Couple: W/S
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Summary: Somewhat alternate ending to season 6, Spike is chipless
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"Will, I am NOT going to let you do this. You can still stop this."
"No."
"Please...Willow, I'll make you stop if you don't."
"Is that right?"
"Willow..."
"Enough with the name already. Yes, yes...her body, her vengeance...I get all that...but really now, you aren't addressing your dear sweet friend, are you? So stop trying to appeal to the soul. And let us not forget, I'M the one that saved you. You're alive, this time, because of ME."
"Dear god, her soul...it's...it's gone?" Giles tried to sound surprised.
"Good observation watcher...you just getting that now? Did you really think that pathetic weak soul could do what I did...could bring on the death and destruction I created?"
Buffy took a step forward, speaking sharply through a tightly clamped jaw. "Where. Is. She."
Willow turned to face her again, giving her a sweet innocent look with her large dark eyes. "Why, Buffy, I'm right here." She smiled a sickeningly sly smile at her.
"Where is Willow's soul?"
"Oh, don't worry, it's tucked safely away. Still here...so don't get any ideas about trying to destroy me...kill me and you kill her...not that you could do much to me anyway. You," she glared at Buffy, "are only alive because I choose to keep you that way. I am being generous. I don't have to be. And you," she turned toward Giles, "couldn't even fight her with the little amount of power she had before. Surely you don't think you can do any damage now."
"You'd be surprised," Giles replied quietly.
Ignoring him, she continued talking.
"All she ever wanted was a little control. To be strong, powerful. She knew she wasn't...she was dependent, weak. She called on me to fill the void. Don't get me wrong here, I'm sure she had no idea what she was asking for, the mass destruction she would bring...still a surprisingly naive girl for having gained so much wisdom...but she asked for it none the less...and I'm here to carry out her vengeance...and to have a little fun along the way." She smiled a broad, evil grin again.
"And when you're job is done?" Giles' asked.
"I move on...leaving the body to die...the soul to be taken...don't look so shocked...she knew the deal...she choose this. She told you she wasn't coming back."
Turning abruptly, she began heading for the door.
"Willow, you're not leaving," Buffy began to run towards her but with a simple flick of her wrist, everyone in the room was frozen, unable to move or speak. As she reached for the doorknob, she suddenly cried out, and fell to the floor, holding her head.
"No, no, no, no...Not time...not done yet, NO!" Finally, a few seconds later, she slumped to the floor unconscious. Immediately, the others were able to move again, and quickly ran to her. Giles reached down and scooped her up, carrying her to a nearby couch. As he laid her down, he, Dawn and Buffy looked down at the small unconscious form, which now once again more closely resembled their friend...her red hair and normal complexion back as they should be.
"Did it work?" Buffy asked in a small voice. "Is she back? Is it gone?"
"Well, I believe so. We won't know for sure until she wakes up, but I do believe so. I'll go call Anya and Xander, and let them know that they seemed to have performed the spell correctly."
Giles walked out with Dawn, leaving Buffy alone with the sleeping girl. She knelt next to the couch and took a pale, lifeless hand in hers, tears running down her cheeks as she prayed for her friend.
~~~*~~~
She could feel herself slowly coming out of a deep fog. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around. "Buffy?" She whispered in a voice barely audible. Her entire body ached and was so weak she could barely sit up. Suddenly Buffy was at her side.
"I'm here Will...I'm right here."
"Buffy...what happened? I, I don't remember any..." Suddenly images began to assault her mind...Tara, Warren, Buffy, Xander, Giles...pain, death...so much death and blood. It was overwhelming and horrifying. "Oh god...Tara....oh god, no I didn't....nooo" she began to cry bitterly, her body wracked with sobs. She buried her face in Buffy's shoulder and cried...for the death of the one she loved and for the death she caused. The pain and remorse was unbearable. As she sobbed and sobbed, her friend gently rocked her, holding her tightly, whispering, "Willow, it wasn't you...it wasn't you."
Spike came into the shop through the back entrance and was a little surprised to find no one around. He had heard that there had been some big evil they had all fought just after he left, but as far as he knew, their little gang had come out on top, as usual. He stood and listened for a moment and then noticed the redhead sleeping on the couch. He smiled to himself. `Finally, time to finished what we started years ago.' He settled himself down in the corner and decided to wait until she woke up.
~~~*~~~
The next time she woke, the room was dark and quiet. As she pulled herself up into a sitting position, she looked around and jumped a little as a figure suddenly stood up from the corner and came towards her. As he sat down beside her, she stared up at him in surprise.
"Spike."
"I see the whole gang is back together. Little Scooby reunion, is it?" She stared at him, saying nothing. Her eyes empty and hollow, void of any emotion or feeling.
Finally after a long silence, she spoke in a hushed, breaking voice, more to herself than to him.
"It hurts so much. It, it feels like my heart is permanently ripped apart. Knowing she's gone, forever, and knowing the horrible things I did...I can't get the images out of my mind...the remorse is killing me from the inside out. I can't bear it." She choked out a sob, not wanting to cry in front of him.
He sat, staring at her in surprise, not knowing what she was talking about. What could the little witch possibly have done to be that remorseful over? After a few moments he spoke again.
"You remember, I once gave you a choice...stay dead, or...come back, to be like me?" His eyes glowed yellow and he grinned devilishly at her. She nodded
"But, now you can't..."
"Things change, pet. Things change."
"But you…you're not bitable, er biting… uh, you can't hurt me, cause of the chip and all."
Suddenly he grabbed a fistful of red hair and yanked her head back, his demon face staring menacingly down at her.
"Feel that? Hurts right? Then I guess I CAN hurt you, chip and all." He grinned at her and released his hold on her hair, expecting to see a look of terror on her face, and feeling disappointed at the empty stare he was receiving.
After a moment of thought, she spoke.
"Would you stay with me, never leave? L-love me?"
He reached out a hand and gently stroked her cheek, looking right into her eyes.
"Forever."
She looked wistful for a moment. "You would like me evil. Without a soul, I'm very, very bad." She frowned and her eyes watered.
"I bet you're right. Seems the sweetest, most innocent souls make for the most evil demons."
She looked him dead in the eye, and whispered, "You must have been a saint."
"Pretty close, pet," he smiled.
"I don't want to feel this anymore. I don't want this pain," she choked out, letting a tear slide down her cheek.
"Say the word and it's done," he said, his voice husky.
She tilted her neck slowly toward him and whispered, "Bring me back, Spike, to be like you."