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Part 8
As the seven friends and roommates returned home that evening, Xander was the first to notice something wrong. "Hey, do you smell that?"
"Smell what?"
"Exactly. This is the first night since Willow came that I haven't smelled dinner cooking."
"You would notice something like that."
"Xander's right, Anya. Maybe she made something that you can't smell from here. She did say that she was making something special."
"Special, yes. Odorless, no. I can smell food from a mile away." The others glared at him. "Well, maybe not that far, but if she was cooking something, I would smell it."
"He does have a point though. It is rather unusual not to be greeted by the aromas of a home-cooked meal."
"Hey, why's the door open? Willow never leaves it like that. I think something's wrong. Come on, Faith. Let's check it out." The two lieutenants rushed the rest of the way before stopping in horror in the doorway. The others noticed their abrupt deceleration and quickly closed the distance between themselves and the house.
"What's going on? Why'd you two stop like…? Willow!"
"Is she…"
"She's not breathing. There's a pulse, but it's faint." Buffy spoke from beside the fallen princess.
"Has she lost weight? She looks thinner now."
"You would notice that about a nearly-dead person, wouldn't you, Jesse? Besides, you, of all people, should know that that's just her corset. See how tightly it's laced?"
"The corset… of course. Buffy, cut the ribbon on her bodice. Quickly."
"Giles, are you sure that's decent? I mean, you guys are guys, and - "
"Just cut them!"
"Whatever you say." She pulled a dagger from its sheath at her waist and sliced through the fine material. "Seems like a waste to ruin a new lace like that."
"Look, she's breathing!"
"You did it, Buffy!"
"Wha…? What happened?"
"Willow's breathing again."
"Of course I am. Aren't I always?"
"Where have you been? Willow was unconscious and nearly dead, but… Willow!" The young princess found herself wrapped tightly in the arms of the queen's wardrobe assistant.
"I love you too, Cordy. I think. Now, will someone please tell me what's going on?"
"We came home and Xander was complaining about not smelling dinner, and then Buffy saw the door open so she ran down here and found you on the ground looking dead. But she cut your bodice open and you were alright."
"Okay, so… omigosh! The dinner! I didn't get it done. I was going to start it, but the old lady came by just after you left, and then… you were back? What time is it?"
"Dinner time. I'm starving."
"You're always hungry. Shut up." Cordelia elbowed Xander.
"Forget about the dinner. Why were you…? What old woman?"
"The peddler. She said she knew you. And she gave me a new bodice lace for being kind to her. See?" Willow gestured to her now unlaced bodice. "Hey, what happened to my ribbon?"
"We had to cut it. It was killing you."
"What? But why would a little old lady want to hurt me?"
"She most likely wasn't an old lady. She was probably your stepmother wanting you dead once and for all. Now do you see why you mustn't let anyone in?"
"Yes, I'll be more careful in the future. I'm so sorry to cause you such worry."
"Forget it. What are we going to eat?"
"Come on, Xander, we'll find something for you to
snack on while I fix dinner."
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