Rising from the Wreckage

Disclaimer: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, et al. No copyright infringement was intended. The storyline, however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

Summary: Can Willow handle her magicks if she's forced into a dangerous situation? Will Wolfram and Hart start sniffing around for the wayward witch? Willow loneliness get the better of two friends? Can Giles get back in time to help heal old wounds within the Scooby gang?

"Hi, Giles. Uh, this is Dawn. I just thought that, well, I was wondering how you were doing, and, Giles, it's going to hell here! Willow's gone, Buffy's depressed, everything's falling apart here! Look, I don't know why you left for England, but you were wrong. Buffy needs you here. We need you. 'Bye."

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "How in the blazes are the three of them supposed to get together if Willow isn't even in the same city? And how am I going to make this up to Olivia? Watchers shouldn't do romance."

A moment later and Giles felt his knees almost give out when he heard Buffy's voice.

"Giles!" Buffy said excitedly. "I know I'm supposed to be angry at you and everything but could you come home now?"

"Buffy," Giles said, unsure how to begin or even what to say. "I'm on the next flight. In the meantime, I, uh, I don't have time to find out what happened and who said what, but I need you to get Willow back to Sunnydale and on a friendly basis, please."

"What?" Buffy stammered, leaning against the wall as Tara watched her closely, suddenly concerned. "I…of course I want Willow back but she said she needed the time away and Angel says she's getting better. We don't want to push her."

"What is it, Giles?" Buffy demanded. "You disappear without a word and now you're telling me to fix my relationships that you haven't even asked about?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to explain when I get there," Giles sighed. "Can I say that it's important and the future of the world depends on the friendship between the three of you being mended?"

"No, you can't!" Buffy snapped, tears beginning to escape down her face. "Do you know how much it hurts that she left and how bad it hurts because we all screwed up and it led to this? That includes you leaving when you did!"

Tara moved closer and took Buffy's hand slowly as Dawn watched from the top of the stairs.

"I accept that but I have to insist you do this, Buffy," Giles said softly. "It could mean the end of the world if you don't."

"How about the Beast from Revelations and the end of the world in the battle between heaven and hell?" Giles snapped back, feeling weary from his endless hours of research. "I'm on the next plane, I'll call when I know the connecting flight numbers and arrival times. Make contact with Willow and see if she has come back from the darkness yet."

"Then buy seats on the next space shuttle and get off the planet," Giles suggested and hung up before his Slayer could protest. Then Giles corrected himself, could he even call Buffy his Slayer anymore?

"Damn straight, I can," he growled at himself. He had been fighting for her even after leaving Sunnydale. The stipend and retroactive pay from the Council proved that. Now he just had to prove himself to his Slayer and the Scooby Gang.

The Watcher was tempted to call Angel and talk to Willow but that was an even harder task to contemplate. What could he say to her? Sorry, I left when you were falling apart. Now that you're only in pieces and putting yourself back together, think you could zip back to Sunnydale and join with Tara and Buffy to save the world?

"God, Giles, you're losing it in your age," he muttered and started for the door where his cases waited. The Englishman spotted a recent photo of him and Olivia and Giles sighed. He pulled out his flat keys and dropped them on the side table along with the ring she had bought him. Not quite an engagement ring but a more-than-friendship gesture. He would send word to have one of the Council clean his place out and return the ring if he didn't survive. If he did, they could send the ring to America if Olivia was willing to extend their relationship into an international one again. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to face what he did almost every night. No sane person would, he thought to himself.

Giles picked up his cases and walked out the door, knowing he wouldn't return to the flat again, whether he made it through the struggle or not. His home was with Buffy and the others.

Willow glanced at the clock on the wall in surprise. As usual, when she got to working on a computer problem, she lost all track of time and now it was dark. Normally the witch wouldn't have worried, she could more than take care of herself now but that was before the meltdown and detoxing from the dark stuff.

The redhead sighed and began the process of shutting down her work. Her car was only a block away in a parking garage. It had only taken two independent computer jobs for a decent down payment on a little car with Cordelia as a cosigner.

As Willow stuffed her computer tools, disks, cords and other equipment in her backpack and smiled as she thought about Queen C. That relationship had turned interesting, Willow smirked to herself. Somehow the two women had bonded over their individual problems, finding the common ground, and had spent the days into weeks helping and supporting each other. Cordelia had cut back on the pain medication and, in turn, was helping stabilize Willow with meditation and just being a non-judgmental friend.

Many nights and mornings had been spent crying over past mistakes and pain, both emotional and physical. For awhile Willow had been frantic to find an answer to Cordelia's problem with the visions and the fact it was killing her now close friend. Finally she had come to accept what Cordelia was dealing with, Queen C was going to die eventually because of her "gifting." For Willow, she was starting to experiment with small bits of magic; going back to the basics. She was still shaky and scared to try much beyond levitating pencils again and Cordelia was patient, pointing out that energy was just energy - it was how you use it that made the distinction between dark or light. She was also learning to forgive herself for her addiction by watching Cordelia suffer with her own.

There were also times that weren't spent on angst and emotional turmoil. Nights of pizza and sappy movies, shopping, and time at the beach for the two women. Cordelia declared Willow much too pale and thin and promptly set about getting the computer geek and witch into the sun with beach time and long walks. She also got Willow to start eating again; Cordy surprising Willow with actually being a decent cook.

The only thing Cordelia couldn't help with was the empty feeling that should have been filled by the Scooby gang, especially Buffy and Tara. Willow tried to ignore that but there were many nights when Cordelia would pull Willow from the sofa into bed with her and hold her as the young witch cried, never saying a word, just offering comfort.

Willow smiled at the office staff remaining in the building where she was working on their computer problems and waved goodnight. The witch pulled her keys out, complete with pepper spray on the key-ring as she headed for the parking garage.

The witch frowned as her hackles rose on the back of her neck as she approached her car in the dimly lit garage.

Willow spun with her pepper spray at the ready. The speaker was at least 20 feet away and instantly reminded Willow of Rack. She could see the energy dancing off of him and Willow whimpered in her throat.

The sorcerer was tall and lean, almost ferret-like in the sharpness of his face and black eyes. Willow felt nothing but power and darkness flowing from him as he raised his hands, his black coat flowing around him.

The witch barely had time to register a second figure next to the sorcerer before she was slammed into her car from an energy blast from the warlock. Willow fell to the concrete, dropping her keys. Willow shook her head and quickly extended her senses, sending her own energy lines through the concrete into the earth below and drew it back into her and out. She formed a protective shielding in front of her as the sorcerer sent another blast.

The shielding held and the sorcerer laughed as the smaller figured next to him growled. "Very good, witch," the sorcerer smiled and it chilled Willow rather than comforted her. "Nice response time, I see the rumors of you losing it were exaggerated. Ready to come back to the fold?"

"I'm supposed to offer you a job with a very powerful company," the sorcerer explained. "A company that uses magic for all it's worth. To gain power, strength, position, and control. Just the things you were seeking in Sunnydale until your friends abandoned you and made you feel like crap for wanting the same strength and power a Slayer has."

"What kind of company?" Willow asked, getting to her feet and keeping the shielding in place.

"The guys my friends fight against," Willow nodded, recognizing the name from Cordelia's bitch sessions about her work with Angel and his dealings with Darla.

"Yes, they waste their time fighting against the true power," the sorcerer shrugged.

"The true power comes from the Earth and cosmos, not from evil and chaos," Willow frowned.

The sorcerer laughed and the figure beside him stepped into the light. Willow felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of a very scary werewolf. Unlike Oz, who seemed like a mindless creature in a cage, only half-upright, this wolf stood up straight; had a full muzzle, and massive claws.

"Don't tell me you're going back to that white-light, love, harmony, and peace Wiccan weakness crap, are you?" the sorcerer taunted. "Why give up the power? You think your friends want you back like this?"

"You lost control, you haven't had a teacher," the sorcerer countered. "They loved it when your magic helped them, didn't they? Now that you lost control, they've moved on without you. Threw you aside and moved on."

"Now that you're no longer useful, they let you go and moved on," he continued. "Your lover has moved into the house and cares for the brat. The boy and demon plan their wedding. The Slayer works and is quite close to the witch. Guess she got tired of hanging with the neutered vampire."

The witch straightened up and her shield brightened. "Alright, it hurts but I can't let them run my life, here or there," she declared. "I don't like what I became and I'm not going back!"

The sorcerer sighed. "I knew they were wrong about you but I had to offer. You know what the alternative is, don't you?"

"Is this where I get in my car and promise to not to tell anyone I saw you?" Willow said hopefully, strengthening her magic shield.

"Just leave pieces," the sorcerer ordered the figure next to him, surprising Willow. She was expecting a magical fight, not a werewolf.

Willow squeaked and fell to her knees and wrapped her shield around her, turning it to silver light at the last moment as the werewolf hit it, claws and fangs extended.

The werewolf howled in anger and pain as it fell away from the shield. Willow yelled in pain as she was slammed against the car again, the sorcerer breaking her shield.

Willow rolled under a car as the werewolf growled and dove at her. She turned, pulling power from the ground again, and sent a bolt of energy at the car as the werewolf tried to get out from under it. Electricity shot through the car, sending sparks dancing over the werewolf's fur.

The redhead turned to run and barely saw the sorcerer swinging his staff at her, hitting her across the ribs. Willow fell back onto the concrete, throwing up her hands at the last moment to grab his staff.

Willow sent her own energy along the staff, up into the sorcerer, knocking him back into a wall. Willow spent almost the last of her strength turning the brass on the end of the staff into silver just as the werewolf launched at her again, impaling him.

Willow wiped the blood from her eye and stumbled for the elevator. She reached out and pulled the fire alarm. Next she smashed her hand through the glass and grabbed the fire axe.

The red-haired witch squeaked as she shut the door to the stairwell and something slammed against it with a loud growl. Willow slipped the axe in-between the handles, effectively locking the doors.

Willow whimpered from the pain that seemed to encompass her entire body. She said a quick prayer that she'd make it to Cordelia's.

Willow, I don't know how to write this. We've given you some time to do the recovery thing. I've given you time and I hate it. I hate that you felt you had to leave.

Buffy crumbled up the paper and threw it at the trashcan across the room where it joined several others. The Slayer lowered her head and banged it lightly on the desk.

Tara smiled softly as she walked up behind her friend. "Problems, Buff?" The witch began massaging the Slayer's shoulders.

"Yeah, this damned letter to Willow," Buffy moaned as Tara's fingers began loosening her tight muscles, the witch's hands and fingers very warm through Buffy's thin blouse.

"I haven't gotten mine written either," Tara admitted. "Dawn's was lots of begging, hearts, kisses and more begging."

"I miss her but when I try to say that the words get all jumbled and don't make sense," Buffy complained. "It feels like a large part of us is missing without her."

"And what's up with Giles demanding we get her back even if she isn't ready?" Buffy snapped, her muscles tightening again. "It's Will's decision, not his!"

"I don't know b-but maybe it is time to let her know that we really miss her and forgive her," Tara suggested.

"Yeah, but will she forgive me?" Buffy sighed, trying to relax into Tara's hands.

Giles felt a sense of coming home when he stepped off the plane. The green meadows and tall oak trees of England would always be where he would return for visits but this had become home as long as his kids were there. He hadn't heard from Olivia since canceling their date and he sincerely hoped that she would forgive him and he could see her again. He liked the dancer a lot, she was the first romantic interest since losing Jenny and Giles liked the feeling of being with Olivia.

The Watcher frowned, noticing Buffy standing back as he passed through the doorway. She didn't rush forward to hug him but stood waiting with her arms crossed.

"Buffy, I, uh," Giles said, walking up to his former Slayer, no longer confident that he was still her Watcher or friend. "I had reasons for leaving that I couldn't tell you."

"Terrific," Buffy snapped. "Willow was falling apart, I wasn't feeling a damned thing, and Tara left Willow!"

Giles sighed. "I'm sorry, I really am. I, uh, was trying to… to stop a major threat before it reached the States and you for once."

"Why didn't you say something?" Buffy demanded. "I'm the Slayer, that's my job, isn't it?"

"That wasn't your decision, Giles," Buffy countered. "Now you come back ordering us to get Willow back or the world ends. You don't even know what happened!"

Buffy glared and motioned to the outside. She followed her Watcher, wanting desperately to hold him; she begged him to come home but the anger was interfering with her desire to have her father figure back.

"I can guess what happened," Giles said wearily. "Willow lost control over the magic, got messed up with some wrong characters, and made some mistakes. Did anyone die?"

"Remember Ripper and the tattoo of Egyhon?" he reminded her. "I made the same mistakes. Get her back, Buffy."

"Giles, she left to get better," Buffy said softly. "Willow felt like she had to leave us to do that. Angel says she's doing really well and getting better. It should be up to her when she returns."

"Buffy, I'll explain all of this to everyone, especially you and Tara," Giles said. "Can we go to your place now?"

An hour later found the Scooby gang, minus Willow, sitting around Buffy's dining table. Most were happy to see Giles but with reservations and some resentment that he understood.

"Okay, how do we save the world this time?" Xander quipped, frowning at how Tara and Buffy automatically sat very close to each other.

"Actually, I haven't a clue," Giles admitted. "Well, that's not quite accurate, the answer is there. I'm just not sure how it works. "Three will stand against the Darkness--- One will be raised from madness, One will be raised from death, One will be raised from darkness. These are The Three, Who Are One--- United in power, United in weakness, And united in love, For all time"

"When Glory took Tara's mind and turned her simple, that works," Anya nodded, tactful as ever.

Giles nodded as he removed his glasses and cleaned them. "Yes, she's already been through the darkness and seems to be coming out of it from what Buffy says but she's no longer connected with you. We need to get her back and the friendship mended."

Tara and Buffy frowned. "Giles, she hasn't contacted us and it was her decision to leave. We were all wrong, Willow and us. It should be her choice to return and not for some damned prophecy!" Buffy snapped. "What is the prophecy anyway?"

"My source, who I don't trust most of the time but seems to be on the level now," Giles stammered. "He says that it's the Beast and he's planning on finally causing the end of the world as described in Revelations."

"The Watcher Council is trying to work with the various leaders of the major religions and some smaller ones," Giles nodded. "Unfortunately, the Vatican doesn't have Slayers. They've always left that up to the Council."

Buffy was looking down at her hands and gladly accepted Tara's hand in between them when the witch moved closer.

"I died fighting Glory," Buffy said softly, her eyes filling with tears. "A Hell God, I also died facing the Master, how can I fight the Beast?"

"Especially the three of you, but that means you must get Willow back and the three of you bond closely," Anya said calmly. "That usually means sex, which shouldn't be hard for the three of you now."

"Anya!" Xander squeaked. "They aren't going to have sex together! Willow and Tara are together not… not the three of them!"

"Why not?" Anya asked innocently. "They both want each other, they both want Willow and Willow has been with Tara and in love with Buffy for years, what would be the problem?"

Both Buffy and Tara decided that holding hands was suddenly embarrassing as they blushed at Anya's assessment of relationships.

"They can figure exactly what their relationship is going to be when Willow gets back," Giles snapped.

"Then you call her and tell her it's the end of the world if she doesn't," Buffy grumbled.

Giles glared at his Slayer for a moment. "I'm sorry for leaving, I was hoping to head off the danger before it reached you. If I was here I might have stopped Willow's decline and the Beast would win because the three of you aren't connected. Get over it, Buffy, and focus on the rest of the world please. You can be pissed off at me later."

"Alright, enough," Tara said firmly. "We'll write Willow and email her, try to start the rebuilding. Anything else, Giles?"

"Well, actually, yes," Giles smiled, and cleaned his glasses again before reaching into his case and pulled out a large folder. He slid it across the table to Buffy. "In there you'll find the paperwork opening a bank account in your name. You'll find I set up a trust fund for Dawn and a college fund, if you approve, they just need your signature. Here's the bankbook. I suggest not going crazy with the money, setting up monthly expenses and such. You can explain this as an inheritance from a distant cousin in England. That's already been handled as well."

Buffy frowned and began looking at the papers as Dawn grabbed the bankbook and opened it. "Uh, Buffy? Am I reading these numbers right?" she squeaked, handing her sister the book as Giles smiled and leaned back in his chair.

Buffy and Tara looked in the book. Tara sat back, obviously stunned and Buffy blinked several times.

Anya's curiosity was immediately almost out of control. This dealt with money and the Slayer was in shock. "I know that look, I see that look when someone doesn't realize that the price of real rose oil is too expensive," she declared. "That means there is a lot of money there! How much?"

"There will be another two thousand, five hundred every month as long as you continue Slayer duties," Giles nodded. "I went to the Council and demanded an actual salary for an adult Slayer and retroactive pay from when Merrick found you."

"Giles? Does this mean I have to answer to the Council again?" Buffy asked with a frown.

"No, they are going to trust my judgment in dealing with you," Giles explained. "As long as you continue to be a Slayer and save the world, they'll continue to pay you, supply information, and stay out of your way."

"Good," Xander muttered, voicing Buffy and everyone's feelings about the Council. "What do they think about this latest threat?"

"They're not quite sure they trust that it's actually happening but they are planning to try and stop it on their end," Giles said slowly.

"Uh, I'm miserable at money and Dawn is getting nowhere near this," Buffy smirked. "Tara's been handling the finances; think you can handle all of this?"

Tara started to blush and dropped her head. "It… it's a lot of r-responsibility and it's your money, Buff."

"We're family, Tar," Buffy said gently, wondering how to talk to Tara about what Giles and Anya both had said. Buffy knew Anya was right at least on some level, she wanted Tara and Willow as her family with Dawn. It felt so empty without both of them in her life. Was she ready to face what that might mean? Buffy wasn't sure.

"Okay," the shy witch said softly, with a smile for the Slayer. Xander frowned and Giles smiled to himself.

Willow stumbled towards the door to Cordelia's place. Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't get the key in the lock. The red-haired witch began pounding lightly on the door. "Cordy, Dennis, please!"

The door clicked open by an unseen force as Cordelia started to rush into the foyer from her large bedroom. "What the..." she started to question but nothing more came out when she saw the damage done to her friend.

Willow stumbled into Cordelia's arms as the door shut behind them. "Cordy, I think it hurts a little bit. I took on a sorcerer and a werewolf."

Cordelia couldn't help but cringe at her battered friend and began to guide her towards the bedroom. "Dennis, please get the first aid kit from the bathroom," she called over her shoulder as she helped Willow onto the bed. She gave the redhead a quick once-over glance. The first aid floated into the room and Cordy grabbed it with a quick, "Thank you," before she sat on the bed next to Willow. "I don't know how to handle Were wounds, Will, can I stop the infection?" Queen C asked as she started to clean up the hacker's more obvious injuries.

Willow smiled. "After dealing with Oz and Verucca, I learned. I didn't get bit or scratched," she said proudly. "I didn't use bad magic either! They wanted me to join Wolfram and Hart and attacked me when I said no." The young woman winced as Cordelia began cleaning the wound over her eye. "Ouch! I think they got my ribs though," Willow said softly and realized how close Cordy was to her and how long it had been since she'd been close to someone.

Cordy stopped her work the second she heard the mention of Wolfram and Hart and looked right into Willow's eyes, which were a lot closer than she expected them to be. Her comment to call Angel about this as soon as possible never made it from her brain to her lips as the sudden closeness and the feelings that accompanied that took over residence. She gulped and pulled back, "Ahh, I'm gonna have to, um..." Cordelia pointed to Willow's shirt and then tossed the soiled gauze to the side before she slowly moved her hands to the bottom of the redhead's shirt. She wanted to look at Willow to make sure this was okay, but the second their eyes locked, she felt the need to look away.

Willow smiled and then winced as she pulled her shirt off. "Oh man, that hurts and I can't see the side of the ribs. Come on, Cordy, you used to tease me about my body when we were in school. Though I admit things have grown a little since then but not much," Willow babbled. "I'm shutting up now while you check and see how bad the bruising is and if I need a hospital?"

Cordy glanced up and had no problem looking into the green orbs that stared down at her, her own eyes showed a sadness and regret. "Willow, I'm really sorry about, ya know, all that back in school." She quickly looked down and ran her hands over Willow's sides, first in an attempt to gauge the seriousness of the Witch's wounds, but once she got her mind to settle that there was no major damage, the strokes became more of a caress.

Willow's breath quickened as she bit back a moan. It had been so long since a woman had touched her. After Tara left and Buffy turned on her, Willow felt unloved and unlovable. Cordelia's touch felt like there was more interest than just the witch's wounds.

"I, uh, forgotten, Cordy," Willow said softly and tentatively raised a hand to Cordelia's hair. "That was a long time ago." Willow wasn't sure if she meant the teasing or since she had been with Tara.

Slowly, the former May Queen raised her eyes and made sure to take in the sights along the way. She noticed how Willow's breathing changed and caught the increased pulse rate that pounded in the smaller woman's neck, until she looked at small lips before she finally moved to eyes that darkened with what could only be passion or lust. Not really sure what had come over her nor did she care, Cordy leaned her head into Willow's hand that was in her hair. Her confidence increased as her own hands started to venture further and she boldly allowed her fingers to stroke the sides of Willow's small but pert breasts, but frowned ever so slightly that the cloth of her bra was in the way.

Cordy caressed Willow's back and enjoyed the feel of their skin together, but once again encountered the obstacle of Willow's bra. Easily she slipped her fingers around the clasp and released it before she trailed her hands freely up and down the smooth back, moving deeper into the kiss.

Willow moaned and pulled at Cordelia's top, her fingers became almost desperate. The last logical part of her mind recognized that Cordy seemed awfully familiar with how to undo a bra on another woman. The witch pulled Cordy on top of her and only winced slightly at the sore back muscles. "Need you," she muttered.

Cordy was careful to keep the bulk of her weight off the sensitive ribs, but her arms almost buckled when their bare breasts made contact. She didn't even bother to stifle the groan that rumbled from deep in her throat and she quickly set to work; her lips claimed Willow's neck and her teeth nipped at the flesh on the redhead's pulse point.

She trailed kisses and nips along Willow's jaw, down the front of her neck, and down the valley between Willow's breasts. Just as she went to enjoy her next stop she noticed the lights flickered and some books slammed to the floor. She groaned and called out, "I'll move if you keep that up."

Willow squeaked and tried to grab the pillow and pull it over her chest. "Dennis! Privacy!" she stammered. "Oh to hell with it," she growled and pulled Cordy's pajama bottoms off while she kicked her own shoes off. "Don't stop, Cordy, please."

All but forgetting the ghost in her apartment, Cordy quickly set out to get Willow as naked as she was. Once the Witch's pants quickly joined the pile on the floor, Cordy pressed herself in between Willow's legs and moaned loudly at the contact. She cut off her own moan when she wrapped her lips around Willow's already hardened nipple and sucked it into her mouth and flicked her tongue over it, while her other hand joined in the fun as it kneaded the flesh of the redhead's other breast.

Willow moaned and returned the favor, one hand on a nipple, the other on Cordy's hip, and her lips on the brunette's neck. She brought her leg up to press against Cordelia's sex and started to rock her lover.

The words, "Oh, Willow," came out in a mumbled groan around the flesh in her mouth when she felt the contact against her center. She moved her mouth to Willow's other breast, her now unoccupied hand strayed down a firm stomach until her fingers dipped into red curls.

Willow cried out when Cordelia's fingers began to explore her, as they entered and then left to trail between her labia lips, danced over her clit, and refused to settle on any one torment just yet. "Oh Gods, Cordy," Willow whispered and bit into Cordelia's shoulder as she rocked up into the Seer's fingers when they entered her.

Cordy growled when Willow's teeth took purchase on her shoulder and she pushed two fingers deeply into Willow, before she slid them back out and only to thrust in with a third finger. When the hacker's mouth let go Queen C moved down Willow's body and planted kisses along the way. She stopped only to occasionally pull some skin between her teeth to suckle and lap at it before she moved further down. Cordy took a moment to enjoy the vision, one of the few she did actually like, of Willow as the witch writhed on the bed while her fingers danced inside the woman beneath her. With a smile she pressed her mouth against Willow's nether lips before she let her tongue slip in-between the wet folds to lap hungrily at the throbbing clit that begged for attention.

Willow cried out again and grabbed the headboard and she clung desperately as her body thrashed. The redhead moved her legs to open herself wider to Cordelia; her body begged for every attention and Willow thrust into her former tormenter, "Oh, Cordy, so good!"

Cordy maintained a steady, but firm rhythm inside Willow as she pulled the hacker's clit into her mouth to suck on it while her teeth grazed over the sensitive flesh and her tongue made quick and tight flicks at it.

"Oh Gods, oh goddess, Cordy," Willow panted as her muscles contracted and expanded. "Cordy! I... oh Gods!" Willow felt her back arch as two orgasms ripped through her. "Cordy!" she screamed; her hands clenched tightly on the headboard.

The Seer couldn't help but smirk as she easily rode Willow through her orgasms before she slowly pulled out of the hacker when her inner muscles relaxed enough. For a girl who was so shy and quiet, the woman that was here now was certainly the opposite with her loud screams.

Willow gasped and tried to catch her breath again as she unclenched her hands. She reached for Cordelia and whispered, "Come here. Give me a minute and then we'll see how loud you can be. I hope Dennis isn't still in here."

Cordy moved up and nestled down beside the redhead, her hands idly trailed over smooth skin. Her brow furrowed as she tried to sense the ghost, "I don't think he is, but if so," she spoke the next part louder and purposefully for Dennis, "then he's gonna get into soooo much trouble."

Willow smiled and kissed Cordelia and could taste herself on her lover's lips. "Cordy, you are no stranger to this side of the fence," she grinned as she held the Seer close.

"Well, I couldn't let the shy, hacker, nerd from high school have all the fun," Cordy teased. "Besides, you know me, I always have to be an expert in all the latest fads and right now it's in to be out." The Seer wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Willow giggled. "Who knew?" Then Willow lost her smile, "I wish you had met Tara. She's... she's so special. I miss them so much."

"Have you thought about, ya know, going back?" Cordy asked and her hand stalled and laid flat against Willow's stomach.

"I... they haven't even contacted me," Willow said softly and quickly curled back into herself. "They ask Angel about me but they... they haven't even emailed me." The redhead fought back tears as she thought about Buffy, Tara, and the others.

Cordy pulled the smaller woman closer and ran her fingers through red locks to sooth the upset woman. "You guys have always managed to get through things before, why not now?"

"They've moved on," Willow said as she remembered what the sorcerer said. She didn't trust him but his words rang true and made sense. "Tara's now living in the house again. I... I said some hard things and... and even slapped Buffy." Willow felt the tears beginning to fall. "She won't forgive me."

"How do you feel about Tara moving back into the house?" Cordy knew there was something deeper that bothered the redhead and wondered if they could just figure it out, accept it, and get the Scoobies all back together again.

Willow frowned. "That sorcerer said... said they were close and Buffy wasn't spending time with Spike anymore. She was always with Spike; she wouldn't turn to us or me. Buffy couldn't forgive me for bringing her back. Now that I'm gone, Spike is gone, and Tara is there."

Cordy shivered at the thought of Buffy and Spike together. 'Didn't she learn her lesson with the first vampire?' the Seer mused to herself. "So you're feeling replaced, is that it?"

"I know that's stupid, but I guess I do," Willow mumbled. "I can't do the magic like before and they don't need me. She hasn't even called me!"

Cordy nodded in agreement and understanding for a second before a puzzled look came over her face. "Which she?"

"Huh?" Willow looked confused and then looked away from Cordy's prying eyes. "I, uh, Tara hasn't called me at all. Then again, we already broke up, so she's not obligated or anything, I just thought she still cared. I wasn't thinking about Buffy not calling; friends fight and break up all the time."

'Ah-huh,' Cordy thought silently. She looked over to see Willow refuse to look her way and said out loud, "Ah-huh. So this has nothing to do with a petite, world-saving, cute, beautiful, blonde?"

Willow turned very red. "I miss Buffy, we've been friends since our sophomore year," she protested. "I, uh, she... I love Tara totally. I went insane when Glory hurt her."

"Hey, I'm not saying you don't love Tara..." Cordy backed up a little and held out her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm also not saying that you don't have more-than-friends-who-fought issues with Buffy too." Cordy smirked proudly for a second before the sentence replayed in her head and she wondered if it even made sense.

Willow smirked, "Want to translate that? That was worse than Willow babble or Xander speak," the red haired witch teased before she pulled Cordy back into her arms. "Okay, maybe I like Buffy a little more than like. Doesn't mean anything and could never go anywhere. It just hurts that she hasn't called me. Just Angel to check and make sure I'm okay. Is she worried for me or about me? Am a danger to be kept an eye on now?"

The Seer cuddled back up against the Witch before she answered, "I think that's a question you really need to look inside yourself for an answer to. Are you a danger? Do you need someone to watch over you?"

"No, I don't," Willow said firmly. "I didn't use bad magic tonight, even when a sorcerer and a werewolf wanted me dead very painfully. They don't know that though, they haven't called to find out!"

"Hey! I'm not accusing you, Willow. I'm just trying to help out." Cordy shot back.

"I know that, Cordy," Willow said softly and kissed the brunette gently. "I'll think about it tomorrow. Right now, I want to see if you scream or not." Willow rolled over on top of Cordelia. "I know we're just friends and stuff, but thanks for this. I need this contact."

The conversation they were just involved in did little to quell the heat between her legs; Cordy quickly and easily succumbed to Willow and enjoyed the feel of the body on top of her.

Willow woke up before Cordelia. She leaned up on an elbow and took in the sight of her friend sleeping peacefully for once. Cordy had gotten through the night without her pain meds. Willow smirked to herself; maybe they had found an answer to Cordelia's headaches when she wasn't being hit with visions.

The witch stretched alongside Cordelia and enjoyed the feel of the brunette's body against hers. She knew Cordy liked her but Willow was also smart enough to know that they weren't in love with each other.

What the night had been for Cordelia, Willow wasn't sure. What it had been for Willow was healing. Someone had desired her, had wanted her, and had loved being with her. Most of all, Cordelia had trusted her on all levels.

Willow slipped out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt and boxer shorts. She ached all over and knew she was going to have bruises that hadn't even come to the surface yet.

The computer geek went into the living room and booted up her computer. She found the expected handful of spam mail and one from Wolfram and Hart. That one she forwarded to Wesley's computer without reading it.

Willow blinked and sat back on the sofa. There was an email from each Scooby member.

"When do you go back?" Cordy smiled as she headed to the kitchen; the smile grew when she found coffee already made and a note on the fridge from Dennis. She held the note up for Willow to read.

"I'm sorry! I like her better than the Hollywood jerk! You both have love bites showing."

Willow grinned and then frowned as she read each email again. Cordelia ignored the fact Willow hadn't answered her about returning home.

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Rising from the Wreckage

Chapter 12

By Frau Hunter Ash

Carrkjar@yahoo.com