Disclaimer: I am a gnat in the world that is the Joss (Hey! Watch it with that fly swatter). All characters belong to him and Mutant Enemy. I'm only borrowing the characters. I promise to put them back when I'm done, a little more angsty perhaps, but none worse for wear. This is for fun and non-profit.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including 'Wild at Heart' is fair game.

Buffy made her way down the path that led to the cafeteria. She was to meet Willow there for lunch. So much had been going on in their lives lately that they just didn't seem to have time for each other anymore. You'd think with both Oz and Angel gone and both girls living together that they'd see each other more often then not. Buffy's slayer duties kept her out most nights past 1am and Willow picked up an extra computer course at night to fill the void Oz left. Now it was Friday, both of them had finished their classes for the day and lunch was going to be the beginning of a 'girls weekend'.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Buffy found a table for two over in the corner. She noticed Larry sitting with some of his friends a few feet from her. They smiled at each other and left it at that. After a few minutes, Buffy got antsy waiting for Willow….she was never this late. She got up and walked over to Larry's table.

"Hi Larry. How's it going?"

"Buffy! Long time no see. How's everything with you."

"Good. It's, of the good. Listen, I was supposed to meet Will here after her last class but she hasn't shown up yet. Have you seen her at all today?"

"Yeah, I had a 10:00 with her this morning. She didn't mention anything though."

"Are you talking about Willow Rosenberg?" A blond boy from Larry's group asked.

"Um, yeah. You know her?"

"I just had Psych. with her. Some guy in the class went over to talk to her afterwards and she took off. Looked like he really got to her about something." The blond reported, rather happily, to the dismay of the slayer.

Buffy looked at Larry then the boy. "Listen, um….what's your name?"

"Chris. Chris Madison."

"OK. Chris. I really need to know where she is. Do you have any idea where she took off to?" Buffy's voice was shaken with concern.

Chris smirked and glanced at Larry. "Nope. I know nothing."

"Why do I get the feeling that you know a lot more than you're letting on." She approached his side of the table. "Listen, Willow is my best friend and if something's happened to her, and you know about it….let's just say you don't want to see me angry. It's definitely not a pretty site."

Larry tried to corral the situation. "Buffy, take it easy. I'm sure she'll show up sooner or later. There's no reason to get all heated up over this."

Just then, Chris started to laugh. That was it, Buffy had just about enough of his games.

"Listen carefully, Chris," She put her hand on his shoulder, "If you don't tell me," She squeezed her hand, "what's going on," squeeze "you're going to regret" squeeze "ever introducing yourself," squeeze "to me."

The discomfort on his face was quite evident. "Fine, fine! God, let go…you've got some grip there. She ran into the bathroom. Second floor of the psych. department. Man, Jeff was right about you two."

Larry got up and moved closer to Buffy, "Why don't you go look for her Buff."

"No. What's that supposed to mean. Right about what?" The tension in the room was at an all time high. Some students that sat on the fringes of the little group quieted down an were listening intently.

"Jeff was the one that went up to her after class. He wanted to ask her out on a date tonight. Just about everyone knows Oz and his band. Since Oz left, he thought she might be a free agent. She turned him down cold. She made some excuse about having a girls night with you and that she wasn't quite ready to date yet. He said something else to her and she just looked at him and took off. I asked him what happened and, well, he told me he thinks she's playin for the other team now." Chris began to study the table intently.

Larry suddenly took great notice of the cafeteria floor, like it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

Buffy turned to him. "Did you know about this?"

He sighed. "I was passing through the hall looking for Chris. Willow ran by me, practically knocked me over. I didn't know what was said." He looked at Buffy, hoping she wasn't gonna drag him into it.

"Fine. I'm gonna go look for her." She looked at Chris. "Don't think I'm done with you yet. Or your buddy Jeff." Then she turned to Larry, "And you. You of all people should know better Mr.-Gay-jock-and-proud-of-it. Since when did you become so insensitive to other people's feelings?"

Larry looked straight at her, "I didn't think there was anything to be sensitive about, Buffy. Unless of course it's true and there is something going on."

The shock on her face was evident. "No. There isn't anything 'going on' between Willow and I. We're best friends, we look out for each other. God, why does a close friendship between girls register as 'not quite right' with guys. I swear sometimes…"

They didn't here the end of her comment. She was out of the cafeteria and on her way to the psych. building. <Men! I can't believe they'd think that. Willow and I, it's just….ridiculous!> She cut across the bike path and made her way to the psych. building. <Why now, of all times, does this campus seem to be the biggest one on the west coast.>

She walked into the building and made her way up the stairs to the second floor. <Great. Six corridors, three bathrooms.> The first two bathrooms were bust. As she rounded the corner to the third and final one she collided with someone. Both losing their balance, they fell to the floor, limbs everywhere.

"Hey watch where your…." Buffy looked up and saw Willow sitting in front of her. "Will! Where were you? I got worried when you didn't come to the cafeteria and…"

"I'm fine Buffy, really. Something came up after class and I was just on my way to the cafeteria to meet you now." Willow smiled, but Buffy could see that she was not herself. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her nose was red, too.

"Will, you're not fine. You've been crying." Buffy put her hand on Willows, "What happened?"

Willow pulled her hand away and looked around the hall, "It's nothing. Really, I'm fine Buffy. Just big time Oz missage I guess."

Buffy got up and put her hand out to help Willow. She visibly ignored it and put her hand on the wall to get up. They both dusted themselves off and straightened their clothes. They were no worse for wear really.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Buffy spoke first, "So, lunch?"

"No. I-I'm just gonna go now. I have studying to do. For…class." Willow responded.

"But Will, It's Friday, remember? No evil classes until Monday. We're supposed to have girls night tonight. I told Giles I was going to patrol early so we could rent some movies, pop popcorn, paint our toes…."

"No, I'm not up to it tonight. I think I'm gonna go home this weekend. Remind my parents that they still have a daughter. I think they get back from their conference around six."

Buffy couldn't take it anymore. "Funny thing. Well not funny, ha ha, but….I saw Larry in the cafeteria today."

"Really? That's nice. How is he." Willow was thankful for the change in conversation.

"He's good. He was sitting with a bunch of his friends. He said he saw you today. Actually, he said you almost ran him over after your psych. class." She looked at Willow to gauge her reaction.

Willow shrugged. "That was him? Oh, well….." She shrugged again.

"Yeah, anyway I met a friend of his, Chris Madison." Willow looked up at Buffy and turned her face away. She knew what was coming next.

"Chris is in your psych. class." It wasn't a question. Buffy knew from Willow's body language that she knew what she was leading up to. "Anyway Chris is friends with.."

"Jeff." Willow answered. "Yeah. So?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Yeah, so? Is that all you can say, Will? What happened with Jeff? What did he say to you to get you so upset? Come on Willow, talk to me here. This is Buffy, Buffy to Willow, come in Willow.."

"Willow shook her head. "It's nothing. He asked me out, I said no, end of story. Really…that's where the story ends….no more story….I told him I wasn't over Oz leaving…..'cause, I'm not over it….he only left two weeks ago….and that's it…he was mad but he understood…Jeff, I mean…not Oz…how could Oz be mad, I mean….all I did was kiss Xander…He slept with Veruca….twice….so that's it…" Willow was in full tilt babble mode.

Buffy shook her head. <Not good. No, not good at all> "Will, I know how you feel."

"No, Buffy. That's the thing." She turned to face the slayer, "you don't know how I feel, no one does. Angel left for LA to give you both a new start. Oz left for god-knows-where because he cheated on me. There's a big difference."

"That's not what I meant, Will." Buffy looked at her. <It's now or never> "I know that….that Jeff said something to you….to make you upset…Chris told me….he said something…about us." There, it was out in the open.

Students began to pour out of the classrooms.

"Oh…Oh, no….no, I can't…Buffy…I don't, I mean….we don't…but he didn't…and he said…." Willow stuttered her way through an explanation, but she couldn't seem to get it out. Tears threatened to fall and she turned away from Buffy, not able to face her, or the conversation that was sure to follow. "I can't talk about this….not now…I have to go…I just…I can't…you don't know how…..I-I'm….sorry."

Before Buffy could get a word in edgewise, Willow took off in the throng of students and effectively gave the slayer the slip. <Damn. How'd she do that? You're only supposed to use your powers for good, Will.> Buffy spent the next hour searching for her friend. The Library, Oz's old room, the computer lab, their room twice, the cafeteria, the TV room in their building, and just about every ladies room on campus. Willow was no where to be found. It was getting close to six and Buffy's stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since this morning since her lunch date with Willow was a bust.

The only thing that was open near the school was a pizza place a few blocks down. Buffy made her way there, ordered a slice and a soda, and looked around the place. In the corner, next to the bathroom, she saw a flash of red hair through the crowd. <Willow.> She took her tray, paid for the food, and made her way over to the booth. "Will, is that you?"

The girl turned around, clearly NOT Willow, "Excuse me?"

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were….a friend of mine." Buffy replied.

"Buffy?"

The slayer turned around to find Willow standing in front of her. "Will? Where have you been, I was worried."

"I had some stuff to work through, so I went home. My parents left a message saying that they'd be gone another week or so. I was hungry so I came here." She gave a little shrug.

"Would you sit with me? We never did get to eat lunch. Dinner is just as good, right?" Buffy posed the question to her, hopeful that the hacker would accept.

"Sure, why not."

They ate in semi-comfortable silence. All the while, Buffy wondering what had gotten into her friend, and what Jeff said, to make her so upset. She had her ideas, though. When the 'Evil Willow' from another world made her appearance, she made it known that she was definitely from an alternate, alternate reality. Angel made some comment about the darker side of a vampire being the person's sub conscience, but they all quickly dismissed it. Now, Buffy couldn't help but wonder about the validity of the statement. Dominatrix Willow? 'Kinda gay' Willow? They were foreign concepts to her, but she wondered how much thought her friend had put into Angel's musings. Suddenly, something, or rather someone, broke her train of thought.

"Ladies! I see you've finally found each other. How are you doing Willow. All better now?" Larry sidled up to their table.

"Fine Larry, thanks." She gave him a lopsided smile. Buffy just glared.

"Good, glad to hear it. Listen, don't listen to anything Jeff says, OK? He's not the most reliable or decent specimen of the male species. He can be a real jerk sometimes and he doesn't take rejection very well. Don't put too much stock into anything he says, or does for that matter. He gives us good guys a bad name." Larry beamed a smile at her, hoping to lift her spirits.

"Thanks, Larry. You're an OK guy, you know?" Willow smiled back at him. Buffy was quite relieved to see her somber attitude soften a bit.

"I know, I know, that's what all the guys say…..see you both later." With that he disappeared as quickly as he showed up.

"Feel better?" Buffy gave a questioning look to Willow.

"Strangely, yes. Larry's right. Guys can get really mean when they don't get their way. Men. Harrumph." Willow gave Buffy a genuine smile.

"I'm glad your better, Will. How about we finish up here, you go on a quick sweep with me, and we get some movies? Just you and me, it'll be fun."

Willow considered, then agreed. They finished their pizza and made their way to the campus. "I thought we were gonna do a sweep?" She asked the slayer.

"Yeah, Giles suggested that we sweep the campus. That way we'd be closer to home and wouldn't be out too late. The cemetery can wait till tomorrow night." Buffy replied.

The patrol was uneventful. That is until they happened to cross over to the bike path on the way to their dorm. Two vamps came out of no where, ambushing them both.

"Buffy, look out!" Just as she dusted the first vamp, Buffy looked up to see the other one coming at her with a tree branch. He swung, she ducked and pulled his legs out from under him.

"Strike one! Care to try for another?" She yelled in his direction.

He got up, madder than before, and they started trading punches. She kicked him into the bulletin board, it flying into pieces everywhere. She tried a round house kick and missed. This gave the vamp the opportunity to grab her and send her flying, shoulder first, into a nearby tree. Dazed, she tried to shake it off but he was at her again almost immediately. Just as he was about to grab her off the ground, he exploded into a cloud of dust in front of her About 5 feet from where Buffy sat, she could see Willow crouched behind the park bench. One of the seat boards was obviously missing.

Willow quickly made her way over to the slayer, "Are you OK, Buffy? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Will, but how did you…?" The confused look on her face made Willow chuckle a little.

"The seat was loose. I didn't want to get too close, so I did my floating pencil trick, without the pencil of course." She put her hand out to help the slayer to her feet.

"Will, you could have been hurt. Are you OK, I mean. Wow, you saved me Will, that was…I didn't know your powers were that strong."

"I didn't save you, I helped. Like any good slayerette should. And my powers aren't that strong. I've just been practicing with bigger things than pencils lately, that's all." She dismissed Buffy's comment with a wave of her hand.

"Man, I must be really off my game tonight. I have to pay better attention, I could have gotten both of us killed. I'm sorry Willow, I.." Buffy reached out to her and visibly flinched when she moved her shoulder.

"Don't be." Willow caught the flinch from the brave little slayer, "Your hurt, did you hurt your shoulder?" A look of concern washed over her face.

"I'm fine really, no more bruised than usual." Buffy scrunched up her face.

"You flinched…a-and scrunched…flinching and scrunching don't go in the 'I'm OK' column if you ask me. Come on, lets get back to the room so I can take a look at the damage." With that both girls headed off to the dorm.