Willow brought her hands up to her eyes, and rubbed them again. Her fingers hurt from clicking for hours, and her ass didn’t feel much better. She had spent the last three hours looking up some such nonsense for Giles, and she ruefully thought why she even did these things anyway.

Because, her little voice told her, you want to help Buffy. . . any way you can. . .

She rubbed her hand through her hair, and scrolled down the page again. The computer screen blinked ominously at her, and she scowled. Usually, she could find anything on the Internet in less than 10 minutes, but this time, her quarry eluded her.

“Sure, Old dependable Willow, always staying behind and doing the dirty work.”

She mumbled to herself. She rose from her chair, and grabbed her books off the shelf. Just as she was about to turn around and call it a night, her foot caught in the chair legs, and with a startled yelp, she dropped all her books on her keyboard, and fell to the floor.

“Oh, great. This is just great.”

She said from her place in the floor. She untangled her feet from the chair, and sighed. “Just Face it Willow Rosenberg, you will never be graceful like. . .” Her thoughts trailed off, consumed by one name, one person. Buffy. . . “Alright Wills, get a grip. . .” Using her hands, she pushed herself up off the floor, and began gathering her books from on top of the keyboard. Thats when she noticed that somehow, the screen had changed. She sat down and read the words scrawling across the screen in bold pink and purple. “A chat site. . . I just stumbled on to a chat site. . . Chats are good. . . People can talk to one another. . . Nothing serious, or personal. . . Just people. . . Chatting . . .” Her curiosity getting the best of her, she clicked on the “18 to enter” logo, and waited to be let in the room. That’s when she noticed that this wasn’t an ordinary chat room.

“You. . .” Crash. “Just. . . don’t. . .” Thud. “Know. . .” Pop. “When to give up!” Bang.

Buffy sucked in a breath, and brought her elbow up to the neck of the latest vampire she was fighting. This move effectively gave her the distance needed to grab the stake by her left foot, and plunge it into her victim. He then disappeared in a burst of dust, and she wiped her hands on her jeans. “Yeah, well, someone has to do it. . .” She straightened her jacket over her shoulders, and began to dust herself off. She ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it, and she started walking home. She yawned quietly, and brought her hand up to her mouth.

Been a long day. . . She casually jumped the curb and crossed the street heading home. First I woke up late, and was late for class. Then Giles proceeded to keep me after class talking about something or other, and then there was Willow. Her thoughts took a distractive turn as she rounded the corner, and it was beginning to surprise her. She wore that cute little button down shirt again. It looks so good with her hair, and not to mention her bre. . . “Wait a minute here Buff. . .” Her thoughts had brought her to a complete stop and she shook her head trying in vain to clear it. “Time for a subject change. . .” She muttered to herself as she started walking again. Got to get started on that paper that was due last week. Don’t know how much longer I can hold out on that. Maybe I can get Wills to help me. She is good at that kind of stuff, well, she is good at everything she does. The Slayer smiled as she bounded up the walk to her front door. I love the way she smiles, it lights up her whole face, and that laugh. . . Buffy casually opened up the front door, and called out for her mother. After getting no response, she realized that she was gone for the rest of the week at some convention, and she would be home alone. She headed up the stairs, stripping all the way up, and headed straight for the shower.

“You have got to be kidding me. . .” Willow said with a smirk as she read the words flying across the screen. She had been sitting here for the past hour just reading what the other occupants were saying, the pain in her backside long forgotten. She had become engrossed in a conversation by a person named freetail, and another person called Viper about the do’s and don’ts of fisting. Of course, the redhead had no idea what fisting was, but after a few more minutes of reading, she thought she had the gist. She thought that somewhere, being in a lesbian chat room should bother her, maybe tip her morals a little bit, but it didn’t. The fact that she still had morals after what she had seen and done was a feat in itself, and she figured that the live and let live philosophy was the way to go in this case. And you are enjoying yourself. . . and the conversation. She ruefully stated to herself. She yawned and looked at the clock. Better get to bed, have class tomorrow. She thought as she book marked the site with a quick click, and flipped of the screen. She casually went through the motions of getting ready for bed with a detached mind. I can’t wait to tell Buffy about this. . . Wait. . . I can’t tell her about this. . . She will think. . .well. . . I don’t know what she would think. . . But you can’t tell anyone. . . She flipped off the lights and walked to her bed, laid down and closed her eyes. Tomorrow you need to get Buffy to do that paper she has been neglecting, and maybe go stay with her for awhile. Joyce is out of town, and she might get lonely. . . Her thoughts of her best friend carried her into sleep.

“Damn. . .” Buffy said as she heard the beeping of a busy signal in her ear. “Wonder who Wills is talking to this late.” She said as she settled down in the bed. Could be anyone. Maybe Xander. . Yeah, its most likely Xander. . . They had that little thing in English they were paired up for. . . Or maybe its Cordelia. . . Nah . . Somehow, I really doubt that. . . It has to be Xander . . . Maybe its Oz. . . The blonde shuddered at the irrational stab of jealously that went through her at the though of her best friend talking with Oz so late at night. Even though the fledgling relationship didn’t work out, there was still something that kept them good friends. Buffy was amazed at how much this bothered her. The ringing of the phone startled her, and she grabbed the phone with a shaking hand.

“Wills?” She barked into the receiver. “Well, hello to you to.” Said the distinctively male voice over the phone. “Xander. It’s late. You need something?” “Nope, I just wanted to see how the patrol went tonight. Anything interesting happen?” “No, just the same thing. Have you spoken to Willow tonight?” “No, I haven’t seen her since after school. And. . . Uh. . I was sorta on the phone with Cordy for awhile, so. . .” “Well, I was just wondering. See you tomorrow Xander. . . Night.” “Night.”

The slayer hung up the phone, and settled back down into bed. She looked at the clock and faintly wrestled with herself over trying Willow’s number again, but decided against it. She closed her eyes, and thought of her best friend until she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

“Hey!! Why don’t you watch where you are going?” The redhead said to the swiftly retreating back of the person that knocked into her. “Some people are so rude. . .” She mumbled to herself, and kept walking through the halls. Her steps carried her to the outer door to the library, and she looked at her watch. This is was Cordiela dubbed a working lunch, where they would all meet in the library to do their briefing, also another word Cordiela came up with. She held her breath and listened through the door. Buffy’s voice came out at her, and she felt her heart rate increase, and her palms sweat. Oh just great. . . Now you are going to go in there with these goo goo eyes, and. . . The abrupt opening of the door she was leaning on interrupted her thoughts. Startled green eyes met brown.

“Buffy. . . I was just fixing to come in. . .”

Willow felt the familiar pain in her chest as the slayer favored her with one of her smiles. “That’s a good thing.” The blonde said. “Because I was coming to look for you. What was going on last night.” Buffy asked as she grabbed Willow ’s elbow and led her into the room. Willow shuddered at the sensation of the slayer’s hand warming her elbow, and she cleared her throat. “Oh, well, Giles had asked me to see what i could come up with on monsters on a lunar calendar on the Internet, and i guess that i just lost track of time. “ Willow smiled one of those unsure, hesitant smiles and Buffy felt her heart start to pound, and she smiled back. “I guess that I can forgive you then. . .” The slayer said, as they sat down at the table where everyone was sitting.

Willow let her eyes travel around the room as the group talked. She took in how close Cordiela and Xander sat, and how they kept touching each other. Never thought that would work out. . . Stranger things have happened. She saw Giles, and the little beads of sweat that were popping up on his top lip, as what happens sometimes when he was extremely vemenient in whatever he was talking about. And then she drank in the sight of Buffy. The slayer was wearing a soft, pale blue sweater with black pants. The sweater was form fitting, and hugged her in all the right places. Buffy’s eyes were following Giles as he talked, and she noted the little smirk that her full lips curved into. Her brown eyes flicked back and forth watching the conversation, and her blonde hair was falling softly around her striking features.

Willow sighed inwardly, and took a stock of what she was wearing. Her denim overalls were too big on her, and they hid her shape in a shroud of blue, and her white turtleneck underneath just hinted at her breasts. How can i even compare to her. . . She is so beautiful. . . A movement caught Willow’s eye, and she looked down to see Buffy’s thumb brush across the label of the bottled water she was drinking. Willow felt faint, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight of Buffy’s thumb rubbing back and forth collecting, and smearing the wet condensation across the side of the plastic.

A loud boom startled her, and she looked up to see Giles glaring at her. “Willow. Didn’t you hear what I just said?” The impatient Watcher said to the redhead, and Willow took a deep breath.

“I. . . I’m sorry. . .I guess that i am just not feeling well. . .” Willow gathered her books and made a beeline for the door.

“Willow, where are you going?” The watcher asked as Willow clamored towards the door. “I. . . I don’t know. . .” She said as she tore out the door.

Buffy stared at the space where just moments before her best friend occupied, and she stood up. “I am going to go check on her.” And the slayer slipped out the door before anyone could protest.

Willow made her way to her locker, and she dumped her books unceremoniously inside, and leaned her head against the frame. What’s going on with me. . . I can’t think. . . I can’t sleep. . . I can’t eat. . . I can’t do anything but. . . Feel. She closed her eyes at the onslaught of tears that threatened to consume her. I feel so much, and i don’t even understand this.

“Hey. . .” A soft touch on her shoulder, and the soft voice startled her and she jumped, hitting her head against the frame that she was leaning on, and the tears that threatened to spill over in frustration then spilled from pain. The redhead saw stars, and she grabbed her head. “”Wills? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, i just cracked my head open, but I am alright.” The redhead said as she shut the locker and leaned against it heavily. The tears now ran down her cheeks, and she opened her eyes at the incredibly soft touch of the slayers fingers on her cheeks. She opened her eyes, seeing Buffy looking at her intensely, and then looking down at the wetness on her fingers. “I don’t think that these are for hitting your head. What’s wrong Wills?” Willow just sighed and tried to turn around, having a need to get away from that gaze reaching deep inside, and twisting her guts. This isn’t helping . . .

Buffy sighed at the sad look that passed over Willow’s face. “You can tell me, you are my best friend you know.”

“Nothing. . . Its nothing. . . I just haven’t been feeling well lately, and i have so much to do, and things are just not going as planned. . .”

“I know that feeling.” The slayer said with a smile. “Do you want to skip out of class and go home? I will go with you. . .”

“Buffy, you know that you can’t skip class, you miss so much already, and I just. . . Well. . . I can’t. . .”

“Alright, just take care of yourself. And why don’t you come to my house tonight after class. You can help me on my paper. . . please?”

Willow couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. . Sure. I will see you then.” With a quick smile, they both went their separate ways, Buffy feeling better about Willow, and Willow feeling better about herself.