WARNING - This Fic is not nice, it is not happy and it does not have a happy ending.

It was just a very short piece I wrote in reaction to the mess that in my opinion was the end of season 6 of the show.

'When She loved Me' - Sung by Sarah Mclachlan - orignally from the disney movie 'Toy Story 2' - Again an underlining of the fact that it's use in this fiction is not a happy one, in fact quite the opposite.

Angst warning : Added as Kath directed me too, as a final warning before the story starts.

Buffy was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes when she reached the bottom step. Lifting her head slightly she took a few short sniffs in through her nose. Toast, she could smell toast, and coffee.

Buffy couldn’t remember the last time she had come down to breakfast to the smell of toast and coffee.

As the Slayer crossed the sitting room to go through to the kitchen with the soft sound of her slippers muffled on the thick carpet, she became aware of something else that seemed almost alien to her these days. Talking. She could her voices talking in the kitchen.

Straightening her back, and letting her arms swing back a few times, Buffy worked out the few remaining kinks in her body still left from her slaying the night before and prepare to greet whoever the visitor in the kitchen was.

"God it was so funny, I thought I was gonna just stop breathing or my side was going to burst open." Dawn’s high-pitched laughter hit Buffy’s ears again as she entered the kitchen.

Bringing her eyes round to look at her sister, she was surprised to find her perched on a stool near the island, her long hair neatly tied back and her young head tipped back in full laughter. The teenager’s pale jeans and dusky pink sparkly stars top so quintessentially Dawn it made the Slayer do a double take. Though not nearly as much as the next sight and sound.

"Oh my god, that must have been so, well ew!" Followed by a short round of even laughter, the sound of which nearly made Buffy’s heart stop. She hadn’t heard that voice, followed by that light laugh for what seemed like a lifetime. "So then what…" The voice trailed of as slowly green eyes tracked their way to look at Buffy.

Buffy caught them and held them with her hazel ones.

"Morning Buffy."

"Hey Willow." Buffy wasn’t sure how she managed to make her reply sound so casual and so calm.

"Oh hey." Dawn threw her sister a quick glance over her shoulder, before turning eagerly back to Willow, who at that moment put a plate full of toast in front of the young teenager. "Thank you." She grinned picking up a slice immediately.

"You’d better pick that up and go." Willow encouraged softly. "Else much lateness for school will ensue." The redhead smiled, and though her eyes were tired, her cheeks sunken and her skin almost glowing in its paleness the smile was warm and genuine.

"Okay, okay." Dawn pushed up and off the stool picking up the toast. "But I can go to Melissa’s, you’re sure? I’ll still be home by 9." She glanced between Buffy and Willow.

The Slayer was about to flatly refuse, when Willow spoke up nodding.

"I’ll even it out with big sis." She gave another smile.

"So cool." Dawn squeaked and within second the teenager was out of the door.

"So, hey, look at you, with the clothes and the toast making." Buffy wasn’t sure whether or not to mention her best friends apparent ‘transformation’ from barely living animatron, to fully up running and coping human being, but she couldn’t not. This time yesterday and for ‘x’ number of weeks before hand, Buffy had almost been force feeding Willow with Wheaties and a glass of juice. To see her now up, dressed and working in the kitchen was a bit of a shock to say the least.

"Well you know." Willow picked up a cloth and ran it over the side, cleaning off the sprinkling of toast crumbs. "It can’t go on forever can it." She said with a shrug of slim shoulders. "Toast?" She added pointing to the toaster.

"Mmm I’ll skip it and just go for juice thanks, do you remember I have to go out this morning, just for two hours tops, I was hoping to get it done while you were in bed so I’d be back…"

"I remember." Willow cut the slayer off mid sentence. "And it’s okay, I can deal, look see, dressed me." She gave a small smile.

Buffy looked again at her best friend. Her longer red hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, exposing her long neck before the edge of the dark green shirt cut a sharp contrast against the pale skin. The deep green button through hung baggily down her body and over a pale of dark jeans.

"I know, I’m and impressed best friend here Will, new shirt?" Buffy she asked swallowing down her juice.

"It was Tara’s." The reply was slightly quieter and softer than the so far upbeat tone of their conversation.

"It looks great on you Will." Buffy said proudly. She moved round to put her juice glass in the sink. Willow followed her best friend’s movements with her eyes and then moved over to enclose Buffy in a warm hug.

"Thank you for everything, for your patience recently and your love." The redhead whispered and she hugged and leaned against her best friend.

"Oh Will, you are more than welcome." Buffy felt warm tears fill her eyes as she held Willow back trying not to do so too tight, though in reality wanting to squeeze her so hard. To pour all of the love and admiration she felt for her best friend form her own body and just somehow imbue it into Willow. The pair hung together for a long moment before Willow eased back.

"Now go, I remember the time of your appointment, go get the job Miss best friend." Willow squeezed Buffy’s hand tightly.

"You want something goodly and chocolatey bringing back if I do?" Buffy quizzed as she crossed to slip on her shoes.

"Mocha." Willow nodded.

"Good luck." Willow called as Buffy moved to go to the front door. For a moment Buffy continued to walk across the room away from the redhead, but then she stopped and jogged back over to her. Pulling her tight in an embrace again.

"I love you Willow." She said softly.

"I know." Willow replied smiling tenderly as Buffy eased away again. "I love you too, you, Dawn, Xander, everyone." She underlined.

"Two hours tops." Buffy nodded and smiling broadly the Slayer ran out.

******

Buffy couldn’t stop grinning as she made the short walk up the drive to the front door. In a careful maneuver she balanced the hot cup of Mocha she carried and the box of donuts together. At the same time managed to open the front door. This she did successfully without dropping or spilling anything.

"Point 3 for the slayer." She laughed as she moved quickly into the lounge and put the things she carried onto the small table there.

‘Wow Willow.’ She thought to herself as she stripped off her coat and dropped it on the couch. She looked around the room. It was spotless, everywhere tidied and polished.

"Double wow." This time she whispered the words as she moved to look on the dresser, and there, where it always used to be, before, well before the day of the funeral, was a framed photograph of Willow and Tara.

The two young girls wrapped together in a tight happy embrace. Buffy ran her finger along the sliver frame with a sad smile.

"Will, I got mocha, guess what that means…" Buffy turned back to the table and picked up the cup and the donuts and crossed to the stairs. With her slayer sensitivity Buffy could just pick out the quiet traces of a song coming from upstairs.

"I’d need a nap too if I’d done all that tidying." Buffy commented as she took the stairs carefully. "The woman, I mean my boss, that is Mrs. Soiten was so cool." Buffy chatted away as she reached the top of the stairs. She wasn’t sure why her foot faltered on its first step towards Willow’s room.

The door was slightly open, and now she was upstairs Buffy could clearly pinpoint the music as coming from the small stereo on the side in the redhead’s room.

"Will?" Buffy queried as she moved down the corridor, her steps slightly slower, for some reason her mood changed with every step, from casual happiness to deep almost foreboding and by the time the Slayer had reached the door way she felt positively sick.

"Willow?" Stepping into the room Buffy turned immediately to look at the bed though on the way they caught sight of the bedside table.

Hazel eyes tracked slowly as everything seemed to slow down into a motion almost slower than Buffy had ever deemed possible. They tracked over pale wooden tabletop, over the upright, small silver picture frame containing a picture of Tara, Dawn and Buffy grinning madly in a group hug. They moved over scanning the base of the table lamp, and then further to glance without comprehension at the two small pill bottles close to it.

Both with their lids removed, one lay on its side obviously empty, the other still upright, but Buffy could see through the obscured plastic that it too was nearly empty. Her eyes final tracking to the bed seemed to happen in a blur from the slow motion that had been their pace.

Nothing and no one could have prepared her for this. Buffy felt her knees buckle as she tipped forward, tears filling her eyes and flooding over down her cheeks as hot mocha slipped from the cup and arced to the floor, followed by the cup and box of donuts as Buffy simply let go of them.

"Willow, no." Her words came out a tortured whisper as her hand closed round her best friend’s cooled still one. "Oh Willow…." Bending her head the Slayer rested her cold sweat covered brow and pressed it hard into the mattress.

Somewhere behind her, the last chords of the song playing drifted away, only to be replaced again by the familiar tune that was obviously programmed on play repeat.

When somebody loved me everything was beautiful.

Every hour we spent together lives within my heart.

And when she was sad I was there to dry her tears.

And when she was happy so was I.

When she loved me.

Through the summer and the fall we had each other, that was all.

Just she and I together, like it was meant to be.

And when she was lonely I was there to comfort her.

And I knew that she loved me.

So the years went by. I stayed the same, but she began to drift away I was left alone.

Still I waited for the day when she’d say

"I will always love you."

Lonely and forgotten, never thought she’d look my way.

And she smiled at me and held me just like she used to do.

Like she loved me.

When she loved me.

When somebody loved me everything was beautiful.

Every hour we spent together lives within my heart.

When she loved me...

The End…