Title: Tomorrow Chapter 16?
Author: Madsdog
Disclaimer: If I just owned Willow's body, Dawn's hair and Giles' voice to sing
me to sleep... okay... none of it's mine- those bits belong to the actors and
the rest is Joss' and Marti's (Tara-killers) and Love Letter #1 belongs to Red.
Notes: Believe it or not, I have almost none: just bare in mind that at the
time of writing this I had yet to see Grave or anything beyond it- therefore, I
had no idea of Andrew and Jonathan's evolution through S7.
Anyone still reading this- love you all- send feedback!
"What time are you leaving tonight?"
"Probably not until six. I need all the customers I can get after going away and losing a week's worth of money. Damn Xander." Willow looked up from the salad she was eating and watched as Anya cleaned the Magic Box counter top for the third time in half an hour.
"You know- if he hadn't left you-"
"At the alter."
"Yes, at the alter, then-"
"Well, actually it was by the doors. Sorry. Do continue."
"If he hadn't left you then you'd have lost three weeks of money."
"Three weeks?"
"You'd have been on your honeymoon."
"That is true. I hadn't thought of that. So- thank you Xander for leaving me."
It had been two weeks since Willow had moved into Anya's new apartment. Since then she had spoken to both Xander and Dawn, but had not even seen Buffy. She felt a little bad about that- this was her best friend of the past six years, but at the same time she just didn't know who to trust anymore- if The Council could control Buffy then no one was completely trustworthy. So she'd been staying with Anya- although even she seemed a little 'off' as of late- something Willow chalked up to Xander's recent behaviour.
"I cannot believe I didn't think of that." Willow was pulled from her thoughts by the words.
"What's that?"
"In all the wedding plans, it never once occurred to me that I was going to lose all that money. I don't know where my head was."
"Love can do that- make you crazy."
"Hmph." Anya returned to her cleaning and Willow started on her second salad- maybe she should start taking Xander's advice and just buy one large meal instead of two small ones- it hardly mattered that the big ones were never as nice- she was having difficulties tasting anything.
"Oh drat." Anya looked up and saw Willow frantically trying to rub away a mark from the front of her red dungarees where she'd dropped a forkful of salad down herself. She looked so- well- so Willow-y that Anya felt one of those flushes of human emotion run through her. It was all so exciting- there was going to be a baby scooby, a toddler of the apocalypse and she and Willow and everyone would get to look after it- except Spike. It would be like entertaining Dawn again- only with fewer crushes on Xander and less of her annoying nasal voice- and there would be no danger of it turning into a little Buffy- or at least she hoped there wouldn't be. Of course, if it was a girl there was a one in three billion chance it could be a slayer- but if you forgot that fact it was all cheery.
"Can I hug you?"
"Can you- huh?"
"I'm having one of those attacks I get- of humanness- it's quite disgusting really- but I want to show you my affection so I'd like to hug you. Please?" Willow smiled and pushed back the chair she was in to stand and approach Anya.
"You know, you're my absolute favourite ex-vengeance demon." Both girls grinned before embracing. After a moment it was Anya that broke away first.
"Okay, I'm better now. I should do some more... stock lists."
"You need some help? I can do that sitting down."
"Why? Are you tired? Are you overworking yourself?"
"No, I'm fine- it's just hard work standing up for a long time. You know," she sat down and put her feet on a chair in front of her, "I'm starting to understand why men are supposed to stick around during this whole deal."
"Why? Is it true?"
"I'd kill for a foot-rub."
"Not that- the horny part."
"The hor- oh, that part, well-" Anya cut her off.
"I was just curious because we could just ditch the men altogether for that part."
"We could-"
"Come on Willow; two women scorned by their men, alone together for long periods of time? It's the basis of many smutty stories I've found."
"I- wouldn't know."
"You haven't used your computer for interesting things?"
"Are you coming on to me?"
"Well- I-"
"Eight-month-pregnant, crazy-paranoid Willow?" Anya made a dismissive noise.
"No- of course not. I mean, why would I- Hallie!" Willow looked up to the front of the shop, vaguely disappointed that the demon had come in, the malicious part of her having enjoyed seeing Anya just a little uncomfortable and struggling for an answer.
"Good morning Anyanka. Willow."
"Hi." Willow nodded at the demon and then stood. "Y'know, Anya, I'm gonna go take a walk, get some fresh air."
"Are you sure? Didn't you say this morning how exhausted you were? I don't want you putting yourself out."
"Anyanka, I'm sure the woman is capable of judging whether she can take a walk or not." Willow gave Hallie a tight-lipped smile before taking a few steps backward toward the door.
"I'm fine Anya, I'll just go over to the park, catch some sun then go back to the apartment."
"Okay, you promise to call if you need anything."
"You're so anxious Anya. Anyone would think it was you having the baby."
"I do hope not."
"Okay, I'll see you later." Willow turned and walked up the steps, giving a little wave as she left the shop, leaving the remaining two alone.
"Does she know?" Hallie asked.
"Not yet."
"She hasn't asked what-"
"No."
"You're going to tell her though."
"I expect so."
"Now, for your little Harris problem."
***
Willow slowly walked up Sunnydale's main street, constantly watching for people behaving strangely. She'd had more than enough of demons paying midnight visits to the Summers' residence, or mojo being put on her friends and her and her baby's life being constant danger. For some reason she felt that if she could just make it to the birth then something would happen to make everything all right. Realistically she knew that it wouldn't be that easy- and that they'd be fighting for a good long time before it was over, but she was thinking in small steps. Small steps. Her long-term goal was her due date in two weeks, but right now she was just going to make it to the park.
Walking past the espresso pump felt like one of the hardest tasks of Willow's short life, the amount of people simply loitering was difficult to cope with- no one seemed out of place and no one watched her more than anyone else. Quickening her steps, she passed the exposed spot and breathed a sigh of relief as the park gates came into sight. Sunnydale Park was notorious for being dead during the day- but was full of vampires at night. It was a good place to just come and think, although Willow hadn't been there for a good long while. With a smile as she sat under her favourite tree, she remembered the first time she'd brought Rupert here.
***
AUTUMN 2001
***
"Willow, what are you-" The redhead grinned as she motioned for the man in front of her to sit down and reached into her backpack.
"I thought we should celebrate."
"Celebrate what?"
"You, me, us, life. Harmony for providing entertainment." Willow pulled out two plastic tumblers and a bottle of champagne and put them on the grass between them. "Also- it's your birthday next week and I don't know when we'll next get some alone time."
"Yes, do remind me I'm getting even older. I like that." Rupert's tone was dry and she pulled a face at the sarcasm.
"You shouldn't frown- you'll get wrinkles." She reached over and traced some of the lines above his eyebrows, trying to relax his features into a smile.
"We shouldn't-"
"Why not?"
"We're in the middle of Sunnydale- in the park. Someone will see-"
"No one will see us. No one comes in here."
"That's not true- Buffy and I-"
"Buffy and you don't count," she said dismissively, "at night, yes, this place crawls, but not when the sun's shining. Honestly, it's empty."
"Are you sure?"
"Look, the sun's shining, I have no lectures, you've got the afternoon off- although why you've decided Anya of all people can look after the store I don't' know. And I have cherries in my bag. If you want to continue worrying, please do; I'll just enjoy today myself." She leaned back against the tree and reached into her bag for the boxed cherries.
"You know that they're awfully less romantic than strawberries?"
"But I prefer them."
"The thing I miss most about England is the winter mornings."
"Whatever for?" Although puzzled by the subject change, Willow let him run with it.
"Well, not the mornings so much as breakfast- when it's cold and dark and you just want to stay in bed, but you stumble down and have toasted teacakes or crumpets or muffins- English ones. Yes, I miss those."
"While here you have the torment of sun and apocalypses. Apocalypi? Apocalypsees? Huh, whatever."
"Both of which can actually be seen occasionally in the British Isles." They sat in silence for a moment before Willow spoke again.
"Your birthday- getting older, the age gap- does it still bother you?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes if we're all together, I'll look across and think 'that's the woman I'm going to marry, that will have my children and I'll grow old with,' but then I realise I'm not your age- we'll grown old in turn, not together, and I'll look at Dawn and Buffy, the daughters I never had, and at Xander, growing up all of a sudden with Anya, and it scares me that you're the same age as them- if more mature. Do you not think on it?"
"'don't listen when they scoff
that you are old and i am young
for i am old enough to know better
and you are young enough not to care'"
"That's... who?"
"Maupin."
"Maupin?"
"Armistead- in 'Tales of the City'."
"Yes, I'm with you." He grinned all of a sudden. "It's bloody perfect. Are you sure this place is deserted?"
"Almost- only a few kids playing truant ever come here- and they stick over the other side."
"Then come here." With one hand he reached for the bottle Willow had left beside them, while the other snaked around her waist, pulling her toward him. With a smile she reached over and kissed him.
"Why?" She smiled. "You gonna make it worth my while?"
***
Spike was jolted from his almost-slumber in front of the TV by the shrill ringing of the telephone. He groaned, he'd only had the damn thing installed last month and only about five people were supposed to know the number. Unfortunately, four of those five were full time Scooby-gang members.
"Yeah?" He grunted into the receiver.
"Spike, it's Willow."
"What d'you want witch?"
"Giles and I kind of... need your help with something."
"What's that?"
"We need you to drive to Sunnydale police HQ and... well... bail us out."
"Bail you- what?"
"We're in custody, we need you to bring the money you stole from Giles' apartment last week so we can get out."
"What're you there for?"
"Public indecency."
"What?"
"Having sex in a public place."
"Huh, you and Rupert- what are the chances of... I didn't know Olivia- oh BLOODY HELL- you and Rupert!"
***
May 2002
***
Willow smiled; she hadn't remembered that in a long time. It'd taken a lot of work on her part to wipe the memories of Spike, Harmony and all of Harmony's friends, and to hack into the police computers so as neither of them had a criminal record- although, when she did so, she didn't expect to have to remove a charge of cannabis possession from Rupert's.
'You should see my English one.' Had been his embarrassed response before he'd begun asking her about whether all hackers could do what she'd just done.
'Don't worry,' she'd reassured him, 'most hackers are about as boring as me- only with more books and less sex- unless they're caught, the most they're going to have on their records is the theft of a couple of chocolate bars.'
Despite the events that day, however, they'd often come to the park afterwards. It was partway between the university and Rupert's apartment and for the most part was quiet- although it had taken some time before Willow had managed to convince him that they were only going to get caught once.
Frowning, Willow watched as a figure sat below a tree about 200 yards away from her. She struggled to her feet and began closing the distance between them.
"Dawn!" The figure jumped to their feet and looked around, her eyes widening as she saw the redhead approaching.
"Willow, what are you doing here? This is the park, no one comes here. I'm so busted aren't I?"
"Oh yes. Want to explain why you're not in school?"
"Would you believe I was right on my way back at the end of my lunch break?"
"Only if I was a fool, and lunch often ended at-" she checked her watch, "-ten fifteen." Dawn sighed.
"It was just gym. And biology."
"Dawnie, you can't keep cutting class."
"Buffy used to."
"First- she had a reason, second- she never got caught, or if she did she had Giles to give her a note, third- Buffy is twenty years old and works in The Doublemeat Palace- is that where you want to be in four years?"
"Not really- she smells."
"Don't tell her that."
"I could sell door-to-door vitamins."
"And get bored out of your mind making absolutely nothing."
"Okay, okay."
"Dawnie I know it's hard, but flunking classes isn't going to help."
"They're dissecting pigs' hearts today. I can't do that."
"Oh honestly Dawn, there's nothing to it- although Xander used to refuse to do it- he almost fainted once."
"Really?"
"You're not to tell him I said that though."
"What's it worth?"
"Me walking you back to school. Come on."
***
"Xander and Buffy are arguing."
"Arguing how? What about?" Willow frowned at Dawn.
"Anything and everything- they're like an old married couple, always at one another, picking on each other. It's becoming maddening."
"Are you alright?"
"Just worried about them."
"Don't worry, just let them work things through, get the problems out of their systems and then things can get back to normal." Both were quiet for a moment before a noise like a muffled sob came from the younger girl and Willow stopped walking, placing a hand on her arm to turn her to face her. "Dawnie? Are you crying?"
"That's- that's what Mom used to tell Buffy and I when she and Dad were arguing."
"Oh Dawn."
"Everything's falling apart- first Mom and Giles, then Anya, then you and now them. You're going to have a baby, we should all be a family. Like we used to be."
"The last couple of years haven't been nice to you, have they?" Dawn said nothing, and after a moment they both began walking again. A minute later, Willow broke the silence once more. "I can't go back to yours. Not yet."
"I understand."
"I want to, but not until Buffy... not until later."
"I said 'I understand.'" Neither spoke for the rest of the journey to the school, and it wasn't until she was almost through the gates that Dawn turned.
"Buffy's an even worse cook that you."
"So that's why you want me back."
"There's only so much pizza a person can eat."
"Come 'round to Anya's tomorrow night, we'll have a girly meal."
"Okay. See you there."
***
"Do you agree Oz?"
"If we can do it right then yes, it's the only way."
"Okay, that's decided."
"When?"
***
"Aaahh!"
"Willow." Hearing the cry behind her, Dawn span back around to face the school gates and shouted out her friend's name. The redhead had collapsed and was lying prone on the pavement, what looked like a tranquilliser dart sticking out of her side.
***
"Anya. What are you doing here?" Buffy paused at the bottom of the steps leading up to 1630 Revello Drive. The other woman was sat at the top of them, fiddling with what looked like a broken pencil.
"I can go."
"No. I was just surprised. Is- is everything okay? With Willow?" The pencil fell to the floor as Anya's head shot up.
"Yes, I feel crappy, something must be wrong with Willow."
"I'm sorry- I just thought I'd better check. Is something wrong? You look upset."
"Have you ever had your heart ripped out in front of everyone you knew?"
"I know Xander hurt you Anya, but..."
"I just... I just want him to feel what it is he's done."
"I understand, and he's been... almost unbearable lately. He's hurting."
"Well whose fault is that?"
"I wish..."
"Buffy!... Anya?" As Buffy prepared to speak again, Xander ran up the path. Anya's right hand rose to cover her mouth and she pushed herself away from the wall.
"Even when you're fighting like cats and dogs she still loves you." She growled at him.
"What? Look, I'm sorry Anya, but right now- Willow's in trouble."
"In trouble how?"
"Dawn just phoned, they're at the hospital, they don't know what happened, but it's bad."
"Is Dawn-"
"Just hysterically worried about Willow and child."
"Let's go."
***
"He will not get away with this."
"Eliza calm yourself."
"What about IVF? That'd show that son-of-a-bitch."
"It's a possibility."
"The bastard is going to pay for this." The brunette wiped the tears from her cheeks and shook her head, trying to gather some sort of composure in front of her boss.
"This is why we did the spell Eliza- to combat any negative backlash."
"Negative backlash?" Taking a deep breath, she turned her back on Quentin to face her front room- or what was left of it- before starting forward to try to rescue some of her belongings from the vindictive rubble caused by Rupert Giles' explosives.
***
Dawn Summers' head shot upwards as the fifth person passed the door in half as many minutes.
"Where are you Xander?" She muttered to herself as she checked her watch. It had been twenty minutes since she'd managed to get in touch with him, after The Magic Box and Anya's apartment had left her with a permanent ringing in her ears.
"Ms Summers?"
"Yes!" She jumped out of her seat and shouted her reply, causing the woman stood in front of her to jerk backwards. "Sorry."
"It's quite alright. You can come through now and see Ms Rosenberg." Before she had even finished her sentence, Dawn was on her way through the corridors.
"Is she okay? Is the baby-"
"The baby is fine, we're monitoring both of them very closely and he seems to be the picture of perfect health."
"What about Willow?"
"She's not... I have to ask about the baby's father." Dawn stopped and turned to look at the other in shock.
"It's bad isn't it?"
"Dawn!" Out of the corner of her eye, the teenager could make out the form of her sister approaching with Xander and Anya, but she kept her gaze forward.
"Isn't it?"
"We really don't know Ms Summers, nor could I disclose any details if we had any. Do you think you could contact the baby's father?"
"No she can't." Anya's voice was sharp and bit through Dawn's reply of;
"I can try."
"You can't stay long; she's in here."
***
"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable, please replace the receiver and try again... The number you have dialed-" With a snarl, Dawn slammed the phone back into its cradle. Futilely, she'd thought that maybe, as it was an emergency, even if Eliza was screening calls, she'd be able to convince her to let her talk to Giles, but the phone wouldn't even darn-well ring.
In the room across the hall, Anya and Buffy were arguing with Willow's doctor; apparently, the best thing for the baby would be to deliver it now by caesarian. It was only just over a week until it was due, but as it didn't seem in immediate danger, the doctor needed Willow, Giles, or another Rosenberg to sign to consent forms, none of whom were available. And no one knew what was wrong with Willow.
"Just let me see that!"
"I wish I could let you," the doctor's voice came through almost as loud as Anya's, "but... just let me check... here." As Dawn approached the door, she saw Buffy look on in astonishment as the doctor handed over a folder to Anya, who flicked through, read a couple of sheets and then handed it back to a rather bemused looking MD.
"Thank you. Now can we see Willow again?"
"You know where she is."
***
"She put a protection spell on the baby." Anya revealed to the other three in the room. "It's part of the reason Buffy didn't hack her to pieces." She ran her fingers through the unconscious redhead's hair. "And it doesn't cover her; in fact, just the opposite. Anything that should be happening to the baby, happens to her- it balances out the karma or something. She has some kind of rapidly reproducing foreign body in her bloodstream. If we don't hurry, it'll travel to her heart and stop it beating."
"Then we stop it!" Xander said.
"We don't even know what it is or who The Council got to put it there-"
"I've got a pretty good idea. I'm going to see our trio of annoying boys." Buffy strode out, leaving Anya and Xander to glare at each other across Willow's prone form as Dawn looked on, rolling her eyes.
***
"Anyanka!"
"Not now Hallie."
"I waited until you were out of the witch's room." The brunette pouted. "I like your hair." Anya's hand ran subconsciously through the now blonde locks.
"Thanks. She's really ill."
"Uh-huh. Look, I fixed your problem, just keep going to the slayer and she's sure to wish disgustingly pleasant stuff upon him soon."
"Undo it."
"What!"
"Undo the wish."
"Oh no Anyanka. Harris and the slayer will be arguing until she makes a wish against him to you."
"Halfrek; it's affecting Willow."
"What to I care for the witch?"
"D'Hoffryn wants her; if she dies before he can recruit her, he won't be happy, and if it's because of you..." Anya trailed off.
"I do not 'undo' wishes." With her usual flamboyance, Halfrek disappeared.
***
"Mwhahahahaha!" The joint cry from the other room brought Jonathan running through.
"What? What? Why are we evil laughing?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Yeah- nothing." Andrew flicked his head back and waved his hand dismissively. Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, look... argh!" Throwing the glass of juice he was carrying into the air and over himself, the young man jumped back from the form of Buffy Summers, which appeared in front of him, with a yelp.
"You spilt some."
"Thanks." He squeaked.
"Right. Now. I'm here to ask just once, really nicely, and then I start ass kicking. Got it?" Jonathan and Andrew nodded. "Now, if a 'rapidly reproducing foreign body' should somehow appear in someone's bloodstream, I don't suppose any of you would happen to know how it got there, or more to the point, how to neutralise it." Jonathan's head shot around to face Warren, who was grinning smugly to himself. He'd used it- the plant-demon thingy.
"W-w-we're evil. We wouldn't tell you if we did." Andrew stuttered out.
"Your target isn't dying- Willow's taking the flack but you'll fail and then you'll be in trouble. You won't get paid." The brunette frowned, he couldn't work this out; it sounded like Warren had tried to infect Buffy with the plant but managed to get Willow instead. And there was the money part again.
"Sure slayer. Now watch me kick your ass." Without further ado Warren attacked, the magick balls the trio had stolen earlier giving him enough strength to match Buffy blow for blow. The pair had been at it for a couple of minutes when one of the balls fell at the blonde's feet and she stamped on it, causing Warren to gasp.
"Oh dear, did you need tho-o-o-se..." The last word came out strangled as Jonathan jumped on her back, wrapping his arms around her neck.
"Salt." He whispered to her, clinging on as she tried to throw him off. "To cure Willow. Salt. Argh!" The sensation of flying through the air was cut short as his head made contact with the wall behind and his world faded to black.
***
"Dawnie? The brunette's head spun to face the hospital bed.
"Willow? Anya! Willow? How are you? Do you remember what happened? How do you feel?"
"Willow?" Anya ran into the room, having heard Dawn's cry. "Are you feeling better? Does it hurt?"
"Want to go back to sleep. No questions there."
"Sorry." Anya and Dawn muttered together.
"Can we go home now?"
***
"Hello again."
"Good morning Buffy." The dusty-blonde girl, so often a part of her dreams now, stood before her once more, clothed in a deep red sundress, her feet bare, holding a baby in her arms. "It's nearly time now you know."
"So you keep telling me."
"It'll be sooner than expected."
"What will?"
"You must have worked at least that out by now."
"What is it you're supposed to be telling me?"
"Here." The woman held out the precious bundle and without question Buffy took it. Suddenly, the ground around her began to shake, crumbling and disappearing beneath her feet. She started to run, knowing she had to get the baby to safety. Beside her the blonde kept pace, almost floating rather than sprinting. Up ahead a mountain loomed, and on top, spread-eagled, was Willow, small screams coming from her. Above her stood Xander and Anya.
"Why can't you just tell me."
"You have to see past the faces." The blonde clapped her hands and everything around Willow and the path leading to her faded.
"I said no magic!" The pitch and frequency of screams from the witch increased until the sound was all consuming and the slayer threw up her hands to cover her ears.
Waking up, all Buffy could remember was the baby dropped from her arms and plummeting to who-knew-what below.
***
"The basis of her power is children." Anyanka looked pleadingly up at her boss, who chuckled.
"Do you remember the last time we sat here? Hallie wasn't here of course, but you were just as angry."
"Of course I remember. You sentenced me to 'live out my mortal life and die'."
"Yes, yes. I did, didn't I? That didn't really work out for either of us."
"It did for a while."
"Ahem." Halfrek cleared her throat, a syrupy smile on her face. "Touching as all this is, can we hurry this up so I can go back to cursing idiot parents?"
"She just admitted it! Children! Not vengeance demons approaching their 1130th birthday!"
"But the line's so fine with you Anyanka."
"Bitch."
"Girls, girls. Now, if I'm correct, you want Halfrek to undo a wish for you. To what end?"
"It's affecting Willow."
"Ah, the oh-so-charming Miss Rosenberg. Why should I care?"
"You like her."
"I'd like her more if she was one of mine. Perhaps her friends' arguing will make her wish to become one of us." Halfrek snorted.
"Have you seen that girl? She's as pure as pure. It'll take a lot more than a petty quarrel to turn her."
"Silence. You should know as well as anyone that sometimes the smallest thing can tip-"
"Clause 13!"
"Did you just interrupt me Anyanka?"
"Vengeance demons' code: Law 73, section 47, clause 13."
"Law 73?" Halfrek snorted. "That hasn't been used in centuries- there's been no need... vengeance-pets indeed- why, I barely remember the details."
"I always was a better demon than you."
"Ah!"
"Girls. You were saying Anyanka."
"Clause 13; any wish, made with the knowledge that a being in the wishers presence is a vengeance demon, can be revoked by any demon bound to the code without consequence.'"
"Are you sure? I don't remember that. D'Hoffryn?"
"She is correct Halfrek. To prevent any of us becoming slaves to another being. Very well Anyanka; she will revoke the wish."
"D'Hoffryn!"
"Silence. It is done."
***
"You have to see past the faces. You have to see past the faces." Buffy kept muttering the phrase to herself, trying for the fourth day running to figure out what the hell it could mean, as she walked through the house to answer the front door.
Opening it up, her frown turned to a grin.
"Willow! You're here- with a bag."
"Of clothes- help me get the rest?" Jumping forward the slayer hugged her best friend before helping to move her back into Revello Drive.
***
Life finally seemed to be returning to normal- or a semblance thereof. Okay, so it wasn't really normal, but it was a comfortable routine.
'Don't do anything standing up if you can do it sitting down.' The doctor had told Willow last week, 'and don't do anything sitting that you can do lying down.' And so, dutiful patient she was, she was sprawled across the sofa, theatre studies book in hand. Last week she'd had her final classes and since she'd moved back to the Summers' residence two days ago, she'd been confined by her friends to the house. She had only books and food to keep her occupied barring occasional visits from Anya, but only in periods when Xander was likely to be gone for hours, and the interesting three minutes of television to be seen a day. As of late, her attention span had been minimal and her brain aching for a challenge, she was awaiting an email from her superior at Saunder's regarding her latest design assignment and so she couldn't even do work. In fact, today's highlights had been peeling potatoes to cook for supper and doing Dawn's math homework when the girl had run home for lunc h in a panic about her quadratic equations.
Groaning in frustration and boredom, Willow threw her book across the room and then immediately wished she hadn't, knowing how much effort it would take to get from her prone position and fetch it. Instead of doing so, she put her head back and did a mental itinerary of the freezer, trying to make a meal for three, or possibly four due to Xander's more frequent visits, from what little there was. She came up with shepherd's pie, an English dish Rupert had introduced her to that had simple ingredients, was easy to make and in no way resembled a pie. That decision made she picked up the other book that was within easy reaching distance, one that Dawn had bought for her that discussed how a child developed after it was born. She hadn't really wanted it, but the younger Summers had been so excited that she'd made a show of starting it and it wasn't long before she'd become absorbed.
Too agitated to really concentrate on the book, Willow eventually decided to make the effort to stand, moved into the dining room, where she'd set up a chopping board on the table, sat down, and began to cut up an onion, followed by carrots, tomatoes and a few herbs. Standing up she moved finally to the kitchen, throwing the vegetables in with some ground meat and spices as she parboiled potatoes to mash and made up some stock that she poured over the mixture. The sun began to shine through the window and she picked up her book once more, reading further into the 'language skills' chapter. A few minutes later Dawn arrived home.
"Hiya."
"Hey. How was math?"
"Eventful."
"Eventful?"
"Yeah- Katie Parker fainted halfway through and wouldn't wake up; then Joe Collins let it slip that the reason they'd broken up was because she was pregnant and the teachers- Ms Parshaw, Mr Culling and Mrs Eldar all went into hysterics. Minimal math was done." Willow made a face that Dawn couldn't interpret.
"Glad to hear it."
"You want a game of chess? It's ages since we played."
"Sure. Soon as I've finished tea and put it in the oven."
"Buffy said to say she'll be home, but later than usual by about half an hour. Something about the mall."
"Get that lasagne dish out from under the sink then set up the board while I pour this out." The pair continued to talk as Dawn set out the black and white pieces, and Willow spooned potato over meat and vegetables and it was soon decided to move the game outside.
As it always was between the girls, the battle was epic. Buffy came home, bringing Xander, and the pair watched for a while until Willow got up to serve out their meal and the game was paused to eat. Finally, a little over ninety minutes after it started, Dawn replaced her final pawn with a queen and used it and her knight to trap Willow's king.
"Check mate."
"Damn and drat and grrrr."
"I won! Buffy, I won!" From the kitchen Xander stuck up his thumbs and the slayer shouted out;
"Your prize is to go buy some milk."
"Buffy." The brunette whined. Willow grinned.
"Go on. Then when you get back I can kick your ass."
"Keep dreaming Rosenberg." Dawn left the garden and Willow picked up her book once more and settled back into her chair.
***
Jonathan Levenson poked his head around the door at the top of the stairs that lead down into the lair of the trio. Of which he was supposed to be one third. Somehow though, he didn't think he was that important anymore, and the scene below him confirmed it.
"This demon's so cool, it has these jaws that-"
"No." Warren cut Andrew off but the enthusiasm of the fairer boy remained in place. "I'm done with all the demons and magic. I'm thinking we kill the human the human way."
"Slice and dice?"
"No. Better than that." Warren's hand disappeared into a drawer and long before he drew it out Jonathan knew what would be in it. The glint of light off metal sent a chill through him and for a moment he stopped breathing.
Sweet Jesus- He was going to kill her... He was going to shoot the slayer... sure there'd always been a plan to send a large variety of demons and other frustrations at her: but that's all they were- frustrations, challenges, they were never going to actually kill Buffy- were they?
"You're going to shoot her?"
"Good plan hey?"
"Well... she'll be dead."
"That's the point- what else have we been trying to do all these months?"
"Piss off the slayer?"
"Well, that too- but we're not getting paid for that bit."
"Oh, well... good plan."
Good plan? Jonathan couldn't believe what he was hearing- if Andrew could suck up to Warren any more he'd be halfway up his backside. He shuddered at the mental image.
"Look, I'm just about to give up- if this," he shook the gun in his hand, "doesn't finish off Rosenberg and her kid then The Council can take their money back and shove it where the sun shouldn't shine."
"But Warren- you spent all that money."
"Exactly- this isn't going to fail."
Jonathan's mouth opened and shut in an almost comical fashion... he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Warren was going to shoot Willow, he was getting paid to murder Willow. Suddenly the youth felt he was slightly more than out of the loop... he was out of... something bigger than the loop. Without another thought he turned and ran, heading for Revello Drive- if no one was there he'd try The Magic Box. It didn't matter that Warren would see him on the cameras- he had to tell them... he remembered Willow the day he'd walked into kindergarten- she'd been the only person reading... there were children painting, running, playing train- but she was sat in the middle of the carpet surrounded by paper- okay so it had hardly been Bronte or Shakespeare, probably 'My First Pet' or 'Colours of the Rainbow,' but he remembered her because she was happy, she didn't care that she'd been pushed out of the sand pit, it didn't matter she was on her own- and to him that was a beautiful thing... something he'd have liked to be himself. Ten minutes later his parents had left he'd been attacked by Jesse and Xander because he 'talked like a duck,' she'd rescued him, and now, the better part of twenty years later, it was his turn to do the same for her.
Running up the front path, Jonathan barely stopped in time as he reached the door, out of breath he hammered furiously until Xander opened it.
"Jonathan?"
"Will... Willow... Warren, he... gun." Xander's eyes widened
"A gun!"
"He's going to..." The taller man grabbed his arm and pulled.
"Get in... Buffy!" The slayer appeared at the top of the stairs.
"What? I- Jonathan?" She began her descent. "What are you doing here?" Had Xander not been holding onto him, he would have backed away... Buffy looked extremely pissed.
"Buff, he said something about-"
"Warren has a gun- he's going to shoot Willow." The colour drained from her face and Xander's grip went slack. "I... I didn't know I swear- he's getting paid for-"
"Shut up Jonathan. Willow!" From the hall Buffy looked first into the sitting room, then the dining area. "Willow!" An answer came from outside and the three ran through to the kitchen and out the back door.
Willow was lounging in the Adirondack chair, her legs tucked underneath her and a book in one hand- 'First Steps, How Your Child Develops,' Jonathan read from the front cover. He felt sick- all it would take was Warren and one piece of metal to...
"Willow, you need to come inside."
"Why? What's Jonathan doing here?"
"Now!" She must have seen something in their faces because she put her book down instantly and began to lever herself upwards.
"Does one of you want to give me a hand?" Jonathan stepped onto the grass, followed by Buffy. She pulled Willow up and took her in her arms, just as the mother-to-be's eyes widened in shock.
Later, no one would be able to explain the two small steps Jonathan took to the left, but he just knew, he didn't even decide what to do, he just did it. He had to be right- the shot was deafening, so much so it seemed to drown out the pain until his knees hit the floor, then the burning sensation at his back was all consuming and he looked up desperately. Meeting Willow's eyes brought a small smile to his lips as, beneath the shock and confusion, Jonathan clearly made out the silent gratitude.
"Jonathan!" The second bullet was fired, tearing a shriek of pain from Willow as Buffy pushed her down and then the third and fourth shots rang out.
"You got her! Let's go!" Andrew's cry came from the bushes and Warren turned and ran, the smaller boy close behind.
Xander looked down at the destruction in front of him: Jonathan was dead, he had no doubt of that and when he looked to check, only wide, lifeless eyes stared back. Buffy and Willow though, lay in a pile a few feet away, their forms highlighted with scarlet.
He grabbed the cordless phone from the kitchen before running down to the lawn to see what he could save.