Willow walked around her room gathering some stuff up and putting it in a bag. Her life was in shambles and she needed to get away so she could reflect on everything from a distance.  As she packed, she thought about the events of the past few days.  Oz and Cordelia had caught she and Xander kissing and Oz had not spoken to her since.  She and Xander had a long conversation and decided what they had done was wrong.  It was just a case of wanting what you can not have.  Willow had loved Xander for so long, too long and he had never given her a second look.  Then when she almost died he realized that he loved her, but she had moved on to Oz.  Then at Homecoming, something happened and she and Xander shared that kiss and everything went downhill from there.  Willow still cringed when she thought of the look on Oz’s face when he and Cordelia had caught Willow and Xander kissing in the factory.
      She had tried everything to talk to Oz after, but he was avoiding her like the plague.  Who could blame him though?  Willow knew how much she hurt him.  He had been so patient with her, waiting until he thought she was over Xander.  This was the ultimate betrayal.  She finished packing her suitcase and headed over to Buffy’s.  Her parents were away for two weeks anyway so they would not even notice, but she could not leave without telling Buffy.  She knew how much pain it had caused when Buffy just disappeared and she could not do that to her friends.
      “Hi Will.  What’s with the suitcase?” Buffy asked.  “Getting tired of being home alone?”
      “I’m leaving.” Willow stated quietly.  “I just have to get away for a few days.  I made reservations at a hotel and I am just going.  I need to be away from here and figure out why my life is so screwed up.  I just couldn’t leave without telling you.  I also need you to do me a favor, I need you to give these to Oz, Xander and Cordelia.”  With that she handed three envelopes to Buffy and waited for her response.
      Buffy was in shock.  She knew that Willow was taking this really hard, but she never thought she would leave.  She took the letters from Willow and sighed.
      “I know I can’t stop you.  That would be sorta hypocritical.  I understand what it feels like to need to get away.  Can you tell me where you are going?  When you will be back?  How I can get in touch with you if I need to?”
      “I am going to go to San Francisco.  I’ll be back in a few days.  I took my Dad’s pager and I can give you the number.”  Willow quickly grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the number down.  “I just need to get going.”  And with that, she turned to leave.
      “Wait,” Buffy said, “Can I walk you to the bus station?”
      “I don’t think so.  Don’t you have training or something?  I just need to do this alone.  I just couldn’t leave without telling you.  Bye.”  And with that Willow turned and walked out of the Summer’s house.
      Buffy just stood in the doorway watching her best friend walking away.  She wanted so much to not let her go, but it was something Willow had to do.  Buffy sighed and closed the door.  She walked miserably up to her room.  She had a meeting with Giles in about an hour, some new threat or something.  Everyone was supposed to be there.
      An hour later Buffy walked sadly into the library.  She saw Xander sitting at one table and Oz and Cordelia at another.  Things had been so awful since Spike had kidnapped Willow and Xander and the two of them had been caught kissing.  Oz and Cordelia still helped with Slayer stuff, but they wouldn’t even acknowledge that Xander and Willow were in the same room.  Buffy sighed and dropped her bag on the table and walked over to her punching bag.  She had some definite aggression to get out before she talked to the three of them.  She launched into several different attacks against the bag, hoping that she could tire herself out enough that when she did tell them she was too exhausted to yell at them like she wanted to.  Just as she was about to break the bag in two Giles walked out of his office.  He looked around the room for a moment, then spoke.
      “Uhm, Buffy, weren’t you supposed to pick up Willow?” he asked.
      “She’s gone,” Buffy stated.  She glared over at the other three people in the room.  She walked over to her bag and got out the letters that Willow had given her.  “She told me to give these to you.”  Buffy then threw the letters at the respective people they belonged to and sat down.
      Oz, Cordelia and Xander all sat stunned for a moment then opened their letters and read them.

@@@@@
Dear Cordelia,
 I am sorry.  I know that that doesn’t make anything better, but I am.  I never meant for this to happen.  I guess I just had wanted Xander for so long, that when he actually showed an interest in me, I didn’t know what to do.  I know that is no excuse and I wouldn't blame you if you hated me forever, I know I will.

Willow
@@@@@
Dear Xander,
 What we did was wrong.  I just don’t know how to deal with it.  I have never hurt anyone before.  I spent so many years wanting you that when you finally showed interest I did the stupidest thing I could.  I love Oz and I always will.  I know now that you love me as a friend, nothing more.  What we felt was hormones.  In fact, the only reason, I think, that you showed interest in me to begin with was the fact that I was finally moving on from you.  You always want what you can’t have.  You wanted Buffy and she liked Angel.  You wanted Cordelia and she hated you.  You wanted me because you thought you were losing me.  Goodbye.

Your best friend,
Willow
@@@@@
Oz,
 My hands are shaking just writing this.  I am so sorry.  I would do anything to have this never happen.  I was stupid.  I love you.  When Xander kissed me, it brought back all those emotions of spending over a decade wanting him and it never being reciprocated.  I know I hurt you and have no right to expect you to forgive me.  I will leave you alone if that is what you want.  I just want you to know that I love you now and forever and I am sorry.

Love,
Willow
@@@@@
      After each of them put their letters down Giles spoke up.
       “Willow is gone where?”
      “I’m not supposed to say.  She stopped by my house an hour ago with her suitcase and said she was leaving for a while.  She needed to get away from Sunnydale and figure out what to do with her life.”
      “This is not good,” Giles said.  “I asked for all of you to be here for a reason.  I have found a new prophecy that affects Willow.  We have to get in touch with her.”
      “What kind of prophecy?” Oz asked.  He couldn’t mask the concern in his voice.  Through all this, he still loved Willow and he was well on his way to forgiving her.  He just never thought she’d leave.
      “Well, from what I have been able to decipher there is a demon who will seek out Willow as a sacrifice to release on unholy power on this world.”
      “How do you know it is Willow?” Xander asked.
      “The prophesy says that the Slayer’s witch will be taken and sacrificed on the new moon and from her body shall open the forces of hell on this world.  Willow is the only witch among us.  The new moon is in 3 days.”
      “Cordelia we need your car,” Buffy said.  “We’re going on a road trip.”
      “Where to?” Cordy asked.
      “She told me she was going to San Francisco.  She has her Dad’s pager so once we get there we can page her and find out where exactly she is.  Giles, does it happen to say anything about where this ritual has to take place?”
      “Hmm, not specifically.  But I’m sure the demon will be able to find her no matter where she is so you had better hurry.  I’ll stay here and keep researching.  Call me when you get there.”
      “Okay, lets go,” Buffy said.  “We’ll stop by everyone’s house and grab some clothes and everyone grab a weapon on the way out of the library.”
      Buffy headed for the door without looking back.  Everyone quickly grabbed a weapon and followed.  They all got into Cordy’s car in silence and stopped by everyone’s house to get some stuff then off they went.  Each person lost in his or her own thoughts.
      Xander was thinking about how this was all his fault.  He kissed Willow then kept pushing her while she was trying to pull away from the situation.  Hell, she had been willing to try a de-lusting spell to stop him.  If anything happened to her Xander didn’t know what he would do.
      Cordy’s mind was jumping around.  She was so mad at Willow and Xander, but she loved Xander.  She also liked Willow.  This situation was new to her.  She had never let someone have this much control over her emotions like Xander does.  She knew how much this was hurting him and she wanted more then anything to comfort him, but she wasn’t sure she could.
      Buffy was in shock.   She logically knew that this wasn’t her fault, she could not have known about the prophecy.  But at the same time, she had let Willow go.  Willow was her best friend, someone who was always there for her no matter what and she now had to be there for Willow.
      Oz didn’t know what to think.  He had been planning to talk to Willow after the meeting this morning.  He had wanted to tell her that he wanted to work toward getting their relationship back on track.  He knew that she had made a mistake.  Xander had cornered him yesterday after school and told him everything.  How she had tried to stop it, but Xander wouldn’t let her.  Just like Buffy, he rationally knew this wasn’t his fault, but he kept thinking that if he had talked to her last night she would be here and safe.

      Willow arrived in San Francisco none the worse for wear.  She had spent the whole bus ride running over everything in her mind again and again.  Why hadn’t she just told Oz about that one kiss at Homecoming and gotten on with her life?  Why did she continue to let Xander have such a strong hold on her life?  She truly loved Oz and hated herself for hurting him.  Willow knew now that she never loved Xander that way.  Xander had just been all she had for so long that she convinced herself that it was romantic love rather then just friendship love.  When they had kissed at Homecoming it just unleashed all the pent up feelings she had bottled up inside her for years.  God, how could she have been so stupid?  She really wouldn’t blame Oz if he hated her forever, she had betrayed him.
      After she had checked into her hotel, she decided to take a walk so she could clear her head.  She walked down the streets watching all the happy people.  The families and couples walking and talking together, laughing at private jokes and shared memories.  Willow’s heart ached thinking about how she might never be like that with Oz again.  Before she knew it, she found herself by the Golden Gate Bridge.  Willow sat and stared out over the water.
      Buffy and the gang had arrived in San Francisco in record time.  The first order of business was to call Willow.
      “Cordelia, we need to find a payphone,” Buffy said.
     “Why don’t you just use my cell phone?  It’s in my purse,” Cordelia answered.
      “You’ve had a cell phone this WHOLE rime and didn’t think that would be important?”  Buffy gasped out in shock.
      “What?  You said we would call Willow when we got to San Francisco and now we are here so call her,” Cordelia answered.
      “Oh, never mind.  I have too much to do to talk about this now.”  Buffy quickly dialed the pager number and waited.  When prompted she left the message and phone number.
      “Okay, now we wait.”
      Willow was lost in thought when she heard the beeping of the pager.  It took her a moment to realize what it was, but quickly checked the message.
      EMERGANCY!  CALL BUFFY NOW!  555-1234.
      Willow looked at the number for a moment then went to find a pay phone.  Maybe something was wrong with Oz, Giles or Xander!  Oh God, what could have happened?  As she was dialing it hit her, this was Cordelia’s cell phone number.  Oh no, maybe something happened to Buffy!  Maybe that’s what the big meeting was about this morning!  I left when she needed me and now something awful has happened!  Willow waited nervously for someone to answer.
      “Willow, is that you?”  Buffy asked as she answered the phone.
      “Buffy, what happened?  What’s wrong?  Is Oz alright?”  Willow asked frantically.
      “Oz is fine.  Where are you?  We have to get to you as soon as possible,” Buffy said.
      “I’m in San Francisco, you knew that,” Willow answered.  She was beginning to feel anxious.
      “I know, so are we,” Buffy answered.
      “We?”
      “Xander, Cordelia, Oz and I are all here.  Now we need to get to you.  Where are you?”
      “I’m at the Golden Gate Park.  What’s wrong?”
      “I’ll explain when we get there. Just keep talking to me.  How was your trip?”
      “F-fine.  Buffy, you are really scaring me.  What’s wrong?  Why do you need to get to me?”
      “We just need to talk to you about something.  Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.”
      “But, if everything is going to be fine why do you have to…”  Willow’s voice drifted off as she noticed a large shadow over taking her own on the ground.
      “Willow?  WILLOW?  Are you still there?”  Buffy asked frantically.
      As Willow slowly turned around, the phone still up to her ear, the first thing she saw was clawed feet.  As she slowly looked up at the figure she took in it’s furry legs, massive chest, clawed hands and when she reached the face all she could do was scream.
      Willow’s scream could be heard be everyone in the car.  They had just pulled into the Golden Gate Park and could see Willow and the hideous creature about to over take her.  Cordelia blared her horn and floored it, charging straight at the creature.  Willow jumped out of the way just as Cordelia’s car hit the beast and sent it flying about fifty feet.  As soon as the car had stopped, Buffy and Xander went into fight mode, just in case the creature had survived.  Oz jumped out and ran straight to Willow, taking her into his arms.
      “Baby?  Baby are you okay?”
      As Willow opened her eyes, she thought she was dreaming.  She was in Oz’ arms and he was looking at her with love and concern.
      “Oz?  Is that really you?”
      “Yeah, it’s me, baby.  Are you okay?”
      “W-what happened?”
      By this time Buffy and Xander had determined that the creature was not going to be moving anytime soon and had walked over to where Willow and Oz were.
      “We don’t have time to explain now,” Buffy started.  “We have to get back to Sunnydale.  Who knows if there are anymore of these things lurking about.  C’mon, we’ll fill you in on the way.”
      Willow just nodded and let Buffy and Oz help her into Cordelia’s car.
      “Oh god!  My car!  Look at what that thing did to me car!  How am I going to explain this to my father?”
      “Tell him you tried to run me down,” Xander joked.  “He never liked me much anyway.”
 

 
 

CONTINUES

 Back to the library.
 No more fan fic for me.