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Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They belong to 20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, and Mutant Enemy. I am using them without permission, however I am not making any money off them so please do not sue me.
Author's Notes: Okay, this isn’t a pleasant story. It deals with rape, but there’s no actual graphic detailed mention of it. It just deals with the topic. If that offends you, you shouldn’t read it. This is a very serious story, which I think you should remember when you read it. I’m warning you right now that this story is not a nice one. Also, I make Giles the bad guy. Thank you, if you’re still reading go ahead. Please don’t write to me complaining about the subject matter, I did warn you.
Feedback: Please! Send feedback but no flames. Especially nothing to do with the content of this story, I’ve warned you ahead of time. This is a serious story, and if you don’t like the topic do not read this. Thank you.
She looked around, wondering why she was here. Why she had come, but she knew she needed to be here. She needed to do this. If she didn’t she’d never forgive herself.
She walked into the hospital room nervously, taking slow, careful steps. They were all there, all a group. The group she had walked away from. *What am I doing?* She thought, as she hesitantly approached them.
Cordelia stood up, her hands on her swollen belly.
She was pregnant.
Willow wondered if it was her first or if there was more.
Cordelia spoke first. “Hello? Can I help you?” She asked with a friendly smile.
Willow realised that she didn’t recognise her, none of them did. She was glad, it would make things easier. “I just wanted to see how he was, I heard he was sick.” She said quietly.
Buffy stood up.
“Do you know him?” She asked coldly, Willow gulped. “I did.”
She could see the recognition on Buffy’s face. “Willow?” She asked in a surprised voice.
Willow nodded. “It’s me.” She said, knowing that it wasn’t going to be pleasant. They weren’t going to be glad to see her. She waited for the anger, and she wasn’t disappointed.
“How dare you!” Buffy yelled, slapping her across the face. She hadn’t lost any of her strength in the last ten years.
“There’s a lot you don’t know.” Willow said helplessly, looking around the room at the people who were once her friends. She saw from the way that they all looked at her that she would get no help there, they hated her as much as Buffy did.
“So tell us.” Cordelia said coolly, all the friendliness gone.
Willow knew she couldn’t, even if she did it wouldn’t change anything. She had still left, and she had no right to come back. “I shouldn’t have come.” She said quietly, turning towards the door.
Just then Xander woke up. “Willow?” He called weakly, she turned toward him.
“Yes?” She asked gently.
“You came.” He said, trying to smile.
“Yes.” She said again, this time she walked closer to the bed.
“I’m glad.” He said softly.
She looked around, and knew he was the only one. That to the others her present was extremely unwanted and that they thought she had no right being there.
Xander continued. “I missed you.”
Willow looked away. “I’m sorry, I had to go.”
“Why?” Buffy asked, daring Willow to answer.
“I had to sort things out. Had to leave.” She said, wishing she could tell them. But they wouldn’t believe her, not after so many years. Why would they believe her now, when they wouldn’t have ten years ago when she still belonged?
Then she glanced over at her, and he looked back at her mockingly. Daring her to tell. Suddenly, almost as if she wasn’t in control of her own body any more, she can began to talk. “I was raped.” She said quietly, the whole room was quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Finally Angel spoke for the first time, coming form his spot in the corner to put his arms around Buffy. “Who?” He asked, the hate on his face replaced with concern.
Well that wouldn’t last long, not when she told them who it was that raped her. They would never believe her. For a second she was tempted to chicken out, say she didn’t know who. But she couldn’t do that, she’d made it this far she had to say the rest.
She looked down at the ground, unable to see the reproach and the disbelief that was soon to come. “Giles.” She said without emotion, still looking at the ground.
She could feel their disbelief, she couldn’t believe them. He was their father figure, they didn’t want to believe he could do such a thing.
“Giles?” Xander asked, in a shocked tone.
Willow nodded silently, finally raising her gaze to look at them. All the colour had drained from Cordelia’s face, and Willow couldn’t tell if she believed her.
She saw Giles approach her, a mocking tone in his eyes. “You don’t believe her do you? Come on, look at her she’s obviously unstable.” He said, with a small laugh.
That laugh brought back her fighting spirit. “I’m telling the truth!” She insisted, and she found the whole story tumbling form her lips. “It was the night before I left, I was by myself at the campus library. I was going through some spell books, when Giles came in. He wasn’t like himself, there was something different about him. Anyway, he asked me to get a book from the stacks for him. I agreed, and I went up to the stacks. He followed me, and grabbed me from behind. He forced me to the ground, and then....” She trailed off in tears, unable to finish.
She felt someone put their arms around her, and looked up to see Oz holding her. “I believe you.” He whispered gently, rocking her back and forth. She calmed down a bit, and put her head on his shoulder.
It felt so good to be in his arms again after so many years. Of all the things she had left behind, Oz was the one she had missed the most. She just drank in the familiar warmth of his arms as she tried not to think about the rejection that was soon to come from the others.
After a minute the silence was broken by Cordelia. “She’s telling the truth.” She said in a quiet, tearful tone.
“How can you be sure?” Buffy asked, obviously not wanting to believe her mentor could do such a thing.
“I was a the library that night, I came to see if Xander was there. I heard him telling her not to tell anyone, that they wouldn’t believe her anyway. I couldn’t tell anyone, I don’t know why, but I couldn’t. In time I just forgot, put it out of my memory.”
Willow could see from Buffy’s face that the truth was sinking in. “Oh, god.” She said, falling to her knees. Angel caught her, and held her the way Oz was holding Willow.
Buffy looked at Giles with a look of pure hatred. “How could you?” She demanded, tears running down her face. “We trusted you, thought of you as a father. How could you do such a thing to one of us?”
Giles didn’t say anything, just looked around uneasily.
He was about to speak, when Oz stopped him. “If was you, I’d just go. Leave, before I kill you.” He said calmly.
Giles swallowed, realising that they all felt the same. He left without looking back.
“Are you okay?” Oz asked tenderly, Willow nodded.
“I will be.” She said, crying for the first time in ten years.
No one said anything, just stood in silence. None of them wanting to believe what had just happened, but the event bringing them closer. Making them stronger. The truth had been revealed, and it hadn’t been pleasant.
“Willow?” Buffy asked softly. “Yeah?” “I’m glad you’re home.”
Willow smiled slightly. “So am I, I needed this. I needed to deal with the past.”
Buffy nodded, knowing it was true.
Unpleasant truths had been revealed, and nothing would ever be the same again. But in a way it was better, everything was out in the open and they could begin to heal.
The truth had set them free.