They aren't mine, okay? Geez, you'd think you people would know that by now! The story (no matter how stupid) is mine, but the characters, they belong to Joss, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and whoever else'll claim 'em.
This takes place early first season, just so you know.
***
"Okay, so be good while I'm gone, and have a nice weekend."
"'Kay, mom, I love you, have a good trip."
Willow Rosenburg gave her mother a tight squeeze before she left for her business trip. Willow watched as her mom got into the car and drove away. These business trips were really getting monotonous now, and it seemed like every weekend her parents were running off to some big city to work. She sighed, closed the door, and ran to the phone to call Xander. He picked up after two rings.
"Yeah?"
"Hey, my parents just left, and I'm all alone. What are we gonna do this weekend?"
"Well, what's Buffy doing?"
She sighed. Him and his stupid crush on Buffy. 'If only he had a crush like that on me.'
"I don't know, but I'll call her and find out. I guess we'll probably be going to the Bronze, like usual. I heard a really great band, River or something, is playing there tonight."
"Yeah, okay, well, talk to her, and we'll go do whatever."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Willow hung up the phone and dialed Buffy's number.
"Hello?"
"Buffy, it's me..."
"Can't talk now, big disaster, see you at the Bronze tonight." Click.
Willow held the phone out from her, staring at it as if it was responsible for the hang-up. She set it down slowly on it's base, and continued to stare at it. But Buffy was the slayer, there was probably a really terrible disaster happening.
* * *
"Dishwashing duty."
"What?" Willow stared at Buffy with a strange look in her eye.
"My mom wanted me to wash dishes, in my mind, that's a pretty big disaster."
"Buffy, Harvests are pretty big disasters. Witches are pretty big disasters. Even being possessed by hyenas are pretty big disasters. But, washing dishes?"
"Hey, I resent that." Xander said, leaning over the table at the Bronze.
"Which one?" Buffy asked.
Xander gave her a 'duh' look. "The Harvest one, Buffy."
"Why would you resent that?"
Xander sighed and said, "Sarcasm, Buff, it's a common practice among, um, me."
Buffy was focused on a far corner of the room. She slowly stood up and walked over.
"Don't tell me..." Xander began.
"It's Angel." Willow said, her voice betraying her excitement.
"Lurker Boy, oh yay."
Willow watched as the two seemed to gravitate towards each other during their conversation, then pull back, then inch forward, then pull back. 'All this stupid forbidden love stuff, is they could just get together...' Willow stopped herself, then realizing her real reason for hoping Buffy and Angel would get together. 'If they could just get together, maybe Xander would notice me.' Then Buffy was rushing towards their table, and she motioned at them to follow her out of the Bronze.
Outside, she explained, "We have to get to the library. Angel says something big's happening..."
"Doesn't he always?"
"Shut up, Xander. He says it's going to affect us, and we have to get as far away as we..."
Suddenly Buffy fell to the ground. Xander knelt down to her side, worry etched all over his face.
"Buffy, are you..." He stopped short. He moved his mouth, he formed the words, but nothing came out.
"Xander, what-" Blackness. Complete darkness. Willow eased herself to the ground. "Xander? Buffy?"
"We're right here," Buffy said, grabbing Willow's arm and startling her.
"Buffy, what happened? I can't see anything."
"It's this thing. How are we going to get to the library? I can't move my legs."
"You're paralyzed?"
"Or something."
"Xander?"
Willow felt a hand on hers, and she knew immediately that it was him.
"He can't talk," Buffy said.
Willow felt a wave of panic rush through her. She couldn't see, Xander was mute, Buffy was paralyzed. What were they going to do? Xander was the only one who could walk, but he would have to carry Buffy and lead her at the same time, and she really doubted that was possible.
"Here."
Willow recognized the soft voice as Angel's, and her worries disappeared, at least most of them. She could almost feel Xander tense, and Buffy brighten.
She felt a hand, Xander's, grab hers and pull her gently off the ground.
"Xander?"
He squeezed her hand.
"Is Angel carrying Buffy?"
He squeezed it again, a little bit harder. He slowly led her down the street.
* * *
"Buffy, what is going on?"
Angel slowly set Buffy down in one of the chairs of the library, as she started explaining. "Giles, big stuff's going on. I'm paralyzed..."
"Good Lord, Buffy, are you sure?" the Watcher asked.
"Willow's blind..."
Giles looked at Willow, who was staring at the wall in front of her. His expression was horrified.
"and Xander can't talk."
Giles looked almost relieved. "Well, I-I guess every cloud does have a silver lining."
Xander glared at him, angry that he couldn't voice the comeback that popped into his brain. He thought about flicking him off, but that was the least bit to drastic. Instead he made the asshole sign. Giles didn't know what it meant, but Buffy did and started giggling.
"What?"
"Nothing, Giles, nothing," Buffy said, stuffing her laughter down her throat. "But what are we going to do? I can't fight like this..."
"Well, do you know what caused it?"
"Angel said it was something," Willow said softly. "Angel?"
Angel was gone. Again.
"I *really* wish he wouldn't do that," Buffy said.
"Is he gone?" asked Willow.
"Yeah."
"Well, you all are obviously incapacitated, and shouldn't be left alone."
"Giles, we can't stick together either. Willow and Xander have no way to communicate, and I can't walk, so what are we supposed to do?"
"First, Buffy, we need to find out what did it."
Xander started walking towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Buffy asked.
Xander started trying to talk, forgetting until no words came out. He sighed, and put his hands together and flapped them.
"You're going to find Angel?"
He nodded, heading out the door.
"But, you can't talk!"
He waved her off and disappeared.
* * *
Willow sat in the library chair, swimming through the darkness of her own mind. She already missed seeing, but she especially missed Xander. She couldn't hear him, or see him, only feel him. His touch was pretty much the only thing that comforted her. Angel and he had arrived not to long ago, and not she assumed Giles and Angel were in his office, trying to find a cure. Xander was sitting next to her, holding onto her hand. Buffy was in another chair, talking non-stop for the last hour. She must have been making up for Xander.
Then she heard an enthusiastic "ah-hah!" from the general direction of the office. She could tell that Giles was pacing out of the office.
"It is an effect, th-that the Hellmouth has on the Slayer at times, especially if she's new. It effects her, and, and the ones she cares most about. There isn't a cure, but it only lasts twelve hours, so you should be better by nine o'clock tomorrow."
"You mean I'm gonna be paralyzed until then?"
"I-I am afraid so, Buffy. You should stay here tonight, I believe, so that your mother does not, um, get wind of this."
"What are we supposed to do until then?"
"Sleep, I suppose."
"You think I can sleep?"
"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed. "At least you're not going to be like that forever! Yours isn't even that bad. At least you can see and talk and stuff!"
"Will, I'm sorry. It's just really stressing me out."
"It's stressing us all out."
* * *
The next morning, at nine o'clock sharp, Buffy promptly tried to stand up...and promptly fell on her face.
"Giles!"
"I can see!" Willow exclaimed, as the world suddenly flowed into view. The first thing she saw was Xander, and it was definitely the best thing she could have seen. "Xander!" She ran over and hugged him, and he hugged her tightly back. She looked over to where Buffy was struggling, and, with the help of Giles, getting back into the chair.
"Why isn't mine gone?" she asked.
"Give it some time," Giles said, himself a little worried.
"First thing first, that was just *cruel* what you said last night..."
"Xander!" Willow again ran and hugged him, but Xander was very obvious in his mission to chew Giles out.
"And this," he said, making the sign again, "means asshole."
Giles looked shocked. Then Buffy stood up, successful in her attempt this time, and almost danced across the room. Xander watched her with a smile. Willow watched Xander with sadness. Then he noticed her and put a hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the library and into the hall.
"Willow, you were really...."
He was interrupted when she kissed him straight on the lips. It was so un-Willow like. She stepped back, and out came a flow of words.
"Before you go all crazy and think I'm insane, being blind, in just made me realize how special life is, and if you don't do something now, you might not ever have the chance to do it, and Xander, I love you, and I was always was to scared to tell you, but I always wanted to, but I thought by the time I got up the courage I might not have the chance, so I did it and...."
She was interrupted by a kiss from him, and they stood in the deserted hall together for many a second.
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