Carefully To Tread

Part Seven

Buffy doesn’t remember making it back to her own bed. Only a vague memory of Dawn’s flailing arms and a slight puffiness on her cheek tells the tale of a midnight accident: the younger sister clocking the older one in the fit of a dream. A half-mumbled sorry and the brunette was back to sleep. Buffy has shuffled into her own room and collapsed, afraid of more inadvertent bodily harm.

The sun shines brightly through her faded, lemony curtains. A quick glance at the clock confirms that it is indeed 10:30 am.

10:30?

She can’t remember ever sleeping so late on a weekday. Usually she is up making Dawn’s lunch at 7 and…

Dawn.

Buffy jumps out of her bed, throws the door open and races down the stairs. Still in a sleep-induced daze, she comes to an abrupt halt at the sight of a bunny-slippered Willow eating a bowl of cereal at the center island.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She says with a mouth full of Corn Pops.

“Where’s Dawn?” The confused blonde asks.

“Uh…school? She left on time, don’t worry, a-and I made her something nice and nutritious for lunch.” Buffy blinks a few times while the words sink into her fuzzy brain.

Dawn. School. Has lunch. Everything okay. Thanks to Willow.

“Thanks.” She says, her brow knitting.

“Sure! It’s no problem. Besides, we both thought you could use the extra winks.” Willow grins over her bowl before drinking down the sweetened milk. “Did you get some rest?”

Buffy thinks about that for a moment. Yes. Yes she did. She had a good night sleep for the first time in…well…forever. She guesses it was exhaustion that finally did her in; that and Spike.

Spike.

“Yeah. I'm fully recharged and damned close to raring to go. I just need food. And a shower.” She glances down the length of her body at the clothes she’s been wearing for more than 24 hours. “A shower would definitely be of the good, right about now.”

“Feeling moldy?” Willow rises and walks over to the sink.

“And how.” An uncomfortable silence settles between them. Buffy stares at Willow’s back as the redhead washes her bowl over and over again. Buffy takes a deep breath.

“Will?”

“Yeah?” Willow turns off the water and picks up the towel to dry her dish.

“Look, I…” Willow turns around to meet the eyes of her friend. “I'm sorry if I seemed…miffed, last night. This whole time that I’ve been back…it’s just been really hard.”

“I know, Buffy. I mean, I don’t know, b-but I can imagine. And I'm so sorry…”

“No, I'm not saying this to get an apology out of you. I'm trying to apologize here. I’ve been distant and selfish and…and I understand why you – did what you did, at least I think I do.” Willow slowly approaches the island, standing opposite but not interrupting.

“But you have to understand…this is all so…so harsh, this reality. Worrying about bills and trying to keep Dawn in school a-and slaying, that stuff is tough, yeah. But…” She sighs and sits on a stool. “It’s not just that stuff that’s hard, it...it’s waking up, Willow; opening my eyes, breathing, walking and talking…all of it. It’s too much, sometimes.”

“Oh Buffy, I-“

“Didn’t know? I know. No one did, well...almost no one.” She half-mutters the last part.