"Willow, no!" Angel shouted as the desperate woman reached
frantically
for the door while Giles sped down the expressway. "You'll
get yourself
killed."
"I don't care!" she screamed.
Angel pulled her forcefully against him and wrapped his
arms around her,
pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled in his embrace.
"Willow," he spoke into her ear. "Willow, stop. I'm not
going to let go
of you."
She squirmed futiley against him for several minutes before
surrendering
to his superior strength.
"Who was that?" Buffy turned sideways in the front seat
and looked at
her best friend with grave concern.
"One of Spike's boys, or he was," Angel answered.
"The one who told you where to find them," Giles said.
"Yeah. I never considered the possibility that he might
trail us," Angel
said regretfully.
"Why would he follow you? What did he want with Spike?"
Willow's voice
was ominously low.
A hesitant glance passed between vampire and slayer.
Angel tightened his arms around Willow before answering
her question,
"He wanted me to track you two down and stake Spike."
"You bastards! You left him back there! Giles, turn around!"
Willow
pleaded.
"It's too late," Angel told her. "Spike's gone, Willow.
He never saw
what hit him."
A pitiful moan escaped from her lips, and she slumped back in despair.
They continued the drive back to Sunnydale in mind-numbing
silence.
***
After the third consecutive day of Willow's absence from
school, Buffy
steeled herself and went by her house.
"Hello," Buffy said as her friend opened the door.
The redhead began to shut the door, but Buffy extended
her arm and
pushed it back open. Wordlessly, Willow turned her back
on the uninvited
visitor and walked to the living room. The slayer watched
her as she
sunk down onto the sofa, grief etched across her pale
face.
Buffy glanced around the room, "Where are your parents?"
Willow spoke tonelessly, "Away for two more weeks, thank Satan."
"Don't talk like that," Buffy said. "You shouldn't be here alone."
"*You* shouldn't be here," Willow spat. "Get the hell
out and leave me
alone."
"I'm not going to do that. I care about you. You're my best friend."
Willow's quiet laugh bordered on hysteria, "A friend wouldn't
have left
him there to die."
"Willow--"
"You're such a two-faced little slut. You fuck your boyfriend,
and he
turns into the worst monster this town has ever seen.
Did I help destroy
him? No. I got him back."
"It isn't the same," Buffy argued.
"Of course it isn't; those were your feelings, your grief.
When the poor
slayer is suffering, hell must be turned upside-down
to make it all
better."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You can't have changed
so much,"
Buffy whispered.
"The only thing that's changed is my vision. The blinders
are off. It
must drive you crazy to know someone sees you for what
you are. Stay
away from me--all of you," Willow demanded.
Buffy stood and walked to the door. She looked back at
Willow with
anguished eyes, "I'm not giving up on you, Willow. I'll
always be here
for you."
Willow sat in silence until she heard the door close.
She buried her
face in the sofa cushions as sobs wracked her body.
End.