Notes: Set in ‘Dead Things’ and then moves onto ‘Older and Far Away’ in the 6th season
Pairing: B/S (Don’t worry, it won’t last long, I hate it just as much as you do.) W/S
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Joss & Company own all. Linkin Park owns ‘Don’t Stay’.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sometimes I need to remember just to breathe
Sometimes I need you to stay away from me
Sometimes I’m in disbelief I didn’t know
Somehow I need you to go
Don’t stay
Forget our memories
Forget our possibilities
What you were changing me into
Just give me myself back and
Don’t stay
Forget our memories
Forget our
possibilities
Take all your faithlessness with you
Just give me myself back and
Don’t stay
Sometimes I feel like I trusted you too well
Sometimes I just feel like screaming at myself
Sometimes I’m in disbelief I didn’t
know
Somehow I need to be alone
Don’t stay
Forget our memories
Forget our possibilities
What you were changing me into
Just give me myself back and
Don’t stay
Forget our memories
Forget our possibilities
Take all your faithlessness with you
Just give me myself back and
Don’t stay
I don’t need you anymore, I don’t want to be
ignored
I don’t need one more day of you wasting me away
I don’t need you anymore, I don’t want to be
ignored
I don’t need one more day of you wasting me away
With no apologies
~^~**~^~
~Part: 1~
Pain. It shot through him in ribbons. Bloody hell, in all the 128 years he’d been on the earth he never realized he could feel so much of it. Physical, mental, but mostly, emotional. ‘You don't have a soul! There is nothing good or clean in you. You are dead inside! You can't feel anything real! I could never be your girl!’
The words rang through his mind like a bell. A bell much too loud for his sensitivity as of now. Groaning, he crawled to his feet before stumbling into the wall. Maybe he could just rest here for awhile, well, at least until the sun came up. Letting out an unneeded sigh, he pushed his weight to his other foot and limped his way down the alley.
“Oh, god, Spike?”
His head shot up and through blurred vision, he saw that it was the witch. “What are you doing here?”
“I talked to Dawn, she was a mess saying something about the police and a girl and an accident and Buffy and so I came down here to see what was going on.” She stopped in her ramblings and reached out to catch the weak vampire.
He held onto her gratefully, “She’s not here.”
“What?” Willow’s eyes widened, “She didn’t-“
“No, she didn’t. I think she realized something and then just left.”
Willow shook her head, “What happened to you, Spike? You saw Buffy? Did she see you like this?”
Spike bit back his comment as to how exactly he got to the current state he was in. “I saw her but she didn’t see me. She was in too much of a hurry.”
“Right,” Willow shifted her position a little as they walked down the alleyway. At hearing his groan she immediately bit her lip, “I’m sorry, Spike. I’m so sorry. Who did this to you?”
“I-um-I don’t know.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion, “You don’t know? How could you not know?”
“I didn’t see them. It was a group ambush type thing. Came at me all at once, caught me off guard.”
Willow nodded profusely, “Ok, gotcha. Look, I’m going to get you back to the crypt. Do you have any supplies back there?”
“Yeah, bandages, swabs, all that good stuff. You know, you really don’t have to do this. I’ve got the vampire healing and all.”
She raised an eyebrow and moved away quickly before he could catch his balance. Almost immediately, he began to fall to the ground before Willow caught him again, “You were saying?”
“Right,” He replied tightly, trying to ignore the pain in his stomach and just about everywhere on his body.
She shook her head, “Ok, that’s it.” She inched him towards the wall and when she was satisfied he could at least hold himself up against it, she backed away and muttered a few words, holding her hands out. She placed her palms against his forehead for a few moments, a glowing light coming off of them before holding onto him again, “Better?”
He nodded, “Still hurts but better.” He looked down at her hands, “What was that?”
“Small healing spell for the pain. I couldn’t conjure up anything more without it taking too much out of me. And right now, I think I need as much strength as I can get if I’m supposed to get you to your crypt in one piece.”
He tilted his head as much as he could without bringing further pain to his already injured neck, “Thank you.”
She smiled at him before nodding towards the end of the alleyway, “Come on, let’s go.”
~^~**~^~
After Spike was finally settled on the couch, Willow sat next to him and started to clean him off. He tried not to cringe in pain as she was trying the best she could to be gentle but he couldn’t help it. It hurt. A lot.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered while wiping the blood off of his lip.
“Don’t,” he replied quietly, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I’m hurting you.”
“You’re making it better. Believe me, you are.”
She smiled at him before proceeding to put on the bandages. After he was all patched up, she got up and grabbed a bag of blood out of the mini cooler he had. She handed it to him apologetically, “I’m guessing you don’t have a microwave.”
He shrugged, “I’m use to it.” After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Why are you helping me?”
Green eyes widened in surprise, “I-“ she began, “I guess, I just.” She paused, “I know you’ve threatened us and tried to kill us in the past but I don’t know, I don’t think you deserve *this*.” She clasped her hands together, “Besides it gives me something to do, you know, hurts less that way.”
“The witch?”
She nodded with a tight smile, “She’s doing good. She seems happy. You know, happy without me.”
“She’s hurting too, she just doesn’t want to show it.”
Willow let out a disbelieving laugh, “If she is, she’s doing a great job of it.”
“Some people are just afraid that if they show their true selves, others won’t accept them,” Spike continued on quietly, speaking more about Buffy then Tara.
The redhead raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure *you’re* okay, Spike?”
“I’ll be fine. Perks of being a vampire, fast healing.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“I know.”
She shook her head and stood up, “Ok, well, I better be getting back.”
A sudden nervousness ran down his spine, she couldn’t leave, not now. Not this soon. He just needed someone there to comfort him. Anyone really. Bloody hell, he was ponce, and he knew it but all his self respect went out the window when he started shagging the Slayer and let her use him as a punching bag. “Could you stay?”
Willow turned around surprised, “Why?” She saw the look on his face and sighed, “Alright, I’ll stay.”
~^~**~^~
“Will, you’re back pretty late, where were you?”
Willow smiled at her best friend, “I was at Spike’s. I ended up falling asleep by accident.”
Buffy stopped moving, her expression turned serious, “You were at Spike’s? Why?”
“He got really beat up and I found him. Couldn’t exactly leave him like that and so I cleaned him up a bit.”
“Of course you could’ve left him like that. He’s Spike, he’s a monster.”
Willow’s brow furrowed, “Buffy, he was a complete wreck. Even Spike doesn’t deserve that kind of brutality.” The redhead moved into the kitchen, not noticing the look on Buffy’s face, “You should’ve seen him. Just.. terrible.”
“He’s a vampire, he’ll heal.”
The redhead turned around and looked at Buffy with a calculating look, “What are you being so cold towards him?”
“What?” Buffy shrugged, “You expect me to be all nice and fluffy towards our resident vampire?”
She shook her head, “You could at least be a little bit sympathetic. He’s done a lot to help us, Buffy.”
“He’s evil.”
Willow laughed incredulously, “A lot of things are evil, Buffy. The human mind in itself is evil but still, that’s no excuse.”
“He’s a vampire. He has no soul.”
The redhead shook her head, “Angel’s a vampire. And Buffy, have you even taken a look at society today? Humans with souls are capable of committing terrible crimes as well. Having a soul doesn’t just automatically mean that you’re good. At least Spike is helping out and fighting on the good side.”
Buffy snorted, “Oh, yeah, he’s a real Samaritan.”
Willow shook her head and let out a disbelieving laugh, “You know what, I’m tired. I’m going upstairs.”
The blonde watched with angry eyes as Willow made her way up the stairs. What was the bleached idiot planning now? Was he trying to use Willow to get to her? Didn’t he realize already? She wouldn’t love him. She wouldn’t ever love him. He was a monster, plain and simple. A sick, twisted, and demented demon.
Buffy slammed the door to the Summers home shut as she walked down the porch and onto the sidewalk. Just who the hell did he think he was? Trying to get to her like this. The blonde stormed her way through the cemetery and kicked the door to his crypt open, not caring if the sunlight burned him. Hell, she hoped it would.
“Spike, where are you?”
The vampire jumped off his sarcophagus as the Slayer shut the door. “Buffy?” He asked, trying his best to smirk. The bruises were still healing and it hurt to do anything.
“Why was Willow over here last night? What did you tell her?”
“Jealous?”
She looked at him with disgust, “You wish. I want to know why my best friend spent the night here.”
“Are you sure she’s still your best friend? You don’t even talk to her anymore.”
Buffy punched him the face, not caring if it was already bruised and now bloody, “Why?”
He held his tender jaw in hand, “She was taking care of me. She found me in the alley.”
“Did you tell her anything?”
“No, Slayer, I didn’t reveal any of your dirty little secrets.”
The blonde looked at him angrily and pushed him back against the wall before attacking his mouth, “Good.”
When she pulled back to start unbuttoning his pants, Spike almost cringed at the force. Was that what she considered a kiss, teeth mashing together with no softness whatsoever? She threw him to the ground and pushed his jeans down to his ankles. Buffy descended upon his, kicking her own jeans away. Without so much as a kiss or anything that showed sentiment, she sank down on him and began to fuck him, more for her own pleasure then his. He watched her carefully, watched as the coldness in her face seeped away, bit by bit, replaced by pleasure. Watched as she continued to fuck him into the floor without so much as a bit of care for him. Worse of all he watched as she did this all to him. And hell, he was turned on by it, he accepted it. This wasn’t all her fault. It was his too. She continued her actions, not even acknowledging that he was there, not wanting to. He suddenly gripped her by the hips, stopping her. She looked down at him with confused eyes before they turned angry.
“What the hell? I’m not done.”
She wouldn’t acknowledge him? Hell, he’ll do it for her. He didn’t answer her. Instead he began to take control of their actions. He flipped them around and began pounding into her. He grabbed her hands and held them to the ground, dominating her. For once, he was actually disgusted with himself.
It was the witch. She did something to him, some of her magic mojo. Willow with her gentle caresses, soft words, and care. She burned him, burned him deeper than the blonde writhing below him ever could. What was happening to him?
He thrust even harder and faster, still confused at the feelings building up in him. He loved Buffy. He wanted Buffy, not Willow. At that moment the blonde reached her peak and threw her head back. Before, that image would’ve been so appealing, now did nothing for him. He gripped her hips tighter, no doubt leaving bruises, and thrust a few more times before he finally came. He rolled off of her before she could push him away.
Still utterly confused as to what he was feeling, he didn’t even cringe as Buffy threw him her usual insults. In fact, he didn’t even look up until she slammed the crypt door shut on her way out.
~Part: 2~
Buffy began to scratch the skin on her arms. She was dirty. She felt contaminated. She did it, again. Even after her talk with Tara, she couldn’t stop. God, what was wrong with her? Willow’s words had set her off. She spoke of Spike as if he was some kind of.. man. He wasn’t. He was disgusting.
Just like her. Why else would they continue their relationship, for lack of a better word? It was wrong. It was so incredibly wrong and she knew that, but she kept going back. She looked down at herself and saw that she had drawn blood. But, she didn’t care. She didn’t even feel it.
The blonde walked into her house and then up the stairs, silently hoping no one would take notice of her. But, someone did.
“Buffy, I’m sorry.”
Her head whipped up in shock, “Will?”
Willow leaned her head against the doorway to her room and managed a weak smile, “I know you must be going through a rough time right now and well, you know, mostly my fault and-“
Buffy looked down, trying to hold back the tears, “It’s not your fault, Will. Believe me, it isn’t.”
She sighed, “I don’t like this, Buffy. This gap between us,” she motioned between the two bodies, “It’s just, I don’t like it.” The redhead closed her eyes, “I miss you. I miss, you know, before.”
Buffy walked up to her and threw her arms around her before breaking down sobbing, “Oh God, Will. I’m so sorry and I’m just tired. I’ve done- I’ve done things that I-“ she looked up at her, “Don’t be mad at me. Don’t hate me.”
Willow patted her back soothingly, “Why would I hate you, Buffy?”
She remained silent, not wanting to tell her regained friend about the things that she’s done. Willow remained silent as well, content for the moment that she had her best friend back.
~^~**~^~
Willow knocked on the door to Spike’s crypt nervously. Why was she here again? Oh yeah, because she couldn’t help but feel bad for the vampire. He was obviously desperately in love with Buffy but still no one would give him a break, especially not Buffy. But, still, he deserved to know about the party. After all, he was a part of the gang, well, kind of.
She snapped herself out of her thoughts when he whipped open the door, “Willow?”
The redhead smiled hesitantly before giving him a little tinkle wave, “Hey, Spike. I-um- I just wanted to stop by to tell you that, umm, we’re kind of having a little party, birthday party that is for Buffy, tonight.”
“Oh,” He raised an eyebrow, “Why are you telling me?”
“Well, you’ve helped us out a lot and well, you love her, right?”
Spike looked down at her question, “Yeah, right,” he replied unsurely.
“How are you?”
He looked up surprised, “What?”
“You know, bruises,” she pointed at his eye.
“Yeah, that, it’s getting better, still hurts like hell, but better.”
“Oh,” she replied quietly, “I’m sorry.” She began to back away slowly, “Well, I better get going.”
“Thanks for what you did. For everything, really.”
She smiled at him, “No problem, see you tonight, Spike.”
He watched as she walked away and forced out a sigh, “Yeah, tonight.”
~^~**~^~
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Just a follow-up after your- your loss. And since I'm new here, I thought it would give us a chance to know each other.”
Dawn sighed, “Great.”
“So, I’ve been looking through your file,” The counselor shuffled through a few pieces of paper, “And umm, your grades have slipped a little.”
The teen swallowed the lump in her throat, “I have really hard classes this quarter.”
“Yeah, still. Teachers say that you seem a little distracted lately.”
“I’m not. I-I’m fine.”
“Okay. It's just, you know, I know it must seem weird,” she let out a small laugh, “talking to a stranger about stuff, but, um, I want you to know that if something's going on, something's up, my job, the most important part of my job is looking out for you.”
Dawn smiled, “I’m really okay.”
The counselor sat back in her chair, “I know there’s been a lot of loss.”
“Yeah, kinda,” she began quietly, “I-I mean, yes. People keep- people have a tendency to go away and, I miss them. Other times it’s like they don’t think I could handle the truth. I wish I could just make them tell the truth and to just stop going away.”
She smiled at her comfortingly.
Dawn waved her hands dismissively, “But, seriously, it’s no big deal, I’m fine.”
“If you’re sure,” The counselor replied, “I guess I’ll let you go back to your classes.” She quickly wrote her a pass and handed it to the teen, “Everything will be okay.”
The teen looked back at her and managed a weak smile, “Sure.”
~^~**~^~
Halfrek watched from the outside as the residents mulled about. She smiled wickedly, “Wish granted.”
~^~**~^~
“We’re feeding an army,” Xander stated as Buffy brought in a plate of hors d'oeuvres.
“No, they couldn’t make it.”
“So, who’s coming, you invite anyone else?”
“Just you guys. Willow, Tara. The gang.” Buffy looked up from her preparations, “You guys invite anyone?”
Anya cleared her throat before glaring at Xander, “Well, we were going to. But, then we decided not to.”
“Oh, good,” Buffy grinned, “That means I won’t have to throttle you.”
Xander smiled back and grabbed a tray of food, “Hey, I’m gonna get this stuff out there, people should be here soon.”
~^~**~^~
“Hey! You made it,” Buffy opened the door to let Tara in before giving her a hug.
“Of course, sweetie,” Tara pulled back, “How are you doing?”
“Terrible,” the blonde replied before she could stop herself. She frowned, “I mean, better, yeah, better.”
Tara’s brow furrowed but she shook her head, “So, is umm, Spike coming?”
“No. He may be a chip-head, but he still doesn't play too well with others.” She sighed as Tara put up her coat, “Besides, I’m definitely not ready to-“
“Come out?” Tara finished for her as she turned around.
“Yeah, I’m all stay-inny.” She looked back at her, “So, how are you doing?”
“The word ‘gulp’ comes to mind.”
“Just remember, we’re all here to,” she paused as she looked up and spotted Willow, “I have to leave you two alone now.” The blonde looked down confused again, “I mean, just, umm,” she sighed, “Coming!”
“Hey,” Willow greeted as she made her way down the stairs.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” the redhead paused, “How are you?”
“Nervous because,” Tara paused before stopping herself, “I-I’m okay. You?”
“Not good,” Willow coughed when she realized what she had just said, “I mean, errrm.”
Tara looked at her nervously, “You look-“
“Thanks,” The redhead glanced down at her dress embarrassed.
“I mean, great. Beautiful really,” Tara looked towards the kitchen, “I’m gonna go get something to drink.”
She watched as the blonde skittered away with confused eyes. What the heck just happened?
~^~**~^~
Buffy opened the back door with surprise, “Spike.”
“Willow mentioned a shindig, figured we’re all apart of the team.”
She looked behind him, “Didn’t bring anybody?”
“No,” he replied quietly before walking in, “I just thought I’d swing by.”
“Hey, Buff, I need your help with something,” Xander called from the living room.
“Okay, uhh,” She looked back at Spike, “I’m gonna go.”
Spike closed the door, “Stupid git.”
Willow walked into the kitchen right as Tara walked out. She stared at the blonde with hurt eyes. She glanced up and smiled, “Spike, you actually came.”
“Yeah,” he smiled back at her, “More for you then Buffy.” He stopped talking as he realized what came out of his mouth.
“What?” Willow asked, confused. <Did he really just say what I think he just said?> She shook her head, “Umm, how are you?”
“Confused as hell,” he replied before putting the six pack of beer onto the table. What was going on here?
The redhead raised an eyebrow, “Nice to know you’re being honest.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly, still trying to figure out what was going on.
“Are you getting any better, with the, you know?” She waved her hands up and down towards his body.
“Yeah, I’m grateful that you found me when you did. You took care of me, no one’s ever done that before.”
Willow backed out of her chair nervously, “Right, well, you were hurt.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled before turning to go into the living room.
Spike shook his head, <Bloody hell! Acting just like the poof.>
~^~**~^~
Buffy grinned when she sat down, “Time to open up presents!”
“Oh,” Willow grabbed her box, “Mine first.”
The blonde ripped into it with joy until she saw what she got, “Ummm.”
“See? I-It's a battery-operated back massager. And it's portable so you can take it with you on patrol.” Willow smiled giddily, “It’s like instant gratification for all your little acheys.”
“Yeah, well, I have Spike for that,” Buffy said before her eyes got wide, “I mean.”
“Mine next,” Tara cut in, shoving the box in front of the blonde.
Buffy smiled as she opened it up and it revealed a long silver necklace with a heart charm, “Oh, Tara, I love it.”
“Good,” she smiled back at her, “I was going to give it to Willow originally but then,” she stopped herself as she realized what she had just said.
Buffy coughed, hoping to cover everything up, “Umm, who’s next?”
Dawn handed a white box to her, “Do mine.”
She gasped in surprise when she saw what it was, “Dawn.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s,” Buffy lifted it up, “Gorgeous.”
“I was so nervous. I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”
Buffy smiled before looking at the jacket once again, “It still has the security tag on it.”
“Oh, that’s because-“
Before she could finish, Xander called out, “Happy Birthday, Buffy!”
“Oh my god,” Buffy exclaimed as she saw the big wooden chest. “Did you guys make that?”
“Uh, well, uh, Xander did the building,” Anya grinned, still happy that Buffy liked it so much, “I offered helpful suggestions while observing from a safe distance.”
Dawn sighed as she put the jacket back into the box, not even noticing that she almost revealed how she obtained it.
“Holds basic weapons, plus a few non-basic ones too,” Xander added as he lifted open the lid to show it off.
“We wanted you to have something no one else would have,” Anya smiled.
“A Xander Harris original,” Buffy continued to grin, “I love it! Thanks, you guys!”
~Part: 3~
“No, you go!” Anya grinned as Xander continued to nuzzle her neck.
“No, you go,” He returned.
“No, you go!”
“Okay,” Xander and Anya stopped their necking to look over at Willow. She rolled her eyes, “It’s just a beer run, I’ll go.”
Spike watched from the doorframe as she got up, “I’ll go with you.”
“Umm, okay,” She shrugged, “Here we go, the beer-getting.”
But, nobody moved. Willow sighed and walked over to Spike, “There’s only so much you can take of that,” she nodded towards Xander and Anya who were practically devouring each other, “before you feel a little-“
“Deprived?” Spike asked.
Willow’s brow furrowed, “Well, I was actually going to go with nauseous but yeah, I guess deprived works too.” She grinned, “Come on, I don’t want to watch this anymore.” She dragged him into the dining room and sat down across from him, “I can’t believe you actually came.”
“Why?”
“I just really didn’t expect you to,” She looked down at her clasped hands, “I mean, you really don’t like us very much except for Buffy.”
He sat back in the chair, “I’m really starting to rethink that.”
“What? The loving Buffy thing?”
“Well, she doesn’t love me back. I know that much. And bloody hell, all she does is use me for sex.”
Willow’s eyes grew wide, “She what?”
Before he could reply, Buffy came into the room, “Oh, you guys are here again, talking, alone.” She gave Spike a pointed look, “I need to talk to you.”
The redhead stopped them, “Wait a second, he was just-“
Buffy dragged Spike out of the room and towards the door, “What are you doing?”
“Talking.”
She shook her head, “Manipulating. She’s my best friend, Spike. Don’t you dare-“
“What, Slayer?” He cocked his head to the side, “Lie to her?”
She glared at him, “I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Yeah, well, can’t,” he pointed at the window, “Daylight.”
“Okay, I’ll go,” she muttered, “Can’t stand you.”
“I’ll get the door!” Spike growled back.
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
“I’m actually trying to move now,” Buffy stated as she remained immobilized.
“Me too.”
“Well, this can’t be good.”
~^~**~^~
Buffy looked around the living room, “Something’s keeping us in this house.”
Willow sighed, “What if we just, like, as a group, got up and, and threw ourselves at the door?”
“All right,” Xander said, “Count of three. One, Two, Three.”
No one moved.
“Here we go!” Xander frowned, “Okay, that didn’t work.”
Buffy shook her head, “Hence the problem.”
“I have to open the Magic Box,” Anya said.
“Willow and Tara have class, I gotta be at the site.”
“I know, I know, some of us have places that we'd rather be,” Buffy said as she tried to figure out what was going on. “I think our first priority has to be to find a way out.”
“Sure, just leave again cuz being stuck in here with me would really suck, right?” Dawn asked angrily.
“No, Dawnie,” Willow said comfortingly, “It’s just we have more important things we have to do.”
“Yeah, I know, important,” Dawn said in disgust. She got up and headed for the stairs, “Whatever that means, right?”
Willow shook her head sadly, “She’s really mad at us, isn’t she?”
“No, she’s-“ Buffy paused, trying to say the words but finding that she couldn’t.
Xander stared at her oddly, “Uhh, Buff, what are you doing?”
“I can’t,” She shook her head, “I can’t-“
The redhead looked up suddenly, everything connecting, “You can’t lie.”
Buffy nodded her head, “I’m not. Unless,” she paused, “You’re right.”
Anya looked at them curiously, “What?”
“We can’t lie,” Willow stated. She grabbed a black pen off the table and held it in front of Xander, “Lie to me. What color is this pen?”
He tried to open his mouth to speak but found that he couldn’t. “I can’t lie,” he let out an unbelieving sigh, “I can’t lie!”
“None of us can,” Willow put the pen back onto the table, “It’s gotta be the same thing that’s keeping us all in the house.” She smiled to herself, “Looks like I’m right.”
Buffy returned her smile, catching on, “And, so, it might have something to do with Dawn’s rampage earlier.” She snapped her fingers, “It has to do with Dawn.”
“She’s the one who’s doing this?” Xander asked.
“I don’t think so,” Willow began, “She might have inadvertently done something though.” She looked up at the stairs, “We have to ask her.”
Anya snorted, “Are you sure she’ll tell us?”
Tara shrugged, “We have to try.”
~^~**~^~
“Dawn?” Buffy knocked on the teen’s door before opening it and stepping in along with Tara, Willow, Xander.
“What?”
“Did you do something?” Buffy asked.
Dawn let out an exasperated sigh, “Me?”
“Did you do something?” Tara questioned gently, “Cuz we want you to feel like you can tell us.”
She sat up and turned around angrily, “What would I know?”
“Look, we’re not-“ Willow paused as she realized the words weren’t coming out of her mouth. She sighed and tried a different aspect, “It’s just you were kinda taking it personal down there.”
“Oh, okay, so you’ve all just decided I’m somewhat responsible,” Dawn glared at them all, “Gr-“ her brow furrowed in confusion when the words didn’t come out.
“We know that you’re upset because some of us want to leave,” Xander started, wanting to be of help, “And now we can’t leave. The only thing missing is a cornfield.” He looked around, “There- There isn’t a cornfield is there?”
“Dawnie,” Buffy moved closer, “It’s okay. We’re not going to be mad.”
“Yeah,” Dawn replied angrily, “Well, I didn’t-“ She frowned again when she realized the words weren’t coming out of her mouth.
“You see,” Willow said softly, “You can’t lie, can you? It’s a part of what we’re trying to figure out.”
“Figure it out yourself.” She spat, “I’m done being talked to like a kid.”
“Well, cuz you know, sometimes we do something that seems like a good idea at the time, like, say, invoke the power of a musical amulet? And it turns out, you know, not so much,” Xander smiled sheepishly.
Dawn nearly growled, “God, I didn’t-“ She gripped the side of the bed in frustration, “I’m glad you’re trapped. How else can I get anybody to spend anytime with me?”
“Dawn,” Buffy said, “If you wanted us to spend time with you-“
“Get out,” Dawn cut her off coldly. When none of them moved she shrieked, “Get out! Get out! Get out!”
~^~**~^~
Anya leaned her arm against the side of the couch, “I think she’s possessed.”
“She’s a teenager,” Xander reasoned.
Tara walked in from the dining room, “Phones are all out. We’re totally cut off.”
Buffy shook her head sadly, “She’s just so angry.”
“It happens,” Tara sighed, “We all went through it.”
“I know, I just can’t figure out why she didn’t come to me.”
“Well,” Xander clasped his hands together, “You’ve been a little busy lately.”
Spike rolled his eyes, “Hey, I don't wanna keep you all from the touchy-feelies, but maybe the encounter group can meet later. Say, when we're not trapped in a house.”
Willow looked up at Spike and nodded, “He’s right. But, even if Dawn does know something, she's obviously not gonna help us right now. We need another way.”
“I think magic’s going to be our best bet,” Buffy started to make a hand motion, “Something general, you know? Cast a wide net.”
“But, Willow,” Xander nodded at the redheaded witch.
Tara shook her head, “No, I’ll do it.” She sighed, “But, it’s just, o-obviously I didn’t bring any supplies.”
“Well,” Buffy began, “We don’t-“ She paused and turned to Willow, “Seems I can’t finish my phrase. Willow?”
The redhead backed away and managed a weak smile, “I kinda kept a couple of things, just in case.”
“That’s great!” Xander smiled before it withered away when Buffy and Tara both shot him warning glares, “I mean, in a very bad way.”
“Just, bring me what you have,” Tara stated, “But, I’m doing this alone. You need to-“ She frowned again when she couldn’t finish her sentence.
~Part: 4~
“Bloody hell,” Spike complained, “Didn’t work.” He sat back down on the couch, “Believe me when I say I tried.”
“Well,” Tara sighed, “I’d say we could do another spell but I think we’ve tried everything.”
“Well, that’s not completely true, is it?” Anya looked at Willow, “And considering how I can actually say it, I’m right. We’re sitting here with an incredibly powerful witch, much more powerful then you, Tara, I’m sorry but, it’s just no one else seems willing to say it.”
“I ca-“ Willow frowned and shook her head.
“You can,” Anya stared at her, “See, you can’t say that you can’t which means that *you* *can*. You just won’t.”
“You don’t know how much I hate this. I’m not even sure if there’s anything I could do.”
“Yeah, and a good way to find out is to-“ she paused, “Damn it, I can’t even be sarcastic.”
Spike glared at Anya, “Back off, demon girl. Willow said she’s not doing the spell so she’s not doing the spell.”
Willow gave him a thankful smile, “It’s dangerous.”
“And so is the current situation that we’re in.”
“Will, look, I don’t wanna gang up on you but Anya does have a point,” Xander said. “We brought you back from it once. And, we’re all here, it’s just one little spell.”
“No,” Willow said firmly, “If I start, I might not be able to stop.”
“And whose fault is that?” Anya demanded, “You know, if you hadn't gotten so much of this in your system in the first place-“
Before Tara could stand up to defend Willow, Spike was there. He stood in front of Willow and growled at Anya and Xander, “She said no, okay? You are not going to make her do anything she doesn’t want to. Now, if I were you, I’d watch what you were saying from now on, got it?”
Anya sighed and shook her head angrily before grabbing Xander’s hand and walking out of the room. She fumed, “Fine, if you aren’t willing to get us out of this then I will do it myself.”
Tara followed them, hoping to lessen the tension.
~^~**~^~
Willow sat down shakily, “Thank you, Spike.”
“No problem,” Spike rubbed her back gently, “This isn’t your fault.”
She ran her hand through her hair, “I just- I feel kinda responsible.” She shook her head, “Thank you.”
He smiled at her again, “You don’t have to keep thanking me, luv. It’s the least I could do.”
Willow suddenly sat up when she remembered something, “You-you had sex with Buffy?”
The smile flittered away, “Willow-“
“You had sex with Buffy? You let her use you?” She shook her head, “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” After more thought she continued on, “I can’t believe she would do something like that.”
“What? I’m not good enough for you?” Spike asked, irritated that she was insulting him.
“I’m not talking about you. I’m saying I can’t believe she would use you. It just doesn’t seem like her.”
He snorted, “She’s changed, luv. She’s changed so much.”
“No, she-“
He gave her a pointed look, “See?”
She sat back down, “I suppose this is a good thing for you. I mean, you love h-“ She paused, “You don’t love her anymore?”
“I guess not.”
“How?” Willow stared at him in confusion, “You were-“
“I’ve realized a lot of things in the past few days. And, I realized that I’ve been lying to myself. It’s not real with her. It’s just abuse and bloody sickening. She craves me because I make her feel. I craved her because she was a challenge.” He shook his head, “I twisted myself into believing I loved her, but I don’t. I really don’t. And you know that I’m telling the truth because if I wasn’t, I couldn’t say it.”
Willow sat back in shock, “Buffy wouldn’t-“ She shook her head sadly, “I guess she would.”
“She’s different.”
The redhead sighed, “We all change.” She tapped her fingers against the table, “If only she told me.”
“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” Spike linked his fingers through hers.
“Thanks for telling me.”
Both their attentions were drawn elsewhere when Dawn came running down the stairs with Anya, Buffy, Tara, and Xander not far behind.
“I worked hard at that store,” Anya said, the shock obvious in her voice, “I helped you.” She reached and grabbed Dawn’s arm, “I took care of you. This is how you say ‘thank you’?”
“Anya, hold on okay,” Buffy turned to Dawn, “Tell her you didn’t do-.” She frowned, “Oh, god,” she looked towards the living room, her eyes on the white box.
“No,” Dawn cried.
“Oh,” Buffy looked down at the black jacket.
“Buffy,” the teen managed, not knowing what else to say.
“How are we supposed to trust you, Dawn? I mean, you- you say you didn't put us here, but look at this stuff!” Anya shoved the fistful of merchandise towards her, “How are we supposed to believe you?”
“Look, I-I don't think she- I don't think it's all her fault, okay? She- there was a guidance counselor, or someone pretending to be a guidance counselor, she, she made Dawn make a wish.” Buffy stated, trying to accept all that she was learning.
“Guidance counselor? You made a wish to someone you've never seen before?” Anya asked, her voice tinged with annoyance and shock.
Dawn looked up nervously, “Yeah?”
“Did she wear a pendant with a, with a dark blue stone?”
“And little red flecks?” Dawn asked in return.
“Uhh, for crying out loud,” Anya said frustrated, “Halfrek!” She yelled. “It’s Halfrek, a vengeance demon. You made a wish to a vengeance demon.”
“I didn’t know,” The teen replied weakly.
“Only a vengeance demon can break her own vengeance spell. Nothing else will work. She's the only one who can get us out of here.” Anya yelled again, “Hallie! Get your ass down here!”
A small puff of smoke popped up right behind Anya and Halfrek emerged. She smiled, “You rang?”
“How could you?” Anya demanded, “Why would you do this?”
“I told you I was going to take care of some business while I was here in town.”
“Yeah, but cursing us? Some of them are in the wedding party.”
“I just go where I’m,” She paused and stared at Spike, “William?”
He frowned, “Hey, wait a minute.”
Willow looked between the two with a curious glance, “You two know each other?”
“Uhhh, anyway,” Halfrek turned away.
“I thought vengeance demons only punished men who wronged woman,” Tara stated, still confused.
“Oh, that was Anya's little raison d'être. Most of us try to be a little more well-rounded. And actually, we prefer 'justice demon.' Okay? FYI.”
“Well-rounded, huh? Is that how you explain your thing for bad parents?”
“Sling all the little barbs at me that you want, Anyanka, it doesn't change the fact that this girl was in pain,” Halfrek nodded at Dawn, “and none of you could hear it. I could hear her crying out everywhere I went in this town. It was unbearable and none of you knew.”
“Enjoy your time together. From now on all you have is-“ she frowned as she realized she couldn’t finish her sentence, “Good Luck!” She moved her arms dramatically, signifying her leave but it didn’t work. She tried again before sighing.
“It’s the curse, Hallie!”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Halfrek pouted, “Fine, the curse is lifted. You may all leave now and feel free to lie as much as you want. Damn it.”
~^~**~^~
Willow sighed as she walked out the door, knowing there wasn’t any point in going out since the sun had already set and she already missed all her classes. But, she didn’t want to be cooped up in the house anymore. She deserved some fresh air.
She walked down the street, gripping the stake tightly in hand. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise and she whipped around, surprised to see Spike standing there with a small smile on his lips.
“Gonna attack me, luv?”
She shook her head, “Sorry, didn’t hear you. You shouldn’t do that, the sneaking up, I mean.”
“It’s too much fun to give up.”
“Right,” Willow smiled, “Why are you here?”
“I thought I’d keep you company.”
“I thought you’d be with Buffy.”
“Well, she’s with the bit. They’re finally getting some sister bonding time together. But, that’s not the only reason why I’m here.”
She looked up at him curiously, “What?”
“You’re not my second choice, Willow. In fact, you’re my first.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I like talking to you. You actually care. It’s a nice feeling, really. And, I miss that.” He looked down at his feet. <Ponce. Ponce. Ponce. Ponce. Ponce.>
“So, you came here,” she repeated slowly, “to talk to me?”
“Well, yeah.”
She grinned, “You’re adorable.”
He mocked pouted, “I’m a demon, luv. I’m not supposed to adorable. I’m supposed to be evil and menacing.”
“Oh, don’t worry you are,” She reassured him, “Alright, let’s talk then.” She hooked her arm through his, “Why don’t you start with how you know Halfrek.”
“Uhhhh,” He shook his head, “How bout another topic?”
Willow shook her head, “I don’t think so, buster. Enquiring minds want to know.”
“Nosy chit, aren’t we?”
“Stop changing the topic, get to the explaining.”
Spike smiled at her again. He really did miss that. The smiles. The laughs. The teasing. But, mostly, just someone who cared. He looked at her again and saw the sparkle in her green eyes, <Looks like I finally found it again.>
The End