Title: Missing Buffy
Fandom: BtVS
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Willow, Giles, Buffy.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 300
Spoilers/Setting: Between Seasons Two and Three.
Summary: The Scoobies are doing their best to fill Buffy’s shoes while she’s gone.
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 381: Amnesty 63, using Challenge 311: Duck.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.



“DUCK!” Giles shouts, and Willow pauses, looking around.

“Where?” Because if there’s a duck it might get hurt… A vampire looms in front of her, game face in place, and something clicks. “Oh!” She ducks, just in time for Giles to fire the crossbow, miraculously hitting the heart at the first try, turning the vampire into a cloud of dust. His aim’s getting better at least; he almost took Xander’s ear off just last week and missed the vamp completely.

Willow misses Buffy more than ever; she should be here, doing the slaying with the Scoobies providing backup, but she’s not. She’s run off to who knows where, ducking her responsibilities, and Willow can’t help wondering what her friend’s doing right now. Probably not battling vampires, and that thought causes a tiny twinge of resentment, but Willow has no time to dwell on it because Giles is there, helping her to her feet.

“Are you alright? I told you to duck.”

“I’m fine. Sorry. Can you just shout ‘look out’, or ‘down’, or something like that instead of ‘duck’? It gets confusing; I like ducks.”

“Yes, well, I’ll try to remember that in future. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Absolutely. All in one piece, see?” Willow’s smile is brave and confident, but quickly falters. “It’s not the same without Buffy. I mean you’re doing a great job; you got that vampire with one shot. Poof! It’s just, I don’t think any of us ever realised just how hard it must be for Buffy. There’s five of us trying to do what she does mostly by herself, and we’re doing our best, but…”

“We’re not Slayers,” Giles finishes for her.

“We’re amateurs,” Willow agrees. “Do you think Buffy’s alright?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“I just wish she’d come home.”


The End