Title- The Lonely Hearts Club
Author- Veronica
E-Mail- roni.s@sympatico.ca
Rating- U
Pairing- G/W Friendship
Spoilers- Season 7
Disclaimers- Joss and Mutant own all. I'm just borrowing them.
Distribution- Want it? Take it… just let me know where.
Feedback- Always a great thing to have.
Summery- Valentine's Day is coming, and everyone has the blues. But Willow makes everything all better.
The worst day possible was quickly approaching, much quicker than everyone would have liked. It had nothing to do with ending the world or a new demon to defeat, though either one would be preferable right about now. No, the much dreaded day was, of course, Valentine's Day. The day that no one was looking forward to… nobody wanted a reminder of just how pathetic they're lives had really gotten, a reminder of just how lonely they all were.
The entire Scooby gang sat in the living room belonging to Rupert Giles, doing the usual daunting task of reading through more prophesies. No one said anything, but all secretly hoped that something would crop up, something not too nasty-but bad enough to keep they're minds off of that particular day until it passed. But so far, luck did not seem to be on they're side.
"Well, that's it then." Said Giles with a frown. He looked around at each member the small group, noting the uncomfortable silence that followed his statement. A look of disappointment appeared on each of the faces as they had to admit to themselves that there was nothing for them to fight… nothing except for the usual on the regular patrol that was scheduled for tonight. `Oh boy' thought Giles as he watched the gang close the books and put them back into the bookshelves that originally housed them. "Buffy, I don't really thing a patrol is necessary tonight. Things have been fairly slow this past while."
"Are you sure, Giles? I mean, well, well you never know."
"I think it is safe to say that you may take the `night off'. Why don't all of you go to that club your so fond of? The `Bronze', isn't it?"
"I don't think so. Not for me. I found an interesting article that I didn't finish reading on-line. I wouldn't mind getting back to it." Replied the red head.
"No thanks. I've got some blue prints to go over at home for this house that we're going to be starting in a couple of days. Maybe another time, Buff?"
"Well, Anya? How about you and me?"
"Frankly, I'd rather go home. I don't want to party up."
"That's party down." Buffy corrected.
"Up or down… who cares. Doesn't change the fact that I don't want to."
"Hey, Anya. Would you mind if I walked home with you? At least part of the way." asked Willow.
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" the vengeance demon asked skeptically.
"Oh, come on. See ya later, Giles." Willow said as she waved and dragged Anya out the door.
"Okaaaaay. Anyone else find that as weird as I did?"
Xander asked the remaining Scooby's who wore a look of shock much like he himself had on his face.
"Indeed."
"Oh yeah!"
*****************
"Hey hey! Let go of my arm!"
"Oops, sorry, Anya."
"Yeah, well, I bruise easy you know. And that was incredibly rude."
"I said I was sorry. Its… I just wanted to talk to you in private, that's all."
"Oh? About what?" she asked the red head, brows furrowing.
"About Xander. About you. A-about you and Xander." She replied nervously.
"There's nothing to talk about. Xander and I are over." and she turned on her heel to leave, forcing Willow to catch up to her.
"Anya, please? Just hear me out, that's all I'm asking. Please?"
"Fine, I'll listen. But make it short."
"Thank you." drawing a deep breath, she began. "I know what Xander did to you, well, there is no excuse for leaving you at the alter."
"Okay, thank you for reminding me of that particular day. I am `trying' to move past that, if you don't mind." a hint of anger in her voice.
"Sorry. Look, I'm not trying to make excuses for him or justify his actions or anything. It's just… Anya, he still loves you so much. And I know that even though you two have stayed friends…" "Not friends… civil." Anya said, cutting Willow off in mid sentence.
"Okay, civil. It's tearing him up inside… and I know it's doing the same to you. You love him too."
"Oh, I know where this is going. You're trying to make me feel guilty so that I'll take him back. Well, you know what? It's not going to work."
"Anya, everyone deserves a second chance. Tara was willing to give me a second chance before she…" Willow choked back a sob causing a look of sympathy to cross Anya's features. "All I'm saying is, please think about it. No one likes to be alone on Valentine's Day… especially if there is a chance that they don't have to be." she finished.
"Alright, I'll think about it." Anya relented " Now, walk me home."
Chapter Two
Willow walked Anya to her apartment and made her way to the Summers house and up to her room. She quickly changed into a nightshirt and crawled under the cool covers, smiling as she made herself comfortable, hoping for the first decent nights sleep. Sleep was something that didn't come to her easily anymore, not after the events that had taken place after Tara's death. Insomnia had taken over most of the time, and on those rare occasions when sleep did come to her, she was jolted awake by the nightmares that always followed.
Patrol must have been uneventful again tonight, because Buffy was home early and immediately up the stairs stealing a peak to see if the red head was asleep. Willow knew what she was doing, and decided to lie perfectly still. She was just not in the mood to explain her actions of earlier tonight… at least, not until she knew what the outcome of the conversation was. The sound of Buffy's footfalls going to her own room made Willow relax some as she let her thoughts drift to the next project she had planned.
********************
Willow made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen, the only thought entering her mind at the moment was `need coffee'. She entered the kitchen to find Buffy and Dawn already there, Dawn munching away on some toast as the blonde set a cup of coffee on the counter in front of Willow. The red head smiled her thanks at Buffy as she picked up the cup and almost lovingly cradled it in her hands, bringing the steaming brew to her nose and deeply inhaling the aroma before taking a small sip.
"This smells wonderful. I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning."
"Your in luck… that was the first cup from a fresh pot." Dawn piped up.
"How'd you sleep, Will? You're looking a little pale today."
"Oh, fine, Buff."
"What do you mean `today'? She's been looking kinda pale for the past few weeks." Dawn said as she eyed the red head. "Thank you very much `miss tact'." Buffy said as she glared at her sister.
"What? Its true. And I haven't even mentioned the weight loss yet."
Dawn finished only to see Buffy give her a warning look, signaling that maybe she should grab her things and head off to school. As the door closed, leaving the two girls alone in the house, Buffy turned to her best friend.
"Will, Dawn's right. You have lost some weight. Are you feeling alright? I'm a little worried about you."
"Buff, I told you… I'm fine. I just haven't had much of an appetite lately, but I swear to you that I'm not starving myself or anything like that." replied Willow, hoping to put her friend at ease.
"Really? I mean, not that its any of my business but… actually, you're my friend-it is my business." Both girls chuckled, "Seriously though. I am worried about you. You're so pale, and you've got circles under your eyes."
"I swear, Buffy. Nothing is wrong."
"Well, I'll take your word on that for now." The blonde paused for a moment. "Sooo. Want to tell me what last night was about? The `you and Anya' thing?"
"Oh that. It's nothing really. She asked me for help, that's all. She was thinking of getting a computer but didn't know what to get. So I had to find out what exactly she wanted to do with one so that I could help pick the one that would best suit her needs and…"
"Okay, okay, I don't really need to hear the rest. Huh. Anya getting all techie on us. It's almost frightening." Buffy said, knowing her friend was lying, but going along with it for now.
"I like the idea. Then I won't be the only hacker/research gal on the block." Willow replied, and both girls laughed at the thought.
Chapter Three
The two figures sat at the table looking through more books with eyes that really didn't see anything. Neither was actually paying attention to what the pages were telling them. Melancholy had gripped the two in its embrace, and there seemed to be no hope of it letting go any time soon. Giles looked over at Willow as silence filled the apartment, and noticed that her eyes vacantly stared at the book in front of her, and knew she wasn't seeing the words written on the page. A look of sadness in her eyes, and Giles knew what the reason for that was… Tara.
Giles understood only too well, for he too, was missing someone. He still thought of Jenny Calendar often, but had never shared that with anyone, except for Willow. The time in England had allowed the two to share some of they're thoughts and feelings that were otherwise unknown to anyone. It was comforting to both to have someone to talk to about such things, things they had kept hidden for so long.
Willow glanced up and noticed Giles studying her, and gave a shy smile at being caught day-dreaming.
"Sorry. I can't seem to keep my mind on what I'm supposed to be doing. I guess I'm not much help today."
"No need to apologize, Willow. I, too, find it difficult to concentrate today." He said, and smiled reassuringly. He knew only too well that Willow knew why.
"Valentine's Day is tomorrow." She replied sadly.
"Yes, it is." It was almost a whisper. Willow's lips turned up in a soft smile as she took his hand and held it in hers.
"I guess we're just a couple of lonely hearts." Giles chuckled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"That we are, luv." He replied, feeling a little better. It helps knowing you're not alone with how you feel. Just then the door opened and Buffy strolled in, with Dawn in her wake.
"Find anything interesting yet? A new `baddie' for me to kill?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Buff. Nothing new for ya. Just another boring night."
"Gee, go figure." Replied the blonde as a look of disappointment crossed her features.
"Hey guy's! Look at all the cards I got!" Dawn said with excitement, causing Giles and Willow to smile.
"That's great, Dawnie. How many did you get?"
"Only four so far. Tomorrow is Valentine's day, so there's still time. Who knows, I might get a few more."
"Have you got a date or anything yet?" Willow asked.
"Yeah! He's on the football team. He's not anyone waaay important like the quarter back or anything… but he's nice. What about you two? Got any plans?"
"Dawn!" said Buffy as she elbowed her little sister.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean… sorry Willow."
"Hey, Dawnie. Its okay… really."
"Really?" she asked, her voice sounding small.
"Really. I'm fine… I promise. Now why don't you tell me all about this guy on the football team. Do you know what you're going to do on your date yet?"
"Ugh, here we go. More talk about Hell-entine's day. Just what I need after hearing about it all morning." Buffy said as she rolled her eyes. `Here we go. Time to get the ball rolling'. Willow thought as she turned her attention to her blonde friend and placed a sour look upon her face.
"Yeah, well, maybe the rest of us are interested in hearing about it. Just because `you' chose to be alone doesn't mean you need to make everyone else feel in the dumps." Said the red head as blue eyes widened at her statement.
"Willow…"
"No, Giles." She interrupted. "It's her own fault. She has someone who loves her, but she would rather whine sulk instead of going to him."
"Willow! That's not fair…" Buffy tried to argue, but the witch wouldn't allow it.
"No, Buffy! There is a vampire out there that would do anything for you…something that he has proved over and over again, and is still willing to be with you even after you used him and threw him away when you were done! He even put his life in danger just to get his soul back so that there was a chance you might love him. He could have died, Buffy, and all you do is stand around here whine." She took a deep breath and continued. "You know, I would give up just about anything for one day… one single day to be with Tara. Just one day of happiness. If your so selfish that you can't see what's right in front of your eyes, well then… then frankly you deserve to be alone!" Willow finished turning her back to Buffy as she faced Giles. "I'm sorry, Giles. I gotta go." She said as she gave a wink that only the watcher could see. Understanding dawned as he watched Willow turn and head towards the door, but upon reaching it, the door opened to reveal Xander and Anya smiling happily hand in hand.
Xander couldn't help himself, and without saying a word he grabbed the red head in a huge bear hug, almost squeezing the life out of her. When he finally released her, Anya took her turn hugging Willow, and when she backed away, smiled sweetly.
"Thank you, for everything." Was all Anya could say.
"Congratulations." She replied happily, then squeezed between the couple and made her way out the door. Giles stood shaking his head as a smile played at his lips.
Chapter Four
It had taken Willow some time and a lot of thought to come up with a gift for Giles. She knew what Giles wanted because it mirrored her feelings as well, but that particular gift was unattainable. So she settled for a picture instead of the real thing. Rifling through her photo albums, she came across only a couple pictures of Miss Calendar, and so she picked out the nicer of the two she found. She already knew which picture of Tara she wanted and looked until she found it. She pulled the picture out of its resting place and stared at it for a few moments as the loneliness and loss washed over her. She took her index finger and lightly traced the outline of Tara's hair and whispered the words, "I miss you?"
Forcing her thoughts back, she continued to look through the album until she found a picture with the gang and Giles. She stared at Giles and decided that he had the right expression on his face, and set it aside with the pictures of Tara and Miss Calendar. It only took her a moment to find an acceptable picture of herself, and then set off to work scanning all of them into the computer. Once done, she cropped the pictures and arranged them to suit her, then using a glossy paper, she printed out her creation and smiled.
`Phase one of making Giles happy complete. Now off to phase two'. She thought to herself as she grabbed a light jacket as she made her way down the stairs and out of the house, and headed to the photo shop. It had taken about an hours worth of browsing to find the perfect frame, but she finally found it and proceeded to the counter to pay for it.
* * * * * * * *
"Hey, Giles."
"Hello, Willow. Please, do come in." Giles replied as he gestured for the red head to enter. "I have a surprise for you. One that you've been waiting for." He said, and upon receiving a confused look from her, stepped aside allowing her to walk in. As she went in, she turned her attention from Giles and looked ahead to see Buffy and Spike standing in front of her, both dressed for a night on the town.
Buffy smiled shyly and looked down at her feet as she began to speak rather nervously.
"Will, I'm sorry about today, but… well, you were right. I was being selfish and making everyone else feel bad because of it."
"Buffy, its okay. Besides, I did it on purpose." She replied and the blonde slayer shot her head up to stare at Willow, trying to comprehend what it was that she just heard. "I knew if I didn't do something drastic you wouldn't have bothered doing anything about it. Just because you're the slayer doesn't mean you have to be alone… no matter what the Watcher's Counsel says."
"It must have been so hard for you to say what you did about Tara." Said Buffy as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"It was, but seeing my friends happy is worth a little pain." Willow smiled sadly. Buffy found that she was too choked up for words, instead she raced over to her friend and gave her a hug hoping Willow could somehow feel the love she had for her. "Go on, get outa here… before we both break down and cry. Besides, you have a date waiting for you."
Buffy let Willow go and headed towards the door. "Come on, Spike." She said, sobbing softly. "We don't want to be late."
Spike moved, but stopped in front of Willow and, raising a hand, gently wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I won't ever forget what you've done for me, Red. I owe you one."
"No, you don't owe me anything. Just be happy."
Spike smiled, `She's unbelievable' he thought to himself as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss upon her cheek.
"Right then," he said straightening and cleared his throat. "Let's go, Slayer… don't want to be late, now do we, Ducks." He finished and made his way to Buffy, and then both disappeared out the door.
Giles walked over to the young woman and tilted her head up with his forefinger to look into her face.
"You are an amazing woman, Miss Rosenberg." He said softly, his voice filled with awe. Willow stepped back, and while wiping the tears with the back of her hand, she held up a small package.
"This is for you. Happy Valentine's Day, Giles. I-I hope you like it." She said timidly as she waited for him to open it and gauge his reaction.
Giles accepted the package, moved himself to the couch and seated himself, then began to slowly open it. Willow waited in anticipation as Giles removed the gift-wrap, opened the lid of the box and stared. She shifted from one foot to the other as worry began to seep in watching Giles just stare at the picture that she carefully and lovingly made for him. It was a picture of Giles and Jenny, Tara and Willow… together.
Giles looked up from the picture to Willow, a sad smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry, Giles. I-I just thought that…"
"Willow, Willow… don't worry yourself about it. I-I love the picture."
"Really? I was a little worried about it. I-I just thought it would be nice if you and I had a picture of the two of us with… with the one's we love." She paused as a sob escaped, "I made myself one too."
"Its perfect, luv." He replied as he carefully took the silver frame out of the box and stood. Giles walked over to his desk and moved a group picture of the Scooby's over to the left, and put the one Willow had given him in its place. The red head walked over and stood by Giles, and stared at the picture along with him.
"I miss them both." Was all she could say, and Giles put an arm around her drawing her close to him.
"As do I, luv." He said as Willow rest her head against him, happy for the comfort that his arm around her gave. "I, too, have a gift for you. Come with me." He led the young woman back into the living room and seated her on the couch as curiosity filled her, leaving her to retrieve his gift for her. Moments later he was back with a package and handed it to her, then stood by and waited.
She looked down at the gift and moved her hands quickly to remove the paper covering it. Giles couldn't help chuckling as he watched her… she was as youthful as a five year old opening a birthday present with the wrapping flying everywhere. Willow opened the lid and gasped, her eyes widening as she looked upon her gift.
"Do you like it?" he asked timidly, and watched as the red head set the small box aside and leap up off the couch, only to end up wrapping her arms around him. In answer to his question, all she could do was nod her head as he stroked her hair.
"I did the same as you, made one for myself." He said as he pointed to the wall where his was hanging. Willow looked and saw the small wooden plaque hanging on the wall. "You gave me the idea, so I had someone I know make them. I realize it is nothing fancy, but I had only thought of it yesterday."
"Its wonderful, Giles… just the way it is." She replied as she closed her eyes and hugged him tighter. "Are you happy?"
"Yes, luv… that I am."
Written on the heart-shaped plaque was…
The Lonely Hearts Club
Founded By
Willow Rosenberg and Rupert Giles
The end