"Shield the sunlight from my eyes...It's been so long since I have seen who I am...I used to feel so much...Search please let us touch...This forgotten love..."
From the diary of Willow Rosenberg, March 13th, 2009:
I swore I'd never go back after Buffy's death.
But I am. I'm on a plane right now that is taking me to Los Angeles. Once there, I will rent a car.
I swore I'd never go back to Sunnydale. But I'm driving there today.
Damn.
From the Sunnydale Shopper, week of March 9th, 2009:
"Homegrown starlet returns for 10-year reunion."
Cordelia Chase, most recently seen in the big-budget action flick "Overdrive" with Joshua Jackson, is returning to Sunnydale for the Class of '99's 10-year reunion. "I've always loved Sunnydale," she said recently in an interview. "I can't wait to be back and see all the places I used to hang out at."
Chase may be best known from her role as Margot in the final season of "Melrose Place", a role she landed shortly after graduating from UCLA. "It was a lot of fun to be on that set," she reminisces. Chase then moved up to action movies, and is often called "the next action queen".
So what's next for this up and coming star? There are rumors of a lead role, but nothing confirmed as of yet.
From the Sunnydale High School, Class of 1999, 10-Year Reunion brochure:
Harris, Alexander. After surprising us all by being elected Prom King, Xander stayed with Sunnydale High, taking over the coaching position for our swim team. He's currently finishing up his bachelor's degree in business management at Sunnydale College, and hopes to open up his own store soon.
From the diary of Willow Rosenberg, March 14th, 2009:
It took three hours to drive from the airport to Sunnydale. I checked into the nearest motel and crashed, waking up the next afternoon to the sound of the maid opening the door. I called London to tell them I reached Sunnydale safely, and barely managed to avoid an argument with Giles and Tim. I know they wanted to talk, but I wouldn't let them.
If I had wanted to talk about it, I wouldn't have come here.
I just wish I knew why I came here in the first place.
From the Sunnydale High School, Class of 1999, 10-Year Reunion Program:
Welcome back Razorbacks! It's been ten long years since we've seen each other at Sunnydale High. It'll be great to reminisce with your old friends and acquaintances during our two-day event!
On Friday night, it's our dinner/dance at the Sunnydale High Gym! Remember the good old days, meet up with an old friend, and just enjoy the memories!
After the party on Friday, we'll have some fun in the sun at the picnic on Saturday! We'll bring the drinks and food, you bring your family!
And finally, on Saturday night, we'll hold a memorial service for the Class of '99 who weren't able to be here with us. A list of names will be read out, including the most recent tragedy, Buffy Summers, who died in 2007.
We hope you can attend! For further information, contact Harmony Williamson, our chairperson for this event.
Cordelia Chase hated people.
Well, not all people, to be honest. She liked her agent. She liked her hairdresser and makeup artist. She liked her secretary. She liked her bodyguard. In fact, she liked everyone she had on her staff. But she hated everyone else.
Especially that guy who had been following her for the past three hours.
She was just trying to get some shopping done. It had seemed as if she never had the time anymore, and once she had gotten into Sunnydale, she actually felt some twinges of homesickness for the mall she often invaded as a teenager.
She had a few hours before she had to get ready for her reunion and figured a few hours of shopping would get rid of those nervous feelings she was feeling in her stomach. C'mon, Cordelia, she thought to herself. It's not like it's an audition....or your first day on the set....or an awards ceremony...it's just a high school reunion.
It didn't work. She was still nervous when she first walked into the mall. And three hours later, the nervousness was still there, and that guy following here didn't help.
She slipped into a store, trying to lose him. It didn't work. She hid behind a rack of discount suits, scoping out the man. He looked like an average everyday suburban college boy. Great... She sighed mentally. Another fan. Probably wants me to sign something. She was about to step out from behind the suits when she saw the slight bulge in his coat pocket. Oh hell....is that a gun? She crouched down even further behind the suits. Why did I decide to come here alone? The news is going to have a field-day with this--"Star killed at mall while visiting for her 10th-year high school reunion" She took a deep breath and thought. Okay...you can handle him. God knows you're paying your trainer enough.
She moved directly behind the guy, tensed, and jumped at him, pinning him against the wall. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice sharp.
The man's eyes widened when he saw who had attacked him. "C-Cordelia?"
"Yes! Who are YOU?"
"D-Don't you remember me? I'm Jonathan...we dated in high school...?"
Cordelia pulled back, stunned. "Oh my God..." She paused for a second, still in a bit of shock. "I'm sorry...."
"I....I saw you walking past me...I had heard you were in town....You look really nice....I heard you're famous now...I manage the sporting goods store down at the end of the mall...." Jonathan continued to babble.
Cordelia nodded, still somewhat dazed. "Yeah..." She shook herself mentally and turned to Jonathan. "Excuse me," she said politely before walking away.
Oh my God.....he sure grew up...what happened when I was gone? She pulled her bags closer to her and walked quickly out of the mall.
Upon reaching the hotel, she threw the bags down and curled up on the bed, thinking. It had been almost six years since she came back to Sunnydale. It wasn't a matter of wanting to stay away....in fact, she had tried several times...but first there were the commercial shoots, then Melrose, then the movies....and the awards.....and the press conferences....and the interviews....
Everything seemed to have changed around her. And she didn't know when it happened.
There was a knock on the door. "Cordy? Hon, you better get dressed for the party tonight....it's almost 6."
Cordelia sat up. "All right, Ellie," she said to her secretary. "All right."
From the diary of Willow Rosenberg, March 14, 2009:
I got dressed too early. I must be more nervous than I thought I was. I looked in the mirror and out of nowhere, I heard Cordelia's voice. "You've seen the softer side of Sears".
I wonder what it will be like to see her again. Tim never understood why I would go see her movies so often. She was the only one of us to have a normal life--to have the childhood dreams come true.
I was going to be a teacher. I was going to teach high school students about computers.
Now I can't even teach myself.
Willow Rosenberg looked up from her diary directly into the mirror. She faintly saw the girl who had walked the halls of Sunnydale High, her arm linked with her best friend, who had curled up next to her boyfriend and spent the entire night just talking, who helped slay vampires and other demons. But a lot had changed since then. "Too much," she whispered to herself. She glanced at the clock. Almost time to go. She looked at herself critically in the mirror. The simple black dress was perfect for the "doctoral candidate in cognitive science", and her basic makeup and haircut would guarantee a night spent in the shadows. "Wallflower in high school, wallflower at the reunion," she said quietly. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the door.
The party had just begun when Willow walked into the gymnasium. There was soft music playing, and small crowds were milling together, reminiscing about the "old days".
Willow walked up to the registration booth. A blonde woman sat there, smiling widely. "Hi! I'm Harmony Williamson!" She looked at Willow and frowned slightly. "And you are..."
"Willow Rosenberg."
"Oh!" She pulled out a badge. "Here you go..." Harmony handed her the badge, still frowning slightly. "You were into....computers, right?"
Willow smiled lightly. "Yeah....thanks..." She put the badge on her dress and walked into the main room.
She looked longingly at the bar for a second, wishing she could have a drink to calm her nerves, but instead went to the buffet table. After loading up a plate, she found a table near the corner and sat, watching the people walk in and out.
Maybe it'll be a quiet night, she thought to herself, biting into a small sandwich. Maybe no one will even notice me.
"Willow!" a voice called out from across the gym. She looked up and saw Amy walking towards her.
Or maybe not.
Willow smiled faintly as Amy made her way over to her table, pushing a large stroller. Amy collapsed into the opposite chair, grinning. "Hi Willow!" she said enthusiastically.
Willow nodded. "Hi," she said, somewhat intimidated by the sheer force of Amy's entrance.
Amy set a large diaper bag down next to her, picked the infant up out of the stroller, then turned to Willow. "Oh, it's so great to see you!" she said enthusiastically. "It's been, what? Two years?"
Willow nodded again. "Yeah...when..." her voice trailed off, remembering Buffy's funeral. An uncomfortable silence followed for a few seconds. Willow shook herself out of her thoughts. "So who is this?" she asked, gesturing to the baby, her voice trying to be cheerful.
"Oh, this is Kathy." She held up the baby. "Say hi to Willow, Kathy." The baby smiled and gurgled happily.
Willow smiled sweetly. "She's adorable. How old is she?"
"Three months. And if you think she's cute, you should see her sister."
Willow looked up at Amy. "Sister?"
Amy grinned wider. "Yep, she's 18 months. Walking all over the place and she's beginning to talk."
Willow smiled. "What's her name?"
"Samantha." At Willow's raised eyebrow, she chuckled. "Yeah, I know....I couldn't help myself." She scanned the room for a bit. "Oh, there she is...with Rob..." She pointed to a tall thin man holding a little girl. She caught his eye and waved. "You remember him, right?"
Willow nodded. "Yeah..." She looked back at Amy and the younger baby. "You never mentioned you were pregnant when I saw you."
"You...weren't talking much then." Amy looked up and noticed the look on Willow's face. "Do you want to hold her?"
"Oh...I....I wouldn't know....I'd dro..." She was interrupted by two handfuls of squirming baby. She held the baby gently. "She's....she's heavier than I thought she would be."
Amy smiled softly, seeing Willow's expression change as she held the small infant. "I took maternity leave when Samantha was born....then I got pregnant with Kathy...and after that, it just made sense to stay home for awhile..." She looked back to Rob and noticed him struggling with a plate of food and a hyperactive toddler. "Oh, I better go rescue him...I'll be right back..."
"Sure," said Willow, still looking down at the baby.
Cordelia walked briskly into the gymnasium, her short flared skirt swishing around her thighs. If you're going to make a scene anyway, you might as well make one in style, she thought to herself.
And she definitely made a scene when she walked in. Everyone in the front room stopped what they were doing and stared. Cordelia strolled over to the table, and raised an eyebrow at the woman sitting behind the door. "Harmony?" she asked.
Harmony blushed. "H-Hi Cordelia!" she said, rustling through the ID cards to find Cordelia's. "I-I didn't think you were going to come!" She handed it to her, her hands trembling slightly. "I...It's good to see you again." She paused for a second, searching for the right words. "You...You look amazing."
Cordelia smiled thinly. "Thanks. You....look....like I expected." She took the card and walked into the main room.
The small crowds would stop, stare, then continue fervent whisperings. Cordelia sighed heavily and went straight for the bar. After ordering a pineapple daiquiri, she turned back to the main room and resumed scanning the crowd. There was Owen, still apparently honing his brooding skills, despite the fact that he still hadn't sold that novel of his. And huddled over in that corner was Aphrodesia, Aura, and Blue, occasionally stealing glances at her and then returning to their conversation. "Probably sharing the gossip they found in the National Inquirer," she muttered to herself. She sipped her drink, still scanning the crowd. Suddenly, she froze.
"Willow?" she said in a near whisper. She stared at the woman she once knew.
Willow sat in the corner, holding a baby in her arms. Cordelia stood transfixed by the radiant look on her face. So this is what the Virgin Mary looked like when holding Jesus.... Cordelia stared at her until someone blocked her view. After blinking for a few seconds, she decided it was time to re-introduce herself. She walked over to the table, people moving out of her way automatically.
She stood at the table for a few seconds, watching Willow study the infant in her arms. After a moment, Willow looked up. Her already smiling face broke into a grin when she saw who it was. "Cordelia?" she asked, almost in disbelief.
Cordelia nodded. "Hello, Willow," she said, trying to sound flippant. She pointed to the empty chair. "Mind if I sit down?"
Willow's mouth opened slightly, a slightly dazed look on her face, then she shook herself together and nodded. "Of course," she said.
They sat together in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Willow still holding the baby. Finally, Willow spoke up. "I didn't think you were going to show up. A major movie star and all."
Cordelia looked at her in surprise. "I didn't think you were going to show up either. Still at Oxford?"
Willow nodded. "Almost done with my dissertation."
Cordelia lowered her voice. "And your other job?"
Willow looked down at the baby, her face resigned. "I...I'm currently taking a....leave of absence."
Cordelia frowned and opened her mouth to ask more, but was interrupted by the arrival of a small family.
"She wasn't too much of a bother, was she?" the woman asked Willow.
"Oh not at all, she's beautiful," Willow said, handing the baby to the woman.
After a moment, Cordelia realized that the woman was Amy, that witch-girl, and that she was obviously the baby's mother. Cordelia felt an odd disappointment at discovering that Willow wasn't the mother, but quickly moved it aside. "Hi, Amy," she said.
Amy turned towards Cordelia, her eyebrows skyrocketing in surprise. "Oh...wow...hi! I...I didn't think you were going to show up at this little party...."
Cordelia smiled sharply. "It's a common reaction." She gestured to the baby. "Who's that?"
Amy looked down and smiled. "Kathy, my second. And next to my husband, Rob, is my first, Samantha."
Cordelia looked over the little family and smiled. "They're cute kids," she said, her mind automatically slipping into 'schmooze-mode'.
Amy's husband moved closer to his wife, grinning like an idiot. "I've seen all your movies, you're really great," he said. "Especially that one you did where you had that scene with Matt Damon."
Amy blushed slightly, realizing that her husband was talking about a nude scene. "We...better see who else is here..." She reached over and gave Willow a slight hug. "It was good to see you again." She then turned to Cordelia. "It was great to see you again, too."
Cordelia nodded. "Likewise."
Amy, Rob, and the two babies moved away from the table. Willow turned towards Cordelia, a slight smile on her lips. "The nude scene in 'Universe's End'?"
Cordelia shrugged. "One of my more popular movies, apparently."
"I know. I saw it twice."
Cordelia turned to Willow in shock. "Really? Why?"
Willow blushed slightly. "I think the first time was because I could sit there and say 'I know her...she dated my best friend'. And the second time...." She paused for a second. "I actually liked your acting."
Cordelia broke into an honest grin. "You're kidding."
Willow shook her head, grinning. "I'm serious. I actually liked the movie."
Cordelia leaned back in the chair, laughing. "That....that's incredible. I thought everyone hated me in that." She chuckled. "It's been...what? Six years since I've seen you?"
Willow frowned slightly. "Eight."
"Eight? Oh my God...." She shook her head. "It's....it's been forever...I mean, what has been happening?"
Willow smiled, a bitter edge to the smile. "Not much that wasn't happening the last time you saw me. I went to Oxford, studied computers and ancient texts. I...broke up with Oz before my third year."
"What? You two were so great together!"
Willow nodded and smiled. "Yeah....but the long distance relationship was hard on both of us....so we ended it. We're still friends. Last I heard, he was on tour with his band."
Cordelia nodded. "I think one of their songs was on a soundtrack for one of my movies."
Willow smiled and shrugged. "After that, I went back to my studies. My parents moved when I was 20, and I didn't have a reason to come back after that until...the funeral."
Cordelia closed her eyes, the memory of Buffy rising to the surface. When she opened them again, she smiled weakly. "I think I need another drink. You want anything?"
"I....I can't drink, I'm afraid."
Cordelia frowned, and was about to start asking questions, when Willow's faced drained of color. "What the--" she turned around.
Standing near them was Xander, wobbling slightly, with a drink in his hand. "I...I should have known you two bitches would be together..." he slurred.
Willow sat there in shock. "Xander?" she said, her voice timid.
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "Hello, Xander," her voice edged with reproach.
Xander looked at the two women with disgust. "You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be even be in this goddamn town."
Cordelia frowned. "Xander, sit down. You're drunk."
His eyes focused on her and his expression turned to disgust. "You're damn right I'm drunk. I'd have to be drunk to even come near you again." He fell into a nearby chair. "And you..." he said, gesturing to Willow. "Don't you have a top secret Watcher's meeting to attend? Sending another Slayer to her death?" His eyes grew cold. "Buffy would have lived if there was just one more person to watch her back. One more person to help kill vampires. But YOU were in England."
"Xander, stop that," Cordelia said sharply, seeing the look of pain on Willow's face. "You know there wasn't anything she could have done."
He turned back to Cordelia. "Don't you tell me what to do, you whore," he spat out. "You were too busy sleeping your way up to even make it for the funeral."
Cordelia's expression was one of sheer fury. "You...bastard...." She began to rise out of her chair. "I ought to....."
"You ought to what, huh? Fuck me like I'm one of your producers?" Xander began to stand as well. "You pathetic whoring slut."
Cordelia was about to attack, when Willow's voice rang out clearly. "Stop it both of you....please!"
Cordelia looked at Willow, a faint look of guilt on her face and sat down. Xander was still standing, his face red with rage. "You bitch..." he said in a strained whisper.
"Xander...." Willow's voice grew pleading. She grasped one of his sleeves. "Xander...please..."
Xander looked down at the small woman holding onto his sleeves. The woman who had been his friend since they were babies. Willow. HIS Willow. His face paled and he fell back into his seat with a thump. "Oh God....I'm....I'm sorry...." He looked back to Cordelia. "I'm so sorry..." He put his face in his hands, trying not to visibly cry. "You...you weren't here....I held her while she...I was all alone...." He continued to sob into his hands. "Oh Willow, I'm sorry...."
Willow wrapped her arms around him, whispering soothing words. She looked up at Cordelia. "We should get him home."
Cordelia nodded. "I'll get the car." She walked out to the parking lot.
Willow slipped an arm around Xander's waist and placed one of his arms around her shoulders. "Come on, Xander....we're going to take you home.....Where are you living?"
Xander slowly stood up. "Giles'.....old...apartment....took it over after he left..." he mumbled.
Willow nodded and helped him walk out of the party.
The car ride to Xander's apartment was quiet, interrupted only by faint sobs still coming from Xander, his head resting on Willow's shoulder.
Once they reached the apartment, the two women helped him into the house and up the stairs to his bed. They set him down on his bed slowly.
"Thanks," he said softly. He looked up at the two women standing in front of him. "I....I didn't mean it...."
Willow nodded and patted his shoulder. "I know," she said softly. "I know....get some sleep."
Xander nodded and promptly fell into a drunken sleep.. Willow pulled a blanket over him, then turned to face Cordelia.
Cordelia stood there, a faintly disdainful look on her face. "He did mean it, Willow."
Willow nodded. "I know." She looked back at the sleeping man for a second, then looked directly at Cordelia, her expression one of grief. "And he was right." She walked towards the front door.
Cordelia's mouth opened in shock and she followed the other woman outside. Once they were outside of the apartment, she grabbed onto Willow's arm. "Hold on, you don't actually think you're responsible?"
Willow's eyes were filled with unshed tears. "If I had been here, I could have killed that vampire. I could have saved her."
Cordelia looked down at the sidewalk. "If you had been there, I would have two dead friends instead of just one." She looked back up at Willow. "You can't change the past, Willow. You have to live in the present."
Willow looked up at Cordelia, her face suddenly exhausted. "That's easy for you to say. My entire life is spent researching the past, working with the past, reviving the past." She closed her eyes. "Do you know that the main section of the Watcher's handbook hasn't changed in over 300 years?"
"Willow...." Cordelia sighed. "Look, where are you staying? I'll give you a ride there."
"I don't want to go back to the hotel." She looked up at Cordelia, her eyes pleading. "Please...I don't want to be alone...not just yet."
Cordelia looked at her watch and nodded. "We could go get coffee...." Cordelia stopped to take in Willow's tear-streaked face. "No, wait. We'll head back to my suite."
The two women sat on the king sized bed of Cordelia's suite, a half-empty pizza box between them. "God, it's been forever since I had this," Cordelia said in between bites of the large Hawaiian pizza slice in her hands.
Willow grinned. "At least you can get it....I ask for pineapple and ham on a pizza in London, and all I get is a blank stare." She bit into another slice and sighed happily. "This was such a good idea..." she said in-between bites. "Thank you."
Cordelia leaned back against a pillow. "No prob..." She paused for a second. "You know, all we would need is Xander and Oz, and maybe a few books, and we'd have our school nights from senior year."
Willow giggled. "And Buffy would come in after patrolling and yell at Xander for touching her share of the pizza...."
Cordelia laughed quietly. "Willow?" At the other woman's murmur, she continued. "Do you miss it?"
Willow looked up. "Yes." She set down her slice of pizza. "Yes, I do miss it. I wish we could all be together again, sitting on a bed, eating pizza. I wish Buffy was still on patrol, Giles was still the Watcher, and Xander was still my best friend." She looked directly at Cordelia. "Don't you miss it?"
Cordelia sighed. "Yes, but I couldn't see it happening again. We've changed, Willow." She set down her pizza. "When I was seventeen, I wanted to marry a boy from a nice family who would support me my entire life and I would never have to work. So I went to UCLA. And halfway through my freshman year, I realized that I didn't want that anymore." She lifted up her pizza again. "And don't try to tell me you haven't changed. I can see it from a mile away." She took a bite. "So what happened after you left Sunnydale, Willow?"
Willow looked down at the pizza box. "In September of our senior year, before I had even begun to fill out a single college application, Giles came to me and said that I was a candidate for Watcher training. If I took the responsibility, I would get, as an incentive, a full scholarship to Oxford, if I got in. Without discussing it with anyone, without even a second's thought, I said yes. I wanted to help Buffy. And I thought this was the best way." She looked back up at Cordelia. "But then I spent all my time in England, and I never saw Buffy except for the few times I visited and before I knew it, she was gone. And all the work I had done for her was for....nothing." She paused, glancing away from Cordelia. "I.....I left the Watchers. To come here."
Cordelia's eyebrows raised. "Permanently?"
"They...they're not sure. They didn't want me to leave. Giles and Tim...."
"Tim?"
"My....the guy I've been seeing. Another Watcher." She paused for a second. "Giles didn't want to be reminded about Buffy's death. And Tim....Tim thought it would be stupid to try to open old wounds. They both didn't want me to come here, and I guess...." She frowned slightly. "I guess I just got tired of trying to live the life I wanted when I was seventeen." She sighed. "What we wanted at seventeen is so..."
"Different from what we want at twenty-eight." Cordelia looked at Willow. {She is so beautiful,} she thought. She unconsciously licked her lips. "Willow?" she said softly, her voice low. When Willow turned towards her, she leaned forward and kissed her, ever so softly, ever so gently.
Willow wasn't scared, or shocked, or even surprised. All she knew at this moment was how right this felt. How natural it was to feel Cordelia's arms around her. The feeling lasted for a few seconds after the kiss, then the world crashed down onto her again.
Cordelia noticed the tears in Willow's eyes almost instantly. "Oh Christ," she whispered. "Willow, I'm....I'm sorry...I didn't..."
Willow shook her head, quickly getting off the bed. "No, it isn't you, it's me, I'm sorry, I have to go...I...." She stopped on her way to the door, tears glittering in her eyes. "I'm sorry..." she whispered before running out the door.
Cordelia stood in front of the gravestone, a small bouquet of flowers in her hand. "Hi Buffy," she said, placing the flowers next to the stone. "Buffy Summers, 1981 to 2007," she read aloud. "You would think someone would have at least put a quote there or something..." She sat on the grass next to the grave. "But I suppose you were never one for that."
"No, she wasn't." Cordelia turned around and saw Willow standing behind her. "She told Giles that she always wanted a simple marker."
"Willow," Cordelia breathed. She started to stand up. "I....Oh God, I'm sorry for what happened last night..."
Willow shook her head and smiled softly. "No, it's me who should be sorry." She sat next to Cordelia and looked at the grave. "It's hard to believe it's been two years since she died, isn't it?" She paused. "I remember getting the phone call in the middle of the night from Giles. I was in the dormitory, and Tim was the one who answered the phone. I fell into his arms after hanging up the phone, and stayed there for two years."
Cordelia nodded. "I learned that Buffy died from a drunken phone call by Xander the night after the funeral. I came by as soon as I could, but by then...you had already boarded a plane with Giles...and Xander shut the door in my face." She gave a faint smile. "If what he said last night was any indication of his feelings, I can see why."
Willow touched Cordelia's shoulder. "He was hurt. We all were." She looked back at Buffy's grave. "Cordelia...I'm sorry about running away last night."
"It's my fault...I shouldn't have kissed you...I--"
Willow held up her hand. "No, it was my problem." She turned to face Cordelia. "Cordelia, I didn't tell you everything last night." She took a breath. "Tim didn't want me to come here not just because it was a piece of my past." She looked down at the ground. "He didn't want to risk anything happening to the baby."
Cordelia's eyes widened in surprise. "You're...?"
Willow nodded. "Two months along." She looked into Cordelia's eyes. "I didn't leave the Watchers just because I wanted to come to my reunion. I left because..." She frowned, trying to find the words. "Because what I wanted at seventeen isn't what I want anymore, for myself or for my baby."
Cordelia ran her hand over Willow's cheek. Willow closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the other woman's hand. "Willow," Cordelia said, her voice low. Willow's eyes opened again. "Come live with me. In Los Angeles. I have the room. And...and I think...." She looked directly into Willow's luminous green eyes. "I think I'm falling for you."
Willow opened her mouth, about to respond when--
"Hi....am I interrupting something?" Xander's voice rang out from a few feet away.
Cordelia swore in her head. "Not at all, Xander," she said, her voice trying to be light. The two women stood up and turned to Xander.
Xander took off his dark sunglasses, winced, then put them back on. "Um....yeah....look... I was a real asshole last night and I wanted to apologize for everything I said." He paused for a second. "And I also wanted to thank you for driving me home last night. I...I don't think anyone else would have done that."
Willow smiled softly. "We're your friends. That's what we're here for."
Xander gave a long sigh of relief. "Thank God." He looked down at Buffy's grave, and placed a single rose there. He then turned back to the two women. "So...Willow....when are you flying back to London?"
Willow looked at the gravestone for a second, then looked up at Xander. "I'm not. I'm going to Los Angeles with Cordelia." At Cordelia's sharp intake of breath, she looked at the other woman and gave a hopeful smile. "If you'll have me."
Cordelia closed her eyes for a second, then opened them with a questioning look in her eyes. "Are you sure?"
Willow smiled sadly. "No, I'm not. But right now, it's the best thing I have going for me." She chuckled and placed a hand on her stomach. "Well....second best."
Cordelia stood there for a second, then grabbed Willow in a long hard hug. "Thank you," she whispered into the other woman's shoulder. "Thank you."
After a minute, they separated, still keeping an arm around each other's waist, and faced Xander, who was obviously confused. "Um....did I miss something?"
Willow and Cordelia shared a look, and burst into laughter. "Only the past few years," chuckled Willow.
Cordelia patted Xander on the shoulder. "C'mon...we can all catch up over lunch."
From the Diary of Willow Rosenberg, March 17, 2009:
This will be my last entry in this diary. I've moved in with Cordelia and together, we're slowly making a home. I will be mailing this back to England in the morning, and, by doing so, declare my resignation from the Watchers.
When you read this, Giles, I hope you understand. I may come back to the Watchers someday. But, for this moment in time, this is where I need to be.
