Hung Out To Dry

By Elka

Title: Hung Out to Dry
Author: Elka Carpenter
Email: [email protected]
Rating: PG
Part: 4 of ??
Order: Follows Part 3. Genius!
Spoilers: Some season four, I'm making the rest up as I go along.
Distribution: http://wonder.tentex.com/~breathe
Disclaimer: Joss, WB, Fox, and Mutant Enemy get BtVS. Natalie Imbruglia
gets
'Smoke'. I get everything else.
Feedback: I lick those that don't comment.
Author's Notes: Inell, this is all for you. Grins sweetly.

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        Willow looked up at her friend sharply, the blood drained from her
face.
"What?" She fired.

        Buffy looked down, unable to look into her friends angry and hurt
eyes. "I
know he's dead." She answered with honesty. "I knew he was going to die
before it even happened."

        "No." Willow's expression grew cold, her face set in stone. "No, you
didn't. Tell me you didn't."

        The Slayer looked to Giles desperately for help. "I..."

        "I'm afraid it's true, Willow." Giles set in. "He was killed by an
ancient
process called..."

        "Malusa." Spike interrupted, recalling the fact.

        "That's correct." The librarian removed his glasses and pinched the
bridge
of his nose between two fingers.

        "I remember that. Not as bad as Inella, if I remember it all right.
But he
would have been gone long before if it had been up to Elkala, she's the
violent one." Spike rubbed Willow's shoudlers

        "True. Both very creative vengenance demons. Willow, I had hoped you
wouldn't have to find out about it this way."

        "How about you hoped I wouldn't have to find out about it at all?"
Willow
searched the eyes of her friends. "That's why you all have been
avoiding me.
Trying to get me to move on. You knew there was no hope. How could you
Buffy? Giles?"

        They both looked away, unable to face her rage.

        "And you? Xander? Were you in on it? Did you know they were going to
kill
my lover?" Willow focussed on her childhood friend.

        "We didn't kill him, Wills." Buffy spoke up.

        "Yes." Willow seethed. "You did."

        She glared at the Slayer for a moment, not knowing her own strength,
she
lashed out at the blonde, delivering a sharp jab to the eye with her
fist.

        Willow snapped back, turned and ran from the apartment.

        Spike looked at the group, Xander, Anya, and Giles staring at the
doorway.
Buffy, holding her injury.

        "Some friends."

        He left.

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