Spike stared at the woman framed in the doorway. He dropped his
eyes
to the woman in his arms, the one who wore his scent, his mark.
Again, his eyes touched the blonde, "Buffy, what ... you're dead, I
saw you die, I watched them bury you. You are dead." He
extended
one shaking hand, cringing slightly as he touched her warm, living
flesh. Abruptly, he turned, carrying Willow into the living room
and
laying her on the couch.
His ears told him that Buffy had followed, closing the door behind
her. Her soft voice spoke from behind him, "So the Buffy from
this
universe is dead? When did that happen? Although she must
have done
some good `cause hey, not as many vamps here as I thought there'd be."
"Buffy, just hold that thought. Before my head spins anymore,
I have
to call the watcher. I don't know where you came from, but our
slayer is dead. She sacrificed herself to save the world. Maybe
he
can figure it out, I'm not brave enough to try." The blond vampire
snagged the phone and dialed, his hand never leaving his unconscious
lover's face.
"Watcher, get your arse over here." The vampire listened to the
sleepy protests from the newly awoken watcher, then responded
impatiently. "Yes, I know it is three in the bleedin' morning,
but
you need to wake your backside up, and get it over here now."
Again
a long pause as the blond growled low in his throat, "Giles, get your
arse here now, it's bloody vital." Spike nodded and spoke once
more, "Fine see you in ten minutes." Then he hung up the phone
with
a decisive click.
Buffy looked on in confusion as the vampire who had loved her in her
own dimension lovingly stroked the wiccan's cheek and red hair.
She
was confused; the dimensions were so very different from what she had
expected ... wait just a minute here. Willow in the alternate
universe was a ... One faltering hand reached out and touched the
warm hand of the unconscious woman. "Oh God!" She fell
back into a
chair, stunned. This was not the universe she thought it was.
Where
in the name of all that was holy was she?
Spike glanced up sharply as he heard the shocked statement from
Buffy. His attention was drawn back to Willow as she began to
stir
beneath his caressing hand. He lightly tapped her cheek, drawing
her
attention as her jade eyes opened to stare into his blue
ones. "Spike, I think I'm losing it. Just before I tried
to enter
the astral plane, I could have sworn I saw Buffy. Alive. Standing
in
our front hall. Goddess, Spike what's wrong with me?"
Spike looked down at his lover helplessly. How did he tell her
that
she had seen Buffy alive? The problem was removed from his hands.
Slutty just had to open her mouth now, didn't she? "Willow, it
is
me. But why do you guys keep insisting that I'm dead. See?
Not
dead; breathing, walking, talking. I even slayed a vamp on the
way
over here. And what do you mean your home? This is where
I live.
At least in my own universe it is. I live here with Mom and Dawn,
well until Mom died."
Willow's eyes slowly focused on the slayer, her expression a mixture
of fear and excitement. She trembled as she took in the face
and
form of her best friend. She could see the blonde's chest move
as
she drew in each breath. Her eyes widened and she opened her
mouth
to speak, but nothing came out. Finally she was able to say,
"Buffy?"
A pounding on the door announced the arrival of the watcher. Spike
grimaced apologetically and went to let his fellow countryman in.
He
felt a certain amount of glee as he wondered if the watcher would
pass out as his Willow had done. The disheveled watcher stalked
past
Spike and into the living room muttering the entire time about how
this had better be damn good. As he entered the room, he
froze, "Bleedin' `ell, Spike, what are you doin' with another one of
those bloody bots?"