By Cricket
Willow arrived in SunnyDale 2 days later. Needless to say...everyone was shocked to see that she colored her jeep a bright yellow. Cordelia, Xander, and Buffy had agreed to meet Willow in the park and they had the shock of their lives to see Willow dress so differently. She was no longer over-sized sweatshirt Willow. Yes it was in the middle of February but she really didn't care how she dressed. Cordelia was now the one in the sweat shirts and Buffy wasn't wearing her cute skanky little skirts anymore. Willow wore a pair of semi-baggy blue jeans, a white sleevless t-shirt that ended 2 inches after her waiste and a black leather jacket that Samantha gave to her when she got home from the hospital. Cordelia had on a pair of tight blue jeans and a large 49er's white sweatshirt. Buffy wore a pair of snap down black Adidas and a blue Nike Sweatshirt, and she dyed her hair a light chestnut brown that reached down to an inch below her shoulders. Xander had on a matching outfit that Cordelia wore only he wore a brown swade waste coat over it. Willow spotted them at the quad.
"XANDER!!!!" Willow hollered after a moments hesitation. Xander turned his head to find the distant voice and almost didn't recognize her with her hair up in a pony tail. His searching eyes passed her for a moment and then turned back and stabbed right into Willow's goofy grin. He brought a hand up to sheild his eyes from the sun and his eyes grew wide in recognition. His smile lit up the grass and he hollered back in question.
"Willow????" Xander hollered.
"The one and only." Willow said with a huge smile, walking as fast as she could and than breaking into a full fledged run. Xander did the same and Cordelia and Buffy soon followed and they all met up in the middle of the quad. Willow flew right into his arms and they hugged like there was no tommarow. She than pulled apart to catch her breath. Her eyes watered up when she saw Cordelia holding Katlin. She smiled genuinely and hugged Cordelia in a reminiscing embrace. She whispered into Cordelia's ear.
"You two are so gorgeous. She looks just like you." Willow said with tears in her voice.
"Thankyou....you look so...grown up." Cordelia said pulling away from Willow. And last but not least there was Buffy crying at the happy moment. Willow's eyes brimmed of tears to see the one girl who knew of her secret.
"Buffy..." Willow whispered. She bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears of joy and held her arms out as Buffy walked into them. The girls breathed each other in. It had been way to long. Ever since Buffy went back to SunnyDale a year ago the two girls never had a chance to talk. Willow silently knew why. Buffy was always busy and whenever she wasn't she was either with Xander or just to exhausted to call.
"Willow..." Buffy said into the girls hair. There were way to many things she wanted to say right then and there but she knew that would have to wait. She waited a few moments to say something. The moment was just to akward for things to go back to peachy. "Your not going to believe who is here." Buffy said.
"Who?" Willow asked.
"I'll tell you later once we get you settled in." Buffy said. Willow nodded into her hair and then broke away from Buffy. She looked at the 3 standing so closely together and couldn't help the huge bubble of joy she held at the knowledge that she would soon be in that group. She than felt a pang of loneliness at the thought that someone was missing. Staring at an empty spot of grass for a moment she realized she was just standing there and broke out of her haze. Now was the time to make everything right.
"Well....shall we???" Willow asked linking arms with Cordy and Buffy. Cordelia and Xander walked back to their hot red cherry convertable and placed Katlin in the back seat. Willow and Buffy went out to her *yellow* jeep and proceeded to catch up on what Willow was missing lately in SunnyDale. All four were going out to dinner.
****cut scene to Buffy and Willow while driving****
"So...you want to tell me who is here?" Willow asked. Inwardly she already knew who it was. She smiled to her self. Surprisingly enough it didn't bother her to think that he was here. Than again thinking was only half of the...< er...well you get the picture right??? >. She noticed Buffy had paused for a long moment. She was stunned none the least when Buffy actually opened her mouth.
"Oz..." Buffy said looking out at the sun setting below the horizon.
"Well I sort of figured that." Willow said noteing Buffy's uneasy expression through the corner of her eye.
"He's not alone." Buffy said. She knew what Willow had to have been thinking. She couldn't bare to look at her friends face. Willow felt a lump come down her throat.
"Wi...wiii...with ww...with who?" Willow asked dreading the answer.
"Her name is Lisa. She's some model he met in France." Buffy said. "We're meeting them for dinner." Buffy said wincing. She barely worked up enough courage to look at Willow's face.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Willow asked. *I can't believe she didn't tell me. And...Kevin...* Willow thought with devistation.
"Because I just found out. They got here yesterday." Buffy said. "But..." Buffy started with faked enthusiasm..."he brought his manager with him. He's pretty cute. And plus...I'm single as well...so your not really alone." Buffy said failing misearably at attempting to look on the bright side.
"You lack so much enthusiasm its pathetic." Willow said dryly.
"I know....are you going to be okay with this?" Buffy asked. Willow felt a huge lump in her throat. If thinking was only half the effort she didn't want to know what would happen when she actually ended up speaking to him. She looked at Buffy's questioning gaze with red eyes as they neared a stop light. Buffy saw the lost hope and admediately felt herself inwardly shrinking. Willow didn't answer after that. She just drove. 10 minutes before they reached their resteraunt Willow found her voice.
"I'm going to change before I sit down with everyone." Willow said.
"You read my mind." Buffy said relieved that her friend was speaking again. It was nearly dark now which caused for some serious dressing.
"I know this sounds bad but do you think it would be wrong if I tried to win him back?" Willow asked Buffy as they parked.
"Well...honestly...I don't think you'd have much competition. He's not much into her if thats what you think. Honestly though? I really think that the only reason she is here is because he didn't want to be alone and he was probably thinking that you'd be here and you'd have someone else with you." Buffy said as they began walking towards Cordelia and Xander waving towards them at the entrance of the restraunt.
"Thanks Buffy...that really helps alot." Willow said smiling slightly. Knowing her friend was rooting for her to go for the kill helped out a bunch.
"Hello ladies." Xander said.
"Hey. I need to change before I eat." Willow said just now begginning to feel edgy.
"Why do you need to change?" Xander asked.
"Well...these jeans are so binding...did you know I could fit into a size 4? Anyways its killing me and there is no way I'll be able to eat if I still have them on when I start eating." Willow said looking at Buffy. Cordelia smirked noticing how much the hacker had grown to be so much like her when it came to clothes. Xander smiled at his soon to be wife and idly began playing with her dark chestnut hair.
"I agree with Willow." Buffy said making their way in.
"Okay then. I'll go find our table and I'll see you there. Speaking of which...does she know yet Buffy?" Xander asked.
"Yaah Xan. She knows." Buffy said depressed.
"Okay...good then." Buffy and Willow made their way to the ladies room and began changing.
"Does he know I'm going to be here?" Willow asked.
"Yaah...he knows. Xander and I told him our plans yesterday. Than again I'm not so sure he heard considering how that model was like....all over him. It was disgusting." Buffy said with a truly disgusted scowl crossing her features. Willow smirked slightly. Oz never really did like it when people hung all over him. With her it was no problem but inwardly she knew that that was because he knew she respected him when it came into the public so basically smoochies were as far as things actually went in public. What Buffy was emphasizing clearly told Willow that Oz was most certainly annoyed. "But I think he knows because his face sort of lit up at the news." Buffy supplied encouragingly. Willow smiled slightly.
"Well...its time to face the music." Willow said fluffing her hair around a little bit before making her exit.
**********cut to table/booth scene.*********
"Oz!!!!" Xander hollered half way accross the room. Oz stood up politely, gladly breaking away from the model he was grudgingly associating with at the moment.
"Xander...how ya doing?" Oz asked. He pulled his hand away from the model's and held out a seat for Cordelia and the tiny 7 month old. Cordelia hugged him slightly and he kissed her cheek sweetly out of friend ship. The model, Cordelia noticed, was obviousley an over obsessed groupie and she was quite sure that Oz was aware that Lisa was just after his money. That or she was just one horny teenager wannabee.
"Ah just good...a little chilly though." Xander said nodding his head as he took a seat next to Cordelia and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Where are the others." Oz asked, desperately trying to pry the model away from his arm.
"Oh...uh...Willow and Buffy went to change."
"Why did they go to change." Oz asked.
"Apparently their cloths were to binding." Xander said making quote gestures in the air. "Don't ask. I'll never understand women." Xander said. Cordelia smacked him in the chest and then smiled sweetly.
"Well I'd watch what you'd say." Oz said laughing slightly. Oz's nervousness was audible on his features. He thought for a moment though. *Willow? Binding?*. A blush creeped up onto his face at the thought. He heard her inmistakable laughter and looked up to see her talking to Buffy as they made their way over to the table. Both men stood up out of good manners. She was...gorgeous. There really wasn't any other way to put it. Her hair was all wavy and seemed to be a bit lighter with the blond highlights. Oz stood up, desperately trying to pry Lisa off of his arm. He did not want Willow to get the wrong impression with Lisa. Okay...maybe he did. He certainly didn't want Willow to think that he was desperately in love with Lisa. Even though at the moment thats how Lisa made it seem. When Oz stood up her gaze followed his figure.
Their eyes met for a moment. He could see the faint smile mixed in with a frown when she met his eyes. Something about her appearance told him that this Willow, was not the Willow he expected to see. Oz swallowed a lump in his throat. She was illuminous. She wore a long wavy indian patterened skirt that flared at her ankles, the white sleevless shirt she wore earlier before, and a white silk screen over the shirt to make the rest of her uncovered body glow. Her eyes were haunting. Almost like they were somewhere else, yet they were staring right at you. He inwardly groaned when she bit her lip and stepped a little closer to the table. Parts of him, growing to life just at the site of her. It almost felt like old times. He was so close to just ripping his arm away from Lisa and run right into Willow's arms. So he could make all the pain go away. Not just Willow's, but his as well. He needed to know that there was a safe haven to run to. Someone familiar, gorgeous, and someone who still held his heart.
He could then hear the faint sound of a baby crying as he mentally looked her over. She tore her gaze away from his and admediately averted her attention to Katlin. Apparently the little infant had dropped her pacifier and wanted it back. Willow quickly walked over to Katlin's side and knelt down in front of the little thing. She softly began cooeing as a natural mother would do and idly played with the baby's soft chestnut hair. He watched her as she delicately ran a manicured thumb over Katlins face and traced her fingers down Katlin's arms, making the little thing giggle. He watched her smile light up at the site. How did she know so much about children? He wondered. He suddenly felt himself smiling as well at the sight. What would the world be without her smile. She soon averted her gaze to Oz and when she noticed he was staring at her, she blushed furiously and ducked her head in a shy manner as she stood up and made her way to an open seat across from Oz and Lisa. He watched her silently as she wiggled around a bit to cross her legs and then silently reach into the center of the table to grab a menu. She always loved italian food.
She couldn't help but feel a little bit self concious when Oz stared at her like that. She really wasn't sure what it was she could sense in his eyes. Some resentment, happiness, confusion, fear, and curiousity were all likely candidates. She couldn't help but notice his attire when he stood up. He wore some loose blue jeans, and a light brown button down dress shirt hang loosely over his waist. His hair happened to be its natural color at the time but she wasn't to sure by the lighting. She remembered this place too. This was the resteraunt he took her to the last night they were actually sexually together. The thought of those moments made her blush as she looked at her menu. She kept thinking to herself. 'Need to focus on something other than Oz.' As she searched the menu for something to eat her eyes lit up with joy at the site of Chicken parmegiana on the menu. Served with fettuccini and red wine. The hairs on the back of her neck told her that someone was staring at her. She lowered her menu to see Oz looking around nervously all of the sudden, as if noticing that he had been caught and then grab a menu to look over his choice of actual food. He remembered this resteraunt. Expensive it was, but they had the best damn italian food that had ever ceised to exist.
He blushed behind the menu at the thought of getting caught. Then he smiled when he remembered the light smile Willow had at her discovery. He couldn't help but notice that her body looked much more frail. She looked like she might break like a house of cards if you touched her. Her body was much more wirey but still as gorgeous as ever. Her skinned had darkened a little but she still looked ghostly pale. He soon decided what he would order and then placed his menu back in the middle of the table. The waiter than arrived somewhat 20 seconds later and asked to take orders. Everyone ordered their mouth watering food and proceeded to make idle chitchat a group conversation. Cordelia couldn't help but be curious as to how Willow knew how to make Katlin stop crying so she was the first to bring it up.
"Say Willow...how did you know how to make Katlin stop crying? You acted like you were practically a mother." Cordelia said digging into her purse so she could give Katlin her teething ring.
"Well uh...I kind of live around kids so its basically a natural instinct one goes through to make them stop. Besides you know how I am with kids. I've always liked them." Willow said smiling.
"Well if you ever decide to have one, than I'd probably say that adopting would be the best choice."
"I have to agree Willow. Cordelia was practically throwing knives at me when she thought I told her that she looked like shit when what I really said was that 'I love you.' Than again she still suffers the after effects so I'm not so sure if it was just the labor pains." Xander said. He averted his gaze to Cordelia who had a playful, but deadly gaze to her eyes.
"What did you say?" Cordelia asked razeing an eyebrow.
"I said I love you Cordelia. What do you think I said." Xander said innocently. The entire table laughed at that. Cordelia tilted her head, elbowed him in the ribs, lowered her eye lashes, and kissed Xander lightly at the lips. Everyone at the table couldn't help but coo at the sweetness the two were displaying.
"Now what did teachers always say about PDA in public?" Buffy said breaking the moment.
"That if you keep it up, you going to get detention." Xander said.
"What is PDA?" Lisa asked. Everyone turned questioning eyebrows to the blond twit, all of their eyes hinted with worry and amusement.
"It means Public Display of Affection." Buffy said with a smile on her face. Cordelia, feeling the need to break the akward moment of silence decided now was a good time for gossip.
"Speaking of weddings though...you will not believe who else I saw in the bridal shop." Cordelia said sitting up straight.
"Who?" Willow asked.
"Harmony Wilkes, and Oz's former lead singer...Devon." Cordelia said with mock enthusiasm.
Oz couldn't help but crack at Cordelia's lack of enthusiasm and Willow's wide eyed surprise.
"Your telling me...that those two are actually getting married?" Willow said. Cordelia grinned. Oz snickered.
"Yes."
"Harmony?" Willow asked again.
"yep."
"And Devon?" Willow asked not believing her ears.
"You sound surprised." Cordelia said in acknowledgement.
"Well...its...Harmony!" Willow said in her frazzled voice. "and Devon." Willow said again.
"Well if you think thats odd than you'll totally freak when you hear who else is getting married."
"Who?" Buffy asked, unable to believe that anything could top Devon and Harmony.
"Larry...and Michael." Cordelia said.
"Michael?" Willow said. "Who is Michael?" Willow asked.
"Well remember that kid who liked that dip at Buffy's welcome home party on our senior year. He's also that guy you said you interigated about the whole swimming pool incident and it turned out that instead of being a vicious murderer he turned out to be the guy who pee'd in the swimming pool." Cordelia said distractedly. Xander intergected.
"Now what did he do in the swimming pool?" Xander asked.
"What does it matter anymore. I'm just letting her know who Michael is."
"Well honey, you've got to remember. I swimmed in that pool. And if there are any guys out there like Michael doing the same thing then I think I'm going to take a nice long shower and..."
"Xander please....no details about the shower. We are about to eat here." Oz said. Everyone at the table smirked except Lisa. Willow noticed instantly.
"You doing alright there Lisa?" Willow asked concerned.
"What?" Lisa asked.
"You doing okay? You looked like you zoned out there for a minute." Willow said.
"Oh nothing really. I was just thinking about the photo shoot in Monterey and how I'm going to have to lose all that weight."
"Oh really? What kind of modeling are you into?" Willow asked tilting her head to loosen up some of the muscles.
"Uh....Victoria Secret, Calvin Klein, Vogue. That kind of stuff. Maybe you might have seen some of my work?" Lisa asked.
"I really don't recollect. I haven't read anything out of Victoria Secret, Calvin Klein is so out of nature in NewYork, and they don't sale Vogue magazines around where I live." Willow said. Lisa looked taken aback and a little disappointed that not everyone in the US knew about her.
"Well what part of NewYork do you live in?" Lisa asked. She had this feeling that this girl was one of Oz's obsessions the moment she walked in. She couldn't help but feel jealous at the fact that this girl had a chance of getting ahold of all of Oz's money. The girl was lovely, but Lisa could tell that she had some kind of achievment in her eyes. And she was pretty sure it was directed towards Oz.
"Terrance. Its not as crowded as other parts of the state. Easier to get to and from work. More like the country life....well on my block it is. I almost didn't make it here. We kind of got snowed in." Willow said leaning back into her chair.
"Really. Well no wonder you haven't seen my work. How many people live there?" Lisa asked.
"Uh...close to 200 thousand. Take or add a few." Willow said. She smirked inwardly to see Lisa's hopeful face to be acknowledged fled to another frown of disappointment.
"Oh...why did you leave SunnyDale?" Lisa asked. Both Buffy and Willow cringed. The question was just bound to come up. Buffy looked over at Oz, noting that his normally impassive face was now of anticipation. Willow stuttered at first.
"Well..uh..something bad happened between me and my parents, and I told them I was never coming back." Willow said.
"Well that had to suck. I remember I ran away when I was 12 because my parents split up but I was only gone for 3 hours though. Decided that it was to cold to stay away from the house and I wasn't to fond of sleeping in the treehouse in the back yard." Lisa said with a wavy smile. "You must of had a big fight with your parents for something to keep you away so long." Lisa said. Willow flinched and all eyes fled to her face. Everyone desperately wanted to know why she had left.
"There were...other things. Stuff I just really couldn't deal with....I almost did come back but uh...something just sort of stopped me. Thats why I'm probably only staying here for a month. Plus, god only knows how much work I'll have cut out for me for leaving so long." Willow said. Cordelia than cut in noticing all the tension.
"Oh thats right. I heard your working for Intel now." Cordelia said delighted to break into the conversation. Somehow she just knew that Willow was doing everything she could to keep from flying out of her seet and shoving a fork down Lisa's throat if that was what it took to shut her up. Now there were no need for violence, plus she always hated being left out of the conversation. She glanced at Willow and noticed Willow's thankful release of tension once Cordelia broke in.
"Uh yaah..." Willow said letting out a relieved sigh and smiling greatfully.
"So how long before you get premoted again? I heard that you were already a Standard VCU in the field."
"Uh...well they are talking about moving me to another building, but I'm not to sure what work they will have cut out for me." Willow said with a twinkle in her eye. Cordelia just knew the little shit was lyeing.
"Bull shit. What position?" Cordelia asked. Willow smiled at Cordelia's quick learning and observation. Cordelia saw Oz's face light up when he noticed the whole conversation brought to life.
"Come on Willow. Tell her. She'll believe you." Buffy said with a wide grin on her face. Willow looked down bashfully. She sort of liked being the center of attention.
"Well I will still be a VCU, only this time it will be for the British Intellegence." Willow said happily. Oz's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Really?" Oz asked out of the blue. He smiled slightly when Willow laughed at his surprised expression.
"Yes really. Only thing is. I don't think I'll be going." Willow said smiling.
"What?" Everyone asked simultaneously.
Continues
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