‘…so I got the reservations, sat there like the world’s loneliest woman for forty minutes and he‘s a no show. Came home three hours later saying he’d forgotten we were supposed to be going out. You know Giles, he never forgets anything…’
Willow shrugged, she’d known Giles a long time ago. They’d all changed and gotten older. Need it be such a surprise that the oldest of their group by far was starting to forget things?
‘I’ve never got the whole working late deal anyway. It’s a museum, nothings’ going to happen if they go home on time. It’s not like the stuff is going to get more antique-y, or do I mean ancient-y?’
Willow sighed - Buffy was starting to lose it, time to get focussed.
‘Buff, I’ve got a meeting in fifteen. Didn’t you say you were on duty soon?’
In a city of endless work opportunities choosing the right one had been a tough decision. Buffy had been drawn to City Safe, a mainly volunteer run organisation providing help and support for kids living on the streets, sometimes she manned the helpline taking calls from desperate young people describing horrors even she couldn’t imagine going through. They also patrolled the parts of London where the streets were definitely not paved with gold, searching through darkness and filth to reach the lost and the lonely. It was tough, complicated work. A world away from the satisfying simplicity of ‘plunge and move on’, but now as then, she was saving lives.
‘…really stressed out, like ‘it’s the apocalypse and someone ate the last jelly’ stressed. He‘s been doing the job for years, how come it‘s suddenly such a problem…’
Two thousand miles away in Manhattan, Willow moved closer to the web-cam and tried to break Buffy’s flow. Although perhaps it was best that she was soliloquising because Willow was dreading being asked to give an opinion. She hated seeing Buffy in such a state, but over the past few months it had become obvious that even though they hadn’t been together that long, her and Giles’ relationship was in serious trouble, the fact that it effected Alice too made the situation all the more sad.
‘…what if something is wrong? We’re supposed to tell each other stuff but what if something is really wrong and he won’t tell me? I can deal, after everything we’ve been through nothing is going to creep me out. What do you think?’
Willow patiently said again what she’d been saying for the past four months.
‘I think you should talk to each other.’
Buffy gave her a sad look.
‘You’d think that would be easy - living in the same house and all. But it’s not, Will. It’s really not.’
Willow had been shying away from giving Buffy any advice, as she couldn’t see how to without it sounding like she was attacking Giles. She knew that Buffy was well aware that her husband and her best friend had drifted apart within a very short time of them all leaving Sunnydale, but still Willow hesitated in case Buffy thought she was being deliberately unfair.
‘What can I do?’
The tears started. Buffy’s voice remained calm enough, but two tiny streams of moisture were threading their way delicately down her face.
‘I’m scared.’
Willow watched helplessly as Buffy began crying in earnest. She would have given very many of her millions right then to be able to put her arms around her.
‘It’s going to be alright, Buffy. You’re going to be fine…’
Willow kept up a soothing litany as she flipped open her Blackberry and began urgently scanning through her diary. She had to go to Buffy, would go now if it was possible. Every little box was filled with meetings or consultations. Still talking, Willow began to sort them into two lists - ‘urgent’ and ‘cancel’.
‘Thursday!’ she yelled triumphantly.
Buffy’s face creased in confusion.
‘What?’
Willow was smiling at her.
‘Thursday, Buffy. I’m going to knock on your door on Thursday. Just hold on, we can sort this out. You’re going to be okay.’
‘You don’t have to…’ Buffy started to argue then just as quickly gave up, she needed a friend right now. There was nothing more she could say.
‘It’ll be alright. You‘re going to be fine.’
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
