Author: GP gpref@aol.com
Rating: R
Summary: Harry Comes to Sunnydale
Disclaimer: All characters and aspects of the fictional environment are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, et al. There is no intent, or remote possibility, of anyone profiting from this.
Distribution: The Willow Tree, if you'd like it ask and I'll let you take it.
Feedback: Please
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~Part: 1~
Willow pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.
"There it is," she said to Harry, " home sweet home."
"This whole place for just you and your Mom and Dad, " Harry said amazed.
"Mom and Dad, that's a whole other story. The bottom line is that it's just me and you."
Spike helped them carry the luggage.
Once inside, they headed upstairs, "which room?" Spike asked.
"The one next to mine, " Willow answered carrying her own bags into her own room.
Harry followed Spike.
"Neat, " she said, "it's huge. She took a run and flopped onto the bed."
Spike put down the suitcases," neat? How old are you?" he asked with a chuckle.
Willow came to the door, " how do you like it?"
"It's great, " Harry said jumping up from the bed, " but.."
"But what?" Willow asked.
Harry looked embarrassed, " nothing, everything is really great."
Willow grinned and pulled something from behind her back.
"A laptop!" Harry said, "can I …"
"It's all yours kiddo," Willow said.
Spike grimaced, " kiddo? How old are you?"
Willow punched his shoulder.
~~~*~~~
The man in the dark suit pressed a button on his desk and the door locks snicked into place. Then he took out a slim leather book, consulted it and dialed a long distance number on his private line. It took a court order to tap a line, any fool with a Radio Shack scanner could eavesdrop on a cell phone. He didn't own one.
He listened to three rings, then it was picked up, " they arrived today, they brought the girl with them. Look for an opening, we can use her I think. I will call again in 72 hours."
He hung up without waiting for a response.
~~~*~~~
"Dawn, do it as a favor for Willow, " Buffy said impatiently.
"I told her you'd show Harry around. I told her you'd be glad to, " she continued.
Buffy looked toward the door, " be glad."
Dawn forced a ragged smile.
Willow and Harry came through the door.
"Harry this is Buffy and this is her little sister Dawn, " Willow said making introductions.
Dawn frowned to herself when Willow said 'little sister'.
While Buffy was talking to Harry, the phone rang.
Dawn answered. She listened for a minute, said a few words and hung up.
Buffy looked a question at her.
"That was Scott Forbes, " Dawn said in an excited voice, " he asked me to come down to the park and hang for a while."
Buffy smiled and looked at Willow, " he's the great blond high school football hero of the moment."
"Buffy!" Dawn complained.
"I think it's a great idea, you can take Harry with you, " Buffy said.
Dawn glared at her sister.
"Excuse us for a moment, " Buffy said taking her sister by the arm and guiding her out of the room.
"OK, what's your problem?" she asked.
"I can't take her. Scott would see me with her," Dawn whined.
"And?" Buffy asked.
"She's a junior high kid and she wears overalls and she's a ……."
"Say it, " Buffy said slowly, " she's a geek."
Dawn lowered her eyes.
"Tell you what you don't have to take her, " Buffy said forcefully, " just go back in there and tell that to Willow."
Dawn shook her head.
Five minutes later, Dawn was striding quickly down the street with Harry trying to keep up.
Harry kept up a constant stream of questions, "is he your boyfriend? What position does he play? Is he really cute?"
Neither of them noticed a figure standing in the shadow of a tree across the street. When they were a half block away, the figure followed keeping to the shadows as much as possible.
~Part: 2~
Buffy put a cup of coffee in front of Willow and sat down with her own.
"Now that the kiddies are gone, we can talk, " she said taking a sip.
Willow smiled weakly and lifted her own cup.
"I really like Harry. I can't believe how much she reminds me of you, " Buffy said.
Willow's smile widened, " she's great to have around. She's so full of life. Anyway, she'd family."
Willow's face fell and Buffy reached across the table and took her hand.
"I know it's still hard to think about it. How are you sleeping these days?"
"Better, " she said, " it's getting better. The nightmares don't last like they did. Having someone around…" Willow paused and thought of how safe she felt when Spike held her.
"It's a good thing Harry's around, she's good for you," Buffy said.
Willow nodded, " she might remind you of me, but she's got a hundred times the nerve I had at her age."
Willow told Buffy why she visited Harry, how she owed Tara the favor of helping her little cousin investigate some strange happenings in her little hometown. She told her about the vampire gathering and the vampires only amusement park.
"You're kidding me, a vamp six flags?" Buffy asked in amazement.
Willow went on to give her the highlights of the destruction of the park and the scattering of the gathered vamps to the four winds.
"Harry set the place on fire? With booze?"
Willow nodded taking another sip of coffee. She took her time, she wasn't sure that she wanted to continue.
"Ah, I ran into someone there, " She said hesitantly, "Spike."
Buffy's face darkened and her lips compressed into a sharp thin line.
"I don't want to know anything about him. I don't want him around Dawn or me. You're lucky you came out in one piece."
"But Buffy, he seemed different and he …."
"The subject of Spike is closed Will, you don't know."
"I do, he told me," Willow said softly.
Buffy's anger showed in her eyes, " what was his story?" she spat.
Willow cleared her throat, " that he tried to rape you after you broke it off with him."
Buffy stared.
"He knows it was wrong and he feels terrible…"
Buffy's harsh laugh interrupted, " what shit, " she said, " I don't know what his game is. Maybe he thinks he can still get a little if he tries to make it up with me. He doesn't know what the word sorry means."
"I told you, he's different, ' Willow said with feeling.
"How is he different? What great change does he say happened?" Buffy demanded.
Willow remembered Spike's instructions, " you can't tell her about the soul, I'm not sure that I can handle it and I know she can't. Promise me."
"I don't know exactly, I just know …"
"I didn't think so, don't let him take you in Will, please."
~~~*~~~
"There he is, " Dawn said pointing toward a handsome and muscular blond boy chinning himself from a low hanging branch, " don't embarrass me."
Dawn took a deep breath and let it out, " hi Scott, what's up?"
He dropped from the branch and turned smiling, " hey."
Dawn gestured toward Harry, " this is…"
"Hi, my name is Harry. Yeah I know it's a boy's name but I didn't like Harriet. I'm visiting my friend Willow and she's Buffy's best friend so she asked Dawn to take me with her when you called, " Harry took a breath.
She continued, "Dawn thinks you're cute, I think you're cute too. What position do you play?"
By this point, Dawn would have melted into a slimy puddle from embarrassment if she could. All she could do was turn a brilliant shade of red and stand with her mouth open.
Scott grinned, " you're quite a girl, but I won't be playing any position if I don't bring up my grades in computer science. I have an Excel project due tomorrow and I can't make the dates stay dates and the numbers stay numbers."
"Format, " Harry said.
"What?" Scott asked and Dawn echoed.
"You didn't format the cells the right way, " Harry explained.
"I don't understand, " Scott replied.
"It's easy, if I had my laptop, I could teach you in five minutes."
"Really?"
Five minutes later, Harry and Scott had their heads together over Scott's PC while Dawn sat on his bed and looked daggers at both of them. How could she tell anyone that Scott invited her up to his room and then didn't pay any attention to her. If anyone ever finds out, she thought, I'll die.
~~~*~~~
Later that afternoon, Dawn's mood had slowly improved, after all she did spend most of the day with Scott. She scooped out some more ice cream for Harry and Willow.
The phone rang and Buffy picked it up, "hello, hi Scott, "
Dawn smiled and walked toward her sister.
"Sure she's here, " Buffy said holding out the phone to Dawn.
"Hold this for a minute while I get Harry."
Dawn nearly dropped the phone. If looks could kill, Harry would have dropped before she picked up the phone.
~~~*~~~
Willow had just settled Harry in the guestroom when she heard a knock at the French doors in her bedroom.
"Come in Spike, " she called without turning around.
"Hullo pet, how was your day?" Spike asked as he moved to sit next to her on the bed.
"Not so good, I saw Buffy. She's still awfully mad. She said she didn't want you anywhere around her or Dawn. She wasn't too thrilled about me seeing you."
Spike shook his head, "I knew it wasn't going to be easy. You didn't tell her?"
"No, I promised you and I didn't. I wanted to so much, but a promise is a promise."
"Thanks, " he said standing and heading for the balcony.
Willow followed him outside.
"Please don't go, stay with me tonight," she took him by the arm and looked up into his eyes, " please, just hold me."
He nodded and went back inside with her, a few moments later, the lights went out in Willow's bedroom.
Once the lights were extinguished, the watcher hidden in the tall pines lining the backyard put down a pair of night glasses and moved toward the street.
~~~*~~~
It was late, but the man in the dark suit kept irregular hours. He picked up his private line and pushed the blinking button. He listened for five minutes without interrupting.
Finally he spoke, " so he and the witch are involved and the Slayer doesn't know. She wouldn't like that, no not at all. Listen,"
He dictated clear and detailed instructions for the next ten minutes.
Finished, he listened again, " yes make contact tomorrow, the rest will be in place tonight."
He hung up the phone and returned to the slim red file he had been reading. The red of the folder was matched by the crimson of the ink of the signature at the bottom of the single page it contained. He took a small silver pot and poured a thick deep red liquid on the page. He picked up a small ivory stamp and pressed it into the solidifying material. He replaced the sheet into the folder and placed it on a square silver tray.
~Part: 3~
Dawn sat on the park bench and fumed. Here she was in the park with five of the cutest most popular guys in high school and not one of them was paying any attention to her. She slumped on the seat and he skirt rode up on her thighs, she pulled it down sharply. She could have walked around in her underwear and it wouldn't have made a difference.
Harry paged up to the next game screen, " if you click on the left side of the doorway, a golden stairway opens up to the next level."
The boys all nodded in amazement, a few scribbled notes.
"Scott, " one of then said, " lucky you saw her first, I think I'm in love."
Harry smiled and they all laughed.
"Here's another good one, " Harry said pulling up another screen.
Dawn glanced at her watch. She couldn't wait until it was time to take Harry back home. Damn, another hour until Willow gets home, she thought to herself.
Dawn started as a shadow fell over her.
"Hi, Dawn how's it going?"
She turned to look behind her, " hi Amy, OK I guess, " she said with a frown.
Amy sat next to her, " who's your little friend? She's quite the popular little thing."
Dawn explained who Harry was.
Amy nodded, " smart girl, but I would have thought those boys would be all over you and not some little Willow clone."
"I guess they're more interested in getting to the fourth level in some stupid video game than getting to first base with me, stupid boys!"
"If she's Willow's little friend, how come you're here with her?" Amy asked.
"Willow always seems to have something to do and I end up baby sitting, " Dawn complained.
"Or some one to do, " Amy said with a smirk.
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
"I hear, " Amy said innocently, "that a certain bad boy blond has been spending his nights away from his crypt."
Dawn's eyes widened in surprise, " you mean Willow and Spike?"
"Now it could just be innocent, but he has spent more than one night in her bedroom."
"He couldn't, she wouldn't, I mean Tara has only been gone ….. Buffy and Spike were …. He was my friend, he wouldn't come back and not let me know, " Dawn said in confusion.
"Why not ask Willow, she'll tell you the truth, won't she?" Amy teased.
Dawn looked up and the group of boys seemed to be breaking up, " Harry, time to go."
She turned to Amy, "thanks."
"My pleasure, " she replied and walked away.
~~~*~~~
Harry was up in her room on line when Willow came through the door. She saw Dawn in the living room and joined her tossing her backpack on a chair.
"You didn't have to wait too long did you?" Willow asked.
Dawn shook her head.
Willow looked at her carefully, " is there something wrong? Is it Harry? I know it must be a drag having her around. I really appreciate it, I really do."
"It's not that, someone told me that Spike was in town, did you know that?"
Willow hesitated, " who told you."
"That's not important, " Dawn said getting angry, " is it true?"
"I ah, don't know .. this is a complicated .."
"No it's not Willow, " Dawn said standing and facing her, " it's simple, is Spike in town?"
"Sorry little bit, I wanted to tell you, but …" Spike said from half way down the stairs.
Dawn whirled around, interrupting him, " I guess that answers all my questions, " she said tears of anger and hurt running down her cheeks.
"What questions, " Willow asked.
"The ones about loyalty and feeling for people like Buffy, " she glared at Spike, " and Tara, " she shot a withering glance at Willow.
"You don't understand .." Willow started to explain.
Dawn ran sobbing from the room and they heard the front door slam.
"I'd better go and .." Spike started.
Willow put up a hand, " and take a walk in the sun? I'll go."
Spike watched as Willow followed Dawn.
~~~*~~~
Once outside, Willow sat in her car, she had to think. It was no good trying to catch Dawn while she was feeling so hurt and betrayed. She checked her watch and started the car. She wanted to get to the Summers' place after Dawn, but before she got a chance to tell her story.
She pulled into the street and headed South, she didn't notice the gray sedan that pulled out a half block behind her and followed at a safe distance for the entire trip.
Willow sat in front of Buffy's house, she took a deep breath and got out of her car. She walked quickly to the door and knocked.
~~~*~~~
The gray sedan pulled to the curb across the street from Buffy's house.
The driver turned to his passenger, " things are ready for the next phase?" he asked.
"The Slayer will be primed against Willow and Spike before very long. Then we'll move." Amy said with a satisfied smile.
~Part: 4~
Willow opened the Summers' door and walked in. She could hear the sisters shouting in the kitchen.
"You will not go there when he's around. On second thought, you won't go there at all."
But it's Willow, " Dawn protested.
"And she should have known better, she does know better."
"I came over to explain…" Willow offered standing in the doorway
"I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face around here, " Buffy sputtered.
"I know how it looks, Buffy …."
"It looks like you've picked Spike over your friends. That's what it looks like."
"That's not fair, I can't just cut him out of my life, not now. Anyway, he's not the same, " Willow pleaded.
Buffy gestured to Dawn, " I need to talk to Willow alone."
" No, it's all my fault, I shouldn't have said anything." Dawn turned to Willow, " I'm sorry, I was mad and I ……"
"It's not your fault, I should have told you he came back with me, " Willow said trying to comfort Dawn.
"Please, let Buffy and I talk, OK?" she added.
Dawn nodded and left wiping her eyes.
"Buffy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I guess I was scared of what you would say."
"Will, you have no idea what he's capable of. The kind of thing we had. It was wrong in so many ways. At least you're not sleeping with him."
Willow didn't respond but nervously chewed on her lower lip.
Buffy's eyes grew wide and her face colored, " after what he tried to do …… you turn around and…."
Buffy took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
She began to speak in a hard flat voice; " I don't want him around Dawn or me. I don't want him in Sunnydale. If he does anything, anything at all, I'll do what I should have done a long time ago."
Willow started to speak, but Buffy put up a hand to stop her.
"You'd better go now, come back when you've come to your senses."
~~~*~~~
Dawn hurried along the sidewalk, she needed to talk to Willow, to figure out how to fix the problem she'd caused. Why had she repeated what Amy told her to her sister, she thought to herself? Willow and Spike, the closest thing to family, besides Buffy, that she had in the world and now she'd turned Buffy against them both.
~~~*~~~
Willow sped away. She had to warn Spike, she had to find him. All they needed was for Buffy to stumble onto him. Who knows what she might do?
She hit the speed dial on her cell phone as she started the car.
"Hi, Harry, it's me. Is Spike there? Well I have to find him, there's something I have to tell him. I'm going to be gone for a little while longer. If he shows up, tell him to stay until I get back, OK? Great, thanks."
~~~*~~~
Willow's car wasn't in the drive when Dawn arrived. Good, she thought to herself, she's not back.
A few minutes later, Dawn tapped on Harry's bedroom door.
"Hi, " Harry said, " what's going on with Willow, Buffy and Spike?"
Dawn was shaken by the directness of her question.
"I ah, they had a really bad fight and it's all my fault," Dawn said breaking down.
Harry tried to comfort her and in between sobs she told her all about Amy and Spike and the way Buffy reacted to his return.
"I'm not sure what he did to her, it must have had something to with the break up. They were, you know … real ah .. close for a while, " Dawn stammered.
"I'm twelve not two, they were having sex, right?" Harry said.
Dawn blushed and nodded.
Harry thought for a moment and then grinned. " In the park, you were jealous of me?"
Dawn nodded again.
"All those guys, it was like I was their kid sister, that's all. You were the one they were interested in really."
"I was?" Dawn asked.
"Scott asked me if you liked him. He wants to ask you out, but he's too shy. I told him to go for it."
Dawn hugged the younger girl, " thanks Harry, I'm sorry about everything."
"When you go out with him, could you ask him something?" Harry said.
"Anything, " Dawn replied.
"Ask him if he has a thirteen year old brother."
They talked for a while trying to think of places for Dawn's first date with Scott.
"I'd better go, " Dawn said glancing at her watch.
"Don't you want to wait for Willow?" Harry asked.
"No, I'd better get back to Buffy, I think she needs someone to keep an eye on her."
Dawn had been gone for a few minutes when Harry remembered the game that Scott loaned her. She had wanted to give it to Dawn; it would give her a good excuse to see him again.
She ran up to her room and grabbed the game cartridge, and then headed for the back door. She figured that she could catch Dawn if she cut through the backyards and came out on the next street.
When she reached the bushes along the sidewalk, she stopped to catch her breath. She heard what sounded like a choked off scream from the street. Peering through the bushes, she saw Dawn being manhandled into a car by two big men. A moment later one of them handed her jacket out of the car window to another figure.
This person tossed the coat through the window of a car parked on the street, got in and pulled away from the curb. The car with Dawn moved off to the West. The other car rolled past Harry's vantage point. She recognized the person with Dawn's jacket as the woman from the park, Amy.
~Part: 5~
Harry turned and took off as fast as she could toward Buffy's house. She had a feeling that Amy was heading there and that there would be big trouble if she didn't get there in time.
~~~*~~~
Amy stopped a block away from Buffy's house. She removed a small vial from the glove box. She pulled the stopper and poured the coppery smelling thick red liquid onto the lining of the jacket on the seat next to her. She restopped the vial, returned it to the glove box and drove on.
~~~*~~~
Harry ran, preoccupied trying to figure out what was happening. She remembered what Dawn said about Amy, that she was the one at the park who told her about Spike. She tried to remember something else that Dawn said, something about a mouse.
~~~*~~~
Amy double parked and left the engine running. She ran up the steps and pushed the door open. She was clutching the jacket.
"Buffy where are you?" she shouted as she came through the door.
"Amy, is that you?" she heard Buffy respond from the kitchen.
She found Buffy and held out the jacket.
"This is Dawn's, what are you … what happened?" she asked anxiously.
The jacket fell open and Buffy saw the wet red stain.
She touched it, " it's blood!"
"I was passing the cemetery and I saw two people struggling. By the time I got there, this was all I could find. I recognized it as Dawn's from yesterday", Amy said.
"And, "Buffy demanded.
"It was Spike."
"Son of a bitch, I knew it. I tried to tell.."
Buffy stopped in the living room and grabbed a backpack.
"Do you have a car?" she asked running for the door.
Amy nodded and followed.
~~~*~~~
When Harry turned the corner to Buffy's block, she saw Amy and Buffy jump into a car and speed away. She ran and shouted, but they didn't even slow down. Disappointed and winded, she sat on the front step.
"Hi, you're Harry Willow's little buddy, right?"
Harry looked up and saw a rather cute dark guy about Willow's age, " yeah and you must be Xander."
"At your service, " he said with an exaggerated bow. "Where's the Buffster?" he asked walking up the path.
Harry jumped up and ran to him.
"Do you have a car?" she asked hurriedly.
"Old reliable, ' he said with a grin gesturing to an old pick up truck pulled to the curb a few yards down the street.
"Come on, " she said taking his hand, " Dawn's in danger and so is Spike."
He came with her to the truck, " hold on tell me what's up?"
She told him what she'd seen and what she thought about Amy.
"Whoa, you saw them grab her, really?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded.
He ran to the driver's side and jumped in. He bent to turn the key when he heard the other door slam
He shook his head and turned to Harry, " you have to stay, this could be dangerous."
He hesitated when he saw her face, he'd seen that same look many times over the years.
Xander sighed, " are you sure you're not related to Willow?"
They pulled away from the curb.
"We should probably head for .. ah … I mean …" Xander's voice faded away.
Harry grinned, " do you know where Amy lives?"
"Anya said she ordered some things from the shop, she lives in that new apartment building on state."
"Let's go, " Harry said.
~~~*~~~
"Is that it?" Harry asked.
Xander nodded.
"Pull in and cruise through the lot."
Xander drove slowly through the lot.
"There it is, " Harry said, " the car they used to take her away, parked in space 2A. Keep driving."
They doubled back and parked in the model apartment spot.
"Let's go and look at the model, " Harry said opening the door.
Xander gave her a quizzical look.
"It's apartment 1A, the layout should be the same as Amy's."
After a few minutes wandering through the model, " Ok, let's go, " Harry said.
She led him around to the side of the building. She looked at the second floor apartment and then back at Xander.
"Do you think you could balance on that trashcan, " she asked pointing to the can on the patio of the model apartment.
A few moments later, Xander was balanced on the lid.
"Ok, here goes, " Harry said grabbing on to Xander's belt.
Using him like a people shaped ladder, she clambered up onto his shoulders where she was just tall enough to peer through the patio railing of apartment 2A.
"Look out below, ' she whispered and slid down his form.
"Watch out, " he hissed, " be careful what you're grabbing onto."
Climbing down from the can, he watched Harry pace around the area. She stood in thought for a few minutes.
"Bring the truck over here and then meet me by the pool, " Harry said hurrying off.
Xander pulled up just as Harry lugged up three chaise lounge cushions.
"Grab some more. I'll put these in the truck."
Soon the floor of the truck bed was covered three cushions deep.
"OK, " Harry directed, " grab that grill from next door and put it under that vent, "she pointed to a screened vent four feet up in the brick wall.
Xander rolled the grill over and positioned it.
"Knife? " she asked.
He handed her his pocketknife.
She sliced open a lounge cushion and pulled out several handfuls of stuffing and tossed it into the grill.
"Lighter fluid and matches, " she said nodding toward the next apartment.
When he returned, she doused the stuffing with fluid.
"The brochure said the building had all the latest safety features including smoke alarms built into the ventilation system. This is the fresh air inlet to the air-conditioning system. The stuffing will really smoke and in about a minute the alarms and sprinklers will go off. I'll be on the balcony of 2A. The patio door has a two bit lock, I can get her out and …"
"Hold it," Xander said, " you are not going to be on that balcony, it's too dangerous. I'll do it."
Harry shook her head, " are going to stand on my shoulders?"
Xander was standing on the trashcan when Harry threw the matches into the grill. He clambered up him even faster than before. This time, she continued up and over the railing. The curtain was open a foot or so and she could see Dawn sitting on the bed. She had a bandage around her head. Harry assumed she must have been hurt in the struggle.
She clicked the door latch back with Xander's knife and waited.
The sound of the alarm was deafening, the confusion was doubled when the sprinklers cut lose a moment later.
Harry shoved the door open and shouted for Dawn. She turned and moved awkwardly toward the door. She could hear chairs being over turned in the next room. She grabbed Dawn's wrist and pulled her onto the balcony.
"Over we go, " she said guiding her over the railing and dropping her onto the cushions in the truck bed. She put a leg over and followed.
She banged her fist on the cab roof, " go Xander go, " and looked back as the two men from the apartment peered over the railing.
A few blocks away, Xander stopped the truck, " OK, now what?" he asked Harry.
"I don't like the way Dawn's acting, you have to take her to the hospital."
"How about Buffy and Spike?"
"Drop me off at the cemetery, " Harry said.
"You are not …" Xander started, the resolve face stopped him dead.
~~~*~~~
Harry ran toward Spike's crypt following Xander's directions. She hoped she wasn't too late.
As she approached the overgrown cement building, she could hear raised voices. She could make out Buffy and Willow.
"Put the stake down, " she could hear Willow pleading.
"Step back Will, I swear if you get in my way, I'll dust both of you."
~Part: 6~
Harry froze in the doorway. Buffy and Willow were face to face in the center of the room. Amy was standing off to the side and behind Buffy.
"I know he's down there, " Buffy said gesturing to a stairway set into the floor behind Willow.
"Don't, he wouldn't do anything to hurt Dawn, you know that, " Willow said.
"Didn't think he'd try to rape me either, I guess he's not as predicable as you think, " Buffy responded.
Willow's face showed desperation, " he didn't want me to tell you, but I have to. He's different because he has a soul."
Willow paused waiting for Buffy's reaction.
She shook her head, " Will, is that how he got into your pants? I knew it had to be a pretty special line, but I never thought he'd stoop to that."
With that, she pushed past a dazed Willow.
"That's enough, " Spike said emerging from the lower level.
He looked toward Willow, " I'm sorry I put you into this situation, thanks for trying."
He faced Buffy, " for the record, I didn't harm the little bit, I don't think I even could have done it before. I'm sorry for what I did to you and a lot of other things."
Buffy took a step forward, "Ok let's go."
He shook his head, " no, no more fighting, " Spike said unbuttoning his shirt.
He pulled it open and waited.
Buffy approached warily. Finally she reached him and put the point of the stake over his heart.
Willow tried to call out, but Amy made a quick gesture and she flew back into the wall and slid down onto the floor.
"Do it, you know what he is and what he did. Don't buy into his fairytale like your stupid friend with the hot pants, " Amy said forcefully.
Buffy's hand wavered and she slowly lowered the stake.
"Damn it Buffy, " Amy shouted, " you can't lose your nerve now, remember Dawn."
Harry shook off her shock and spoke up.
"Dawn's going to be OK, Xander took her to the hospital."
"What's going on?" Buffy asked.
"Ask her, " Harry said pointing to Amy.
"Don't listen to her, Willow put her up to this to confuse things and save Spike," Amy responded, " you've got her bloody jacket, what more proof do you need?"
"Bloody jacket?" Harry asked, "what bloody jacket?"
Buffy held up Dawn's coat showing the stained lining.
"But Dawn wasn't bleeding, " Harry said.
She thought for a moment, " if the coats bloody, then she did it. I'll bet there's a bloody container in her car."
"What are you going to believe, " Amy protested, " Willow's little sister or your own eyes?"
Buffy tucked her stake into her belt, "why don't we take a look in your car, just to prove a point. I don't think Spike's going anywhere."
"Damn you all, " Amy spat. She made a gesture and Buffy, Spike and Harry were frozen in place.
"I always thought this plan was too complicated. Who cares who kills who as long as they get dead?" Amy said. Glancing at Willow huddled on the floor, she added, " watch a real witch work."
Later, the witnesses couldn't agree on what happened next. Buffy thought she saw Willow suddenly dressed in flowing green robes. Spike thought her eyes began to glow with golden fire. Harry saw her rise to her feet and keep on going until she was ten feet tall.
They all agreed on what came next, a blinding flash of light that revealed in its after glow a large rat where Amy had been standing.
~Part: 7~
Dawn was ensconced on the sofa in Willow's living room. Her forehead was bandaged and she was the center of attention.
"I still don't understand how you managed to get out of the apartment, " Willow wondered.
Xander cleared his throat nervously, " well to tell the truth.."
"It was mostly Xander, " Harry said breaking in, " he was great."
Xander started again, ' no, not really it.."
"Don't be so modest, " Harry said putting her hand on his arm.
Willow sighed and shook her head. She recognized that look, the wide eyed smiling 'isn't he wonderful' look. She'd worn it herself for far too long.
Spike spoke up, " what was Amy really up to and who were those guys anyway?"
"Maybe she was just still pissed at Willow, " Dawn piped up.
"Nice talk, " Buffy said pointedly looking at Harry.
"At least Willow still had the cage, " Harry added.
~~~*~~~
The phone on the well-polished table gave a low buzz. The man in gray picked it up and listened.
"Yes leave at once, return to the city."
"Our contact? Leave her to me."
He replaced the receiver and leaned back in his chair.
"What went wrong witch?" he whispered, " How will we reward your failure?"
He placed his fingers on his temples and closed his eyes. Spikes of silver fire jumped from his fingers.
After a few seconds, his eyes opened and the corners of his mouth rose in a bitter smile.
"So I've been beaten to the mark, but a fitting punishment indeed. A witch to reckon with still, despite everything. Ms. Rosenberg, I think we must meet again and very soon, " he said quietly.
END