~* Buffy Goes to Stars Hollow *~

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Willow stared at her reflection in the mirror trying to figure out how she managed to get paler between her shower and her room.



“You ok?” Dawn asked from her place at the end of Willow’s bed. She was flipping through a magazine as she lay on her stomach.



Since she could remember (or from the memories that the monks stuck in her noggin’) she loved watching people get ready for an evening out. She used to love watching her mom prepare.



“Sure, aside from the stomach butterflies that are threatening to kill me at any second,” Willow said rubbing her stomach with her hands.



“You are going to be fine,” Dawn, said, “You are, like, the perfect girl. She’s going to see that if she’s as great as you think she is.”



Willow beamed. “ You are the sweetest person in the world Dawnie, thank you.” She was genuinely touched and for a whole minute she had forgot just how earth shatteringly nervous she was about tonight.



“Not a problem. You’ll especially love what I have planned next,” Dawn said, the excitement evident in her voice.



“Oh Dawn what did you do?” Willow asked.



Dawn jumped up from the bed, her magazine-now forgotten-fell to the floor. “Well I arranged something to make you feel extra special on your big night.”



“Does this involve illegal drugs?” Willow asked hesitantly.



“Not that special,” Dawn said rolling her eyes.



“Too bad, a nice buzz would have been nice,” Willow muttered, tucking a piece of red limp hair behind her ear.



“Paranoia and nervousness? Would that be a good combination?” Dawn said sarcastically.



“I shutter to think,” Willow answered. “ My hair is completely and utterly crap. Body volumizer my patootie.” She sulked with that old Willow pout.



“Well then you will really love my surprise,” Dawn said seriously close to collapsing into giggles the way she was going Willow thought amused.



Dawn’s infectious cheerfulness was starting to rub off on Willow and she was starting to get excited again. As if on cue the doorbell rang. Willow almost had a heart attack when she thought it might be Ashley arriving way too early….way too early, Willow’s heart began to return to it’s normal rhythm…she had an hour to go.



Dawn’s smile grew even larger.



“Who is that?” Willow asked.



“It’s a sur-prise,” Dawn stressed as she turned and bounded down the stairs.



Definitely no more coffee for that girl, Willow thought. She heard a female voice join Dawn’s and her interest was piqued.



Dawn returned to the room and Willow turned to find herself staring into a pair of familiar ice blue eyes. “Kate! Hi.” Willow said awkwardly. Of all the surprises she didn’t think she’d find herself staring at the diner girl.



“So Kate and I got to talking today while I was grabbing a snack at Luke’s,” Dawn explained leaving out the fact that she was actually there to catch a glimpse of Jess. “ And it turns out that Kate worked for a photo studio in her old town and she used to do hair and makeup as well. So I told her that you had a hot date and she’s here to beautify you. Not that you need it of course!” she blurted out, looking sheepish. “ I mean that sometimes when you feel nervous if you over compensate the hotness factor and feel really good about yourself you calm down a little.” She finished her rant weakly, looking up at Willow beneath her thick lashes (which was hard considering Dawn was still growing and taller than Willow)



“It’s true,” Kate agreed. That would explain the camera that she wore around her neck and the aluminum looking case she held in her hands, Willow thought piecing the puzzle together.



Willow looked between the two of them. “Well then thank you both very much.”



“Alright,” Kate said setting down her camera and opening her kit to reveal a wide variety of products.



“Wow, now I know what I want for Christmas,” Dawn said in awe as she looked over the pretty jars of colors.



Kate led Willow to her chair and sat her down. “Are you going somewhere dark?” Kate asked.



“Why, do I look that bad?” Willow asked.



Kate laughed. “No, no it just helps me pick make up. I think I am going to give you a smoky look. It would make your eyes look gorgeous.”



Kate was staring at Willow so intently that Willow feared she might start turning red again and ruin the job Kate had concealing the red marks on her face. Kate got to work talking to both Willow and Dawn as though they had all been friends forever. Kate, a self admitted recluse, found that she felt both comforted and happy to be here with these two girls feeling like she might have friends for the first time in her life.



Dawn watched from the end of the bed and talked feeling like she used to when she used to hang out with Willow and Tara. Kennedy never really let anyone else sit with her and Willow. Willow and Kennedy really enjoyed their alone time, or at least Kennedy did.



When Kate was done she let Willow see herself in the mirror. “Holy crap!” Willow exclaimed as she stared at her reflection.



“That’s a good holy crap right?” Kate asked.



Willow’s eyes were lined with black liner making them in such a way that made them appear heavy lidded, reminiscent of the 50’s pin up girls. She also had a combination of light to dark purples across her lids making her eyes looking smoky all the way around. She looked sultry without appearing slutty. Willow pouted her lips, which were a lighter coral that looked plumper with a shiny lip-gloss.



“It is definitely good! Great! Fantastic!” Willow said, wrapping her arms around Kate in a hug. “Thank you so much.”



Kate smiled as she hugged Willow back. It made her feel good that she could help her out.



Kate curled Willow’s hair and twisted it back in a curly cornrow look that made it look raised at the crown of her head and then twisted it back and pinned it. There was a mass of curls pinned to the back of her head with a few tendrils hanging down making her look carefree and if she’d just woken up from a night of fabulous sex.



As Willow wrapped a curl around her finger, Kate snapped a picture capturing Willow unaware. The flash snapped Willow around in surprise. Kate smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, it was a hobby of mine and you look really great.”



Dawn popped up from the bed, speechless until now. “Can you do my hair and make up and then you can take my picture?”



Kate smiled at the young girl. “Sure.”



“Wait,” Willow said, “I have no idea what to wear that will go with my face!”



“We’ll help you,” Dawn said.



If Kate weren’t here Willow could have zapped herself something. After much deliberation they picked a white lace shirt that was low cut with a draping bell sleeve. Over top of the shirt she wore a black bustier that pushed her breasts up and ended just at her belly button so that the delicate lace of the shirt came out through the bottom.



Then she wore a black skirt that clung to her thighs than flowed close to the legs and ended just a few cms above her knee, with a slit down the side. Then to shake it up a bit Willow borrowed a pair of lace up crimson red stilettos from Buffy. (Buffy wasn’t home at the time to consent but they all agreed it was what she would have wanted)



Kate had Willow pose with her hip cocked to the side, her arms behind her back and her chin tilted down with a pouty expression on her face. “Gorgeous!” Kate said as she snapped a few shots.



“You look so amazing,” Dawn, said in awe.



“You really do,” Kate agreed. “This is one lucky guy.”



Willow and Dawn smiled a secret smile at each other. Kate frowned in confusion. “Did I miss something?”



“Willow is going out with a girl,” Dawn said.



“I like people of the female persuasion,” Willow said.



“Uh…gotcha,” Kate said feeling embarrassed. “Sorry.”



“No problem,” Willow said. “ Thank you so much for all this.”



“It was fun,” Kate said. “I hope you have a good time.”



“Thanks,” Willow said with a grin. She kissed Dawn’s cheek, hugged Kate again and grabbed her purse before heading downstairs.



Dawn turned to Kate. “ It’s just us now. Popcorn?”



“Sounds good.”



The girls headed downstairs together. Dawn linked her arm with Kate’s. “So tell me Kate, how well do you know Jess?”





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Lorelai held up a Chinese container to Rory. “What do you think?”



Rory sniffed it. “Where is it from?”



“Friday?” Lorelai guessed.



“Last Friday?” Rory asked.



“A Friday in the not so distant past…”Lorelai said.



“Throw it out,” Rory said.



“But…”



“Out!”



“Fine,” Lorelai grumbled tossing it into the nearest trash bag.



“So it is alright if I come to work with you next week?” Rory asked.



Lorelai tossed something wrapped in plastic into the garbage. “Of course kid. I can’t wait.”



Rory smiled at her mother’s absent mindedness. Although a holiday away from any kind of work would normally make a high school student ecstatic but Rory knew it wouldn’t take long before she got really bored.



“Do we have plans with Dean this holiday?” Lorelai asked.



“Just the Christmas Party at the Inn, the rest is just day to day.”



“Living life on the edge,” Lorelai laughed. “ How I envy the children of your generation.”



“You had hippies and pot,” Rory pointed out.



“True, though if you even mention the spandex I WILL disown you,” Lorelai said pointing a moldy sandwich at her.



“Uh…ewwww…” Rory said, “ that smells worse than the hamster you left at the pet store that time.”



“That hamster was evil,” Lorelai insisted.



“Well filling the cage with Kleenex wasn’t exactly helping you make a new friend.”



“That’s it, you are no longer my daughter,” Lorelai said.



“Now did you wear the spandex over or under the tube socks?” Rory asked with a big smile on her face.



“Hey!” Lorelai exclaimed.



“You were the one that disowned me,” Rory pointed out.



“Hey I found the smelly culprit!” Lorelai said reaching into the back of the fridge.



“Wasn’t the culprit the moldy sandwich?” Rory asked.



“No way,” Lorelai said bringing out a second Chinese container and with it a wave of foul air. “ This is the culprit. The moldy sandwich just got it all riled up!”



“Ewww…” Rory said again.



“Hey this is the container from the distant past which means the other container was fine,” Lorelai said peeking into the garbage.



“Mom!”



“What!? I wasn’t going to eat it” Lorelai protested.



“I know you mom. Oscar the grouch is your hero!” Rory said.



“He’s all the time surrounded with food and a close by disposal service at all times.” Lorelai said in awe.



“Sometimes I think you are the strangest individual,” Rory said shaking her head.



“Well watch out,” Lorelai warned. “It is genetic. I mean, look at your grandmother. If you have even an ounce of her in you, your life is going to be a tragic mess of strangeness.”



“Point taken,” Rory said pouring her mother and herself two cups of coffee. “I mean who else cleans their fridge at night when everyone knows it’s a Sunday morning kind of chore.”



“I work better at night,” Lorelai answered.



“Are you avoiding Michel again?” Rory asked. “ Is he trying that all cabbage diet again?”



No, not Michel, Lorelai thought. Try a pert blonde who seemed to take up way too much space in Lorelai’s head lately.



“Just trying to get some stuff sorted,” Lorelai said defensively.



Rory wasn’t buying it. Something was bothering her mom. It also bothered her that Lorelai wouldn’t talk to her about it considering they were so close. Hopefully in time, Lorelai would tell her.



“So did Luke ask you to tutor Jess?”Lorelai asked as she filled her bucket with soapy water and a dash of comet.



“Yes and thank you for warning me,” Rory said sarcastically as she drew a bag of cookies towards her.



“Sorry kid, lot’s of stuff going on up here,” Lorelai said pointing to her head. “So what did you say?”



“I said yes,” Rory burst out. “What else could I say? You gave me no warning and Luke was giving me the puppy dogs.



Lorelai looked at her daughter sympathetically. “Oh not the Luke Danes’ puppy dog eyes.”



Rory picked at a chocolate chip cookie. “I’m supposed to go over there tonight.”



“How does Dean feel about this?” Lorelai asked. “Must have been hard trying to explain why you couldn’t hang out Friday night.”



Rory’s eyes cast downwards. “Oh you mean the part where I had a chance to tell him and didn’t?” she whispered.



“Oh hun,” Lorelai sighed, throwing some comet on one of the shelves as she began to scrub.



“Well I will. It’s not like there is anything secretive going on. “ Rory said.



Lorelai wiped a piece of hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand. “ Then why didn’t you tell him?”







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Willow sipped her strawberry zinfandel as she stared at Ashley who at that moment was doing the same thing. Both girls broke the silence with laughter. After the best date ever, Willow found herself back at Ashley’s loft. She couldn’t believe that Ashley had invited her over for a nightcap but after a perfect night the flow just seemed to lead her here.



It was a night of great conversations, humor, lingering looks, touches and anticipation. Basically it felt like three hours of intense foreplay.



They’d seen a movie, had dinner and ended up here-shoes kicked off, curled up on the sofa with a fire keeping away the damp cold of the night. It was all perfect.



The sound of the wood crackling in the fire filled the loft along with the soft sounds of jazz coming from Ashley’s stereo. The reflection of the flames danced across Ashley’s face, casting shadows in the hollow of her high cheekbones.



Without thinking Willow reached out and traced the line of Ashley’s cheekbone with the pad of her thumb. Their eyes stared into one another’s as Willow then ran her thumb along Ashley’s lower lip realizing it was just as soft as she had thought they would be.



Ashley parted her lips gently catching Willow’s thumb in between her teeth. Willow felt the pressure build in her lower stomach as Ashley swirled her tongue around Willow’s captured thumb.



Ashley released Willow’s thumb and took Willow’s glass from her and set them both on the glass coffee table. Ashley pushed a tendril of Willow’s hair behind her ear.



Willow felt her heart slam against her ribcage as heat spread through her stomach and moved upwards.



Ashley cupped Willow’s cheek as she lent forward. Their lips met gently at first briefly as if to give each other a way out if needed.



Then their lips touched again. Willow parted her lips while Ashley’s moved confidently over hers.



Ashley’s tongue licked the inside of Willow’s top and bottom lip before swirling around Willow’s tongue. Willow moaned as she dug her hands into Ashley’s tousled hair, pulling her closer against her body.



Ashley ran her hand down Willow’s neck along her shoulder and down her chest before pushing her fingers beneath the neckline. She paused for a moment as Willow whimpered against her lips. Ashley smiled against Willow’s lips before sliding her hand the rest of the way in and over the hardened nipple.



Willow gasped as Ashley rolled the hard nub between her thumb and index finger relishing in the fact that Willow’s breath had grown heavier, her kissing more desperate.



Ashley leaned against Willow and pushed her back against the sofa, laying her weight on top of her. Willow wrapped her arms around Ashley’s stomach and over her butt feeling the firmness of it through the flimsy material of her dress.



Ashley raised her hair up, stroking Willow’s hair away from her face. She ducked down for little kisses, teasing. Then she ran the tip of her tongue over Willow’s lips before plunging it into her moist mouth.



Willow kissed back with fervor already feeling herself grower wetter by the second. Then the phone rang.



Ashley moaned into Willow’s mouth as she raised herself up. “I’m so sorry. I have to get that.”



Willow moaned in protest as Ashley raised herself off her. Sometime in there make out Willow had somehow managed to undo the ties of Ashley’s dress and as she stood her beautiful breast spilled out. Ashley was bronze all over and the sight almost made Willow jump her right then.



Ashley smiled seductively as she walked bare breasted over to the phone. She paused a moment as the speaker talked and a funny look came over her face. She spoke in hushed tones and then pressed mute. This didn’t look like a brief call.



Ashley shot her an apologetic look as she covered her breasts with her dress. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”



Willow figured this would happen. She got to her feet and slipped her shoes back on. She grabbed her wrap and walked towards Ashley. “No worries. I had a great time.”



Ashley smiled. “Me too.”



Willow kissed her one last time and then reluctantly left. “I’ll call you.”



But Ashley was already speaking in hushed tones on the phone. Willow wrapped her coat around her and left.







_____________________________________________________________________________







Dawn discarded the fifth shirt she’d tried on and threw it on the rapidly growing pile. She was bursting with excitement. Today in Mr. Myler’s economics class she had been paired with none other than Jess as a partner. It was like fate had finally smiled on her.



Jess had suggested that she come by the diner tonight to discuss their project briefly. She hadn’t liked the briefly part but it didn’t matter now. Maybe once they got talking they would go somewhere else to eat or go to the movies. It didn’t matter Jess had asked to get together tonight! On a Friday! Sure she wasn’t ms. Social gal but she knew that Friday was a huge deal among high schoolers.



She’d wanted to tell Willow all about it but she was too nervous about her actual date, and Buffy was working late at the Inn yet again…even Xander had gone out with a friend from the construction site.



She checked the mirror yet again, hoping that she’d finally found it. She chose a low cute light pink shirt that clung to her breasts and a pair of low-rise jeans that did excellent things for her butt. She paired it with a funky belt and shook her hair loose, letting it fall around her shoulders in a slight bed head look. She did a once over, smiled at herself and then grabbed her coat.





As she walked, she wrapped her arms around herself wishing she’d gone for layers. The light of Luke’s Diner lit up the street and she was happy to see that there weren’t many people inside. More intimate, she thought happily as she swung the door open.



Luke looked up at her from the counter. “Hi. We are almost about to close if you want something from the kitchen you better order now.”



“Ummm..Actually I am supposed to meet Jess.”



“Oh?”He said, looking a little surprised. “Just a minute.”



He yelled for Jess and moments later there he was. Dawn forced herself not to grin like an idiot and remain as though she was bummed about the assignment as he looked. And then she realized with horror that she had forgot to bring her books. Real smooth Dawn, she thought.



“Hey,” he said in his non-committal way.



“Hey,” she replied back.



Dawn twisted her hands together unsure of where to go from there. She’d hadn’t thought this far. “I didn’t bring my books,” she said. “I spaced.”



Jess shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Don’t need them. Do you want a drink or something?”



A drink? Well it wasn’t as committed to the evening as say, dinner, but it worked. She nodded. “Coke?”



Jess looked at Luke who rolled his eyes. “I’m your waiter now? Get the drinks yourself I am going upstairs.”



Now they were really alone. Jess set her drink down in front of her and then took a seat across from her. “Thanks.”



“Not a problem,” he said.



He was so difficult to read, Dawn thought. “So what did you want to discuss?” Jess asked.



“Ummm..I don’t know. We’re supposed to pretend that we are just married and starting out,” Dawn said keeping her voice as steady as possible. “So I guess we start with working.”



“You aren’t going to be one of those stepford wives are you?” Jess said, with a half smile that made Dawn’s heart thump a little bit faster. It was the first time she’d seen the slightest smile.



“No way,” Dawn said. “Pearls and the bee hive hair do were never really my thing. You aren’t going to sit around and develop a beer gut are you?”



Jess laughed. “Sounds tempting.”



“You are different from a lot of the girls at the school aren’t you?” Jess asked suddenly.



Dawn smiled. “You mean with the whole outsider thing?” she asked.



“Hey, who wants to be one of the lemmings?” he asked. “We understand how it is right?”



She nodded, feeling a warm heat flush her cheeks. He was comparing her with him. They were alike and he saw it. He seemed to look over her shoulder for a moment and then reached out and took her hand. “Guess we will have to budget a wedding ring then?”



Dawn smiled. His warm hand squeezed hers. Then she heard a cough. She looked over her shoulder and there stood Rory.



“Hey,”she said awkwardly.



“Hi,” Dawn said, trying to remember where she’d seen this girl.



“Sorry, I thought that we were supposed to study?” Rory said, starting back towards the door.



Jess started to get out of her chair. “Why don’t you come sit over here with us?”Jess asked.



“No thanks. I have work to do,” Rory said. Was she jealous? Dawn wondered.



“Well we were just finishing,” Jess said in a hurry.



Dawn’s look of hurt clearly didn’t register with Jess as he was looking at Rory. Finally his gaze found Dawn. “Sorry, I forgot that Rory was tutoring me tonight.”



Dawn opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, shaking her head. How stupid could she be? “I see. Well no problem we can discuss this later,” Dawn said, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.



Rory looked at her sympathetically. “Sorry.”



Dawn shrugged. Jess walked her over to the door, his hand on the small of her back. He was sending her mixed signals. “I’m sorry about this, but Luke is doggin’ me to get better grades.”



“Well you know, I could tutor you sometime?”Dawn suggested. “I mean we’re already getting together for this project.”



“Two birds with one stone huh?”he asked.



“Something like that.”



He turned back to Rory. Dawn hated that look he gave her. “Well I will see you later.”



Jess smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Bye”



And with that Dawn found herself standing out in the cold feeling like she had just been used and then tossed.



The hurt turned to anger which lead to embarrasement…and being embarrassed just turned her back to anger. Digging her hands in her pockets she turned and headed home with a plan in her head.





_____________________________________________________________________________







After Rory left to go tutor Jess and once she had cleaned and scrubbed the fridge, floor and counters Lorelai was starting to get pruny fingers. She was doing the cleaning dance of denial and she knew it.



Because of one little dream she had disrupted her whole life. She had abondaned her work at the Inn and that made her sick. She was Lorelai Gilmore she ran that place and she always did a 100%. Throwing on her coat, she grabbed her keys and headed back to the Inn. This craziness had to stop, she had a job to do.





Moments later her epiphany faded and she stared at the Inn and wondered if Buffy was inside. God lord Lorelai, get a grip. She turned off the ignition and headed up to the Inn. Everyone had turned in for the night. It was the time of day she loved being at the Inn the best. The busy coming and going was over and the Inn settled.



As Lorelai turned the corner she found Buffy. Buffy was sitting curled up on the couch a pad of paper resting in her lap and her head lying on the curve of her arm that was folded under her head. Her eyes were closed and her bangs had escaped from there pins and had fallen across her closed eyes.



Lorelai walked forward gently taking the pad from underneath Buffy’s hand. Buffy stirred at the movement and her eyes snapped open. Lorelai jumped at the same time Buffy did. They both laughed.



“Sorry, I guess I fell asleep looking over the preparations for the wedding.” Buffy apologized.



“Did Michel draft them?” Lorelai asked.



Buffy nodded. “That would explain the fourty winks.”



Buffy smiled. “Well more like twenty winks,” she said. “I could go for some coffee.”



Lorelai smiled. “I have just the cure. Sookie usually leaves a pot on for me when she goes home.”



“Do you normally stay late?” Buffy asked.



Lorelai knew where this was headed but answered truthfully. “ Yeah normally.”



“I haven’t seen you the past week,” Buffy said. Yep, Lorelai knew it.



“Well I’ve had things to do at home.” Mostly avoiding you, Lorelai thought again.



Buffy got to her feet stretching her arms above her head making her shirt rise up accentuating her pert breasts. Lorelai inhaled briefly. Spinning on her heel she headed for the kitchen.



Buffy followed. In the kitchen they poured themselves a cup of coffee each and sat down at the stools surrounding the island. Lorelai pushed a plate of cookies between them and Buffy grabbed one gratefully realizing that she had skipped dinner and her stomach was unforgiving.



“We haven’t really talked much since I started,” Buffy said. “I’m I doing ok?”



“Yes, very good. It takes a load off my shoulders being able to count on someone else. I don’t have to be running around so much.” Lorelai smiled, nibbling a cookie. It was true, buffy was a natural, she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t done this type of work before. She seemed a natural.



“Are you ok?” Buffy asked hesitantly, making sure she came off seeming concerned and not too nosy. “ Sookie told me that you haven’t been feeling that well lately.”



Lorelai twisted her ring around her finger. Way to go Sookie. “Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe a little tired lately. Nothing much.”



“She sorta told me that you were engaged not too long ago.”



“Well Sookie just doesn’t know when to stop sharing does she?” Lorelai said, laughing awkwardly.



Buffy smiled. “I’m not trying to be nosy. I just understand about ending a relationship.”



“Feels like the end of the world sometimes.”



“Sometimes literally,” Buffy muttered. Lorelai looked at her puzzled. Buffy just shrugged. “You know what I mean.”



Lorelai smiled. “It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m pretty much over it. Christmas just brings up those feelings of making you feel well aware that you are single.”



“Stupid holiday,” Buffy agreed.



“Stupid men,” Lorelai shot back laughing.



“Sometimes I think it would be so much easier just to give up men and follow suite of my best friend and become a lesbian.”



The cookie Lorelai was eating lodged in her throat and she coughed, cookies spraying everywhere as her eyes widened. Buffy’s eyes widened in alarm as she ran to behind Lorelai, patting her back. “Are you ok?”



Lorelai gulped down some water, wiping away the tears that had starting to form. “It wasn’t a come on,” Buffy said quietly.



And then, for no reason, Lorelai started to laugh. She started to laugh so hard at the ridiculousness of the past few days and it felt good. Buffy seemed startled at first but the giggles were infectious and soon she was laughing too. Lorelai’s stomach began to ache with the laughter and the giggles subsided.



“I haven’t laughed like that in awhile,” Lorelai admitted.



“Same here,” Buffy said. Then she reached out and touched Lorelai’s cheek. Lorelai felt a jolt go through her.



“Cookie,” Buffy explained, wiping her hand on the back of her jeans.



Lorelai grinned as they stared at each other. “Well, there’s nothing like a near death accident to make you tired.”



“don’t I know it,” Buffy said, grinning at her own joke.



Together they walked to their separate cars. Buffy started hers and waved as she pulled out. Lorelai pulled her keys from her bag. “Hey!”came a voice.



She turned towards the speaker and felt a pain rush through the side of her face and then everything went black.







******************************************************************







Light began to filter through the cracks in her eyelids. It was too bright even with her eyes closed. She could faintly hear the sounds of voices around her but couldn’t tell whose they were.



Then the pain came. It felt like her right eye had exploded in her head and it throbbed. She swam in the waves of pain not knowing if they would stop or just get worse until she passed out again.



Slowly she tried to open her eyes again but only saw a fog…and the blurry image of figures.



She thought she heard someone say vampire and frowned. Was she going insane?



“Lorelai? Are you awake?” came a soft voice.



Lorelai turned towards the speaker. “Buffy?”



“Yeah, it’s me. Are you ok?”



“W…what happened?” Lorelai asked, taking a while to work the words out.



“You fell,”Buffy explained.



That didn’t seem right. She’d fallen a million times and it had never caused this much pain.



“You must have slipped on some ice,”Buffy said. “You hit your head pretty hard but the doctor says you don’t have a concussion so that’s good.”



“Doctor?”



“Yeah. You were there for a bit. You were in and out. I got you home though,” Buffy said.



Lorelai’s vision cleared and she saw Buffy sitting beside her on her bed and a red headed girl standing behind her. “Hi, I’m Willow.” She said introducing herself.



“Sorry, I am not at my best,” Lorelai laughed weakly. Then she remembered something. “I thought I heard someone say something to me first.”



Buffy looked up at Willow. Lorelai couldn’t see her expression. “Umm..that was a customer. He wanted to know how to turn the heat up.” Buffy lied.



Lorelai was too tired and sore to question it further. She just nodded. Buffy gave her some pills and her eyes became heavy soon after.



Buffy got to her feet slipping back into her coat. She held her finger over her lips motioning for Willow to be quiet.



Once outside the house Willow turned to Buffy. “Did you see it?”



Buffy nodded gravely. “Vampire.”



“And?”



“Dust now. My first in a couple of weeks. Just like riding a bike.” Buffy said as she unlocked the doors.



“So obviously Lorelai isn’t in on it,” Willow pointed out.



“She has nothing to do with what’s coming,” Buffy agreed, “but this does mean that something is coming. We’re in the right place.”



As the engine roared to life Willow added weakly. “Yay.”







_____________________________________________________________________________









As Dawn lay in bed, she listened to the voices of Buffy, Willow and Xander die down as their movie began. They’d invited her, but she wanted to be alone.



She lay now under her comforter staring up at her ceiling unable to think of anything but Jess. She thought of the way his eyes smouldered into hers and the way his lips curled up in that half smile she loved so much.



She imagined a scenario. She was in her room like she was now, and Jess burst in. He didn’t say a word as he walked over to her and thrust her against him. The image brought a bittersweet smile to her face as she imagined the kiss he would give her. The way his hands would run up and down her body unable to stop himself. He would want her the way she wanted him. It would be just like the movies. He would pick her up and toss her onto the bed, kissing his way down her body.



As the image took over, she felt a weird tension building in the pit of her stomach. She closed her eyes to hold the image in her head as she ran a hand down her body and under the waistline of her pj bottoms.



Her fingers found out the moistness of her arousal. She imagined how he would tear her clothes off her and undress himself. He would dig his hands in her hair and kiss her roughly, grinding himself against her.



Everytime she imagined herself when she masturbated it was always the rough scenarios that got her off. She wondered if she’d like that in real life.



She rubbed herself with her index finger roughly lifting her pelvis up and down slightly as she did, imagining that it was Jess’ hand. She thought of how he would thrust into her roughtly just to hear her scream. He would move like a desperate man, too concerned with having her to stop himself. She would wrap herself around him scratching his back with her nails as he grunted into her ear.



She rubbed harder and harder, around and around as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her climax grew as did the imaginary thrusts of her lover. With her free hand she gripped the sheets as she arched her back into the orgasm that ripped through her with the same violence reserved for her imagination.



As the spasms subsided, she drew out her hand and lay still welcoming the momentary satisfaction that it brought her.



As she lay there she began to feel the sadness well over her at the fact that it was her imagination that fucked her, instead of Jess. She wanted him so bad that the need of it began to wash over her in waves taking away the satisfaction that she had briefly clung too.



She opened her eyes and stared at the object hidden in her closet that would hopefully change all that. As soon as she had got home she had gone into willow’s closet (where she knew she held her stash) and there it was…the book that would change everything tomorrow. Tomorrow Jess would want her like she wanted him. She clung to that image as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.









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