Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, and Fox.
Spoilers: Anything up to Gone I think. Nothing major, except the B/S ship.
Author's notes: Series started sometime after Gone. Summary: Buffy finds out about Willow's secret.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy watched as the color drained from Willow's face. What the hell was going on, Buffy wondered, Willow had been acting strange for a while now. She had tried talking to her friend but Willow insisted she was fine. She asked Dawn, who had said Willow seemed perfectly normal and happy to her. When she tried talking to Xander he started babbling about nightmares. Now Willow was talking about not wanting to tell her something.
"Will what's going on?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, well uh, I." Willow said nervously, "I think we need to talk."
"'Kay." Buffy said, "Mind if I change first. I smell like burgers."
"No problem." Willow said quietly.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
Upstairs as she grabbed fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom Buffy thought about the last few weeks trying to figure out what had happened to Willow. Tara left, and then the magic thing, but she already knew about those things. Willow hadn't gone out with them much, preferring to stay home, Buffy had just assumed that was because of the magic and Tara and she would get over it in time. Stepping into the shower all Buffy was sure of was that if Willow was afraid to tell her it must be something really horrible.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
"Okay so What's up Will?" Buffy said sitting next to her friend on the couch.
"Buffy I know I should have told you but." Willow started, "I wasn't sure at first, then when I was I thought it had been too long and you would be angry so I didn't want to say anything, then Anya found out and."
"Hey, Will whatever it is just tell me." Buffy said becoming confused with Willow's babble.
"I love Spike." Willow blurted out.
"Funny Will." Buffy said, "Now seriously what do you want to tell me."
"I love Spike." Willow repeated, "Spike loves me."
"No." Buffy stated simply.
"No what?" Willow asked, "No I don't love Spike, or No Spike doesn't love me?"
"Neither. Both." Buffy said, not believing this was happening. She knew Willow had a crush on Spike before. But then Tara came along, Willow doesn't. And Spike loved her right. He couldn't love both her and Willow this whole thing was ridiculous. "Will I know you liked Spike and he's not so dangerous anymore but you must realize."
"Buffy this isn't some little crush I. Love. Him." Willow said becoming angry at her friend.
"Spike loves me." Buffy said.
"He did. But after you." Willow said, "He and I."
"So he just stopped loving me?" Buffy said, "Because I was gone and you weren't."
"No. We talked about this. He thought he still loved you when you came back. He tried to still love you but he didn't."
"God he is so dead if this is just some stupid game of his." Buffy muttered.
"It's not a game." Willow said. "You're not angry with me?"
"I'm angry. Not at you. Not really." Buffy said, "I don't know who I'm angry with right now. You, me, Spike. Everyone."
"I'll leave if you want me too." Willow said quietly.
"I don't want you to leave." Buffy said, "Not unless you want too."
"I don't but I."
"Look I need to be alone right now." Buffy said getting up, "I need to think." She finished heading up toward her bedroom.
"'Kay." She heard Willow say quietly.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
Buffy saw a shadow cross the beam of light coming in from under her bedroom door. Rolling over she hoped whoever it was would just go away, she didn't want to talk right now. Willow was in love with Spike. Evil, wants to kill us all, Spike. Okay it's not like she couldn't see how it could happen. She did sleep with him, but that was over, it was a mistake. She didn't love Spike right? She had been using him. So then why was she so angry that Spike might love someone else.
"Buffy can I come in?" Dawn said from the hallway.
"Yeah." Buffy said knowing it would make no difference what her answer was Dawn was coming in.
"You okay?" Dawn said approaching the bed. "Willow said she told you."
"You knew?" Buffy said turning to face her sister.
"Yeah, kind of my fault." Dawn said.
"Uh?"
"I told her to talk to him. He'd been watching her since summer. So when she saw him I told her to talk to him."
"Oh." Buffy said, "Spike loves her?"
"Yeah. I think he does."
"I have to know." Buffy said, "If this is a game to him."
"I don't think it's a game." Dawn said, "You aren't angry?"
"I was. I'm still not happy, but I'll deal." Buffy said getting off the bed and grabbing her jacket. "I'm going out. And Dawn."
"Yeah?" Her sister said turning to face her sister at the door.
"No more playing love fairy 'kay." She said as she walked out.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
Spike jumped off his chair as the door to his crypt slammed open.
"Do you love her?" Buffy asked grabbing the vampire and slamming him against the wall.
"Love who?"
"Willow." Buffy said shoving him harder against the wall, "She told me about you two. Do you love her?"
"She told you?" Spike said in surprise, "Bloody hell. Yes I love her."
"Spike if you're lying. If you hurt her." Buffy said releasing the vampire.
"I won't hurt her." Spike answered then "Are you okay?"
"I have to be don't I." Buffy said, "I told you I couldn't love you. Willow's my best friend. You make her happy. I don't have to like this but I have to be okay."
"I guess." Spike said rubbing his chest where she had been holding him. " At least you're not blocking."
"Blocking?" Buffy asked.
"Xander." Spike answered, "He saw us. Willow managed to convince him he imagined the whole thing. Though I guess now that you know we should let him in on it."
"What about Tara?" Buffy asked not at all surprised Xander was choosing to block the idea from his mind, and it explained his babbling about nightmares. "If you guys haven't talked to her then I think maybe leave Xander in the dark a little longer."
"Right. Don't want the little witch hurt. That would hurt Red." Spike said.
"So I guess Willow needs to talk to Tara soon then." Buffy said heading toward the door, "And Spike I'm not kidding about hurting her." She said quietly as she closed the door.