“Hey, Willow, wait up!”

Willow swung round and found Cordelia walking towards her, carrying several
bags. She started to laugh. “Sale at the mall, Cordy.”

“And then some, girlfriend!” The brunette replied emphatically, dropping the
bags to the floor with an intense sigh of relief. “Managed to find a few
things for you as well. You can pay me later.”

“I’m not sure whether I should thank you or yell at you.” Willow replied
bemused. “I still don’t understand why you’re so determined to change my
wardrobe now school’s started.”

Cordelia raised an eyebrow and looked the redhead over. For once, the
redhead was wearing an outfit her friend actually approved of: a mid thigh
green skirt with a green silk T-shirt teamed with green sandals and black
leather jacket. “This outfit aside, which is well chic, by the way...”

“I thank you.” Willow grinned. She had been wondering what the fashion
conscious brunette would say.

“You know I’m almost sure that you don’t look in the mirror, Will.” She
continued unperturbed. “We’re Seniors now. Time to trash the sophomore look
and you have to admit, fuzzy just isn’t you anymore. So let’s get with it,
sister.”

“The bitch is dead, long live the bitch.” Willow murmured in quiet
amusement. “Alright, I’ll go shopping with you this weekend if it will make
you happy.”

“Will, it’s you I’m thinking of.”

“And I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.” Willow replied with pure
sarcasm.

“Youch! Right through the heart, Will.” Cordelia raised a hand to her
forehead in mock pain, making her friend grin. “Hey, it wasn’t that funny. I
mean it, Willow, it wasn’t.”

The redhead merely grinned broader. With the Slayer leaving the way she had,
the two fundamentally opposite girls had developed their own unique
friendship. A friendship that grew stronger with each passing day, much to
the amusement of the other friends and the sheer disbelief of former
friends.

The brunette’s grin faded as she sent a concerned look at her friend. “Have
you spoke to Oz yet, Will.”

“I haven’t seen him since he came back from tour, and found out about
Angel.”  Willow sat down, frowning slightly. She still couldn’t believe that
Cordelia had been the only one to realise that she had edited her
conversation with Ven and why. The brunette had simply got her alone the
following day and demanded to know the full story.

“You did phone, didn’t you?” Cordelia sat down next to her, eyes dark with
worry for her friend. “Will, you promised.”
“I phoned, Cordy. No-one has sent him, not even Devon but I think he may be
lying.” Willow frowned. “I just wish I knew what was going on. This whole
thing doesn’t feel right.”

“And you can’t move on until you know, can you.”

“No, I can’t.” Her voice was barely audible and the brunette reached over to
squeeze her hand.

“You’ll just have to get him at the Bronze after all. The Dingoes are
playing there tomorrow night.” Cordelia started to go through her bags, then
looked at the redhead slyly. “Aren’t they?”

“Angel said so last night.” Willow replied absently, watching her friend
with increasing amusement. “Cordy, just what are you looking for?”

“This!” In reply, the former cheerleader pulled out spaghetti strapped green
Thai silk sundress, promptly handing it over to the redhead. “Wear this
tomorrow night and kill two birds with one stone.”

“Cordy! Are you feeling alright?” Willow said teasingly as she took the
dress. “Next you’ll be volunteering to do research.”

“Very funny, Willow, and I noticed you didn’t deny it either.” She was
grinning knowingly, even though her tone was tart. “Hey, I just remembered
something else.”

“You’re really on a roll today, aren’t you, Cordy.” Willow murmured, ducking
to avoid her friend’s hand with a grin.

“As I was saying, before being rudely interrupted…” Cordelia glared at
Willow in mock anger, laughing as she pretended to tremble in fear. “Have
you heard about the extra class to be offered.”

“Seeing that we’ve been involved in that zombie mask thing, that would be a
no. Extra curricular of the normal kind hasn’t been a priority.” Willow’s
gaze was slightly puzzled. “So spill.”

“Seniors are being offered an archery/crossbow class.” Cordelia sat back and
waited for the response she knew that she would get. She wasn’t
disappointed.

“You have so got to be joking me.” The redhead exclaimed. “How’d they manage
to get that pass the board.”

“I know. It’s like so weird.” Cordelia started to pick up her bags. “Think
Giles will sign us up.”

“Anything to give us an advantage, but let’s go and ask him.” Willow
repacked her new sundress, then grabbed a couple of Cordelia’s bags from
her. “We’re due at Scooby Central.”

“Willow please.” Cordelia groaned. “We have to put up with Xander,
considering his decided lack of brain cells, but must you use that name of
his as well.”

“How very Giles of you, Cordy.” Willow teased. “Sharper though. Pity the
others, especially Xan wasn’t around to appreciate it.”

“Angel, you mean!” Cordelia quipped and her friend blushed slightly. “And we
are talking Xander here, I’m sure to use it when he’s about.”

“You know, I think I’m supposed to stick up for him here.” The blush fading,
Willow actually pretended to consider the idea, much to Cordelia’s
amusement. “Yep, I am. Can’t seem to find the energy though.”

“Willow Rosenberg, I’m stunned here.”

“Oh please, pull the other one, Cordy. You’re anything but.” Her response
had them both in giggles, before the redhead caught sight of the Watcher.
“There’s Giles now.”

“Hey, I wonder who the woman with him is, and where did she get that suit?”

“Concentrate, Cordelia.” Willow shot over her shoulder, grinning impishly.
“Hey, Mr. Giles, we’re here to help with that project like you asked.”

“So I see… and hear, Where’s Xander, may I ask?” The Watcher turned to smile
at her. A raised eyebrow was his only acknowledgement of her sudden
formalness.

“He got an attack of the munchies on the way over.” His girlfriend replied
in a tone that said she expected nothing less. “He said he’d get extra.”

“Ah good.” He turned to the woman just behind him. “Diana, this is Willow
and Cordelia. Girls, this is Diana Greenwood. The new class being offered to
Seniors is her responsibility.”

“And as Giles isn’t stuttering, you must be aware of our wonderful night
life extras.” Cordelia murmured as she shook her hand. “He’s way too
comfortable with you.”

“Tact, Cordy, work on it.” Willow shared a grin with Giles as she moved
forward. “Nice to meet you, and welcome to Sunnydale.”

“Thank you, Willow.” As Diana shook her hand, Willow felt a strange
sensation go through her body.

Eyes narrowing, she stepped back. The last time she had felt this had been
when she had… “Look, not being rude, but do you know someone called Ven.”

“Willow!” Giles and Cordelia exclaimed, stunned by her out of character
bluntness.

“You really are the witch, aren’t you.” Diana, however, replied amused. “You
could even say we’re related, Ven and I.”

<And who regrets it most, I wonder? >

*Funny, Ven, very funny.*

“So why are you here, and why do I get the feeling it’s not to teach
archery.” Willow’s ingrained sense of curiosity broke loose. “Giles would
not be so at ease with you if it was.”

“Spot on Willow girl.” Diana nodded to the Watcher. “You were right to tell
me about her intuition, Rupert.”

“Hallo!” Cordelia inserted. “She’s still here you know and you so haven’t
answered her question yet.”

“I’m here to train Willow and perhaps Amy Madison, as Wicca.” The elder
woman replied, looking at her watch. “And other skills. Rupert, I’ll call
you to arrange a time to meet everyone in your group, but for now, I have
somewhere else to be.”

To their stunned amazement, she just walked away. Willow managed to recover
first. “Now that was weird. Ven left just as abruptly a couple of weeks
ago.”

Before Giles could ask what she meant, Xander arrived, empty-handed and
clearly upset. He rushed straight to Willow, enfolding her in a hug. “Oh
God, Willow, I’m so sorry.”

She pulled back, clearly confused by his behaviour. “Xander. What’s wrong?”

He took hold of her hands. “Wills, I’ve just seen Oz.”

“Where? Willow’s been trying to get hold of him for days now.” Cordelia
inserted swiftly. Her own gaze shot to the Watcher, deeply concerned by her
boyfriend’s stranger than usual behaviour.

“He was in Main Street.” Xander tightened his hold. “Willow, I don’t know
how to tell you this…”
“Xander Harris! Will you just bloody spit it out.” Giles growled as the
tension increased.

“Will.” He touched her pale cheek. “He was with another girl, seriously
making out. Oh God, Will, I know that you… but this…”

“Oh God, I can’t believe this.” Cordelia gasped a hand to her mouth in
shock.

To their stunned horror, Willow started to laugh then lost all colour. With
a peculiar sigh, her eyes closed and she fainted. Xander and Giles only just
managed to catch her.

“Giles.” The young man looked up at the Watcher, his dark eyes anguished at
the pain his best friend was going through. “Where are we going to do?”

“First things first, we’ll get Willow inside.” Giles replied as he scooped
the petite girl into his arms. “Second… I don’t know.”

“Second, we call Angel.” Cordelia said firmly.

Xander looked at his girlfriend with a peculiar expression for a moment.
“Yeah, calling Deadboy would be a good thing.”

Cordelia shot him a suspicious look. “What are you playing at, Xander.”

They were now following Giles into the library.

“Oh come off it, Cordy. I’m not the idiot I play and you know it.” Xander
responded grimly. “It’s pretty obvious the way Deadboy feels about her and I
know Will well enough to see she feels the same way.”

“Xander Harris, you have got more than one brain cell.” With her usual
tactfulness, Cordelia managed to compliment her boyfriend with an insult.

“Thanks… I think!”

“If you two have finished…” Giles looked over his shoulder. “Xander, my
office door. Cordelia, Angel.”

Cordelia grabbed the phone and dialled. As she waited, she watched the two
men settle Willow on the office sofa. With a deep sigh, she turned to face
the library table.

“Hello!”

“Angel, its Cordelia. Get to the library ASAP. The Oz thing is so like
happening now.”

“Willow.” His deep concern was clear.

“Fainted, Angel. Giles and Xander are with her.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen.”

End
 

next