Title: Need
Author: Jinni
Rated: PG
Genre: BtVS/WW Crossover
Pairing: W/Sam
Disclaimer: All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, et al. All things WW belong to Aaron Sorkin, et al.
Distribution: The Moonlit Paths family of websites.
Author’s Note: Birthday prezzie for someone on my list.
Note2: In my fic Willow is not gay. Wrap that around your little head before you start to read. If you can’t/won’t cope with it, then you should quit reading now. Also, Tara was just her friend – and Willow did not go uber-evil.
Notes3: Spoilers for the Season 4 finale of The West Wing – episode “25”. Also spoilers for Season 7/Series finale of BtVS.

~*~*~

Willow shivered, looking out over the back porch of the small house she rented, staring at the figure bathed in the light of the moon. It was a nice enough house, she supposed, with a large backyard, some flower beds out front. One story with a kitchen and dining room large enough to accommodate when guests dropped in for dinner. That happened often. The Slayers in training, now Slayers made real, dropped by sporadically as they traveled the country ridding it of the evils they found. They were drifters now, a merry little band that had broken down into smaller groups. They never traveled alone, always sticking together in parties of at least three. It was safer that way, for all of them. A Slayer could take a lot of punishment and keep getting up – but eventually they all needed their friends.

She squinted into the light, just watched the man that she had come out to look over. His back was turned to her, shoulders hunched. The white dress shirt he had worn to work that morning was pulled free of his slacks, bunched up in places and hanging wrinkled in others. He was hurting, it was clear to her. As clear as the way he stumbled now, nearly falling to his knees in grass already wet with dew. He hadn’t even come in when he came home – just walked right to the backyard to look up into the night. She had been patient, waiting to see if he just needed some air. But this went beyond that. He was hurting.

The grass was cool under her feet as she softly padded into the yard, walking slowly to where he stood, swaying ever so slightly.

“Sam?”

He turned, and her heart lurched. What could have happened to cause such devastation? His face was pale and drawn, lips set in a tight line on his face. His eyes were red, rimmed with tears that hadn’t been shed yet, though trails of wetness along his face showed that he had already cried at least once.

“What happened?”

Blank eyes met hers. “You haven’t turned on the TV?”

Willow shook her head, a crease of concern marring her forehead. “I was some reading and a little research before that. Buffy needed something. . . “ She trailed off, staring into eyes she had come to know so well. “What happened?” She repeated, her voice trembling with an edge of fear.

“Zoey. . .”

Her heart skipped a beat. Zoey? Zoey Bartlet? She bit her lip, waiting for him to continue, refusing to think the worst – that she had been killed – before something more from Sam.

“She was. . . There was this party. . . A graduation thing. She went. Her boyfriend slipped her something, Josh said. Ecstasy laced with something else. She got up, went to the bathroom – and hasn’t been seen since. One of the agents at the scene was killed.”

Willow moaned softly in despair. She reached out, grabbing hold of his arm. Slowly she pulled him to her, feeling the tense anxiety that ran through the muscles of his body.

“I’m so sorry, Sam.”

The wetness on her shoulder was his tears, she knew. Wet and heavy they fell down his cheeks to land on her shoulder as he rested his head. She held him tighter.

“I’ve known her for so long, Will. I watched her grow up.”

“And she will be okay.” Willow murmured firmly. “You have to believe that.”

Sam lifted his head to look down into her face, his eyes wet with emotion. “I’m trying to believe that – but it’s hard. We don’t know where she is, who has her. And I’m here – my friends are there.”

She understood. He was here, coping with the devastation by himself – at least back in DC his friends would have each other to lean on in this time of pain. Willow closed her eyes. Zoey had to be okay. To Sam it would be like losing a kid sister. She was like that, to most of the staff. They had known her for years, of course, and over that type of time someone grew on you, became a part of your family whether you meant them to be or not.

"I need. . ."

"What?" She whispered. "What do you need. I'm here for you, sweetheart."

Sam pulled back from her shoulder, the tears wet on his face. His eyes met hers and a gentle smile, still tinged with sadness, crept over his face. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Do you want to go inside? Get comfortable?"

He looked somewhere over her head, to the heavens. "I feel like I can pray better out here."

She snorted softly, amused. "God, or the Goddess, can hear your prayers no matter where you are, Samuel Seaborn. No need to stand out here in the cold."

Sam nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Come on, then." Willow smiled. "I'll make you some hot chocolate and we can talk. Or you can talk - or cry. Or whatever you need."

"Go on in," he motioned her towards the door. "I'll be right behind you."

She nodded, squeezing his arm as she walked past him, back to the house they had shared for months together, making a life together that had been almost idyllic. He worked in local government, she did some computer programming on the side and helped the merry bands of Slayers around the country.

It was great.

And now - tonight.

Tonight was a kick in the gut to that happiness.

She turned back, her hand on the door. He was still standing there, staring up into the heavens as if the One could hear him better out there, under the stars. If it made him feel better who was she to argue? He would come inside eventually and, together, they would work through this.

In the end, she would be what he needed.

Together, everything would be okay - no matter what happened.

And, together, they would pray for Zoey's safe return.

~*~End~*~