. It had been over two months since the opening, and Kennedy finally called her on the fact that she never even said hello. Plus, she was still telling her she loved her, and that made Willow feel uncomfortable for the first time. With Buffy in her life now, all of her love went directly to the blonde, and there was nothing left to give Kennedy. Deciding that she should probably call her, and let her know that she wasn't mad, just shocked at first, Willow picked up the phone. She searched through her Rolodex until she found Ken's number, and dialed. After the third ring, Ken's voice came across rather hurriedly.

"Yeah. I got your letter the other day, sorry it's taken me this long to reply."

"No, I understand. I've been following the news. I saw your press conference Wednesday…you look different."

"Different?" Willow closed her briefcase, and decided that she wanted that shower sooner than later. She went to her bathroom, and continued the conversation while she undressed, and prepared for the shower.

"Yeah. Not bad different…definitely not bad different. I don't know…you looked…happy." Willow sighed, missing Buffy more because she was the reason for that happiness. "It's good to see you happy. I didn't get to see it too often but when I did…they're some of my favorite memories."

"No, Will. It's okay. I know that it was different for you but what we had was…you were the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me." There was uncomfortable silence from both lines, as Willow pulled towels from the closet, and laid them on the bar by the shower. "I'm sorry that I missed you at the gallery."

"You knew that I painted…it's what I studied in college, while we were dating no less. Thank you, though." Willow could hear the hostility in the brunette's voice, and she cringed at the loss of her memory. She just never paid much attention, and for that she was truly sorry.

"I'm not mad like you thought I was. I was shocked, a little flustered, then a little upset when I found out that other people could buy them to display who knows where…but I'm alright. I'm not upset. I wasn't really that upset before I left the gallery. It was nice…you're good."

"Thanks. Um, Will…actually, I painted something that I wanted to give you that night. One of the paintings of us that I didn't display…it was private."

"Well, yeah…I just meant that it's…it's the best memory I have of us together, and I wanted you to have it."

"Sure…um, I guess just drop it off by the office sometime next week if you have a chance. If I'm not there, just give it to Vi, or Xander."

"I kinda wanna give it to just you. Do you think that we could maybe have dinner sometime? I promise no funny business." Willow sighed as she started her shower water.

"Sure…maybe Tuesday night? I'll be at the Bronze. We could have dinner there, and talk in my office. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes. Sounds perfect. I'll just come by sometime after 7. That's when you're usually there still, right?"

"Bye, Will." Willow hung up the phone, and checked the water. Since the water was perfect, she hopped in, and proceeded to rid herself of all the dirt and grime that she'd been buried in all day.

When Willow had called Friday, and mentioned that they couldn't meet that weekend, Buffy began to panic, thinking that this was going to be another Angel incident, and now that Willow had what she wanted from her, she was going to leave. After hours of crying, she finally decided that she was being ridiculous because Willow would never do anything like that, and the blonde admonished herself for even thinking along those lines. They barely got to talk because of the extra work caused by the murder, and Buffy knew that Willow was under stress. She heard it in her voice, even if she didn't directly say anything was wrong. Dawn was working all weekend, and Buffy's only company was Bubbles. It was Saturday evening, and she decided to just relax in front of the television, and watch some rented videos. Willow was going to call later, so she had the cordless on the side table, ready to go.

Just as soon as Meg Ryan stepped off the elevator and Tom Hanks stepped on, there was a knock at the door, startling Buffy from her spot snuggled warmly on the couch. In her sweats, worn UCLA t-shirt, and tube socks, she opened the door to find Willow holding a pizza and some videos, smiling with pure joy and hope at finally seeing Buffy. Buffy just stood there, shocked, uncertain for a moment what to do. Didn't take her long to decide, and she quickly opened the door, and ushered her girlfriend into the kitchen. Willow laid the pizza box on the island counter, and Buffy grabbed some paper plates, napkins, and cokes from the fridge. They still hadn't said a word but knew what each other was thinking as they went about their jobs. Finally, everything was settled for some munching, and Buffy shook her head clear.

"No, that's not what I meant, you goof. I meant…I thought you were still working."

"I was but things settled finally, and we're all taking the rest of the day off…well, night now." Buffy rushed around the counter to plant a gripping kiss on Willow, and she wrapped her arms into her hair, as the redhead embraced her lover around the waist.

"Yeah…I took a shower when I got home. I was gonna call before I came over but decided to surprise you instead. You're not mad, are you? Were you busy?" Willow mock pouted, and Buffy kissed the luscious pouting lip softly.

"Will…you definitely succeeded in surprising me, that's for sure. A good surprise, too." Willow leaned forward to kiss her gently, wrapping her arms tighter around the blonde's waist, pulling her closer to her body.

"I've missed you so much. These past few days have been like hell, and all I could think about was how much I just wanted you there to keep me calm."

"I think you just wanted a distraction, which I would happily have obliged, too…anytime. At least everything's over now, right?"

"Well, yeah…you'll have a chance to finally relax, and maybe even sleep some." Willow rubbed her hands around the small of Buffy's back, and kissed her chin lightly.

"And while I was in the shower, I came up with a full proof plan that would help me relax completely the rest of the weekend."

"Oh, yeah? I wouldn't be included in this little plan of yours, would I?" Willow was smirking, and nodding.

"Yes…you play the primary role. If you're not there, then the rest of the plan falls apart completely."

"Well…for starters…pizza and movies because I'm hungry, and feel like being lazy and cuddly. Then, the most important part of the plan…" She trailed off as she eyed Buffy seductively.

"Yes?" Buffy was already feeling the heat coming from her redheaded girlfriend, and couldn't wait for the plan to start.

"Dessert." Willow's face turned innocent, and Buffy was confused for a moment until Willow pulled out a can of whipped cream from her purse, then her body heat began to rise rapidly with the implications from that simple can.

"Yummy." Buffy's voice was low, and husky, which did not go unnoticed by Willow.

"Definitely." Buffy moved in to kiss Willow, and was confused when Willow turned around, and opened the pizza box. Noticing the frustrated confusion from the blonde, the redhead kissed her quickly before explaining.

"I'm hungry, remember? If I'm going to have dessert later…and I plan on having a LOT of dessert tonight…I'll need my energy to keep it down." Buffy realizing the logic in the statement, started eating the pizza. After they were finished eating, they cleaned the counter, and went into the living room to watch the videos. Willow popped in one of the films, and snuggled in beside her girlfriend on the couch. As the movie started, several racy images flashed on the screen, and Buffy wasn't sure how to react. First, her genuinely traditional girlfriend had rented porn. Second, she was starting to feel said redhead brushing up suggestively against her body. When Willow noticed Buffy's confusion, she turned towards the screen, not yet noticing what she put in since she was still completely in tune with her body next to hers. She turned towards the screen, and noticed that there was a large, hairy man with fangs and horns obviously pleasuring a young woman. "Eep!" Willow panicked, unsure of what was going on, and what her girlfriend must be thinking.

"Buffy, no. I didn't rent this. This isn't mine…I don't understand. This isn't…I didn't…how?" Buffy removed herself from the couch, and went to pick the case up, and giggled when she read the title, knowing what must have happened.

"You sure it wasn't 'Booty and the Beast' instead?" Buffy arched an eyebrow playfully, knowing that Willow was about to go into babble mode, which she had missed entirely too much.

"No! No…I rented the fun loving Disney classic. It's supposed to be dancing candlesticks and silverware…not a beast doing…that…what is he doing?" Willow cocked her head to the side in confusion, and Buffy turned around to look at the screen. Noticing that the beast was making sure that Beauty was completely full, Buffy turned the television off before she had to explain too much. "Buffy, what was that?"

"Stop it Buffy. I'm serious. How could he have been bent over like that? It's not physically possible, is it?" Willow looked so cute in her inquisitive expression that Buffy had to sit on the couch to kiss the wrinkles on her forehead.

"It's not entirely pleasant. Riley used to…do that with me sometimes. I wasn't too keen on the whole getting it from all ends. It was too much at once." Willow blushed, and tried to hide her obvious shock that Buffy had let her boyfriend do it that way. "They're not all real, obviously. Only one is, and with Riley, he usually liked to put it in my mouth, and use the…added ones to my other ends. He said that it got him off knowing that I was completely filled." Buffy was trying to be gentle, knowing that Willow had never had a man in her bed. "It's not something I recommend to anybody."

"No problems here, believe me. Why did you let him if you didn't like it? You could've told him to stop." Buffy sighed, wishing that she could have spent this conversation talking about lovelier things…like Willow's kissable mouth, and the way she smiled when Buffy kissed the tip of her nose.

"I did but he said that it's never fun the first time, that I should try it again. So I did, again and again…but still never liked it. By the time I had the courage to tell him I didn't like it still, he had left."

"Oh, Buffy." Willow wrapped Buffy in a tight embrace, and kissed her cheek before breaking away to lock eyes. "You'd tell me if you didn't like something, right? And you know that I wouldn't push you to do something you don't want?"

"Of course, Wills. You know the same goes for you, too. If something's not right, just tell me. Complete honesty."

"No secrets…agreed. Now, what else did you rent that's not an animated film?" Willow averted her eyes, which made Buffy realize that all five of the vids she brought over were cartoon films. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I wanted something light…fun, sweet, yet entertaining…I thought…what better than Disney movies?" Buffy kissed the whine from Willow's tone.

"You're too cute, Willow." Willow smiled before kissing Buffy again sweetly on the mouth. She pushed Buffy back onto the couch, and continued the sweet kisses, while running her hands loosely along her sides. When the kisses started turning more needy and passionate, Willow broke away to look into Buffy's darkened pupils.

"I think I'm ready for dessert now." Buffy's reply was to grab Willow back down onto her, and finish completing the rest of the redhead's plan, which she figured would take until at least sunrise.

"Hey, Red." Faith peeked her head into Willow's office, and waited outside the door for the redhead to acknowledge her presence. Willow looked up from her computer, and smiled at the brunette, motioning for her to take a seat on the couch. Willow saved her work, went to shut the office door, and turned around to greet Faith.

"Hey! I just heard the tracks from the other day. Things are coming along great. Once the mixing is complete, we'll start thinking about marketing. What brings you here? You should be getting some rest today. Big photo shoot tomorrow." Willow sat down on the couch beside her, and moved positions so she could face her directly with Faith mirroring the action.

"Oh, well…things are calm after last weekend, that's for sure. Why aren't you at home resting?" Faith just shrugged her shoulders, and started looking around the office.

"Oh, no. Just got bored, thought I'd see if you were busy for lunch, or if that girlfriend of yours was around."

"Buffy's not coming over for lunch today, no. She has a lot of work to take care of over at the magazine, so she's taking a quick lunch over there. Did you want to go somewhere to get something to eat?"

"Ah, nah. I mean…I was thinkin' that maybe I'd buy you lunch, since you bought me lunch the other day. Even the scales, that sorta thing, ya know?"

"Yeah but I wanna." Faith looked like she didn't care but she was really hoping that Willow would accept her offer. Willow just smiled warmly at the girl's offer, and accepted. After grabbing her coat, the two walked a few blocks down to a little health food restaurant that Faith walked into with caution. "You sure this is good?"

"Trust me. Plus, extra bonus for the food containing all sorts of healthy alternatives to the usual greasy French fries." They sat down, and ordered their food, with Faith a little reluctant to ask what was contained in some of the items. "So, on your day off, you decide to come and take your boss out to lunch?"

"Are you crazy? I used to stay far away from my boss on days off but it was kind of difficult, since he was my dad."

"All the kids in my high school." Faith arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yeah, hard to believe such a hot mama yama was the school nerd but that's where my roots lie. What about you? Where do you come from? I really don't know much about you."

"Oh, well, I'm from Boston. Grew up there until I ran away when I was fifteen. Lots of bad stuff goin' on at home…just didn't wanna be there anymore. I don't know how I ended up in Sunnydale but that's where I landed. Been here ever since."

"Yeah…not the best of times but as you can see, I managed." Faith started playing with her glass rim, running her fingertips across the top. "Got my GED two years back because I couldn't get a job that was worth shit. Then, I met the guys, and we started playing together on a regular basis. From there, the rest is history…the stuff that you already know."

"Yeah, well…I felt like I was gonna burst all the time. I'd been in jail for some time, and that cooled me down…made me think things through."

"Yeah…it's still there…but I can control it better now. It's not controlling me anymore. It's probably where you see the calm."

"What about it?" Faith tried to stare at Willow but knew that the redhead already sensed something.

"I know that you aren't living comfortably. You never gave an address or number to be reached…you're just always there. Do you not want us to know where you live? If it's bad, then I can guarantee you that some of our other acts were worse off before we signed them. You can tell me."

"Um…there's this old motel on the outskirts of town that I've been staying at for awhile. They let me pay $15 a day…nothing too fancy but it has running water and a bed."

"The necessities of life. There were some guys that were living over at the car compound, sleeping in broken down cars, so you're doin' better than you think. Don't be ashamed."

"Lonely." Faith looked up at the redhead, and wondered why she was so intuitive. "I've been there. Hardly anybody knows where I live now."

"That I was hiding…not just from others but from myself, as well. Only three people knew where I lived. Others had been there but were unaware that I lived there, too. They just thought it was a party building that I had rented."

"I have a spare room in my apartment, and nobody has ever even used it. It's got everything in there already, so nothing needs added but it's lonely, too."

"Is this the part where you offer to let me stay with you because you feel sorry for me?"

"No. I don't feel sorry for you. I'm not trying to help you in any way. I just have an extra bedroom, and thought it'd be nice if you'd like to live there with me. You don't have to, of course. It's not necessary for you to keep your job…it's just an offer. Not as a boss…as a friend."

"Friend, huh? I've heard of those." Willow smiled at Faith's smirk, knowing that it wouldn't take much to talk the girl into staying. "Yeah, well…as long as you and Blondie keep it down, I'll give it a shot. Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Right. Plus, you'd be there for all the parties this way…at least, when you're not off touring, or doing publicity…those things. There's just no sense in keeping that ratty motel room if you're not even going to be there half of the time."

"I'm not that close with the other bands, and besides…I trust you…you've come by everyday to my office…even on your day off, so you must trust me, too. Plus, you caught me in a giving mood."

"Whoa, Red…I'll bet Blondie can't wait to see you tonight." Willow blushed as the waitress brought their food. While they began digging in to the assortment, Faith was shocked that the food wasn't terrible. "So, what are you and Blondie doing tonight? Friday night…date night, right?"

"Um, actually. I'm not seeing Buffy tonight." Willow looked sheepish but guilty at the thought of having dinner with another woman.

"No…I'm not cheating on her. I was supposed to have dinner with this woman earlier in the week but things come up, and I couldn't, and this was the only time that we could work out…hence, no Buffy."

"Why not? If it's a business deal, then you coulda taken B…she wouldn'ta minded."

"So, it is leisure then…" Faith smirked, trying to get a reaction from the other girl. All Willow did was blush, and want to hide from her probing eyes.

"Huh?" Willow scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion, and Faith just laughed. "What?"

"Not always…depends on what mood I'm in…not much for relationships, though. Been in a few…bad, good…take 'em or leave 'em…doesn't really matter one way or the other. I live more by the want, take, have philosophy of dating."

"If I want them, then I take them…and I have them. Pure and simple…nobody gets hurt…it's just purely fixin' the physical needs."

"Okay…I understand that to some level. I guess my perspective's changed within the last few months, though."

"Right…but it goes both ways. You two are so into each other that it's sickening at times. But like I said…to each his own. She makes you happy, and vice versa, and that's a beautiful thing." Willow smiled at her friend's sexual logic, and the fact that everything logical involves sex. The rest of the lunch was spent in casual conversation, and the two decided that Faith could move in that night, while Willow was out with Kennedy. For the first time in her life, Faith felt like she was wanted, and that felt good.

Another Friday night without Willow, and Buffy was more than disappointed. She didn't want to be jealous girlfriend, especially since Willow assured her that the dinner was purely platonic, and that there was nothing going to happen between her and Kennedy. However, the illogical part of her brain was on overload, and she kept pacing the floor, wanting to call the redhead every ten minutes to make sure that nothing had changed. Luckily, Dawn decided to come in that weekend from college, and was currently watching her sister pace for the umpteenth time in front of the couch.

"Buffy…sit down." The blonde just looked at her sister in a daze, obviously agitated and frustrated. "Buffy, please. You're making ME nervous."

"Sorry, Dawnie." Buffy sat down but her legs were shaking rapidly, and her eyes kept darting around the room in panic. "What if they end up having sex in the bathroom again?"

"Willow and Kennedy…it's happened before…and even after they were broken up after a year…what if I'm not enough for her anymore?"

"Buffy…Willow loves you…this Kennedy, she doesn't love her…they may have had sex in the past but that doesn't mean that it will happen again. Calm down, you have nothing to worry about…stop being so jealous."

"Buffy…you are so jealous that the Jolly Green Giant has taken a vacation." Dawn crossed her arms, making sure that her sister understood her point. Buffy relaxed for a second but tensed up again, and Dawn caught her before she could start mouthing off bad things about the other brunette again. "Buff…honestly…this isn't healthy. Sure, you're jealous…hell, I would be…but not to the point where I'm about to hyperventilate. You need to relax. Willow said she would call as soon as she left the restaurant." Buffy slumped back into the couch, and sighed dramatically.

"I know…it's just…it's been two Fridays that Will's had to cancel, and I just get frustrated is all. I mean, I understand…I do…I just want more Willow time is all."

"Maybe you should try actually dating during the week, and not just on Fridays and Saturdays? It's a crazy idea but it just might cure those Willow blues."

"Yeah, I know. We just don't want to jump into things…right now, the weekends work."

"It's not from where I'm sitting, or where you're sitting, either if the puffy cheeks are any indication. I'm not saying see each other every day…just maybe if something comes up that you have to cancel on a Friday or Saturday, you should make up the day during the week." Buffy looked at her sister with an impressed expression.

"Obviously you more than me because, no offense to Willow…but I'm doing fine in the boys department." Buffy smiled at her sister, and Dawn smiled back before the two started giggling, and falling into a more relaxed environment. "Buffy…I really like Willow."

"Do you think this is the real thing? Like…the forever kinda thing with you two?"

"We'll see how things go. It's only been almost three months, and I don't wanna scare her, or myself for that matter."

"I know." They settled into the couch more, and Buffy started stroking Dawn's hair in a sisterly fashion.

"I've never seen you this happy before, Buffy. It really suits you. I hope it is a forever kinda thing because I don't wanna have to go back to broody Buffy again."

"You so were. Plus, she gets me good concert seats, and backstage passes to see Glory perform, which is major bonus Buffy's girlfriend points in my book."

"Come on…how could you not like that song 'You're the Key to My Universe?' Honestly, Buffy, I don't know where you find your musical tastes."

"Music differences aside, Will is still cool for getting me the tickets. I've thanked her thousands of times over emails."

"Well, yeah…just because you're dating her doesn't mean that I can't email her. If she's going to be my sister-in-law someday, might as well get along, which we have no problem doing." Buffy was about to comment when there was a knock at the door. Hoping with every fiber of her being that it was Willow, she jumped off the couch a little too quickly for Dawn to gain balance, and she fell off the couch with her. Buffy threw the door open, and she was half disappointed to not find Willow there but she was also excited at who it was.

"Charles!" Buffy rushed to hug her best friend, and ushered him and his guest inside. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still working in LA at that detective agency." She looked up at him in awe. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, and with Gunn's new job, the emails weren't twice a day like they used to be. Now, they were stuck with just the one email, just a little longer in length. She was aware that he was dating a new girl but couldn't remember her name, and Buffy had mentioned Willow repeatedly to the point where Charles couldn't wait to meet her, despite the fact that neither knew when they'd see each other again. Obviously, now was the time, and Charles had brought his girlfriend but she didn't have Willow with her, and that caused Buffy's face to fall shortly until she remembered that her best friend was standing in front of her.

"I am. I just took the weekend off to come see you. Thought I'd meet this infamous girlfriend of yours. Oh, this is Fred by the way." Fred smiled, and the two girls shook hands and exchanged greetings. Dawn had made it into the foyer by then, and jumped into Charles's arms when she recognized him. "Hey there, Dawn. How's the school life treatin' ya?"

"It's great. This is my last semester, thank everybody. I can't believe you're here! I haven't seen you in a year."

"I know, and sorry 'bout that." He looked apologetically from Dawn, and finally resting his gaze back on Buffy, who just smiled. "Well, I'm here now, so let's get this party started. Where's the redhead?" Buffy sighed, and Dawn decided to speak up before Buffy started ranting again.

"Actually, she's out with a friend right now but she's going to call later. Are you in town for long?"

"Charles, you're hardly poor. You make more money than me, for crying out loud but yes, you can stay in mom's old room. We changed it into a guest bedroom, although we seem to always lack guests."

"Well, now ya got 'em! We'll just put our stuff up then, and settle in for the weekend. I remember where it is." Buffy hugged Charles again, and watched as the tall black man, and tiny brunette ascended her staircase. Buffy turned around, and Dawn already knew what her sister was thinking, so she handed her the phone, getting a thousand 'thank yous' and hugs in return.

"I want you to." Willow was currently staring at a large canvas that showcased a time that the redhead actually reviewed as nice between her and the younger woman. It was of the day that they had spent on the beach. However, there was no sex involved. The day had been gentle, and they actually had managed a decent conversation. That was when the friendship part of their relationship had actually blossomed, and it was a memory that was always pleasant for both girls. The painting showed the beach, the two girls looking out into the ocean. The distorted images were still present but the colors were softer, and the strokes gentler. Willow was amazed at the difference between this piece, and the others that her ex had painted about their relationship. "It's of that day on the…"

"The best day of my entire life." Willow felt uncomfortable again at the girl's obvious adoration of her, still after two years. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Will. It's just a fact for me, and there's no other way to describe it."

"No, it's okay. It was a great day, and I enjoyed it as well. Just…things worked differently, and we saw things differently. Different life, different experiences. I'm not proud that I treated you like I did but I am glad that you were in my life, if that makes sense at all."

"Hey, that was mostly my fault for not being a good girlfriend. We even stopped having sex those last few months, so there wasn't even that anymore. I was hurt by the principle of it but when I actually thought about it, I'm not mad. I deserved it, and I know that." Kennedy leaned the frame against the table, and placed her hands on top of Will's.

"You never deserved anything like that. We should've just talked it out instead of me getting drunk every night to hide the pain."

"Guess not." Kennedy took her hands back, and played with them under the table. "So, are you dating anybody now?"

"Yeah, actually." Willow's face lit up at the thought of her girlfriend. "She's amazing. I've never felt this way before."

"So, you two living together, or what's the deal? Tell me about her." Willow eyed her ex curiously, wondering if she heard her correctly. "Come on, Will. I'm a big girl. We're the past, this is your future we're talking now. I wasn't kidding when I said that I wanted to be friends earlier."

"I'm totally sure." Willow rolled her eyes amusedly, and they both relaxed a little in their seats. They had finished eating about ten minutes earlier, and conversation was still being kept light. That's when Ken decided to bring out the painting, and wanted to get into some deeper conversation with the redhead, hoping that there could be a friendship blossom once again, like it did that day on the beach. "So spill, Will."

"Yeah, lucky me." Willow had a glazed over look, and Ken had to stop her fingers a few times to get the redhead back from cloud nine. "Oh, well, she and I have been taking things slow…wanting to get things right."

"I know…but that was different. You had to coax me out of my shell before I'd even date you to begin with…once you were in, you didn't waste any time, though."

"She gave me an awesome cover story, too. My stuff is selling like crazy thanks to her. Remind me to thank her when I meet her, and I will meet her. You can't hold out on me, Will. If we're going to be friends, I want to be part of all of you this time…except the sex and cuddles part. Those are now reserved for Buffy."

"It's okay, Will. We just weren't meant to be, and I'm cool with that. You helped me become a better person, and I'm eternally grateful for that. I couldn't ask for anything more." Willow genuinely smiled, and decided that she would try and be friends with the brunette, especially since the dinner had been easier than expected. Willow's cell rang, and she ignored it for a second. "Answer it, Will. I don't mind." Willow reached into her purse, and read the name. Seeing that it was Buffy, she was torn between utter excitement at hearing her girlfriend's voice again, and nervousness that something was wrong.

"You're too cute…no, Charles! He and his girlfriend drove up from LA for the weekend. He wants to meet you, and wait until you meet his girlfriend. You two will get along just fine. She babbles as much as you do almost."

"Most definitely, and not just to meet them, either." Willow blushed at the seductive tone Buffy was using to lure her to the Summers residence. Kennedy noticed, and started putting her jacket on, mouthing to Willow that they should leave. Willow nodded, and started putting her jacket on as well, still talking to Buffy. "I've missed you, Will. Come home to me." The two stood up, and left the restaurant. Willow grabbed Kennedy's arm before she could walk away. Kennedy nodded, understanding that she should stay a moment.

"Love you, too. Bye." Willow hung up the phone, and turned back towards the brunette.

"No, really, and if you're serious about the friendship deal, then I'm in." Kennedy's eyes lit up, and Willow hugged her ex before saying goodbye.

Before she took off towards Buffy's, Willow stopped at her apartment on the way to drop off the painting, grab the present that she had bought earlier that day, and check to see if Faith was there yet. Walking in, she noticed Faith was sitting comfortably on the couch in the main room, and after dropping the painting off, chatted for a few minutes to make sure she was getting settled. After explaining that she would be at Buffy's for the night, Faith nodded, smirked, and teased the blushing redhead until she had walked out the door. Now, Willow was standing on the porch, and waiting for somebody to answer her knock. She still didn't want to just walk in like Buffy had endlessly told her she could. Buffy opened the door, and immediately flung herself in the redhead's surprised arms, kissing her firmly before hugging her again.

"This is so great. My best girl gets to meet my best friend. It's a momentous occasion, and I'm glad that you're here."

"Well, who else would fall under the category of your best girl? Is there something you're not telling me, Buffy Summers?" Buffy kissed her firmly again before pulling her into the living room. Charles and Dawn were sitting on the couch, eating popcorn, and watching a movie on the television.

"Charles, I'd like you to meet Willow, the best thing that ever happened to me. Willow, this is Charles, the best friend money can buy." Charles stood up, and greeted a blushing Willow. "Where's your better half?"

"Oh, she went to change into her pajamas. She'll be back down in a minute." He turned his gaze towards Willow, and observed her for a few moments studiously. Willow tensed under the study until Charles nodded his head in affirmation. "Yep…you did good, Buff. She's a hottie, for sure. Although, I gotta say, Willow…if you're dating this one, better keep all of your socks hidden."

"For a month? I went around without socks for a month because she kept stealing mine in college."

"Yeah…wait until you hear some of the stories I can tell you about this wild one."

"There will be no storytelling. I want to keep my record clean with her. As far as she knows, I'm a perfect angel." Willow eyed her girlfriend amusedly.

"You've got to be kidding me, Buffy. Angel? More like…oh my goddess!! Fred?!" The others turned around to see the slim brunette rushing down the stairs, and Charles and Buffy eyed each other curiously as their girlfriend's crashed together in a tight embrace.

"Willow! What are you doing here? Well, that's a still question. You're obviously entitled to be here, just…why are you here? I haven't talked to you in a few days, I was beginning to worry!"

"No, no worrying. There will be no worrying for you, missy. This is a worry free zone. Why are you here is the better question? I actually live in Sunnydale but you…you live in LA."

"I came down with Charles. He wanted to meet Buffy's new girlfriend, and catch up on old times. He wanted me to meet Buffy, too…and I just realized that I'm rambling again."

"No, it's alright. I've missed it. I've missed you. How are you? And Charles is your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. About a month now. How did you…Buffy! You're Buffy's…oh my! This is silly…we're supposed to the smart ones!" Both girls giggled, and hugged each other excitedly again, jumping a little at seeing each other again. Charles leaned down towards Buffy to whisper conspiratorially but loud enough for the other girls to hear. Dawn just watched from the living room, shaking her head in amusement at the display.

"Is it me…or have our girlfriends just ditched us altogether, and decided to go for each other?"

"Looks that way…" The two girls turned around, and decided to link hands to tease their lovers.

"Well, Will…if I'd known you were going to get that excited, I would've brought a thousand Freds. Maybe not Fred Flintstone."

"Fred! You know…high school sweethearts. My first love. Pretty much my first everything." Buffy's eyes opened wide, as she recalled some of the saucy stories Willow told her about her time with the slim brunette. She felt the jealously return but ignored it totally when Willow crushed her into a warm embrace, and kissed her neck lovingly.

"I just didn't put two and two together, I guess. Wow…so this is the infamous Fred. I look upon you in a whole new light now." Fred's smile was still wide but she blushed slightly under the smirk Buffy was sending her, knowing exactly the kind of things Willow had told about her. Charles was still unaware of the stories but he was definitely curious since the heat in the room rose considerably.

"Oh, nothing, Charles…just that Willow and I dated in high school, and a little into college before the long distance thing started to get harder. We both just mutually decided that it was time to move on, and have been the best of friends still to this day. And I assure you, Buffy…there are far worse stories I could tell you about Willow than what I'm sure she's told you about me." Willow blushed, knowing that Fred would tell many of the stories of their better years that still embarrassed her after several years. Deciding to move into the living room, the four joined Dawn, and began to watch the movie. However, it wasn't even five minutes into the movie before the stories began, and that night, each of the four found out all sorts of interesting and embarrassing things about their respective lovers that they could tease them about for years to come. Finally, Fred and Willow yawned simultaneously, and giggled before Charles and Buffy decided to take them to bed…to sleep, of course. After saying their goodnights and preparing for bed, Buffy and Willow snuggled together in her bed.

"Well, I like Fred, and Charles seems to like her, so we're agreed." Buffy kissed her girlfriend's smiling face, and the two smiled into the kiss. "I've missed you."

"Well, work was pretty much uneventful…well, as uneventful as the label gets. Oh, I had lunch with Faith today."

"Oh, there's three women in one day that've caused me to turn green with jealously." Willow kissed Buffy lightly before snuggling in closer.

"No reason to be jealous. I'm all yours." Buffy kissed her softly. "Actually…speaking of Faith. She's living with me now."

"What?" Buffy moved back a little to see her girlfriend's face. "When did this happen?"

"Today, actually. I asked her, and she moved in while I was at dinner with Ken."

"So, you see two ex-girlfriends, and invite a girl to live with you, and I have no reason to be jealous?"

"Buffy…it's not like that, and you know it. I found out that Faith has been living down at that old, beat-up grossness they call a motel outside town, and I couldn't bear the thought of her living like that. We've become good friends these past few weeks."

"Don't know exactly, and I didn't want to push it but I think it was the money issue. They played for practically nothing before, and since I have that extra bedroom that's never used anyways…wouldn't hurt to have the company during the week."

"I know. It's just strange thinking of Faith living with you now but I'll get over it." She kissed the tip of her nose lightly. "You have the biggest heart of anybody I know."

"Charles was just kidding. I never gave up my lunch everyday to that girl. You've seen me eat."

"That's why you had two lunches with you everyday, sweetie. The fact that you decided to let the girl have your second one, though…that's the sweetest thing I've heard in a while."

"Okay…the second sweetest thing." Willow kissed Buffy's neck. "Dinner with Kennedy was nice. She wants to actually be friends, and I think it'll actually work. She also gave me a painting that she didn't display from that series that showcased our private life."

"Okay, miss art reporter…I'm sorry we couldn't find another day to meet but I promised her we would this week."

"That's why Dawnie said you were pacing the entire house, and she had to hide the phone from you."

"Sounds like heaven." Buffy stroked the arm that Willow had around her body gently, and started playing with the auburn locks with the one that was around the redhead's body, holding her closer. "Dawn actually mentioned something tonight that I thought we could consider."

"These past few weekends, we haven't been able to see each other because things have come up, and she thought that we shouldn't just limit ourselves to the weekends anymore. What do you think?"

"Sounds like your sister is one smart cookie. Don't know where she gets it from, though because it sure doesn't run in the family."

"Hey!" Willow ran her fingertips loosely on Buffy's side with the arm that her girlfriend was stroking. "So, do you think we're ready?"

"What can I say I learn from the best. Yes, I think we've been ready for a few weeks now. We're beyond the point of no return now. You're stuck with me, Buffy Summers."

"Well, good…because I'm not going anywhere, either, which works out perfectly." They kissed a few more times, and continued just lying in their comfortable silence, relishing in the warm contact of each other's body pressed against them. Soon, Willow drifted off to sleep from Buffy's soothing strokes, and it was long after that Buffy followed after her.

"Buffy, Fred and I are going to my apartment for a while, is that okay? I need to pick up a few things, and check on Faith, make sure she's settling." Willow and Fred were standing by the couch, just having descended the stairs, and found Charles and Buffy engaged in conversation while watching television.

"Of course, Will…just behave, you two." The two girls giggled, and walked out the door. Charles turned to Buffy, and arched an eyebrow.

"Okay…now tell me about those two. You obviously know something, and aren't telling."

"Yeah but you keep getting this smirk, and I see the green float all over you when you see them huddle close, and whisper, so don't deny that something's up. You can't lie to me, Buffy Summers." Buffy sighed, knowing that she was going to get Charles into a frenzy.

"Alright…but you have to promise that I didn't tell you." He held up his right hand.

"Well, I only know what Will told me, so bear with me. They dated, as you know, and things got physical between them."

"How much further can you go beyond sex?" Buffy eyed him, and he quickly shut his mouth.

"They dated for three years in high school, and around their junior year, they started making with the merry. Apparently, according to Willow…Fred was something of a wild lover."

"Yeah…well, I'm just going on what Will told me, remember? Besides, people change…"

"That's beside the point." Buffy tried to hide her smile but it was too powerful to control. "Anyways…they were always at it, Willow said that they were always all over each other, and their principle even put them in detention twice when the janitor caught them in the closet a couple of times. Willow said that they liked having sex all over the place, and that it was funny because Fred was very vocal."

"She's usually quiet…" Buffy arched an eyebrow. "Well…there were a few times but it's still new for us. Where exactly did they have sex?"

"Some of the places I found funny were under the bleachers at a football game, in the book stacks at the school library, in the middle of the park on an afternoon with families playing all around them, and my all time favorite: the Bronze."

"It's been the best club in Sunnydale for years now…well, mostly because it's the only one but Willow's dad ran it, and now she does. They had sex in the bathroom hallway, in her dad's office, and once even on a couch off to the side of the dance floor. I have no idea how nobody caught them."

"Maybe…they had a really physical relationship. When they were freshman in college, Fred went to UCLA, Willow stayed here, and the long distance thing just wasn't working for them anymore because of their constant need to touch one another. According to Willow, they just both decided to call it quits, and stay friends."

"Nah. Willow started dating Tara a few months later, and that summer Fred and Willow got back into their physical habits. When it came time to go back to school, though…Tara caught them one night, and it was this big blow up, and they've refrained from the sexual side of things ever since."

"Yeah, I thought so…and sure, I'm extremely jealous because Fred was her first love, and first everything…but I don't think they'd do anything now, and if they did, Willow would feel so guilty that she'd break down into a sobbing ball at my feet begging for forgiveness."

"Uh-huh…just a little." They both laughed, and relaxed back against the couch, sighing after the story of the two former lovers. "Besides, I know Willow loves me."

"She's said so enough times these past few days that if she didn't, I'd start to worry."

"No…and I hope we never do but I know that when it comes to that, we'll get through it because we'll both want to. If we never fight, I'll think that something is seriously wrong. I've always fought in relationships."

"Your relationships were always nothing but fights. Even with Angel…all you did was fight. This happy you…I like her. You should definitely hold on to that one."

"I know you do." They smiled at each other. Charles turned towards the television, and groaned at

the screen. He started yelling at the calls being made in the basketball game, and Buffy just laughed. Things were working out for the blonde, and all she could do was do a little happy dance on the inside.

When they walked into the apartment, both girls fell in giggling. Faith had just exited the kitchen, and was watching the girls while she dug into her noodles. When they were in the door completely, Willow fell against Fred still laughing. Faith noticed that the entire time that both girls never lost contact with the other, and she arched an eyebrow in speculation. Once Willow closed the door, Fred noticed that Faith was standing there observing them questioningly.

"Oh, hi. You must be Faith. I'm Fred." She held out her hand to take, and Faith moved forward reluctantly, still watching Willow's hand on the small of the slim brunette's back. "Willow said that you just moved in yesterday."

"Yeah. She's letting me live with her for a while until I get my own place." Willow ushered Fred further into the main room, and helped her take her coat off, placing their outerwear in the closet. Faith went to sit on the couch, and Willow grabbed Fred's hand, having her follow the busty brunette's action. Once all three ladies were on the couch, Faith tucked her socked feet underneath her, and continued eating her noodles, keeping her eyes on her boss, and the girl that was NOT her boss's girlfriend. "So, Fred. How you know Will?"

"Yeah but we're still good friends." Both girls looked at each other, and giggled, huge smiles plastered on their faces. Old patterns were easily found again in just the few short days, and the two girls were enjoying each other's company immensely, vowing to visit each other more often. "She's actually dating Buffy's best friend, Charles. It was so funny because Friday night after I left to go to Buffy's…I get there, and there she is!"

"Charles wanted to see Buffy, and meet her new girlfriend, and lo and behold if it wasn't Willow!"

"I'll bet that was a fun reunion." Faith laid her bowl down on the coffee table, and picked up the remote.

"It was, and the best part is that we're not going to wait so long next time to see each other again. This has been a great weekend."

"Yep. It sure has." Faith noticed the girls staring at each other with bright smiles, and could tell by the constant touching, and flirty glances, that they had a serious, physical relationship once upon a time.

"Oh! I needed to get some things before they left. I keep meaning to mail the stuff to Fred but things just come up, and I never do. Now that she's here, I don't have an excuse."

"Oh, alright. Well, if you need anything just let me know. We'll be back in my bedroom." Faith arched an eyebrow, and Willow and Fred blushed profusely. "No…not like that…just, you know…stuff. I have the stuff back there to give to her."

"I'll bet you do." Willow groaned, and pulled Fred back into the hallway, leaving a tilted head, observing Faith to continue channel surfing. The two girls entered Will's bedroom, and the redhead shut the door, so that Faith wouldn't come back to tease them some more. Fred was looking at the pictures and items on Willow's dressers and shelves.

"You kept it?" Willow noticed that Fred was pointing out a simple crystal stone but the stone held meaning between the two girls.

"Oh, I don't know…we broke up…don't people usually get rid of things like this after those things happen."

"As was I." Willow smiled shyly at Fred's open confession, remembering just how hard the decision to part was, and the months afterwards.

"Yeah…we were camping in the woods, and went on a hike. After we made love by the lake, we

"Was to." Both girls giggled, and Fred ran her fingertips over the crystal, as Willow moved to see

it as well. "Willow…do you ever think that things would've been different…if we'd never…"

"Don't talk like that, Fred. No more what ifs. We played that game the summer after our freshman year, and look what happened. I almost lost Tara."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Willow sighed at the love that was still easily pouring into each other after so many years. Truth was that they both decided not to see each other, only email or talk on the phone, if their friendship thing was going to work because they could never stop touching. They were like moths drawn to the flame, and Willow loved Tara deeply, and didn't want to hurt her again but she knew how hard it was to resist being with Fred, no matter if making love to Tara was just as good if not better. When they talked privately for the first time Saturday afternoon, they came to the mutual agreement that they'd both grown as people, and were beyond the need for physical contact. Even if they were constantly touching one another, and never stopped loving one another, they knew that it would be beyond apocalyptic this time if something happened between them. So, they were trying a new thing…only friendly touches but there were still the flirty looks, and Buffy had even asked Willow about it. She had been completely honest with Buffy, telling her about the summer while Tara moved back east, and that part of her would always love Fred, and want to still have that physical contact. Buffy started crying, thinking that she had lost Willow but through slow, gentle lovemaking, Willow reassured the blonde that everything had changed for her, and that all she wanted was her…over and over and over again until they both drifted off in each other's arms. Willow looked back up into Fred's eyes, and saw the guilt still lingering from the past.

"You never asked anything of me. It just happened. Who's to say that it wasn't supposed to happen? Maybe it was supposed to give us some form of closure."

"No because in all honesty, part of me still wants to kiss you." Fred moved forward, and watched Willow's movements and expressions until they were a breath apart. As soon as their lips connected gently, Willow moved back a little. "I can't, though. I'm with Buffy. That's where I want to be, and I won't do anything to hurt her if I can help it. I'm sorry, Fred. I just can't." Fred nodded slightly, and kissed Willow's right cheek, which caused Willow to blush at the gentleness of it, and take her into a warm embrace. "I've missed you, ya know?"

"Definitely without a doubt. I wish that we were as connected in the same way you two are. I'm kinda jealous, if I'm honest at all. I mean, we were happy but you two…I think that when you have your first fight, you'll still be happy…a little sad but still happy. She's the real deal, Will. Don't make the same mistake that I made with you. Don't let her go, ever."

"Good." They parted from their embrace, and sighed, realizing that they had finally had closure. Both girls giggled, as Willow went over to one of her dresser drawers, and pulled the bottom drawer completely out, revealing a collection of recorded videotapes. "Are those…"

"I said that part of me still wanted you. They would help me go back to a better time in my life before Buffy, before Tara. You were my first, Fred…of practically everything. That's not something a girl forgets too easily."

"Everything is on those tapes. Graduation, prom, homecoming…even just us goofing off at the Bronze, or even at picnics and parties."

"If I got rid of those moments, I'd be throwing everything else away! Fred, we had sex like rabbits. Hell, we put rabbits to shame."

"Hey! It was usually you, missy. And we wouldn't have been caught if you weren't screaming so loudly."

"He gave us detention. Do you know what that does to somebody's personal record? I was marked as a criminal for life."

"Yeah…a bonafide sex offender." Willow pulled out a few of the tapes but left some in there.

"Yes and no. I made copies, and before you asked, no I didn't dub over the many, I might add, sexcapades we found ourselves taping."

"She doesn't know I have the tapes but I'm thinking that I will tell her now that she's met you, and knows the whole story. I didn't want to scare her off, ya know?"

"Trying to hide the seedy underbelly that is Willow Rosenberg? Your dark past, all your dirty secrets?"

"Well, I told him a little last night but left out most of the prominent details. To me, we're kinda private. Not that I'm ashamed of you, more like I don't want to share what we had with other people. I guess I'm selfish that way." Willow smiled at the slim brunette, and placed the drawer back, once again shielding the tapes from the world.

"Yes, I have." Both girls continued talking and giggling, and Willow even put one of the tapes in to watch after she had given Fred the tour of the apartment, and they ended up in the playroom. On the screen, the girls were chasing after each other, and Cordelia was laughing, while Xander was taping. Fred finally tackled Willow, and they started kissing on the grass. Xander exclaimed 'Alright…some girly kissage,' and the camera zoomed into them making out in Sunnydale High's quad.

"I always wondered why Xander insisted on being the tape guy. This explains a lot now." The two girls giggled, and Faith walked into the open door. "Oh, hi Faith. Willow and I were just watching some old videos of our younger years."

"I can see that." Faith motioned towards the screen, and the two other girls turned around to notice that they were getting a little more gropy. "Reminds me of my younger years, too." Willow and Fred were blushing somewhat, and Faith walked in to sit in one of the recliners. "So, what? This like a trip down memory lane or somethin'?"

"Yeah, kinda. Willow gave me copies of all these tapes that we always made to help us remember our life together."

"I can see that, as well." Faith arched an eyebrow, smirked wickedly, and again motioned towards the screen. The two girls panicked when they saw that it was one of the times that they decided to videotape their naked fun time. "This is like cheap porn." Willow scrambled for the remote around the couch, and Fred was looking to see if it fell under the couch. "Looking for this?" Both heads darted up to find Faith wiggling the remote control in her hand loosely. Willow tried to grab for it but Faith just tightened her grip, and moved it out of her way. "Say please." Faith was enjoying the contact of the redhead fighting for the remote a little too much, and was confused as to why her boss/roommate/friend always made her do the wacky just for a few moments of contact, such as stealing the remote from the side table when she passed them to sit down. Finally, once she thought that her senses couldn't take anymore torture from the smell and feel of the redhead, she relented, and turned the television off for her. Fred was giggling, and Willow turned around still in Faith's lap to find what was so funny, her face flushed.

"Isn't this the reason why you hid the tapes to begin with? I mean…we were gonna fast forward through the sex parts but you do have to find some humor in this, Will."

"I don't find any humor in it at all! Faith just saw us naked…on the screen…and doing…stuff. Stuff that was private! Stuff that was just between the two of us! I don't find any humor in that at all!" Fred tried to cease her giggling but a stifled laugh would escape from underneath her hand every so often. Willow was still caught on Faith's lap, and Faith placed her hand on the small of Will's back to remind her that she was still there (and to touch Willow again, obviously). "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Faith."

"Hey, we're five by five. No harm no foul." She played it cool as Willow moved back to the couch but her entire body was screaming at the loss of contact. 'I have to do something about this. This is not good.'

"Well…okay. Maybe I should take you back since you're leaving pretty soon. Plus, I still wanna give that gift to Buffy."

"You still haven't given that to her, Red? I figure that would've been the first thing you did when you went into the house." The two girls stood, and Willow took the tape out of the VCR, and placed it back in its protective covering, handing it to Fred who had the other tapes in her hand, ready to skid addle.

"Yeah…well, I hadn't planned on Fred being there. The five of us ended up talking all night, and all day Saturday. It's more of a private thing, so I decided to wait."

"Oh, yeah…Dawnie, Buffy's sister is in from college this weekend, too. You'd like her, she's really fun."

"Alright, well…I'll probably be home later, so if you need anything before then, you have my cell number."

"Yeah. Now, don't you have a girlfriend to get to? She's probably wonderin' where you've been all this time with another woman." Willow rolled her eyes amusedly, and the two girls told Faith goodbye, leaving the apartment to walk back to the Summers home.

"I like Charles. He seems like a lot of fun." Buffy smiled over at her girlfriend, who was currently playing with her hair as they snuggled on the couch.

"Yeah. It's always good when I'm with you." Buffy rolled her eyes halfway, and smirked before kissing Willow gently.

"Am not." Willow arched her eyebrow, and Buffy relented. "Okay, I'm a little jealous."

"A little? Come on, Buffy. You practically scowled all last night when you looked at Fred. You cried! That hardly constitutes a little jealous."

"Okay…I was wicked jealous but I can't help it if my girlfriend's hott, and I want to keep her." Willow kissed the blonde's temple, and hugged her closer.

"I kissed Fred." Buffy jumped out of the comfortable embrace, and immediately tensed, moving back away from Willow slightly on the couch.

"No, never, ever think that. Buffy, I'm so in love with you that I stopped before our lips were even pressed tight enough to actually count. I mean, don't you see?"

"It was Fred. Fred! Buffy, don't you get it?" Willow was excited, and tried to get closer to Buffy but the blonde just inched slightly back from the oncoming redhead, wary of whether her heart was about to break open in a thousand pieces.

"Buffy, I stopped Fred! I didn't even stop Fred when I dated Tara, Buffy, but I did, and I've never been happier in my life." Buffy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and hurt, thinking that Willow was happy that she was with Fred. "No, Buffy! Don't you see what I did? I said no to Fred. I've never been able to say no to Fred, and I did…because I love you so much that I wouldn't let my feelings and past with her get in the way. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to hurt us." Buffy was shaking her head, and the tears were threatening to spill over, and when Willow crushed their bodies together in a fierce, forever kind of hug, she finally sobbed with pure happiness, admonishing her insecurities for getting the better of her. "I love you so much, Buffy Summers. I don't know how it happened this hard, this fast, but it did, and I'm eternally grateful for whoever came up with the idea to have us meet. These past three months have been the most magkical, amazing months in my life. I feel like I'm under some kind of spell."

"That's it. I put you under my spell, and I'll never break it if I have any say in the matter."

"Well, you do, and it's true. I'm under your spell, and I absolutely refuse to let you break it, either." Buffy tightened her hold on the redhead's back, and buried her tear-streaked face in her neck, kissing her several times lightly, eliciting goose bumps to arise, and the baby soft hair at the nape of Willow's neck to stand on end. Willow sighed, and increased the pressure she had around Buffy's back, and pulled their bodies even closer together. "Goddess, Buffy…"

"Will…" Buffy moved her mumbled words around kisses. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying 'I love you' to you. Is that okay?"

"That's more than okay. That's perfect." Willow pulled back to look at Buffy, and wiped the tears with her thumbs, caressing her cheeks, and leaning in to kiss her eyelids gently. She rested her forehead against the blonde's, while she continued the gentle caressing. "I have something I want to give you, and I want you to promise not to freak out on me." She felt Buffy tense, and kissed her gently, causing the blonde to relax again. "It's nothing bad. At least, I don't think it is. You can tell me that you don't want it, or juts give it back, or whatever. I just felt that it was right. You can tell me if it's…"

"Will. Just give it to me already." Willow smiled shyly, and got up from the couch. She went up the stairs, and came back down holding a small ring sized jewelry box. She handed it to Buffy, who kept moving her curious gaze from the tiny velvet box back to her worried girlfriend. "Will…I mean…it's…I'm…"

"Oh, yeah. Um…sure…" She cautiously opened the small box, knowing that once she opened it, their lives were going to change considerably based on her initial reaction. On one hand, marrying Willow, even if not fully legal, was something that she could live with the rest of her life, and knew that she'd be happier than anything living until her death with her girlfriend. However, the logical part of her was screaming that it was way too soon, and that this would be a mistake, and put a huge damper on their relationship when her flight or fight reaction kicked in when she saw the ring. When she finally opened the box, her eyes widened, and she let out a breath of awe and relief, unsure of what she wanted to find underneath the top. "Willow?"

"Yes?" Her eyebrows were scrunched together in pure worry, and she was playing furiously with her hands. Buffy looked back from the box to her girlfriend, and mentally chastised herself for thinking Willow would do something irrational without first talking with her about it. She picked the small silver key from its place in the box, and she held the tiny key chain in her fingers, and read the inscription. '3 months and counting. B & W.' Buffy smiled, and the tears again began to fall freely. She looked at her girlfriend, who seemed to be fidgeting even more than before, and she moved over to crash their lips together sensuously. When Buffy broke away, and looked down at her startled girlfriend, she could do nothing but keep their loving gaze. "I know it's a little early but I wanted you to have it now. You're not freaked?"

"My apartment, yes. I made a copy Friday at lunch, while Faith was with me. Then, we went to the shop next door, and I had them make me this key chain. Faith picked it up for me while I was at work."

"Well, how about I tell you that I'm not freaked, and that I think some major kissage is in order?"

"Oh…it definitely is…in fact, I think that I heard a certain somebody's Jacuzzi calling our names, too."

"Really?" Willow's face was childlike, and Buffy moved her head down to kiss her girlfriend sensuously before running upstairs to grab her shoes. "You can test your new key out, too. Make sure it works. Now, you don't have to wait for me to get home, or answer the door. Just no sneakiness…" Hopping down the stairs, she kissed Willow as she grabbed her coat from the coat rack, and moved to shut and lock the door behind them. Walking to Willow's apartment, Buffy suddenly remembered that Faith was living there now. She tightened her grasp on her girlfriend's hand, and mentally prepared for the many, many sexual comments that were bound to come from the brazen brunette. When they got to the apartment, Willow stepped aside, nothing but smiles, and watched Buffy use her key for the first time. Opening the door, Buffy pushed it wide open, and turned around to grin at her obviously content girlfriend.

"Ta da! Now, I think it's time for me to carry you over the threshold. Isn't that like tradition or something?"

"Looks can be deceiving, Will. You never know…I might have some unknown superhuman strength that you don't know about."

"Buffy, I highly doubt that…Buffy…Buffy! Buffy, put me down!" Buffy had grabbed a hold of Willow, and carried her through the door, kicking it closed, and holding her grip tight around the redhead's form, praying to all deities that she wouldn't drop her. Saying a quick hello to an amused Faith on the couch, Buffy kept carrying a protesting Willow back to her bedroom. Once in the bedroom, she kicked the door closed behind her, and moved over to the bed, crashing on top of Willow. "Buffy, that was not funny."

"Okay…but I don't want you to hurt yourself, and you could have seriously hurt yourself there. I need you in full health."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Willow smirked seductively, and looked back up at an eyebrow-arched Buffy. She pulled Buffy's head down, and kissed her passionately a few times before breaking away, and trying to catch her heavy breaths. When she looked up, she noticed Buffy's half-lidded, lust-filled gaze, and pulled her tighter against her outstretched body, kissing her sensuously. Their kisses turned hungry, and Willow had managed to remove Buffy's t-shirt, throwing on the floor behind them, rubbing her palms wantingly all over the bare flesh that was revealed. Buffy moaned into her mouth, and Willow's eyes rolled back slightly at the sensation that the tremor caused. Buffy had managed to hike her t-shirt past her chest, and broke the kisses long enough to discard the offending item. When they crashed back together, their kisses were becoming deeper, until there bras were flung unceremoniously somewhere around the room, destination unknown. Willow rolled them over, and she moved one of her thighs between Buffy's, eliciting a sharp gasp and pleasurable moan when she moved her thigh up into contact with the blonde's center. Willow never stopped kissing Buffy. Anyplace she could find, anywhere her body could move, and Buffy didn't seem to mind, other than the occasional groan when she'd start kissing above the waistline of her sweatpants. Knowing that it was slow torture for her girlfriend, Willow finally removed Buffy's sweatpants, only to begin kissing everywhere but the place that Buffy kept trying to move her head to. Willow would giggle when Buffy would beg, and try pulling her head higher, or lower, depending on her current position. Her giggles would only cause Buffy's body to shake with more anticipation, and suddenly without warning, Buffy gasped in pure pleasure, and her body shook uncontrollably for a moment as she breathed out Willow's name in the height of that pleasure. Willow looked up from where she was kissing her bellybutton, rested her chin lightly there, and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and awe.

"But I didn't even…" Buffy just lie there, a throbbing body, and her breathing slowly became easier.

"That it loves you just being there…you don't have to do anything but be there, and I'm putty in your hands."

"I'm completely satisfied but that doesn't mean that I'd object to more…" She pulled Willow up to kiss her firmly on the lips. "Besides, I believe I promised you a romantic bubble bath on the way over here…" Buffy smirked seductively, and moved her hands around to cup Willow's breasts, causing the redhead's eyes to close slightly, and her lips to part with a quiet gasp. Buffy pulled Willow into the bathroom, where they lit candles, started the Jacuzzi, and added some Scooby Doo bubble bath that Buffy found in Willow's closet. When they finally allowed their bodies to get used to the warmth of the water, they came closer together, and made even more warmth with themselves.

Meanwhile, a quietly crying Faith sat hugging her legs on the couch in the playroom, torturing herself to the sounds of pleasure that both girls were producing. Wiping away her falling tears for the umpteenth time that day, she looked at the wall that was hiding their forms from her, and sighed harshly in an attempt to hold back the still free-flowing tears. 'Get a grip. This is ridiculous. You're actin' like a lovesick puppy, and it's gross. Get over it, Faith! It's not gonna happen!' Standing up in a resolve, she moved from the playroom into her room, and sat down at her small keyboard, pushing play on her little tape recorder, and letting her emotions guide her fingers and her voice.

"Oh, hey, Faith. Something wrong?" Willow looked up from her desk, and noticed her friend standing in her office door, looking a little perplexed.

"Oh, yeah…um, just let me finish this really quick. Come on in, and have a seat. It'll just take a second." Faith nodded, closed the office door, and went to sit on the couch, her legs twitching up and down rapidly. Willow finished going over the file, and marked approval before pushing it to the side of her desk. She stretched her neck, rubbed it, and tried stretching it again but nothing seemed to get the kink out from sitting slouched over her desk for nine hours straight, trying to finish her work, so that she could take the next day off to spend with Buffy. She sat down next to Faith, and the brunette tried not to let the redhead's smell take over her senses. "Faith, this is kinda strange but do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure, Red. Whatcha need?" Willow looked at Faith sheepishly, wondering why the brunette was so jittery, and nervous.

"Um…well, I can't seem to get this pain in my neck to go away. Do you think you could…" Faith's eyes opened wide, and she tried to labor her rapid heartbeat, hoping that the redhead didn't have keen hearing for fear that she'd be caught. Absentmindedly, she licked her lips, and nodded. Willow smiled, and turned around, pulling the auburn locks away from the back of her neck. Faith took a deep breath but tentatively reached up, and used her fingers to rub the tension away from the overworked redhead. Willow moaned, and closed her eyes in pleasure as Faith's hands were doing the magic trick that she couldn't seem to do herself. After hearing the audible pleasure, the hyperaware brunette gulped, and the only thing she could do was attend to her friend's needs. "Goddess, Faith…your hands are magick."

"Yeah…" She licked her lips, and unable to resist, moved closer towards the waiting neck that her fingers were currently kneading. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on everything that was Willow, forgetting for a moment that this was forbidden territory.

"Faith…" Her voice was low, husky, and being in the trance that she was in, Faith's immediate response to the pleasurable tone from the redhead, Faith moved in, and placed a small kiss on the nape of her neck. She felt Willow tense between her hands, and was suddenly brought back to reality, cursing herself for letting her body take control for just a moment.

"No, Faith. It's okay." Willow turned around, and scooted a little further away from Faith on the couch, trying to understand what exactly prompted the gentle kiss. "Why did you do that?" She noticed that the brunette was fiddling nervously with her fingers, and her legs were shaking rapidly. The expression on her face let Will know that she was more than nervous…she was actually scared to answer the question. "I'm not mad. I just never thought…"

"Faith…" The brunette sifted her hands through her hair, and cradled her whole head in her arms and hands for a moment before releasing her grip with a loud sigh, calming her nerves.

"Okay…thing is…I don't want to…I really tried not to. I don't know why…it just happened, and I didn't mean for it to but it did, and now it's there, and I can't get rid of it, and at times it controls me, and I hate the feeling of loss of control because I'm always in control. A control freak, actually. You know that but I can't help it, and every time I try to stop…it's still there, and even though I lose the control, it's still the best feeling in the world, even if it hurts so much that I feel like I'm dying inside all the time, and when…"

"Faith!" The brunette stopped, and looked at the smirking Willow. Confused, she cocked her head to the side, and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, even though pain was all she felt at the moment, seeing the redhead amused at her admission. "I see that my babbling is wearing off on you. You've been hanging out with me too much." Relieved that she didn't hate her, Faith sighed in a relaxing gesture, although her body was still too tense to react. "Now, what exactly is this 'it' you keep referring to? Is something or someone making you feel uncomfortable?"

"In love." Willow's eyes widened, and she smiled excitedly that her friend had finally found what she had with Buffy but the pain evident on Faith's face was tearing the redhead in all different directions, unsure why the dark girl would be unhappy over such a wonderful experience.

"Because they already have somebody, and I don't want to mess that up. I always mess things up."

"You can't possibly know that, and hey! You didn't mess up dinner the other night. As a matter of fact, you were the perfect kitchen helper."

"But you don't want to mess up another relationship. That's understandable, and quite noble, actually, Faith. Shows how mature you are." Faith's dark eyes looked up into green eyes, and the unsaid that was being said finally hit Willow, and she started gaping like a fish, unsure of what to say, or how to react. She had never even seen any signs, at least that she was aware of but then again, she had been too wrapped up in Buffy to really notice. "Wow…I mean…why?"

"I'm not sure. Like I said, I didn't mean it to happen, and when I realized what was happenin', I tried everything to make it stop but that just made things worse. I can move out if you want. I understand if you're uncomfortable." Faith was avoiding eye contact, and she was trying not to let her turmoil show in her voice but Willow could hear it loud and clear. Snapping out of her shocked daze, she returned to the matter at hand.

"Well…" She sighed, trying to process everything. "I don't want you to move out. I just…this is…"

"It's normal to be in love with somebody you could never have?" Faith finally looked up, her voice tortured, and found Willow's eyes for a brief moment but seeing the confusion there, she had to look down again, and start playing with invisible lint on her leather pants. "I'm sorry…I…"

"No, Faith…it is normal." Willow moved closer, and placed a comforting hand over the one that was fidgeting on the pants, and stopped it, gripping it lightly. "I'm with Buffy, and I'm not going to do anything to hurt her, okay? But I'm glad that you told me." Faith looked up into gentle green eyes, and nodded her head slightly, knowing that Willow wasn't going to treat her much different after the shocking news. "I am sorry. I do know what it's like, and I hate that you've been going through this by yourself."

"You could've. Look, you did. It's scary…letting your heart open up like that, isn't it? And not being able to do anything about it?"

"I do, believe it or not." They sat in silence for a few moments, both unsure of what the future between them would hold. "Faith, all I can ask of you is to please, please don't shut yourself off from me. Talk to me about it…even if it hurts too much because it's me. I am sorry but if it makes you feel any better, I think that you're great, and if things were different, then I wouldn't hesitate." Faith snickered a laugh, and bowed her head in defeat, somewhat relieved to have the secret out in the open but even more taxed because now she was stuck with unrequited love.

"Nothing to be sorry about. Honestly." Faith sadly smiled, and Willow mirrored the expression. "All I can tell you is that it goes away with time. That I can promise you. You'll find somebody that is able to return the feelings, and you'll forget about lil ole me."

"Yeah, I know but it was worth a shot." Faith let out a sad laugh, and Willow again smiled sadly.

"No, it's cool, Red. I got this. I'll deal. Just don't tell B. Can you do that for me, at least, until I get things sorted out on my own." Willow nodded, and Faith stood up, helping her off the couch as well. "I should get goin'."

"Actually, Faith. I hate to do this after such a serious…talk but I have to switch to boss mode for a moment. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure…whatever." Willow went behind her desk, and Faith stood by the door, ready to bolt before she started to cry again. She couldn't let anybody see her cry.

"Well, we need two more tracks for the album. The others are ready but it seems to be lacking a pull. The nine we have ready are great, perfect even but the board seems to think that it lacks solid…emotion? Do you have anything we could use that you can think of?"

"Yeah…and Faith?" She turned the doorknob, opening the door slightly, and looked back at the sympathetic redhead. "Thanks again for telling me. Even if I can't return the exact feelings, I still care about you, and want to see you happy." Faith nodded slightly, and left the building, leaving a startled redhead back to her work.

Driving down the small road, Buffy kept stealing glances at her excited girlfriend in the driver's seat. The comfortable silence had started over ten minutes ago, and all Buffy could do was smile warmly at her redheaded lover, anxious to know where exactly they were going. Unfamiliar with the small off-road, Buffy kept trying to track their whereabouts but couldn't place anything but trees, and the fact that they hadn't passed a single car when they turned onto this curvy, paved road. Deciding to just relax, she leaned back in her seat, gripping Willow's hand tighter, and pulling it into her lap, playing with the back of her hand, studying it in detail. The redhead just looked at her lover, relishing in the feel of Buffy enjoying her research, and more than excited to start the long weekend without interruption of any sort. They had been dating for four months now, and there was much need of a vacation for both women. The cold February sun was beginning to set, and Willow knew there was no other place she'd rather be than where she was at that moment. Never telling her girlfriend where exactly they were going, she made her pack comfortable, warm clothes, and funny things like her writing journal, flashlights, candles, and extra socks. Luckily, the blonde didn't ask, and Will had already packed all the other necessities in the back before picking her up after work.

"Faith's new songs were finished today in the studio, and the album finally has a release date." Buffy smiled at her girlfriend.

"Well, she hasn't really talked to me as much lately but I mentioned it at dinner last night. She seemed happy about it."

"Yeah, well…that's how Faith is. Maybe she's been veering off a little because she's finally starting to feel the pressure? It has been a tough few weeks for her for some reason. She's barely said anything to me in over a month." Willow nodded, knowing that it was true, and was dying to tell her girlfriend the real reasons but she had promised Faith that she wouldn't, and it was killing her keeping the secret. She decided that she'd tell Buffy if Faith became even mopier, or if she suddenly started dating. She'd gone out once to have drinks with Kennedy but nothing had happened, even if Willow had encouraged the dark brunette that the younger woman was pleasant. So far, there was no reason to tell her girlfriend but she still hated keeping secrets.

Willow turned right onto a dirt road, and drove a few miles into the wooded area. Buffy arched an eyebrow, thinking that her lover had lost her mind. When the redhead just smiled at her, she shook her head in amusement, and just went with the flow. She had already decided that she would follow her almost anywhere. Figuring that a wooded area wasn't a major threat, she relaxed again. A small wooden cottage came into view, and the lake behind it seemed to glimmer in the darkening sky. Willow parked the car, and exited without saying anything to the blonde. After arching another eyebrow, Buffy just followed, and helped pull the bags out of the car. She noticed that there were grocery bags in the back, and rolled her eyes amusedly at how sneaky her girlfriend had been the entire time. Willow just smiled at her, causing her to smile, and they entered the cozy place quietly.

After settling the bags in their appropriate places, Willow came back to find Buffy looking at the pictures that adorned the mantle over the fireplace. Coming to wrap her arms around her lover's waist, she noticed that Buffy was currently looking at a picture of her and Xander by the lake when they were children. She remembered the several times that her father would bring her, and sometimes Xander, up to the cottage just for a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of Sunnydale town life. It usually meant that he was feeling guilty for he and her mom's constant absence in her life but she never minded. The last time they stayed here as father and daughter, had been the summer before he died. Missing the simple pleasures of the quiet environment, she wanted to share this with Buffy, and had decided that this was the perfect plan for their small vacation.

"Buffy…I was ten. Give me a little bit of a break here. You telling me that your mom never picked out your clothes for you when you were younger?"

"Mmhmm." Buffy placed the frame back on the mantle, and held Willow tighter to her body, wrapping her arms around the ones holding her waist. "Was this your family's?"

"Yes. My dad bought it when I was a kid, so we'd have someplace to go for vacation, since he could barely get away, and mom was always away. We wouldn't stay for long, and he usually brought me to make up for being the absentee father but only good times have been had here, and I plan on adding to that this weekend."

"Thought I already had." Willow kissed Buffy's neck, and moved them over to the couch, where they cuddled under a blanket. "Do you not like the woods? We can go back if…"

"This is perfect, Willow. Thank you." They smiled warmly at each other, and Willow pulled her in for a soft kiss. "Now, I'm sure that the memories that you plan on making here with me aren't exactly the same but I think I can deal with the differences."

"Oh, it is so on…" They exchanged a few quick kisses before settling back into each other again. "It's so quiet out here, Wills. You sure you can handle it without all those gadgets of yours?"

"I've managed before. Besides, I have the only gadget that I want here with me."

"Oh, so I'm a robot now. What, do I just wait on you hand in foot, call you master, and come at your beck and call?"

"Among other things…" Buffy's eyes widened in amusement, and she playfully slapped Willow's forearm.

"Well, I don't mind the other stuff, I suppose." Her smirk caught Buffy's mock pout in a gentle kiss that slowly became firmer.

"What do we do here all weekend, and don't tell me you plan on reprogramming me for only outdoor nookie. I'm not that easy." Willow smiled at Buffy's teasing, and pulled her up off the couch.

"Yeah…wouldn't want me to damage a wire, and start running into things." They laughed, and Willow showed her the open kitchen area that connected to the living room. Then, she showed her the small bathroom, and moved onto the bedroom with a bunk bed, and a small desk, adorned with pencils, paper, and books. "Is this where we're staying? Because if it is, I'm on top."

"Well, we'll see about that but no…this is where Xander and I would sleep. We'll actually be staying in the larger room, the one with the big bed."

"We'll see." Buffy followed Willow, and her seductive look, across the hallway, and into a larger bedroom. The decorations in the entire cabin had that truly rustic feeling, and this room was no different. The double bed was made of carved oak, and Buffy wondered where the authenticity of the glossed over posts were made. There was a dream catcher in each window, and a dresser that looked hand-carved as well. "This is our humble abode for the weekend."

"It's nice. Cozy. You living in something so small…sure you can deal with that, too?"

"Haha. It's not about size; it's about the company. Besides, I've explained the hugeness of my apartment several times. It's for keeping costs down."

"I'm sure I can think of something." Willow wrapped Buffy in a loose embrace, and kissed her sensuously, as she pulled her towards the feather bed. She made no halt to pull Buffy down atop her, as they lay their upper bodies across the bed, in heated kisses and groping.

Willow started dinner, while Buffy was finally getting some beef to the fire that she prepared in the fireplace. When she finished the simple meal, she brought the two plates over to the blanket that Buffy had set up in front of the stone hearth. The redhead laid the plates down on the blanket next to the blonde, and went back to retrieve two glasses, and a bottle of Shiraz that she had bought for this occasion. After finishing their food, they pushed the plates onto the stump of a coffee table, and finished off the bottle of red wine. A little tipsy but still coherent enough to think, their slightly slurred speech and thoughts were mumbled through breaks of sensuous kisses, and warm cuddling in front of the fire. With no lights on, other than the light emanating from the blaze, Buffy mentioned several times that it was the most romantic thing she'd ever experienced, while Willow explained that the weekend had only started. After making slow, passionate love, the two lovers curled into one another's naked form to gain extra warmth.

"Keep on surprising me. Keep on amazing me. Keep on making me love you more and more each day, even though I don't think it's even possible."

"Oh…well." Buffy leaned up to kiss Willow's left cheek, relishing in the feel of the crimson face's added heat. "I just do, I guess."

"Yeah…I guess you do." After running gentle fingers over her taut stomach for a few minutes, Buffy raised her head from Willow's chest again to gaze at her face. "Why is it colder out here than it is in town?"

"The breeze coming from the lake. It's not much but there isn't a heater in the cabin, or air conditioning, which is why dad always brought us right after the cold season, and right before it became too hot."

"My grandfather told him it took away from the cabin experience. This gives it more of a natural feel…plus, it saves on bills." Buffy giggled, and buried her face into Willow's collarbone a moment before returning to gaze into vibrant, green eyes. "You would have liked my dad." Buffy stretched up to kiss Willow's sad expression away.

"I know I would have. He made you, and that's enough for me to like him." Willow smiled warmly at her lover. "You would have liked my mom, too."

"From the stories you tell me, she sounds like an amazing woman. Especially since she put up with raising you and Dawn." Buffy gently tapped her stomach in mock anger. "She still lives in you, though…in Dawn, too…and that's something truly amazing." She kissed Buffy's temple, and moved the hand she had drawing lazy circles on her back, up to stroke blonde locks.

"Why don't you ever talk about Tara?" Willow tensed at the mention of her deceased lover but relaxed when she realized she was with Buffy, safe and loved.

"Well…it's not that I don't want to…it's just…we were kinda private. My parents barely even met her."

"You don't have to tell me. I was just wondering. She was a big part of your life, and you hardly talk about her at all. I mean, I know all about you and Fred but only tidbits about you and Tara."

"What's there to tell? We loved each other; she was my other half. She was the most gentle, kind, and caring person that I've ever met. Like I told you, we met in college, at a campus club meeting, and she and I became study buddies until one night our friendship changed into something more. I was still heartbroken over Fred but she brought me back to myself, and even helped me figure out who I was in the process. As you know, I cheated on her when Fred came back that summer, and she caught us. She didn't show her anger, even though I could feel her pain, and she just told me to be with the one that I loved. All she wanted for me was to be happy, no matter how much pain it would cause her. She was so selfless, and always put others before herself. If this is any indication, she was about the only person that could stand being around Anya for more than ten minutes without visibly showing signs that they wanted to smack her."

"She was, and I did. I guess I never talk about it because I don't want you to think that I loved her more than you."

"I know you wouldn't. That's not it…I guess I just don't want you to think that I'm comparing because I'm not. What Tara and I had is completely different from what you and I have."

"Willow, I love you. Nothing is going to change that, and Tara was a huge part of your life. For that, she is a beautiful person, and from putting up with you for five years, I'd say quite the woman herself."

"You started it." Both girls giggled, and sighed in to the warmth of another gentle kiss. "This is the best vacation ever."

"Yeah but it's still the best ever." Buffy kissed Willow again before she moved up to deepen the kiss, moving her hands sensuously along the redhead's side until she cupped a small breast in her palm.

"Nope." With that, Buffy leaned down to kiss Willow passionately again, each moaning into the other's mouth. "It's my turn to be on top, remember?" Willow didn't have a chance to reply because Buffy crushed their lips together again in another soul-searing kiss that promised at least another few hours of love-making in front of the slow burning fire.***

Waking up snuggled into a warm body, in an unfamiliar, yet strangely comfortable bed, Buffy yawned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. Looking lazily up, she saw a canary-eating grin on the redhead's face, and she buried her head into her girlfriend's collarbone to suppress the giggle. Kissing her there, she snuggled her naked form tighter into Willow's. Noticing that they both were cold, since it wasn't arousal that was eliciting the saluting nipples, she pulled the slightly cold comforter further up on their bodies, causing Willow to stir slightly to the new adjustment.

After the sun was almost completely raised in the early morning, Buffy decided to make her lover breakfast in bed, something that neither had ever done for the other but had talked about several times during their early morning cuddles. Tucking the now warm comforter around Willow, she kissed her forehead before finding a pair of sweatpants, and an old Hemery sweatshirt, placing them on, going to use the restroom quickly, and moving into the kitchen to make the few breakfast items that she could. When the toast was buttered, and the scrambled eggs were fluffy, she put them on plates, poured two orange juices, and found a baking sheet that she used as a makeshift tray. Making her way back to the bedroom, she found Willow lying on her side now, closer to where her body had previously been, and she laid the tray down on the empty dresser. Laying on top of the comforter, she moved Willow's freezing hands into her own, warming them up with tiny kisses, and from the warmth of her own hands that had previously been over a stove. Placing butterfly kisses all over her face, she finally felt Willow begin to stir into wakefulness.

With a groan, and a lazy shift, Willow finally opened her eyes with a frown. When she saw that Buffy was smiling at her lovingly, she smiled lazily, trying to will her eyes to stay open. Her girlfriend gave her a gentle waking kiss, and she followed her to keep the contact a little longer than originally intended. Buffy smiled again, and she began to whisper.

"No, I mean, why aren't you still naked…and in bed…with me…who is still naked."

"Hey…I'm not expected to be a genius before I have my first cup of coffee in the morning. Besides, can you blame me for wanting you to be naked?"

"Good…now get naked, and come back to bed!" Buffy just shook her head in amusement at Willow's playful grin, and kissed it away.

"Awww, Buffy…please?" Buffy sat up, and again kissed the playful grin that seemed to be permanently lodged on the redhead's face. "I'll make you breakfast."

"You made me breakfast in bed? Aww…Buffy." The adoration that was on Willow's face only heightened when Buffy brought the makeshift tray over, displaying the buttered toast, scrambled eggs, and tiny glasses of juice.

"I didn't have much to work with, and you should be thankful. You've seen me cook."

"This is great, Buffy. And you're not a terrible cook. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that. I don't expect you to be Emeril. Just Buffy." She sat up, and pulled the sheets with her, leaning against the cold, wooden headboard. When the cold hit her back, she moved forward on impulse, and shivered, causing goose bumps to rise all along her body. Buffy laid the tray on the bed beside her, and pulled out one of her old UCLA sweatshirts, tossing it towards the redhead, who grumbled while pulling it over her head. "I guess this means no more naked."

"When you kissed me for the first time. It was a contract that can't be breached."

"Oh, yeah?" Buffy arched an eyebrow, and Willow just kept her playful smile, while the blonde crawled under the covers, cuddling next to Willow. "The next thing I know, you're going to tell me that I have to give you a bath."

"I didn't say that your ideas were bad. Actually, they may prove to be beneficial for both parties involved. Plus, I can get you naked again, only with bubbles."

"I always come prepared." Buffy kissed her smirking girlfriend, and they giggled throughout the entire meal. After Willow pulled some sweatpants, and socks on, they moved into the kitchen to clean up the dishes. When they finished, they curled up together underneath a huge wool blanket, and went in and out of conversation for a few hours, just content to be relaxed, and resting.

"Then, I'll just have to eliminate the danger extra quick, so I can have more Willow snuggles."

"Good…because there's not an option. If I'm your sexbot, then you're my snugglebot."

"Only when it comes to you." She smiled, and kissed Buffy's neck. They just snuggled together quietly for another few minutes before Buffy spoke again.

"Oh, she seems to be taking it well, I suppose. She's excited that she's made a baby with Xander. Her mood swings are phenomenal according to Xander, who is spending every free minute he has with her. He's being overprotective guy. It's so cute."

"I can't believe that it's only five more months. It seems like yesterday that we started dating, and Xander came into the office out of his mind."

"That's true…from what I've seen. It just seems like this has all been a dream…like I'm going to wake up, and have none of this be real. Ouch!" Buffy's head shot up at the smirking Willow. "You pinched me."

"What about that supernatural healing? No matter how many hickeys I give you, I just can't keep you marked. It's frustrating sometimes."

"It's good sometimes with as many as you give me. I don't own many turtlenecks that I can wear to work without somebody noticing."

"You've already marked me for good. That guy from editing that kept asking me out is scared to come near me now because he swore that your eyes turned black when he came near me. On a plus note, my work is edited first now."

"Yay me!" Willow kissed her sensuously, deepening the kiss until they were gasping for breath. After their breathing returned to normal, they just held onto each other again. "I hope it warms up soon. I want to take you out in the rowboat. Show you the lake."

"It is…plus, it's secluded…so nobody will see if I somehow manage to get you naked again."

"Maybe…but there is always room to ad lib." Both girls giggled, and before too long, fell asleep in the late morning's lazy comfort.

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Red Series: New and Old

by Rin

Copyright © 2005

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