For Want Of A Sheet
Part Five
Buffy walked into school alone. Xander and Willow hadn't met her outside, the way they normally did. Something was going on between them. Something that had happened Friday night, during the Halloween Fiasco, as she had taken to calling it. Willow had run off as soon as everything had gone back to normal. Xander had been quiet and distant as he'd helped get the confused children home.
Buffy had called both of them Saturday morning. They had assured her they were fine, but Buffy knew they were lying. She was worried about them. She had spent Saturday and Sunday in LA with her father, so she hadn't been able to check up on them in person. She had hoped to see them before school started, like she usually did.
Making her way to the library, Buffy walked in to see Giles standing alone at the counter.
"Hey," she said.
"Oh, hello, Buffy. How was your visit with your father?"
"Good," Buffy shrugged. "Weird night the other night, huh?"
"Quite," Giles said, with a shaky smile.
"Did you ever figure out who that guy Ethan was?"
"No," Giles said, taking off his glasses and polishing them. "I have no idea."
"Oh, well. I just hope he doesn't come back."
"As do I," Giles said.
"Yeah. Have you seen Xander or Willow?"
"No," Giles answered. "They usually come in with you."
"I haven't seen them all weekend, and they weren't outside waiting this morning."
"Perhaps they're already in class. Which is where you should be."
Buffy laughed. "Yeah, that's probably it. I'll see you later, Giles."
"Goodbye."
*****
Willow wasn't in History first period. Buffy hurried to the second period English class that she shared with Xander. She didn't enter the classroom, just looked in the door. He wasn't there. She waited until the bell rang, but still no Xander.
<Something's wrong.>
She ran all the way to the library.
"Giles!" she yelled, bursting through the doors.
"What is it?" he asked, alarmed. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Buffy said. "It's Willow and Xander. They're both out today."
"Oh," Giles said, calming down. "I don't see what the... Actually, that is rather odd, isn't it?"
"It's way odd," Buffy confirmed. "Especially for Willow. Could they be sick because of what happened the other night?"
"That's possible, certainly," Giles said slowly, "though I'd expect you to be feeling poorly, as well. Perhaps your enhanced immune system was enough to fight off whatever it is that's affecting Willow and Xander."
"Yeah, that makes sense. I should go check on them."
"Wait," Giles said. "Willow can't be sick. At least, not due to anything that happened on Halloween. She wasn't affected by the spell the way you and Xander were."
"Something happened to her," Buffy insisted. "She took off as soon as the spell was broken, and I haven't seen her since. Xander was acting weird, too. I'm going to go talk to them, okay? Can you cover for me here?"
"I... Yes," Giles said, sensing her concern and feeling more than a bit worried himself. "Go. Let me know if anything is wrong."
"I will," Buffy promised. She turned and ran out of the library.
*****
Buffy rang the doorbell again. She was starting to think that
Willow wasn't home. Just as she was about to give up and go over to Xander's,
the door opened.
"Hey," Willow said listlessly. She looked horrible. And tired. She could barely hold herself upright, and her eyes were red from crying.
"Hey," Buffy said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Willow whispered.
<Why do I doubt that?> Buffy thought. "Can I come in?" she asked.
Willow shrugged and walked into the house. Buffy followed her up the stairs and into her bedroom. Willow collapsed on her bed and clutched her stuffed frog tightly against her chest.
"What's wrong, Will? And don't say 'nothing!'"
Willow closed her mouth and remained silent.
Buffy sat down on the bed and gently stroked Willow's hair. "Giles and I were afraid it was some weird side effect of the spell, but he reminded me that you weren't affected by it, so that couldn't be it. Then..."
"I was," Willow whispered.
"Was what?" Buffy asked, confused.
"The spell," Willow explained. "It did affect me."
"What? But you didn't change, Will. I was Lady Scream-A-Lot, and Xander was Soldier-Guy, but you were just yourself."
"Only trampy."
"Huh?"
"Be yourself," Willow said, "only trampy. The choker and makeup were from the costume shop."
"Yeah, I remember," Buffy said. "But I don't get it. I thought they weren't enough to do anything."
"They were."
"But what did they do? I don't... Oh, God," she breathed, looking down at Willow in shock.
"Yeah," Willow confirmed, her voice dead. "Trampy-Willow and Soldier-Guy Xander."
"Oh, Will," Buffy whispered, shifting so she was lying down next to her friend. She pulled Willow into her arms.
Willow resisted at first, then broke down. She clutched at Buffy and sobbed, burying her head in Buffy's shoulder.
Buffy held Willow close and rocked her back and forth. "It's okay," she whispered. "I'm here. I've got you. It's okay."
Her mind raced. If Willow was feeling like this, what about Xander? He must be feeling the same way. She couldn't help him, though. Not without abandoning Willow.
<What do I do?> she thought. <I don't know what to do!>
*****
Xander was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when the
phone rang.
He ignored it. One of his parents would get it. If they were home. He wasn't sure. It didn't matter.
"Xander?" Buffy's voice said, when the machine picked up. "Xander, it's Buffy. Pick up the phone. Please?"
Xander could hear the anxiety and concern in Buffy's voice. He didn't move. Buffy hung up.
The phone rang again.
Xander sighed. He reached over and picked up the receiver. He held it to his ear but didn't say anything.
"Xander?" Buffy asked. "Are you there?"
"Yeah," Xander rasped, then coughed. His voice was rusty. He hadn't seen or spoken to anyone all weekend.
"I'm at Willow's," Buffy said.
Xander squeezed his eyes shut to hold the tears in. "How... How is she?"
"She looks about the way you sound," Buffy said. "She's asleep now, which is good. I don't think she slept much this weekend."
"I know the feeling."
"Yeah. Listen, I know what happened. It was the spell, Xander. It's not your fault. Not Willow's, either."
Xander laughed. It came out as a sob. "I know that, Buff. It doesn't help."
"I know," Buffy said, clearly distressed. "Xander, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help you guys."
"Don't worry about me. Stay with Willow. She needs you more than I do."
"I don't know if that's true..." Buffy began.
"I do," Xander said. "She's going to blame herself. You can't let her do that."
"I won't," Buffy promised. "I'll try not to."
"Good," Xander said. "Good."
"You shouldn't blame yourself, either."
"I know," Xander said. He did know, but it didn't help.
"I want to come over," Buffy said. "I want to see you."
Xander smiled slightly at the concern he could hear in Buffy's voice. "No," he said. "Stay with Will. She's the one I'm worried about."
"But..."
"Buff, if you want to help me, make sure that Willow's okay. That's all I care about right now."
Buffy was silent for a moment, then said, "I think she's waking up."
"You should go."
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Xander, you call me if you need me, okay? Over here or at home. Whenever."
"I will."
"Promise me!"
"I promise," Xander lied. "Go take care of Willow."
"Okay," Buffy said. "It's going to get better, Xander. It will."
"Sure," Xander said. "Bye, Buff."
"Goodbye."
Xander carefully hung up the phone and sighed in relief.
Buffy was with Willow. Willow was going to be okay.
He curled up into a ball and let the tears overwhelm him.
***
End
***
Part Six coming soon!