"I'm coming," Buffy yelled as she heard the doorbell
ring again. She put down her bowl of popcorn and hit the pause button on
her VCR, wondering who was so frantic to get inside. She opened the door,
frowning when she saw her best friend, "Willow? What are you doing here?"
"What? I can't come visit my best friend?" Willow
asked defensively, her tone sharp.
"Not with that attitude, you can't," Buffy said,
moving to the side, "come in and then tell me what the problem is."
"There is no problem," Willow said, glaring at
her friend as she entered the living room. "Why do you think there is a
problem?"
"Because you're acting weird," Buffy said patiently,
moving to sit back down and pick up her bowl of popcorn. "Now, tell Buffy
all about it."
"There is nothing to tell. I just couldn't stay
home. I had to get out," Willow said, moving as she spoke.
"Wait!" Buffy reached over and turned the TV and
VCR off, not wanting them to start blaring if she was able to finally get
Willow to calm down and tell her what the problem was. "Now, where we were?
Oh, yes. You were denying there was a problem by pacing around the room
like a tiger in a cage."
"I am not pacing," Willow said, glowering at Buffy
as she realized she was indeed pacing. She moved to a chair and sat down,
"There. No pacing now."
"Willow, honey, I just saw two hours ago and you
were happy, in a perfectly good mood. Now, you're storming into my house
and glaring. What happened?" Buffy demanded.
"He's in love," Willow said in a sullen voice.
"OK..." Buffy waited, rolling her eyes when Willow
just sat there frowning. "Who's in love?"
"Spike," Willow said sharply, spitting out his
name as if it were a curse.
"Oh," Buffy sat back, the wheels in her head turning
as she started to put the pieces together. "Spike's in love. And how do
you know this?"
"He told me!" Willow said, making a face. "All
happy about it, too, stupid idiot. I thought he was going to break into
a damn song and dance, stupid bleached blonde moron."
"Spike singing and dancing?" Buffy said, looking
down so Willow wouldn't see her laughing. She faked a cough to cover up
her amusement before looking back at Willow, "Spike's in love. So what?"
"So what?" Willow asked, looking at Buffy as if
she had grown a second head. "So, Spike's not supposed to fall in love!"
"Who says?" Buffy asked, slightly confused.
"I say," Willow said, her eyes looking at the
floor. "He's my friend. If he falls in love, that changes things."
"Maybe it won't change anything," Buffy said quietly,
thoughtfully, her hazel eyes watching Willow.
"No, it will change things. Trust me, nothing
will ever be the same," Willow said sadly.
"Will, I have to ask why it bothers you so much,"
Buffy asked softly, having her own suspicions as to why it would upset
Willow this much.
"Because," Willow looked up at Buffy, the anger
and annoyance fading as she whispered, "it isn't with me."