January 2003
Giles looked at Buffy. She was bleeding badly from a nasty cut on her forehead.
"You didn't recognize them?"
"I told you...they weren't local." She sighed as Angel came up behind her. He reached over and cleaned the blood from the wound.
"They could fight, well. It really took me awhile to kill them. One of them got away."
"You're sure he got away?"
"Yes. I watched him run as I was getting my head beat in." Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, we need to meet. See if Xander noticed anything before he was knocked out. He may have seen something that you didn't."
"Giles" she whispered, "They were good."
He closed his eyes at the slight tremor of hear in her voice. He had a strange foreboding that something was terribly wrong.
* * * * *
The next night "OK....I saw one of them. He was big and ugly. I know that probably doesn't help at all and I'll shut up now." Xander trailed off as Giles and Buffy shot him a deadly look.
"I didn't hear anything" Angel said, coming into the library. "Willy even denied knowing of anything new about to come down."
"See? Maybe they were just tourists. Probably no reason to worry at all" Cordelia said hopefully.
"I don't think so. Activity has been down this last week. That usually signifies...."
"A new master" Buffy and the others finished.
"OK. We found out who he is and I kill him." Buffy said, spinning a stake on the table.
Angel watched her. "Would you please pay attention. This is your life we're talking about here."
"Actually," a quiet voice spoke from the doorway, "all of your lives are in danger."
They all looked toward the voice and froze.
"Willow?" Giles said softly.
It was Willow, but it wasn't. She slowly entered the room, her face down. She was wearing a black pair for form fitting jeans and a tight green long sleeve shirt. Her hair fell a bit past her shoulders, gleaming as it swung in front of her face.
"Is it you?" He asked, not sure. She wasn't behaving like the Willow knew years ago.
"Yeah" she said, her voice still quiet, emotionless.
She looked up then. Buffy and Cordelia gasped. Xander's eyes widened. Angel just sat in shock at seeing her again.
Her eyes were lifeless as she looked at them. No hint of emotion. What was the most surprising was the scar than ran from right ear down her chin. Buffy overcame her shock and stood.
"It's great to see you"
She went to hug her, only finding that Willow stepped away from her embrace. Buffy noticed another scar on her arm, running up past where the sleeve was.
"Don't touch me" Willow said, her eyes unwavering.
"What's wrong with you?" Xander asked. "She missed you. We all missed you. You leave four and half years ago promising to call and we never hear from you. What happened?"
She looked at him, her eyes taking in the changes in her old friend. "I don't have time to discuss it." She looked at Giles. "You have trouble in Sunnydale."
Buffy sat back down. not liking this new Willow. "We always have trouble in Sunnydale" she said sarcastically.
Willow looked at her steadily. She shrugged. "I'm only here to warn you. I don't really care if you listen." She turned to go.
"Wait" Giles called. She turned, her eyes wary now. "What do you know?"
"Damien" she said softly. "Look him up. You'll see what you have to face."
Angel froze. "Damien?"
She kept her eyes on Giles, refusing to look at Angel. "Yes. You remember him."
Angel cursed. "Yes. He's psychotic. A true sadist." He looked at the others. "He makes Angelus look like a choir boy."
He saw the fear in their expressions. "I hadn't realized he was still around. He has kept a low profile these last few years."
"Good lord. And he wants Sunnydale?"
Willow nodded. "He's arriving in the next few days. Look him up. I'm sure what you find will be helpful." She turned to leave.
"Willow..." Angel said.
She stopped but didn't turn around.
"Why are you here?"
"I heard that he was planning on being here. I was concerned about Giles. I thought I should warn him. Besides, I have some unfinished business in this town."
"Unfinished business? And what do you mean Giles? What about us?" Buffy demanded.
Willow turned, her eyes taking in Buffy. She smiled without humor, "I knew you could take care of things."
Angel suddenly stood. "Vampire"
Buffy and the others watched as the library doors opened. A familiar blond vampire walked in, closing the doors behind him.
"C'mon Pet. We need to go. It's been too long as it is. I'm tired of waiting."
Spike stood in the doorway and scowled at the humans in the room. He didn't know why there were here. They should be resting, getting ready for what he knew would be a major fight. But, Willow had insisted that she warn Buffy and the others. He looked at the woman beside him. Even after four years, he didn't understand her.
Willow turned to Spike, trying to keep the relief from flashing in her eyes. She was so glad he was here. He always comforted her just by being close. Seeing them all again had been much harder than she had imagined. Seeing them, they had barely changed. They seemed healthy and happy. Their lives were so different than hers.
"What's he doing here?" Buffy demanded.
Willow was growing tired of the questions. She hadn't spoken this much in four years, it seemed.
"He's with me" she said quietly, her eyes daring Buffy to protest.
"Oh" Buffy sat back down, not liking the look in her friend's eyes.
"Giles, research Damien. That is all I can really say to help you. You might ask him," she motioned vaguely in Angel's direction, keeping her eyes on the watcher, "what he knows. It couldn't hurt."
"Of course." Giles said, looking at Spike standing beside Willow.
He was dying to know what was had brought those two together. But, he had seen Willow's eyes. He didn't think she was open to answering questions tonight. Maybe the next night, she'd be more Willow-like.
Willow saw the curiosity in Giles eyes, in all their eyes.
Spike snorted. "Yeah, why don't you ask Peaches about Damien. He should be able to tell a lot of interesting things." he said, his voice cold, his eyes unreadable.
He saw Angel start to stand, anger in his eyes. He was ready to fight. He'd been wanting to do this for years. He saw Willow move her hand in front of his chest. He looked down at her and saw her shake her head no quickly. He moved back, avoiding Angel's glare. She had stopped him without even touching him. She always did.
Willow knew it was time to go. She sensed unease in Spike. If they stayed, he might do something rash. She couldn't afford that right now.
"I'll see what I can find out" Giles said, seeing her start to turn. "Will you be here tomorrow?"
She thought a moment. "If I come, he comes. Is that a problem?" she looked at Buffy.
"I won't stake him, if that's what you're asking." She said, her eyes lit with curiosity.
"We'll be here." Willow said, as she turned to leave.
Spike smiled, "Well, the reunion was bloody amusing, but I must go now. Cheerio" he said sarcastically as he followed the slim redhead out the door.
Everyone let loose a sigh of relief when the doors shut.
"Was it just me, or was that really awkward?" Xander said.
"It wasn't just you" Cordelia said, agreeing with her fiance.
"I wonder why Spike is with Willow." Giles said, curiously.
"What I want to know is, where's Dru?" Buffy said, leaning into Angel's embrace.
He watched the doors, a frown on his face. Something was wrong. He hoped tomorrow night they would find out what it was. He felt a shiver of fear pass through him when he remembered that Damien was coming to town. There had only been one man that Angelus had feared. Now, he was coming to Sunnydale. Angel wondered if they'd be able to survive.
* * * * *
Spike heard a noise and went into the other room. He saw Willow thrashing around on the bed. The covers were gathered around her legs as she moved. They were staying at an old warehouse he had had set up when he was in Sunnydale the last time. He had wanted somewhere to escape Angelus and Dru. This had become his home away from home back then. He heard her whimpering in her sleep. He moved to the bed and lay down beside her.
He watched her as she dreamed. She never told him what they were about, but he knew. She rarely slept an entire day without having the nightmare. He reached over and pulled her writhing body into his arms, holding her close. She started to calm down. It was the only time he was free to touch her. In four years, he had tried several times, but she refused. She never touched him either. It was only during these nightmares that he was able to hold the woman he had grown to love.
They had been together four years, give or take a month. At first, due to the circumstances, he had resented her. He hadn't wanted to be there, to take care of her. Now, he knew he could not go on without her. Drusilla had been right. Willow was his other half. He knew she cared for him. She wouldn't be with him if she didn't. She was just unable to demonstrate it the way he would like. He could see it in her eyes sometimes, when she didn't know he was watching her. She loved him.
He gently stroked her face as she started to sleep more peacefully. He ran his fingers lightly over the scar on her face. It was one of many that covered her beautiful body. He felt intense hatred for the one who had scarred her, who had taken the innocent child she had been and turned her into this cold, hard woman. Now, he would finally get his revenge. Here, in Sunnydale of all places.
He kissed her cheek as she moved closer to him in her sleep. He would do it for her. He might die trying, but he had to succeed. She needed to move on to the next chapter in her future. He knew the only way for her to do that would be to rid the world of the one who had caused her nightmares...who had taken so much away from her. His eyes grew determined. He would kill Damien.