Headers in part one

August 6, 2001

"I am going to kill you," Willow said, her voice saccharinely sweet, to her 
friend as she opened the door to let her in.

Buffy's mouth dropped open. "Why, Willow, how could say such a thing to me?" 
she asked, innocently.

"Oh, yeah, play clueless. How could you do that?" she wailed.

"Is Xander here?" Buffy asked, heading into the living room to sit on the 
couch.

"No, he and Melanie went to the park," she sighed, collapsing next to Buffy. 

"Good. So tell me what happened," Buffy said excitedly, leaning forward.

"What do you mean, tell you what happened? You tell me. Why did Spike come 
here and steal your bed?" Willow demanded. "Did you make him?"

"Well, I had planned on getting it back sometime, to help you guys out, but 
no, we really did need a new bed last night," she said with an evil grin.

Willow buried her face in a pillow. "Oh, I didn't need to hear that," she 
moaned, her voice muffled.

Buffy laughed and pulled the pillow away. Willow's face matched her hair. 
"So, what happened after Spike ran down the street with Xander's bed?" she 
giggled.

Willow glared at her. "Not funny. We watched some movies, that's all."

"And then?" Buffy prodded. "Where did he sleep?"

Willow mumbled something unintelligible.

Buffy grinned. "What was that, Will?" she asked, cupping her ear. "I didn't 
quite catch that last thing."

Willow sighed. Buffy was having too much fun with this. "I said, he slept in 
my room." 

"Way to go!" Buffy said happily. "Well, wait. Do you mean in your bed?"

"Yes. Where I was."

"I'm so proud of you," Buffy crowed. "Yea for Willow. So, what happened?"

"What do you mean, what happened? I just told you," she said, puzzled.

Buffy sighed. "Willow. I got things so that you and Xander shared a bed. I 
know you know what to do with the man you love in a bed, so spill."

"Buffy, nothing happened," Willow protested. "Well, except that when we woke 
up, he had his arms around me and we were snuggled together."

"Well, that's a start, I guess," Buffy allowed. 

"It felt so wonderful, Buffy," she said wistfully. "This is just so hard. 
After all these years, it still hurts that he doesn't love me."

"I'm sorry, Will," she said sympathetically. "But don't feel too bad. You're 
not in high school anymore. Things are different. Maybe Xander is too."

"Maybe he is. But I doubt it," Willow said sadly.

~*~

August 8, 2001

Buffy rang the doorbell at Willow and Xander's. She knew that Willow had 
taken Melanie to the store, to give Xander peace and quiet on his day off, so 
he was home. She rang it again when no one answered, and finally just let 
herself in. The house was quiet. "Xander?" she called. There was no response, 
so she headed upstairs. "Xand?" she asked, stopping outside Willow's bedroom.

Xander was sprawled out on the bed, and he started when he heard his friend's 
voice. "Buffy! My God, don't sneak up on people like that!" 

She grinned. "I didn't, Xander. I rang the doorbell twice and called out for 
you a few times." She sat down on the bed next to him. 

"Oh. Sorry. Will's not here right now," he said in an off-hand manner, 
leaning back against the pillows again.

"Yeah, I know," she told him. "I came to visit you. How are you doing?"

"Just peachy," he groused.  

She raised her eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

He sighed and sat up. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I love Willow." The words tumbled out, and he realized that it was the first 
time he had admitted it aloud. "I love her, Buffy."

Buffy inwardly cheered. This was just too good. "Well, good for you. Have you 
told her yet?"

He looked at her like she had grown another head. "No, of course not."

"Right. Because that would make too much sense," she said dryly. "Why haven't 
you told her?"

"Because there's no way she could love me, Buffy. That boat left dock a long 
time ago. I had all those years to see what was in front of me, and I didn't, 
until it was too late. Then, I set our relationship on the fast track to 
nothing after I ruined her relationship with Oz senior year, and then I left 
her for two years, returning to beg for help with my daughter in tow. How 
could she feel anything for me?" he asked desperately.

"How are you going to know if you don't try, Xander?" Buffy asked, trying to 
be reasonable.

"Because!" he exclaimed. "I just know. See, it's like this song. Listen." He 
pointed the remote towards Willow's CD player and turned the volume up.

"But somehow I can't believe that anything should happen 
I know where I belong and nothing's gonna happen 

'Cause, She's so high, high above me. She's so lovely 
She's so high, like Cleopatra, Joan of Ark or Aphrodite 
She's so high, high above me," the CD blared.

Buffy turned back to Xander. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not. See, this part, too," he said, motioning her to be quiet. "What 
could a guy like me ever really offer?  She's perfect as she can be, why 
should I even bother," he sang along.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're insane, Xander. Really. Fatherhood has 
apparently turned you around the bend, and Melanie's not even a teenager yet."

He looked at her, hurt, and she sighed. "Xander, open your eyes. Don't assume 
anything. All right?" She paused, listening. "Um, Xand? Is this song on 
repeat?"

"Yep," he said despondently, not believing a word Buffy was telling him. 

"All right, I'll bite. Why?" she asked.

"Because I'm depressed, Buffy. Now I really know how Willow felt all of those 
years."

"Okay, but Tal Bachman?" she wondered.

"Yeah, Melanie hates country music for some reason. She cried and screams 
until it's turned off. Unless it's Shania Twain. So I've gotten used to going 
to pop music instead of country when I get depressed." He grinned at her. 
"After about 20 minutes of this, the Backstreet Boys come on."

Buffy groaned. "You're hopeless," she said affectionately. "Anyway, think 
about what I said. Don't give up on Willow just yet, okay? Keep your mind 
open. Promise me."

"I promise," he agreed.

"Okay. Then I'll leave you to your pop music. Have a fun day off," she 
grinned. "I'll let myself out."

"Bye, Buff," he said, absent-mindedly. His mind was finally allowing him the 
what-if scenario that Willow might actually still like him. "Can't hurt to 
think about it," he said aloud to Tal. "Can't hurt at all."

~*~
End part six