The scene in the lobby of the Hyperion looked eerily familiar to Cordelia when she walked through the door. Her family was gathered around on the sofas, sharing a soft conversation. She looked at them with love and pride, even the bleached wonder. She felt radiant, but spending the night making love with Doyle did that for her, every time. She laughed as she heard the sarky blond make a comment about Willow’s latest escapade of the magical sort.
Heads spun around to take in the joyous face of the brunette seer. One face more familiar with brooding had an unaccustomed look of joy and happiness on his angelic features. The redhead cuddled into his side was the reason for his joy. Spike was never far from the two of them, hovering over the redhead with a protective instinct that still surprised her. The group was filled out by the very handsome British demon hunter and the street crusader for the masses. Gunn laughed, helplessly, at some comment that Spike had made, as he managed to infer that the ex-watcher was a poofter.
Cordelia smiled brilliantly and impartially at one and all before she gasped loudly and lost all colour. Two preternaturally quick bodies were in motion, reaching her before she hit the floor. Angel won the slight struggle, as old rivalries reared their ugly heads, and carried her to the nearest sofa, laying her gently on it. Wes and Gunn leapt into action as quickly as possible, supplying both painkillers and bottled water to the stricken seer. Willow grabbed a notepad and readied herself to write down the details of the vision that had felled her old nemesis. Cordy slowly began to recover from her fore gathering. Her face was frightened as she looked up at her friends and family. “Buffy is coming.”
Spike and Willow looked at one another, faces mirroring concern. Angel’s visage showed only grim concern and Wes and Gunn just looked confused. A low growl issued from two throats as the vampires expressed their opinions of Buffy’s impending visit. The vampire’s concern was mirrored by Cordy’s own expression. One tiny hand soothed the face of the angel and the other touched the cheekbones slashing down Spike’s ridged features. Her delicate face showed both her fear and her determination. She would not be moved.
The vampires looked at each other. They knew that things were going to get very bad. Mutual understanding shot between them as they got over the killing anger and got ready to organise and prepare for the coming tug of war. Strong hands supported the little witch as they readied themselves for the task of protecting her from being the rope between the two groups.
“Cordelia, when do you think they will arrive?” Angel’s tone was hard and resolved as he shot the question at the seeress.
“I’m not sure, but soon, very soon. Today sometime for sure.”
“Then we need to get ready.” The dark vampire looked around the room, staring at each face. “We hadn’t really mentioned it because we weren’t sure it would happen, but Spike and Willow came to me because the gang back in Sunnydale made it clear that if she helped Spike in any way, they would stake him. Willow’s former girlfriend was apparently leading the charge. You guys aren’t a part of this, and I will understand if you chose not to take sides, but if you aren’t then you should leave cause this could get nasty.”
The seer spoke from her place on the couch, “I, for one am going nowhere, when Doyle was in trouble, Spike and Willow were willing to put their lives on the line for him. I will do no less for them.” The rogue demon hunter looked torn, then loyalty swept over his face. “Let them do their worst. I shall stay and face them. After all you are my employer now. And the bleached wonder is the only one I can discuss football with.”
Gunn just hefted his axe, “Well if you think I’m gonna let Barbie and English out brave me, you been smokin’ the wrong cigarettes. So fearless leader, what’s the plan?”
“Thank you all.” Angel’s eyes searched out and made contact with each of them. “For now, it is to all stay together. A united front if you will. Who knows, maybe they’ve come to their senses and there won’t be a problem.”
A disbelieving snort came from his childe on the other side of Willow. “Yeah, Peaches, and the sun won’t set me on fire tomorrow.”
The others leapt into action, gathering weapons and stashing them around the lobby of the hotel. Willow went into the kitchen and came back with an assortment of things. “Er ... guys, I have an idea. Would you please take your shirts off.”
“Why mum, at a time like this.” Spike quipped while removing his shirt. Angel just groaned and stripped to the waist. Willow started to strap metal pot lids over the hearts of her vampires, front and back. When Wesley saw what she was doing, he smiled at her and came to her aid. Soon they had the vampire’s hearts armoured in an attempt to protect them. Shirts went back on, sure in the knowledge that staking would be a bit more difficult.
Finally, they had done all they could do. They
just had to wait.
Buffy peeked through the door into the lobby of the huge old hotel. They were all there. She quietly backed away and then turned and went back to the car to report. They didn’t want to do any damage to Angel or his crew, they just wanted Willow back and Spike gone. If that meant leaving him in L.A. with Angel, so be it.
“Okay guys, they are all there, and Spike and Willow are in there, so all we have to do is go and bring her home with us.” She looked at the occupants of the car. Tara, was sniffling a bit, but that would change when Willow was back where she belonged. Xander looked dubious, but resolved. Anya looked like she really didn’t care and Giles ... Giles looked disapproving of the whole matter.
“Buffy, under the circumstances, I must again register my opposition to your plans. You and Tara have no excuse for this behaviour. If Willow is happy then she should stay where she is. She is an adult and that gives her the right to make her own choices.”
Buffy’s voice was slightly whiney, “But I know Willow doesn’t want to be away from us. She is just upset that Tara and I told her the truth. She will come home. That is what she wants. I know it is.” Tara’s blonde head nodded emphatically.
“Fine, then we go and see, but I am telling you, if she wants to stay, she shall. I will not interfere with her desires.”
With Buffy and Tara in the lead, the Scoobies walked down the street to the imposing building Angel and his group called home. Anya clutched Xander’s hand as if letting go of him would cause them to self-destruct. After what seemed to be the longest walk in history, they reached the door of the Hyperion. Buffy pushed it open and strode into the lobby as if she owned it. The others followed with somewhat more decorum.
Angel’s crew was seated in the centre of the lobby. They looked comfortable and relaxed. They were neither. Angel stood to greet the invading group. He looked at each of them, before focusing on Giles. “What brings you to L.A., Giles?”
“Well, er ... I shall let Buffy explain. This is her idea.”
The slayer glared at her watcher, obviously angry at him for throwing the whole thing in her lap. She straightened her back and looked directly at Willow. “We’ve come to take you home, where you belong.” “I don’t belong in Sunnydale, you and Tara made that perfectly clear to me. I’m staying right here.”
“But, baby, we were just trying to protect you. You were ... ”
“Trying to help Spike, someone who was helpless against humans, someone who couldn’t defend himself, who couldn’t feed himself or ...” Willow turned away from the invading group, disgusted with their behaviour all over again. She met the eyes of her vampiric lover, taking strength from the quiet resolve she found there. She swung to face her ‘friends’ again, “I don’t want to be the kind of person who ignores someone who needs help. We help the hopeless here, regardless of who or what the hopeless might be. I like that, it makes me feel good about what I am doing here. So here, I stay.”
“Willow, that is enough of that, pack your clothes, you are coming home with us.” The slayer appeared to have heard not one word that the witch said.
“No, Buffy, as a matter of fact, I’m not. I’m already home.” Willow stepped back slightly, taking comfort in the presence of her family. She could feel the coolness from her lover, giving her the strength she needed to deal with this confrontation. “I live here now. This is where my life is, and I’m happy now. Happier than I’ve been in a very long time. I’m not leaving to go back to misery.” She looked directly into the slayer’s eyes as she spoke, willing her to understand, to back off and let her be. “But, Willow ... ” Tara’s voice grated on the redhead’s nerves, “we were happy. We were very happy.”
“No, Tara, we weren’t. We existed, but we weren’t happy. If we were happy, you wouldn’t have insisted on dictating who I could help. You would never have been so insistent that I not help someone who was helpless. I can’t be happy when someone is hurting, and you were insisting that I actively assist in a helpless being’s destruction.” She shot an apologetic look at the blond vampire, hoping he understood why she had to use his chip to make her point. “Then you went to my friends, the people that I’ve trusted for years and turned them against me. You told them that I was being irrational, that Spike would hurt me. Well,” She met each one’s eyes in turn, “do I look like I’ve been hurt, by anyone other than you?”
Giles was supporting her quietly with his green eyes, Anya looked at her squarely, Xander ducked his head in shame, and Buffy, well Buffy just looked slightly mystified. Tara, on the other hand, looked ... Goddess, she looked mad, furious that her scheme to control Willow had failed.
“I think that I have heard quite enough, everyone back to the car. We shall be leaving Willow right where she is. She’s told us she is happy and secure here, and that’s enough for me. Buffy, come along now.” Giles spoke firmly. His stutter had disappeared, as it was wont to do in these situations.
“But, Giles ... ”
“No, Buffy, enough is quite enough. Come along, we are going to the car, and we shall hope that Willow finds it in her heart to forgive us, for our betrayal of her. She is correct, we listened to Tara, and ignored what she had to say. Dear God, we should have known Willow better than that, and we failed her. Now, come to the car, we are returning to Sunnydale.” Giles gathered the Scoobies with his eye, and headed the door. He turned back to the group, “Willow, I, for one, am heartily sorry about this. I wish I had proved to be a better friend, and I hope that you can, someday find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Willow looked at Angel, seeing in his slight nod, his understanding of her feelings. She ran to Giles, hugging him, “Giles, you’ve been more of a father to me, than my own ever was. Of course you’re forgiven.”
Anya shoved Xander closer to the witch. “Well, go ahead. I’m not standing for anymore orgasm interruptions because you feel guilty. Which you should, by the way. Go apologise.”
“Wills, I’m sorry. I truly thought that Tara and Buffy were right. That doesn’t make me right though. I know that. I hope you can forgive me.” Xander studied the toe of his shoe, as he spoke.
The familiar habit made Willow smile a little. “I can forgive you Xander, but the next time, if you won’t listen to me, listen to Anya. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but she was the only one of my ‘friends’ who didn’t leap in to judge me.” She nodded to Anya as Xander grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
Giles grabbed the protesting Buffy with one hand, and Tara with the other, dragging them behind him. “This situation shall be rectified, Willow. You have my word on it.”
As the Scoobies disappeared from view, Angel and Spike surrounded Willow, in the beginnings of a group hug that soon involved everyone in the lobby.