"Nothing seems to faze you anymore, does it? I mean sure, you get upset about things and you get hurt, but you're not afraid to stand up for what you believe in anymore. I wish I could be more like that. You fell . . . you fell in love with Tara and when Oz came back it wasn't about you being afraid of that . . . it was about you being torn between two people. Tara being a woman never came up - you were simply deciding between two people you cared about very deeply"
'But I do get afraid!' Willow wanted to shout, but she was groggily aware that something felt wrong and she couldn't get the words out. 'I was so afraid that you'd freak about Tara, and I didn't want you to!'
"Whereas I . . . I'm too afraid to tell the person I love more than anything how I feel."
'I though you broke up with Riley?'
"God, I can't even say it when you're unconscious."
'Huh?'
"Will, I love you. I love you so much it hurts sometimes, only I was too blind to realise it. And now I'm too afraid because . . . you're with Tara . . . and you're happy. I can't interfere. I love you, but I don't want to be rejected again. It's crazy, huh, that I can only say this when you haven't got a chance to hear me."
'Wait, I can hear you. I can't talk, but I can hear. I love you Buffy. It would be so much easier if I could figure out telepathy. Actually, it wouldn't. But you know what I mean . . .'
Slowly, everything faded to black again.
***
"Will, honey, come on. Please wake up. I can't do this without you. Please?"
Buffy sat in silence for a while and listened to the sound of the occasional falling rock or creak from the stone piled over her.
"Well, this isn't how I planned to spend Friday night. I had a movie rented and I thought we could order in pizza. Ooh, that was not a good thing to think. How long ago was lunch? Right about now we should be rescuing the food from Xander and watching the opening credits to a chick flick while Anya and Giles make fun of it.
"They'll find us. We aren't that hard to find - just look for the big pile of rocks and we're under it."
Buffy was silent again. A distant tapping sound came, different to the rocks falling, and then the faint sound of voices.
"Will, do you hear that? We're being rescued."
The faint voice came again and she recognised Giles' voice calling her name.
"We're in here!" she yelled, as loudly as she could.
"Buffy? Is that you?" Giles shouted, the voice sounding closer.
"Who else would be in here? Martha Stewart?"
"Well . . ."
"Let me handle this," Xander said, his voice sounding almost as though he was sitting next to her. "Buff, are you ok? We're going to get you out but the firemen have to make sure nothing else will fall first."
"I'm fine, but Willow got hit in the head. She's unconscious. Could you hurry it up out there?"
"We're hurrying as much as we can."
"Can't you hurry faster? This is a really small place and I don't do small places well."
She heard the low rumble of voices and then Xander said, "They think it'll be another half hour. Can you hang in there until then?"
"I'll try."
***
An hour later the rescuers finally broke through the stony prison and released the two trapped girls. Willow had begun to stir as the last of the rocks were pulled away, although she was still groggy, and Buffy hovered near her as the paramedics worked on her. They both had to go to the hospital to be checked out and during the ride over the Slayer sat beside Willow and quietly held her hand.
It took the combined efforts of Giles, Xander and Joyce to get her to leave the young witch and be examined by the doctor and by the time he was finished Willow had already been sent up to a bed for overnight observation.
Buffy crept into the room and watched Willow sleep for a while before curling up in a chair in the corner. A nurse found her there, asleep, and took pity on her. She found a spare blanket and tucked it carefully around the blonde girl, and then closed the door gently behind her.
***
"Buffy?"
A pause.
"Buff? Are you awake?"
No movement - not even a twitch.
"You look really uncomfortable."
Still nothing.
"Buffy?"
Finally the Slayer stirred and looked at Willow sleepily.
"You're awake!" the blonde girl exclaimed groggily. "How do you feel?"
"Bit of a headache, but otherwise I'm fine. How are you? That chair doesn't look too comfortable to sleep in."
Buffy moved and groaned. "It's probably even less comfortable than it looks."
"You didn't have to stay, you know."
The Slayer gingerly stood and stretched, wincing at her stiff muscles. "I wanted to. You looked so pale last night . . . and I don't think your parents are coming back so I could hardly leave you alone, could I?"
"Thanks." Willow scooted over a little and patted the side of the bed. "Come on, this thing is plenty wide enough."
Buffy grinned and gratefully sat down. "Do you want me to get a nurse? You could probably get something for your head."
"Nah, I'll cope."
"Are you sure? I mean, head injuries can be really bad and you were out for a long time . . ."
"Buffy, I'm sure." Willow paused and tried to work out what she wanted to say next. "That rock fall was pretty-"
"Stupid?"
"I was going to say scary, but that works just as well." She smiled wryly to show Buffy she did not mean it.
"I'm sorry Will. I should have known better. I didn't think that one kick would bring down half the hillside. I didn't think at all."
"Buffy, how could you have known? I didn't think that little bitty rock was all that was holding the tunnel up. I probably would have stopped you if I had."
"Stop being all reasonable. I almost got you killed so I have to feel guilty."
Willow shook her head at her friend's stubbornness. "You're crazy, you know that?"
"Uh huh."
They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Buffy began shifting uncomfortably.
Willow gestured to the empty space next to her. "You could sort of . . . uh, lie next to me? I'm sure the pillows would prop you up much more comfortably than you're sitting now."
Buffy carefully wriggled up so she was propped against the pillows next to Willow and smiled as her abused muscles began to relax. "Thanks Will."
"No problem." Willow paused. "Did you mean what you said last night?"
The Slayer froze, her heart suddenly feeling as though it was choking her. "Last night?"
"While we were trapped. You said . . . you said you love me. Is it true?"
*finis*