"Is it true?"
"Oz!" Willow closed her locker door and turned to face
him and Xander,
who was standing beside him.
"Is it true, Willow? Are you and Spike--"
"Is he fucking you?" Xander asked bluntly.
Willow's mouth dropped open and a crimson blush stained
her cheeks,
"What the hell is this? Is Buffy running around the halls
spreading the
news to the entire student body?"
"Willow, I don't understand," Oz said with a mixture of
pain and
disgust. "How could you let him?"
"Oz, I'm sorry if you're hurting, but you know how things
have been
between us. It's always awkward when you and I are together,
ever
since--"
"You can't deal with living, breathing guys, so you're
going after dead
ones?" Xander asked. "What is it with you women and vampires,
anyway? Is
it their pearly white fangs, their pale complexions,
their total lack of
decency?"
"Shut up, Xander," Willow snapped. "You've been playing
girls, like Oz
plays guitar, for years. Why should you give a damn who
I'm seeing? You
passed me by long ago."
"This isn't you, Willow," Oz's voice was strained.
"Isn't it?" she argued. "I spent weeks trying to make
things right
between us. Everytime I look at you, I see disappointment."
"That's your imagination," he told her.
"Really? I don't think so. I'm tired of should-have-beens.
Oz, I'll
always care about you, but we have to move past this."
"Move past it to what? That bastard?" Xander spoke.
"You know something, Xander? I've just realized I don't
give a damn what
you think of me. I don't care what any of you think.
Spike doesn't judge
me. He doesn't try to make me something that I'm not.
He likes *me.*"
"Well, he likes part of you, anyway," Xander's eyes traveled
down
Willow's body.
"Screw you, Xander," she shot back.
Buffy heard their angry voices from the end of the hallway
and quickly
made her way over to the trio.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing. I'm leaving," Willow brushed past the two men.
"Wait, Willow," Buffy fell into step beside her. "We need to talk."
"Oh," Willow moaned. "I don't think I can take any more
talk. I've heard
enough for one day."
"Please, Willow, for our friendship's sake."
Willow gave her a sideways glance.
"Just come with me tonight. Hear Angel and me out. If
you still
disagree, we'll drop it," Buffy said.
"Okay," the redhead sighed. "If it'll put an end to all of this."
"Thank you," Buffy smiled.
***
"You realize this is a waste of time," Willow said as
she sat on the
sofa in the mansion.
"Come on, Willow, don't be like that. At least give us
the benefit of an
open mind," Buffy asked.
Willow sighed, "I'm listening."
Buffy and Angel sat down on either side of her.
"I don't know what Spike's motivation is in all of this,"
Angel
admitted. "But I do know that it isn't altruistic. He's
after you for a
reason, Willow, and you're going to find yourself in
the middle of
something you can't get out of."
"Why do you assume that?" Willow gave him a cold look.
"He can't just
want to be with me? I know I'm not the most beautiful
person in the
world, but I'm not that bad."
"That's not what I meant," Angel protested.
"I don't know what you do mean, and you don't seem to
be able to express
it. You just keep uttering the same, baseless warnings."
"Baseless!" Buffy replied. "This is Spike we're talking
about! He
threatened to hurt you last night."
"What do you expect him to do when you've backed him into
a corner? Our
relationship is our own business, and only ours. No one
asked you to get
involved."
Buffy ran a hand through her hair and stood up, "What
the hell is wrong
with you? I don't even recognize this person."
"Willow, would you consider a suggestion?" Angel asked.
"Depends."
"Stop seeing Spike for a couple of weeks, just to gain
some perspective.
Then see how you feel about him," Angel requested.
"No!" Willow refused emphatically. "My perspective is
just fine. In
fact, it's clearer than it's ever been. Our friendship
is conditional.
As long as I'm good, sweet, dependable little Willow,
the stepping stone
in the slayer's river, everything is fine. But the minute
I decide to do
something for myself, I'm scorned."
"That's not fair," Buffy told her.
"Like you should talk. I told you this would be a waste
of time. You've
had your say. I've listened. I'm leaving," Willow rose
from the sofa.
Angel stood and put a restraining hand on her arm, "We're not finished."
"You're not? I am. Leave me alone, and leave Spike alone,
too. I may not
be able to fight like Buffy, but I will make you regret
it if you try to
interfere with us again," Willow threatened.
Relinquishing all hope of getting through to her, Buffy
did something
she never, even in her most bizarre dreams, imagined
she would. She hit
her best friend, hard. Willow collapsed against Angel,
and he caught her
up in his arms before she hit the floor.
End.