Story: Walking After Midnight (chapter 7)

Part Six

At a moment like that there were no words for what we were feeling, so we simply lay there holding each other.

"I'm so happy I can't even think," Willow whispered breaking the silence.

"I know, my brains not functioning on the higher levels right now either," I responded nuzzling my face against hers. I wanted to get closer to her, but there was no space between us already. We were so close you couldn't have slipped a piece of paper between us.

"The past few days have been so surreal. It's like I was dreaming it all…but I knew that I wasn't. I knew it was real," she said.

"I know," I said. "That's how it is for me now."

"How are we going to explain this?" she asked. I knew that she was referring to the sudden return of my memory.

"Simple, we'll just tell them that you brought you me to mind blowing orgasm and that…"

"Buffy," she said slapping me on the arm. She was the same old Willow and I loved her.

"What?" I asked innocently. Ten minutes back and I was already being beaten.

"We can't tell them the truth, I mean….wait…mind blowing, huh?" she asked suddenly as a smile worked it's way across her face.

"A mind blowing, earth shattering, re-birth," I confirmed.

"Well, we still can't tell them the truth," she responded a moment later. Despite her answer she was looking mighty pleased with herself.

"Alright," I said in a tone that left no doubt I still thought my first idea was the way to go. It would have been worth it for the shock value alone. "How about the good old knock to the head explanation?" I asked.

"Okay," she said. "What if they ask how you hit your head?"

"Easy, we'll just tell them that we were in the shower and you were bringing me to a mind blowing orgasm when…

"Buffy," Willow said interrupting.

"What?" I asked again.

"Find a new theme," she instructed. I smiled. It was good to be back.

* * * * * *

We decided that the best thing to do would be to just get everybody gathered in one room and tell them all at the same time. That meant less grunt work of us, and only having to conduct one question and answer session, both of which couldn't be interpreted as anything but good. We called the front desk and asked them to deliver the messages out when they made the wake up calls. At 9:00am we all meet in the lounge of the main compound like we had before.

"There's news…news that wants to be shared," Willow started once everyone was seated.

"Does this news have to do with the difficulties at yesterday's practice session?" Wesley asked. My first response to give him the evil eye, then I progressed from there.

"Oh, look," I said looking at the ground before tilting my head up to regard him. "There's a spider. Shouldn't you be running away screaming like a little girl?"

"Merciful Christ!" Xander exclaimed excitedly standing up. "She's back!" he continued. Then when Willow and I looked over at him with amused expressions he sat back down and asked "You are back, right? I mean 'you' you."

"I'm back," I confirmed smiling at him. There was silence for a moment then as everyone in the room looked at everyone else visually asking each other 'what the hell'.

"When did your memory return?" Giles asked me finally.

"Last night," I said. I didn't see any need to volunteer lies.

"How'd you get it back?" It was Lia who asked this question.

"I fell, hit my head and…BOOM," I said clapping my hands together.

"Really?" she asked leaning forward.

"Yeah…really," I answered leaning forward and meeting her gaze. She looked at me for a moment then smirked and leaned back against the back of the couch.

"Okay," she said. "I had just thought that maybe you hurt it playing baseball," she continued, that smirk making an appearance again.

"Sorry to disappoint," I responded leaning back in my chair as well.

"How are you feeling?" Giles asked once the mini-match between Lia and I had ended.

"Like a million bucks," I responded. "I was a bit disoriented right after it happened, but I'm one hundred percent now."

"That's good, because I've been doing some research on our friend in the cave and there's more to this than we suspected," Giles said addressing the entire group.

"Let's have it," I told him. Usually there was always more to it than we expected. Basically, the unexpected was all we could expect…which made it expected, right?

"This particular demon only surfaces once a decade, and only for 60 days in order feed. As you probably figured out it feeds on memory enzymes. After that feeding period it returns to the bowels of the earth where it hibernates until it is time for it to feed again. According to the texts the beast will continue in this fashion for three centuries until it has stored up enough energy to rise permanently. We do not want that to happen. According to the last astrological charts it has been above ground for 58 days, which means that we have two days to kill it," Giles responded. Sometimes I really dreaded it when the man opened his mouth because he usually brought nothing but bad news.

"What happens if we don't get it?" Willow asked.

"It will return to it's liquid state and seep into the ground where it will remain hidden for the next sixty years. Then when it rises the next time it will be at full power," Giles responded.

"So killing it is pretty much a must," I said looking at him.

"Pretty much," he agreed.

"Is life always like this for you guys?" Lia asked a moment later.

"Well if I were to consider that question on, say a weekly basis, I would have to say…yeah, pretty much," I answered.

* * * * * *

Considering everything that Giles had learned about the demon we decided that the best way to eliminate it was to torch it. The only problem was we had nothing to torch it with, and the only supplier of the flame-throwers we needed was not willing to sell us the goods. So, Lia and I were cruising the streets of downtown looking for the store to see if we could…negotiate with them.

"Can you feel that breeze?" Lia asked excitedly as we walked down main street. "It's such a lovely night to commit multiple felonies."

"Multiple?" I asked. "Calm down there Bonnie, we're here to commit one little crime and one little crime only."

"I still say it's a lovely night," she responded. "You think we're going to get a chance to test our 'get away' skills? I've always wanted to jump a fence. Not just in practice, you know, but like in a real confrontational situation."

"It's not as glamorous as it sounds," I told her. "Nobody warns you about the lacerations due to barbed wire, and ripped jackets that result. Not to mention that most of the time when you come across a fence you're being tossed up against it, not jumping it."

"Good with the bad," she responded. "If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain," she continued. "This is it," she said stopping in front of a store.

"So, what do you say, trash can or one of my personal favorites, the window jump?" I asked reviewing our options.

"That's a tough choice, they're both classics you know," she responded. "I'm gonna have to go with the window jump though."

"Everybody always picks the window jump," I said backing up onto the street to get a running start.

"It's a staple of the American film industry. We've been conditioned to pick the window jump," she said joining me on the road.

"On three," I said bouncing on my toes a little. "Three!" I said then took off. It took Lia a second to catch on but soon we were crashing through the window together.

"Kickass!" she shouted as we made it through. "Yeah, baby," she continued as we made our way further into the store. I could hear the alarm and knew we didn't have much time.

"You check out here, I'll check the supply room. We don't have much time so if you don't see them come back and help me. You dig?" I said to her.

"Got ya," she said saluting before heading off in search of treasure.

* * * * * *

"I got two here," I heard her call a moment later.

"Two more back here," I said grabbing them. "That's good enough, let's get the hell outta here," I said joining her in the main room.

"I'm all for that," she said jumping out of what remained of the window. We started to head in the direction we had come from but we saw sirens not rounding the corner and turned around.

We headed straight down the street for a few minutes before ducking into an alleyway. There was a fence, it seemed like Lia was going to get her wish.

"How far back are they?" I asked.

"Not far, minute maybe," she answered.

"Give me your stash, then jump over. I'll throw them over to you then follow," I instructed. I could hear their footsteps getting closer. Lia handed me the two throwers she had then jumped the fence in a fluid motion. Once she landed I threw the throwers over then jumped the fence.

"Let me guess, now we run?" Lia asked handing me back my two throwers.

"You're catching on kid," I said, then we headed down alley. We were out of sight, if not out of mind by the time the officers made it over the fence.

* * * * * *

When Lia and I returned from our escapade we all headed down to the beach for a bonfire. Xander had raided the kitchen and gotten us marshmallows and other bonfire goodies to snack on, so all we had to do now was get the fire lit.

"I would really advice against that," Giles said to Lia as he slowly backed away from where she was standing.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a knot," Lia responded. "this is a great idea. Not to mention fast. Good, fast ideas are rare and not to be wasted."

"Hey, Lia, let's try not to have a repeat of the Snake Hill incident," Lyndon goaded from the sidelines.

"That was a good idea on Snake Hill, mother said that it was very impressive," she responded.

"Yeah, before you hit the tree," Lyndon said in response. By now all of us were standing what we hoped was a safe distance away from her.

"Where's everyone going?" Lia asked looking around. "Nothing is going to happen, this is perfectly safe," she said looking at us all imploringly.

"Miss Grayson, I implore you," Wesley started. "Surely you've broken enough laws for one evening."

"Wes my boy, you can never break too many laws in one evening. There are a lot of them you know, so you'll never run out," Lia responded with a smile. She ignited the flame thrower and headed towards the pit walking slowly so as not to have the flame blow into her face she carefully lowered it into the pit we had dug. Willow and I exchanged a look then turned our attention back to Lia.

The flame was now at full power and the fire was starting to grow. There was brief moment then where everything seemed to be going according to plan. Then it happened, the fire licked up really high and make a popping sound. Seconds later Lia dropped the flame thrower and backed away from the pit. That's when I saw that part of her was on fire. She was waving her arm around in the air trying to get the flame to go out.

"Yeah, alright, this was a BAD idea," she said in a loud voice as she tried blowing on her arm to help.

"That's not going to work stupid," Lyndon said not making a move towards her. "Spit on it or something," he continued now moving towards her.

"You are not spitting on me," Lia said waving her arm in front of her to ward of Lyndon. Then she brought it back in and started blowing with renewed vigor. "Okay, this is really starting to hurt!"

"Stop drop and roll," Xander said moving towards her. "Dirt in the skirt," he continued.

Lia looked at him for a split second then dropped to the ground and started rolling in the sand. Being the good Samaritan that I am I picked up my towel and went over to her to try and help beat out the flame.

"It's out, good god woman it's out!" Lia said rolling away from me and out of range. Standing up she began to survey the damage done to her. The sleeve of her shirt had completely burned away and she was slightly sooty but that seemed to be the extent of it.

"Well," Willow commented a moment later as Lia continued to inspect her rag. "At least the fire is going." Lia looked up at her. "And it was fast," Willow hastened to add, "it was really, really, fast."

"That's true," Lia said brightening up a bit. "I just didn't foresee the living flame part of it."

* * * * * *

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Willow asked from her spot beside me on the bed.

"No," I responded in what I thought to be a suitably unaffected tone.

"I'm sure everything will be alright," she continued as if I hadn't said anything.

"I know. We're going to open up a can of whoop-ass on it's behind," I told her picking up her hand and taking it into my own.

"Buffy," she said seriously looking down at me. "You'll do it this time, we'll be there to back you up."

I looked up at her.

"Does this mean that you're not buying my 'Cool as Oz' routine?" I asked smiling.

"I was for a minute…but then you made an expression and the jig was up," she responded resting her head down on my shoulder. "What are you worried about?" She had been working on me about talking about what I was feeling over the past months, and I'd been trying. I had gotten better about actually telling her what was bothering me, but it was still hard sometimes, because I didn't want to burden her with what I was going through. She had enough to worry about without me dumping all my crap on her. It was a lose, lose situation because I ended up hurting her whether I told her or whether I didn't tell her. However, I had come to realize that the hurt that came from me shutting her out was worse to her than actually knowing what I was thinking, so I tried to do my best to be honest with her.

"The usual," I said in a kind of half sigh. "You know," I said getting a bit off topic, "just once I'd like for someone who encountered a demon to write about how to kill it. Maybe if they didn't know for sure, they could just theorize to help a sister out a bit. I mean it would be so much easier to hunt and kill things if I KNEW how to kill them. That makes sense right? I mean imagine me…prepared, I could like kick some serious ass. But besides that everything is completely of the usual." Willow placed her hand on my cheek and stroked it with her thumb as she stared at me. Her face was contemplative and I knew what she was thinking.

She worried about me constantly. Not just about my physical health, but about my mental health as well. Frankly, I've dealt with the cards handed to me rather well, but every once in a while I do have a tendency to kind of snap and go all wiggy. I mean, over the years I suppose I've given her cause to worry about both.

"You don't need to hear this," I said not liking the sad look in her eyes. She always asked, then when I told her she always got sad. It was a vicious cycle and I hated it.

"Yes," she responded. "I do."

"But it just upsets you," I protested not for the first time. "It seems like every time I open my mouth I make you cry. It's…it's…it's like I'm Wesley or something bringing misery wherever I go," I continued avoiding her gaze.

"I get upset because I worry about you. I can't not worry about you. I'll tell you something, I worry more when I don't know what you're thinking, because that means that you're keeping it all to yourself locked away. That leads to festering and breakdowns, and unscheduled vacations," she responded. I winced at the last one, I knew that my disappearance that past summer was still a sore spot. I had really hurt her with that one, I had hurt them all, but it had hit Willow and Mom the most. I hadn't realized how badly I had hurt Willow until Xander had let me have it one night and let it all out. Xander was always there for Willow, I was glad for that. I had worried about the tension between them when Willow and I first started dating. Xander had always been there for her and vice versa, and I didn't want to come between that.

"The fact that I worry about you isn't a bad thing, it's just a thing, an unavoidable thing, or in other words a thing that can't be avoided," she continued. "You need to talk about what your feeling, and I want to listen. It's works out well for both of us, and helps avoid the need for pharmaceuticals."

"Why do you have to make so much sense all the time?" I asked with a smile bringing my hand up to her face.

"It's a gift. Sometimes it's hard, but then I just think to myself, 'Willow you were put down on this planet for a reason, and you must fulfill that reason', and then the tension eases," she responded with one of those beatific smiles that I absolutely thrived on.

"Thank you for sharing your gift with me," I told her sincerely.