REPLAY
Chapter 10- Differences and Resemblance
Jonathan and Andrew beat the basement door to death. They could hear the upbeat
party music and chatter.
“This is cruel and unusual punishment!” hollered Andrew.
The door flung open. Dawn stood there. Both boys jumped back. They were both
frightened of her, remembering their time alone together. She was one disturbed
girl to make them watch Space Balls (AN- This is a movie making fun of Star
Wars. It is hilarious. If you haven’t seen it, do). Oh the horror of someone
mocking the greatest film ever made.
Dawn glared. “Buffy told me that you could come up for awhile. But you have to
behave yourself.”
“We promise,” said Jonathan.
“Yes, scout’s honor,” Andrew said.
She rolled her eyes and let them pass into the kitchen.
Andrew noticed the food immediately. “Ooo, pretzels!”
Dawn traveled back into the living room. She went up to her sister.
“They’re in the kitchen. I don’t think we have to worry about them escaping.
They’re transfixed by the food,” the teen said.
Buffy smiled.
“So, I think I should get a move on.”
“Good idea.”
The two had made a plan last night. Dawn would go out with Janice and the two
vampires. She would act normally. Later Buffy would show up with Spike and dust
the unsuspecting pair, plus their friends.
Dawn told Xander and Anya goodbye before leaving.
+ + +
Buffy saw Xander panic from all the attention. The baby remark was his breaking
point. She followed him out to the front porch.
He fanned himself with his pirate hat.
“Air. Sweet mother of oxygen,” he remarked.
“You okay?” the slayer asked.
“Yeah. I just ... it's just, I didn't think it would be so much.”
Buffy touched his arm. “Too much too fast?”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe you should talk to Anya about it. Slow things down a bit.”
Xander seemed thoughtful. “But you saw her in there. She’s so happy. I don’t
want to ruin that.”
Buffy removed her arm. She didn’t want to ruin it either. But she knew the
outcome would be complete horror if things went on this way.
“Just . . . If you have worries don’t keep them inside, kay?”
After a moment of hesitation he nodded. “Thanks, Buff.”
She hugged him. “I’m sure you’ll have a happy ending. No need to call upon the
happy demon.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just have faith in your love. Now go back in there and wallow in the
delight.”
“Okay.”
She smiled. “I’m going to go see if Spike is up for a patrol. Gotta be something
out there cruisin' for a smackdown.”
Xander stopped. He turned. “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with the
bleached one lately.”
Buffy froze. She hadn’t been expecting that. She replayed her encounters with
Spike. They were equal to the ones before.
“Spike can be useful to have around,” she said.
Xander paused. “Right, with the muscle. . . Just, uh . . . Nevermind. You go
find yourself something large and slimy to beat the crap out of.”
Buffy watched him head back inside. Could it be that Xander had noticed her warm
fuzzies for Spike? She wrapped her arms around herself. So what if he had? It
didn’t change anything. She’d face her friend’s wrath if necessary.
She hurried to Spike’s crypt. She considered knocking, but ended up bursting in
instead. She surveyed the darkened tomb. The television was on, displaying an
old black and white movie.
“Spike, we’ve got trouble,” she called. “Spike?”
He was nowhere to be seen.
“You know . . .”
She spun around. She came face-to-face with the vampire.
“...in civilized cultures, that's called trespassing.”
She recalled this conversation. Her reply was too good of a one to let go.
“Good thing you're uncivilized. We have to go.”
“Giles found you?”
“He was looking for me?”
“Yeah, it’s Dawn.”
“Is she missing?” Buffy asked.
“Right. Dawn and her little friend pulled a Houdini. Up to a bit of candy-corn
mischief, I suspect,” he said.
“Well we have to go look for her,” Buffy declared.
Buffy started to walk off.
“I did a sweep of the tunnels, Giles is poking about the cemetery,” Spike said,
coming up behind her.
+ + +
It wasn’t hard for Dawn to convince Janice and the vampires to go straight to
the forest instead of the innocent Old Man Kaltenbach’s house. All it took was a
few flirty gestures with Justin. Then she made the suggestion of splitting up
into pairs to have some ‘quality time alone’.
When Dawn was left with Justin in the car, she didn’t wait long. He leaned in to
kiss her.
“Shhh. I just wanna taste you,” he muttered.
She gripped her wooden stake with a shaky hand. There were tears in her eyes.
She really liked Justin. If only she had met him before he had been turned. They
could have hit it off.
The vampire leaned forward. She mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ before thrusting her weapon
into his chest. An astonished looked passed over his features, and then she was
showered with dust.
It took her a few moments to compose herself. She jumped out of the car.
“Janice!” she shouted.
She ran.
She found Janice, holding her neck. A dazed expression was on her face, and her
gaze was directed down a small hill.
“Janice?” Dawn said.
Janice didn’t even acknowledge her arrival. Dawn followed her eyes to see Giles.
The watcher tackled Zack to the ground.
“Giles!” Dawn shouted. She tossed her stake toward him.
Giles lifted his head. The stake landed in the grass, near him. He grabbed it
and imbedded the wood into Zack’s heart.
+ + +
“This way!” Buffy yelled.
She didn’t bother looking back. She was certain Spike followed behind.
They came to a clearing. Vampires surrounded Dawn and Giles. Buffy acted
instantly. She grabbed a vamp and staked him.
“If anyone is here just to make out I suggest you run.”
Two humans took her advice.
She kicked another vampire in the stomach.
“You scream.”
After staking her second vamp, a third rushed at her. She quickly opened the car
door to block his advance. He punched at her, shattering the car window. Buffy
hauled him through the window. She slammed the door on his head. His body
disintegrated.
“Who’s next?”
+ + +
Xander and Anya stood, ready to leave.
“Sorry about the party,” Buffy apologized.
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Xander said. “Seeing Andrew and Jonathan dance the
chicken dance together was a hoot.”
She cracked a smile. “Sorry I missed it.”
“It gave me more time to plan the bridal shower,” Anya said. “Where do we order
obscenely muscular male strippers?”
“Anya,” Xander said.
“Well, I’m kidding, geez.”
Before exiting Anya mouthed ‘We’ll talk’.
Spike came up behind Buffy. A shiver ran down her back at his close proximity.
“Guess I should bugger off. Something about big bads not venturing far from
their crypts on Halloween.”
“Goodbye, Spike,” she said.
He nodded and left.
+ + +
“We’ve decided to be good,” Jonathan said.
Buffy blinked.
“Yeah, we’re like The Shadow, turning a new leaf and all. I’m talking about the
movie since I never –“
Buffy held up her hand for him to stop.
“We owe you,” Jonathan went on. “Well I owe you. You saved my life a bunch of
times. And just between you and me, I never liked Warren that much anyway.”
A dark frown crossed Andrew’s face. He crossed his arms. “He thought he was so
better than us. And then he left us when we needed him the most.”
Buffy just stared.
“So, uh, Buffy . . .” Jonathan said. “Can we . . . uh, maybe . . . hide out here
for awhile?”
“You’re still my prisoners, remember? Until you demonstrate change I’m not
letting you leave,” Buffy said.
“Hey!” protested Jonathan. “That’s so unfair!”
“You wanted to stay anyway,” Buffy said.
“But that’s not the point!” proclaimed Andrew.
Buffy snatched their arms and dragged them toward the basement. She could only
take so much of them. She shoved them into the basement.
“Keep yourself company.”
+ + +
The door burst open. Willow ran in, going up the stairs. A moment later Tara
stepped in. Her eyes were bloodshot.
“Tara?” Buffy questioned. She reached out a hand.
Tara sighed. “She just won’t-won’t listen.”
Buffy stared up the stairs. “She doesn’t realize how deep she’s gotten into her
power. It’s controlling her.”
“Can I sleep in your room tonight? I’ll make a space on the floor.”
“Of course.”
+ + +
Dawn made a list.
1. get Spike and Buffy together
2. keep Willow from going all black
3. keep Giles here
4. help Anya and Xander’s relationship
5. prevent the bathroom scene
6. stop Warren
7. help Amy
8. stop Rack
Was that it?
She put Sweet down and then crossed it out. They wouldn’t have to worry about
him. Xander had called upon him because things were so messed up before. He
wouldn’t do it again.
Would he?
+ + +
Xander fingered the shiny necklace. He contemplates the talisman.
“Xander, honey, come back to bed!” Anya called from the bedroom.
He stuffed the talisman back into his pocket. He turned to go to his fiancé. He
didn’t need any spell for a happy future.
Trust in your love. Isn’t that what Buffy had said? She was right.
The phone rang. Xander turned to answer it. He listened to the person on the
other end.
“Will, slow down, I can’t understand you.”
All he got as a reply was a bunch of sobs.
“It’s okay, Willow, go ahead and let it out.”
Xander reached into his pocket and brought out the talisman again.
_________________________
REPLAY
The songs selected were picked by their lyrics. I did not take account for the
genre they fall under.
Note- I changed a few words in some songs so that it went with the Scooby’s
situation. You will know because I have the original lyrics in parenthesis.
Song credits:
State of Mind by Merril Bainbridge- Buffy
Boy Like That by Selena- Xander and Giles
Everybody’s Talkin My Baby Down by Celine Dion- Buffy
You Don’t See Me by Josie and the Pussycats- Spike
Oh, and the song Anya mentioned to singing is Money (That’s What I Want). It is
sung by Josie and the Pussycats. I think it might be sung by someone else too,
but I don’t know who.
This is only the first part of Once More With Feeling. Everybody gets to sing.
Except Dawn, because she doesn’t have much going on in her life.
Chapter 11- Once MORE with Feeling
Buffy made her way through the cemetery. Her body was on patrol, but her mind
was somewhere else. It was preoccupied with worries. She evoked everything that
had happened since she arrived in the past. There had been slight differences,
yet mostly everything was repeating itself.
Could she really pull this off?
All of a sudden the slayer felt something pass through her. It was like a bolt
of energy. She paused for a second before opening her mouth and letting out a
tune. It wasn’t happy or sad, just contemplative.
BUFFY
Where do I go from here
Or am I just like a clock spinning round
Everything seems unclear
Confusion is raising its head
And I can't make a sound
A vampire came out from behind a tombstone. He rushed at Buffy. She spun him
around with agility. Then she reached into her pocket and produced a stake. She
rammed the piece of wood into his heart. He crumbled before her.
BUFFY
I feel it
Tearing at my soul while I'm asleep
I feel it
Driving me to something I'll regret
Buffy switched direction. Two vampires and a demon came into view. They stood
near a tree. A man struggled against binding that kept him against the trunk.
She quickly eliminated the vampires. They were the easiest. Then she went for
the demon. He looked old. His skin was gray and wrinkly. He even had a beard and
gray hair. He smelled musty, kind of like Giles’s archaic collection of books.
He went down with little trouble. She stepped over his body and continued to
sing.
BUFFY
What if I make the change
What if I loose all my courage this time
Buffy used her sword to cut the captive down. He thanked her over and over. She
smiled before walking off.
BUFFY
Everything seems so strange
Try but I can't seem to make a decision that's right
I feel it
Pounding like a drum inside my brain
I feel it
If it doesn't stop I'll go insane
Another vamp charged her. She threw her sword aside, grabbing her stake instead.
BUFFY
I feel it
Tearing at my soul while I'm asleep
I feel it
Driving me to something I'll regret
I feel it
Pounding like a drum inside my brain
I feel it
I feel it
If it doesn't stop I'll go insane
The foe was no more.
BUFFY
I feel it
I feel it
I feel it
I feel it
I feel it
Her last few lines were sang with eyes staring off into the night. When she
finished she bowed her head.
+ + +
Buffy rushed into the store first thing the next morning.
“Giles!” she called. “We’ve got a problem!”
The watcher stepped forward. He held an open book.
“What may that be?” Giles questioned.
“Singing,” Buffy said, breathless.
“S-singing always makes me happy,” Tara said.
Buffy’s eyes fell on Tara. The witch sat at the table. The seat next to her was
empty.
“Where’s Willow?” Buffy asked.
Tara looked down. “She didn’t come. Sh-She said – She had other plans.”
That didn’t settle right in Buffy’s stomach. Willow had never been this mad
before.
Xander held up a donut in each hand. “Respect the cruller. And tame the donut!”
“That's still funny, sweetie,” Anya expressed.
Giles came over and grabbed a donut. He took a bite. A pleased look passed his
face. It must have been jelly filled.
Buffy directed her gaze on Xander. “Did you summon a dancing and singing demon?”
Xander almost choked on his donut. “Wh-What? No!”
Taking that in, Buffy scrunched up her nose in confusion. “Then who did?”
She sunk in the empty chair next to Tara.
“Buffy, what makes you think this is a demon at work?” Giles asked.
“It makes sense. Badness in Sunnydale always means demon-y activity.”
Giles nodded.
Buffy took a donut. She frowned, noticing there were no more jelly. She had to
settle for chocolate.
“I’m not the only one, right? I mean, you guys sang too?”
Xander almost dropped his donut. “Merciful Zeus!”
Anya stepped out from behind the register. “The best things in life are free.
But you can keep them for the birds and bees. Give me money, that’s what I
want,” she sang.
Everyone raised their heads.
“Relax,” Anya said. “I’m just recapping the number I did this morning when I
opened up the shop.”
Her fiancé cracked a grin. “Very fitting.”
“I thought so,” Anya commented.
“Well, I sang but I had my guitar at the hotel...” Giles said.
“It was bizarre. We were talking and then it was like-, “Tara said.
“We have to do something about this,” Buffy said. She turned to Giles.
Giles swallowed the last of his donut. He cleared his throat. “We’ll start
researching immediately.”
Buffy stood up. “I’ll visit Spike. He has contacts.”
Xander squirmed in his seat.
“Very well,” Giles said.
Before Buffy could exit the store she was stopped by her male best friend. He
clamped down on her shoulder and spun her around.
“What is going on with you and Spike?” he whispered.
Buffy blinked. “Nothing. Why would there be –?“
“I’m not dumb. I’ve seen you two. You’ve been all moon-eyed toward him.”
Buffy’s mouth hung open.
Xander let go of her. He stared at her for a moment. Then he began to sing.
XANDER
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, like that
A boy like that
Like that
A boy like that, like that
Buffy’s green eyes widened with shock.
Xander turned to face the rest of the gang.
XANDER
A boy like that who'd kill another slayer (your brother)
Forget that boy and find another
One of your own kind, stick to your own kind
A boy like that
Like that
A boy like that will give you sorrow
You'll need another boy tomorrow
One of your own kind, stick to your own kind
A boy like that
A boy like that
A boy who kills cannot love
A boy who kills has no heart
And he's the boy who gets your love
And gets your heart?
Very smart, Buffy, very smart (Very smart, Maria, very smart)
Giles jumped out of his chair. He decided to join in.
GILES
A boy like that wants one thing only
And when he's gone he'll leave you lonely
He’ll murder your love, his kind murdered mine (He'll murder your love, he
murdered mine)
Just wait and see, wait and see
A boy who kills cannot love
A boy who kills has no heart
And he's the boy who gets your love
And gets your heart?
Very smart, Buffy, very smart (Very smart, Maria, very smart)
GILES AND XANDER
A boy like that, a boy like that
Kill your sister slayer (Kill your brother)
A boy like that, a boy like that
Find another
Girl, you've gotta know
Murder your love
Girl, you've gotta know
Like that, like that
GILES
A boy like that wants one thing only
And when he's done he'll leave you lonely
He’ll murder your love, his kind murdered mine (He'll murder your love, he
murdered mine)
That's right
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Xander stepped up onto a chair. He began to sing Spanish. His expression
displayed puzzlement as to the fluency of the language.
XANDER
Un hombre asi matara a tu hermano
Encuentra alquien que es como tu
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
Cuando termina te deja sola, triste y sola
A boy like that wants one thing only
He will leave you sad and lonely, sad and lonely
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
Un muchacho asi matara
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
Un muchacho asi matara a tu hermano
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
Un muchacho asi te amtara
Un muchacho asi matara a tu hermano
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
Un muchacho asi te dara tristeza
GILES AND XANDER
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Wants one thing only
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Leave you sad and lonely
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Wants one thing only
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Leave you sad and lonely
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Kill your sister slayer (your brother)
Find you another
One of your own kind
A boy like that, a boy like that
A boy like that, a boy like that
Like that
The invisible music got softer and softer until it vanished completely. Giles
and Xander froze, stunned. The shop fell into silence. Tara recovered first.
“Wow,” Tara murmured.
Buffy scanned the room. Her features were hardened. After a moment she left The
Magic Box.
She strolled down the sunny street. People passed her. As they did she got the
eerie feeling that they were watching her. Maybe out of pity. She wrapped her
arms around her slim form.
A sigh escaped her lips.
BUFFY
People are sayin'
That boy is gonna hurt you
His kind of love is not for real
He's only playin'
Foolin' with your heart girl
But I know how he makes me feel
And I don't need any other proof
They just don't understand
They don't know the truth
She glanced up at the clear blue sky. Somewhere background singers and joined
her.
BUFFY
Momma said he’s bad for me (Momma says he's bad for me)
Poppa says I'll be sorry
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
And all my friends doubt him
Tell me I should live without him
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
She continued to walk.
BUFFY
He's not like the others
Nobody wants to see it
They don't even wanna try
Judge a book by its cover
And you'll never know the story
There's so much more than meets the eye
Oh and I know his heart is true
I don't need anyone
To tell me what to do
Momma said he’s bad for me (Momma says he's bad for me)
Poppa says I'll be sorry
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
And all my friends doubt him
Tell me I should live without him
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
My sister is the only one who doesn’t (My sisters and my brothers)
Tell me I should find another
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
Buffy became more emotional.
BUFFY
Oh but they can't feel his touch
They can't feel his kiss
They don't know what it's like to be loved like this
I don't care about their point of view
'Cause it's understood
When the love is good
Nothin' else is gonna do
Momma said he’s bad for me (Momma says he's bad for me)
Poppa says I'll be sorry
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
And all my friends doubt him
Tell me I should live without him
Everybody's talkin' my baby down
No they don't know what he's all about
Everybody's just wanna talk my baby down
No they can't see that his heart is gold
Everybody wanna treat my baby so cold, so cold
She repeated the chorus one more time before ending the song.
+ + +
Spike was trying to sleep. Unsuccessfully.
Every time he closed his eyes he’d see her. She was haunting him day and night.
Her memory wouldn’t give him a moment’s rest. He could see her, feel her, and
taste her. There was nothing he could do about it. Nothing worked.
He groaned. His head hurt. He glanced down at the empty liquor bottle he had
tossed to the stone floor. He’d drunk too much.
The sound of his crypt door creaking open made him spring into a sitting
position. His nostrils flared. He was surprised that the slayer would appear
during the day.
“Buffy,” he said.
She stepped into view. “That’s me.”
He hopped down from his sarcophagus. He noticed her eyes roam over his shirtless
chest.
“Do you know what is going on?” Buffy asked.
“Well, I've seen some damn funny things in the last two days. A 600 pound
Chirago demon making like Yma Sumac, that one will stay with you. I remain
immune, happy to say,” he remarked.
“So you know about the song and dance numbers? Could you scout around the demon
world? Ask about a demon named Sweet?”
Spike kicked the empty alcohol bottle. “Sweet, huh?”
“Yeah. He has to be summoned with a talisman. Somebody, who remains anonymous,
brought him here.”
The vampire nodded. “I’ll beat up some lowlifes, see if I can get the scoop.”
Buffy smiled sweetly. “Thanks.”
Spike turned away. “Right then. It’s time for you to scamper off again.”
He could feel her behind him. A shiver ran down his spine.
“What?”
“I’ve given you your info. Isn’t that why you came? To pump me for information?”
“Maybe I came to pump you for something else.”
She said it teasingly. He spun around angrily.
“Don’t play games!” he snapped.
She gaped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean . . . You’re all moody. Why? Did I do
something? “
“Not a thing.” His reply was too quick. “Glad you could stop by.”
She inched toward him. “Spike?”
“It's nothing,” he said defensively.
He went to show her to the door, but then remembered it was daylight out. He
stopped short.
SPIKE
This is the place where I sit
This is the part where
I love you too much
Is this as hard as it gets?
'Cause I'm getting tired
Of pretending I'm tough
I'm here if you want me
I'm yours, you can hold me
I'm empty and taken and
Tumbling and breakin'
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
The way I know you could
His head tilted, taking her in. She watched him with curiosity.
SPIKE
I dream of worlds
Where you'd understand
And I dream a
Million sleepless days (nights)
I dream of fire when
You're touching my hand
But it twists into smoke
When I turn on the light
I'm speechless and faded
It's too complicated
Is this how the book ends,
Nothing but good friends?
Spike’s face had softened. His eyes blurred and he fought back the tears.
SPIKE
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
He put a hand to his heart.
SPIKE
This is the place in my heart
This is the place where
I'm falling apart
Isn't this just where we met?
And is this the last chance
That I'll ever get?
I wish I was lonely
Instead of just only
Crystal and see-through
And not enough to you
Buffy came even closer. He could sense her warm breath as she leaned toward him.
SPIKE
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
The way I know you could
Buffy cupped his well defined cheek. She smiled.
“Yes I do,” she whispered.
And then she kissed him.
It was a different kind of kiss than he ever experienced. His mother had pecked
him on the cheek and forehead. Her action had been about unconditional caring.
Drusilla’s kiss had been about possession and power. It was rough and needy. And
Angelus . . . The thought soured his stomach. Angelus had kissed him before on
the forehead, saying “Spike, my boy-“. It was mocking, showing his ignorance and
who was boss. Harmony, well Harmony had been about physical attraction.
This was. . . There was only one word to describe it. Magical. He had always
been down on the magics. But this wasn’t a spell. A stab of doubt hit him. Was
it? No. Buffy was too real. This wasn’t a spell, but there was magic between
them anyway. It crackled as their mouths met.
He remembered the time she had rewarded him after his beating by Glory. That had
been a display of gratitude and trust. But this . . . This was full of . . .
Love?
It felt like it. There was feeling in it. Her lips were soft, like satin . . .
no, silk. Chocolate. Better than chocolate.
His brain rambled on and on as her tongue invaded his mouth. His arms brought
her closer, and her fingers played with his hair, mussing his bleached locks the
way she found sexy.
Spike was lost. Lost in an eternity of Buffy. He had said he was drowning in
her. He had been wrong. He hadn’t dived into her sea until then. He had said all
they did was dance. They hadn’t danced until then.
When they pulled apart things were out of focus. Despite his lack of temperature
he felt the cold. Buffy must have felt it too, fore she snatched him back to
kiss him again.
Chapter 12- Once AGAIN with Feeling
Buffy licked her lips and grinned. Lips of Spike. Yummy.
“Meet up tonight for a meeting?” she asked.
“Got it, pet. I’ll be there,” he said.
She gave him a quicker kiss before leaving.
Spike stood behind, glowing. He had never known the true meaning of effulgent until then.
Tara decided to search for Willow. The red-head was a whiz on the computer and might be able to find out something about this singing extravaganza. That was the practical reason anyway, and Tara tried to be practical. But another part of her, (if she were going to be honest) a larger part, wanted to find her girlfriend to make up. With kisses, hugs, and snugglies would be nice.
She checked at the library, the park, and the Bronze before going home. It was back at the house that she founded her. Willow sat at the dining room table, her laptop in front of her, shut and turned off. Her posture was slumped, as if defeated. She looked tired.
“Willow?” Tara prompted.
Willow jumped. Her head swung to the side. “Oh, Tara,” Willow whispered. And that was when she began to cry.
Tara could never bear to see her girl cry. She immediately came forward and enveloped Willow in her arms. She stroked her hair and made shushing noises.
“I’m sorry,” Willow choked through her tears. “I’ll try not to use magic so much.”
“It’s okay, baby,” Tara whispered.
Willow lifted her gaze to meet Tara’s.
“You forgive me?”
Tara nodded.
“I can’t stand not to be around you,” Willow went on, her voice wavering.
The blonde’s lips lifted. Her eyes twinkled. She took both of Willow’s hands and placed a kiss on them.
TARA
Sometimes we make it harder than it is
We'll take a perfect night
And fill it up with words we don't mean
Dark sides best unseen
And we wonder why we're feeling this way.
Sometimes I wonder if we really feel the same
Why we can be unkind
Questioning the strongest of hearts
That's when we must start
Believing in the one thing that has gotten us this far
Willow wiped her eyes. She gave a little smile.
WILLOW
That's what love is for
To help us through it
That's what love is for
Nothing else can do it
Standing up, Tara pulled Willow along with her.
TARA
Melt our defenses
Bring us back to our senses
Give us strength to try once more
Baby, that's what love is for
Sometimes I see you
And you don't know I am there
And I'm washed away by emotions
I hold deep down inside
Getting stronger with time
It's living through the fire
And holding on we find
Believing in the one thing
That has gotten us this far
That's what love is for
To help us through it
That's what love is for
Nothing else can do it
Complete adoration had spread over Willow. It seemed as if she believed she could fly.
WILLOW
Round off the edges
Talk us down from the ledges
Give us strength to try once more
TARA AND WILLOW
Baby, that's what love is for
That's what love is for
The two inched closer. Their lips brushed together in a tender kiss. Suddenly Willow squealed, breaking away.
“Tara, I can’t feel the ground!”
Tara glanced down. Her eyes got big. They were both floating off the ground. She kicked her feet in the air and began to giggle. Her companion joined in with the glee. It didn’t look like they would be coming down to earth for a long while.
Xander had been awake for who knows how long. He had just lay there, watching his beautiful fiancé sleep. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. She made him a better person.
Believe in your love and everything will be okay. It kept echoing through his head. The words gave him strength and hope.
The bed moved slightly and he heard a small moan. Anya was waking up.
“You want some breakfast, baby?” Xander asked.
Sleepily, Anya opened her eyes. She studied his face.
“You don’t have to go to work?” she asked.
“Nah, I shut the crew down for the day. My guys start dancing around me, I don't know if I can deal. It's a flab thing. So, waffles?”
“Will you still make me waffles when we’re married?”
“No, I'll only make them for myself, but by California law, you will own half of them,” he joked. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Hey, how about omelets? I could do an omelet.”
Anya stretched. “Sure, honey, that sounds great.”
Xander got out of bed. He went to fetch a skillet.
“Toast?”
“Mmm hmm.”
Xander started work on their two-egg omelets. He opened the fridge and grabbed the cheese slices. Before shutting the door he made a face at her weird green chunks.
“Will it always be like this?”
Her question caught him off guard.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Even when I’m old and wrinkly? Will we still wake up and have breakfast together? Will we always be together?”
He turned away from the stove. His eyes glazed.
XANDER
You and I must make a pack
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love
I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name
And I'll be there
Anya jumped to her feet. She hurried to his side.
XANDER AND ANYA
I'll be there to comfort you
Build my world of dreams around you
I'm so glad that I found you
I'll be there with a love that's strong
I'll be your strength
I'll keep holding on
With that, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
XANDER
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness is all I'm after
Whenever you need me
I'll be there
A huge grin formed on Anya’s face.
XANDER
I'll be there to protect you
With an unselfish love
I'll respect you
Just call my name
And I'll be there
ANYA
If you should ever find someone new
I know she'd better be good to you
'Cos if she doesn't
I'll be there
Xander cupped the side of Anya’s face. “How can you even question what we have?”
She grabbed the front of his robe. They stumbled back into the table.
“I’m not hungry for omelets anymore,” she whispered.
Dawn had geek duty. They sat around the dining table, Monopoly between them. Dawn was actually enjoying the game since she was winning.
“Pay up,” Dawn demanded Andrew as he landed on a railroad.
He whined. “You own everything!”
She gave him an evil grin. She snatched the paper money with greed.
“Why couldn’t we have played D & D? I’m good at that,” Andrew complained.
“Yuck. That is the dorkiest game ever,” the teen said.
Jonathan crossed his arms. He sulked in his chair. “I’m good at video games. Too bad you don’t have a Game Cube.”
“Or a Playstation,” contributed Andrew. “Then we could play Final Fantasy.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are such losers. Do you even have a life?”
“Hey!” Jonathan protested. “That wasn’t nice!”
“We like the way we are,” said Andrew.
“Yeah!” added Jonathan.
ANDREW
I’m never gonna say I’m sorry
I’m a clown for everyone
I’m never gonna let you down
I’m always here like the sun
Dawn hit her head on the tabletop. “Oh no.”
JONATHAN
I’m a loser, that is a fact for sure
I’m happy even if you don’t want
To invite me out for a dance tonight
I’m not normal, I know it, I don’t care
JONATHAN AND ANDREW
We’re never gonna say . . . (I’m never)
We’re always here like the sun, we’re always here (I’m always here like the sun, I’m always here)
ANDREW
Like a ghost I follow your steps so true
You don’t have to bribe me to fill me up
Give me just a minute to shine with you
I will make you so happy, make you laugh
JONATHAN
I’m never gonna say I’m sorry for
The essence of my soul
There’s so many ways to change my life
Cause I want to . . . oh
I’m like a clown, I’m fun for everyone
JONATHAN AND ANDREW
We’re never gonna say we’re sorry . . . (I’m never gonna say I’m sorry . . . )
“Buffy, please hurry home, “Dawn begged.
Buffy checked the Bronze for Sweet. He wasn’t there yet. The only thing different was that it had become chaotic. Everyone was singing along with their usual dancing. She left quickly.
She returned to the Magic Box. She’d wait for everyone to get their by some warm-ups. She went into the back and stepped up to the blue mat on the floor. She began to do a few stretches.
Giles snuck into the training room, holding a cup of tea. He took a moment to watch his slayer in action. She did a few flips and kicks. She was magnificent. His heart squeezed. A few weeks ago she had been gone. He had thought he would never see her again. It was truly a miracle to have her back. He wished there was a way to keep her away from all the evil that wanted to do away with her. It would break him to lose her again.
Buffy did the splits. Giles acknowledged how fluid and perfect her movements were. He had an absurd notion then. It was as if she had brought a piece of heaven along with her. No one could be so angelic.
GILES
You don't need no friends
get back your faith again
you have the power to believe
another dissident
take back your evidence
it has no power to deceive
I'll believe it when I see it, for myself
He stretched out his hand. Buffy didn’t pay any attention to his song. She continued to train.
GILES
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive
I sit with them all night
everything they say is right
but in the morning they were wrong
I'll be right by your side
come hell or water high
down any road you choose to roam
I'll believe it when I see it for myself
Buffy performed a few practice punches.
GILES
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah
darling, I believe, Oh Lord
sometimes it's hard to breathe, Lord
at the bottom of the sea, yeah yeah
I'll believe it when I see it for myself
Buffy paused for a second. Her gaze traveled up to the ceiling. Giles followed her eyes. He didn’t find anything there. What had drawn her attention there? Did she perceive something the others didn’t?
GILES
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive
I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I don't need no one
Ohhhh
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
To tell me about heaven
I believe
I believe it, yeah
Buffy stopped. She looked over.
“Oh, Giles, hey. I didn’t see you there.”
Giles smiled. He took a sip of his tea.
“Yes, well . . . “He cleared his throat. “Xander and Anya just arrived.”
Spike was the next to join them. His gaze immediately fell on Buffy, his eyes softening at the sight of her. She stood up.
“Spike.” It wasn’t a question or even a greeting, just the symphonic expression of his name. He recognized the feeling held in it and his lips twitched upward. It was the same way he said her name.
Spike glanced around at the others. Giles seemed displeased. Anya didn’t care. Xander had daggers instead of eyeballs. He decided to postpone his Buffy time for later when they could be alone.
“I uh . . . I beat up a few locals. I got the basic gist of this Sweet guy. He’s lookin for a queen to take back with him. The lucky lady is whoever called him with a . . .,” Spike informed.
“Uh oh,” said Xander.
Spike stopped talking. He arched a brow.
“Uh oh?” piped Buffy. “Uh oh is never good. What is the uh oh? You didn’t call him, did you? I asked you and you clearly responded with a ‘no’.”
Squirming in his chair, Xander averted his eyes. “I didn’t, but I think I know who did.”
“Who?” Buffy demanded.
Just then the Magic Box door opened and Tara stormed in. She looked frantic.
“Willow’s missing!” the witch exclaimed.
“I can’t be your bride,” Willow said.
Sweet had just completed a song about how the red-head would join him in the underworld as his wife.
“You don’t have a choice,” Sweet said.
He took a hand and brushed it across her cheek. Her eyes got big. She was tempted to prove that she did have a choice. She racked her brain for a good spell. Maybe she could sew his lips shut. That would be a good punishment for a singing demon.
It was then that the gang burst in. Xander stepped up.
“Hey, leave her alone!”
Relief spread across Willow’s face. “Xander!”
Tara eyed Willow and Sweet, a frown forming.
“I can’t let you marry my friend,” Buffy said.
Sweet smiled. “The slayer. Do you think you can stop me?”
Willow turned to Sweet. Her hands began to spark with energy. “She doesn’t have to.”
Sweet took this in.
“A witch. I sensed power within you.”
“Yeah, buddy, and I suggest you let me go or you’ll be sorry.”
“I’d listen to her,” Xander said. “She turned someone into a rat once. I don’t think you can sing or dance as a rat.”
“I’ll do worse than that,” Willow declared. “How about a mute rat?”
Willow’s eyes became black as she let the power build. Tara neared. “Willow!”
It took a moment for Tara’s voice to filter into Willow’s ears. She looked over.
“Willow, don’t.”
“He deserves it,” Willow said.
“But . . . Let Buffy handle this.” Tara held out a hand. “Just come down here and . . .”
Willow’s eyes returned to normal. The electricity vanished from her fingers.
Sweet shook his head. “I didn’t realize,” he said. “You are with this woman, aren’t you?”
Willow crossed her arms. “Yes.”
“Well now, that's a twist. That won’t work. I think we'll waive the clause just this once.”
Willow let out a sigh. She stepped down from the stage, going to Tara.
“Big smiles everyone! You beat the bad guy,” Sweet went on to say. With that, he vanished.
Willow expected to go into welcome arms, but Tara didn’t offer them. Her expression went hard.
“Why did you do it, Willow?”
“Yeah, Will,” Buffy said. “I can’t believe. . .” She turned to Xander, equal wrath going toward him. “And why did you encourage her to do it?”
“Well, I didn't know what was gonna happen! I just thought there were gonna be dances and songs,” Xander defended. “Willow was so sad and I wanted her to have a happy ending like Anya and me.”
Anya beamed.
“That doesn’t make it all okay. What you did was wrong. You didn’t even research the consequences of the talisman.”
Xander was at a loss.
Buffy sighed. She spun around, coming face-to-face with Spike. She took his hand. Spike displayed shock at that.
“Come on, let’s go back to my house. I’ll fix you some hot chocolate with marshmallows,” she offered.
“Buffy, what are you doing!?” Xander proclaimed.
Giles took off his glasses. “Yes, I’d like an answer to that as well.”
Buffy squeezed Spike’s hand. “Spike and I are together.”
“What!” Xander yelled.
“He’s changed, Xander.”
“Because of the chip?” Xander dubiously said. “A piece of metal doesn’t change a demon’s nature.”
“No, but love does!” Buffy spat.
“I can’t believe this!”
Buffy couldn’t take this. She felt herself grow hot. She had the sudden impulse to hit Xander in the nose. She let go of Spike and her hand formed a fist. But instead of smashing it into her friend she let her feelings spill out in a song.
BUFFY
If you could only see the way he ( she) loves me
Then maybe you would understand
Why I feel this way about our love
And what I must do
If you could only see how blue his ( her) eyes can be when he ( she) says
When he ( she) says he( she) loves me
She glanced at Spike, who seemed pleased with her song.
BUFFY
Well you got your reasons
And you got your opinions (lies)
And you got your manipulations
They cut me down to size
Sayin' you love me but you don’t understand(but you don't)
You give your love but not the way I want (but you won't)
If you could only see the way he ( she) loves me
Then maybe you would understand
Why I feel this way about our love
And what I must do
If you could only see how blue his ( her) eyes can be when he ( she) says
When he ( she) says he( she) loves me
Seems the road less traveled
Show's happiness unraveled
And you got to take a little dirt
To keep what you love
That's what you gotta do
Sayin' you love me but you don’t understand( but you don't)
You give your love but not the way I want( but you won't)
You're stretching out your arms to something that's not your decision (just not
there)
Sayin' you love where you stand
Give your heart when you can
If you could only see the way he ( she) loves me
Then maybe you would understand
Why I feel this way about our love
And what I must do
If you could only see how blue his ( her) eyes can be when he ( she) says
When he ( she) says he( she) loves me
Sayin' you love me but you don’t understand ( but you don't)
You give your love but not the way I want( but you won't)
Sayin' you love where you stand
Give your heart when you can
If you could only see the way he ( she) loves me
Then maybe you would understand
Why I feel this way about our love
And what I must do
If you could only see how blue his ( her) eyes can be when he ( she) says
When he ( she) says he( she) loves me
The Scoobies were stunned, not sure how to respond. Buffy decided to leave them to come to terms with her decision. She dragged Spike out of The Bronze. He was just as stunned as the others, but let her pull him along. She led him to the alley outside.
“Buffy, do you know what you’re doing?” Spike asked, incredulously.
He gestured to the club, indicating her friends.
“They’ll deal,” she said. “And if they don’t . . . They’ll deal.” The last part was said firmly.
He seemed unconvinced. “The whelp’s actions in there showed otherwise.”
Frustrated, Buffy took a step forward. “Don’t you get it? I don’t care.”
He froze.
Her lips lifted. “I don’t care,” she repeated, feeling light.
BUFFY
Know all about
About your reputation
And how it’s bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can’t help it if I’m helpless
Every time that I’m where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can’t fight it anymore
Oh I know, I should go
But I need your touch just too damn much
Loving you isn’t really something I should do
Shouldn’t wanna spend my time with you
That I should try to be strong
But baby you’re the right kind of wrong
Yeah baby you’re the right kind of wrong
Buffy came closer. Spike backed away.
BUFFY
Might be a mistake
A mistake I’m making
But what you’re giving I am happy to be taking
Cause no one’s ever made me feel
The way I feel when I’m in your arms
They say you’re something I should do without
They don’t know what goes on
When the lights go out
There’s no way to explain
All the pleasure is worth all the pain
Loving you isn’t really something I should do
Shouldn’t wanna spend my time with you
That I should try to be strong
But baby you’re the right kind of wrong
Yeah baby you’re the right kind of wrong
I should try to run
But I just can’t seem to
Cause every time I run you’re the on I run to
Can’t do without, what you do to me
I don’t care if I’m in too deep
Know all about
About your reputation
And how its’ bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can’t help it if I’m helpless
Every time that I’m where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can’t fight it anymore
Oh I know I should go
But I need your touch just too damn much
Loving you isn’t really something I should do
Shouldn’t wanna spend my time with you
That I should try to be strong
Buffy backed Spike into the exterior wall of the Bronze. His head smacked against it but he seemed unfazed by the blow. His eyes were mesmerized and they never looked so blue.
She realized then how Spike felt. Before in the crypt she had surrendered to him, but he had never anticipated this: an open relationship. Never had he even thought it possible.
BUFFY
But baby you’re the right kind of wrong
Yeah baby you’re the right kind of wrong
Her face was a fraction of an inch away from his. She took a moment, pausing for effect, before smashing her mouth down on his. At first he didn’t react. When he did, it was with a violent fervor. He grabbed her, bringing her closer.
Buffy’s mind clouded and all she knew was Spike.
Chapter 13- And the Bad is a Comin
Buffy lurked through the cemetery. She clutched her stake tighter. She scanned
the darkness for movement. Suddenly she whirled around, stake raised.
“Ooo, evil vampire, should I kill it?”
Spike circled her. “Give us your best shot,” he taunted.
She lunged at him, making a lame attempt with her stake. Spike ducked out of the
way. He straightened, smirking.
“That your best try, slayer?”
Buffy lowered her stake. She pouted. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I wanna hurt you but . . .” Her eyes roamed over his body.
“Can’t resist my sinister attractiveness?” he filled in.
Her eyes lit up. “Exactly!”
“You know, you should be afraid of me. I’m bad.”
“You are. You are very bad.”
“Ooo, look at that lip.” Spike grabbed her around the waist. He pulled her
roughly to him. Her stake slipped from her fingers. She moaned as she felt
something poke into her. “Gonna get it.”
Buffy squealed as he bit her lip. She wriggled in his grasp when she felt his
hand slip
under her shirt.
Breaking away, Buffy said, “Spike, we’re never going to get any actual slayage
done if we keep playing games.”
He turned his head to the left and than the right. “There aren’t any big bads
out tonight.
Come on, pet,” he pleaded.
Before she could protest he kissed her. It was hard, their tongues tangling
together, hot and cold mixing. Spike’s touch became feistier. They tumbled and
fell to the grass. Buffy let out a muffled laugh. Something whizzed through the
air where they had been. Buffy and Spike parted. They saw that it had been a
stake. The wood had imbedded itself in a tree trunk nearby.
The couple turned to confront a demon. He had the head of a shark and wore a
flashy suit. A couple vampire minions stood behind him.
Buffy scrambled up. She grabbed her stake. “Great,” she mumbled.
“Easy, boys. No need to get physical-like,” Sharky told his followers.
Spike got up to stand next to Buffy.
“Is there, Mister Spike?”
“Whadda you want? If you couldn’t tell I was busy having a good time with my
girl,” Spike said.
Buffy rolled her eyes. She really didn’t want to have to deal with this. She had
conveniently put everything Spike had done without a soul out of her mind. She
was going to have to have a talk with him. He couldn’t go around getting himself
into trouble that she had to bail him out of.
“You know me, uh ... there are a lot of things I would like, Mister Spike.”
Sharky pulled the stake out of the tree. “A house in Bel Air ... with a
generously sized swimming pool ... and of course, the forty Siamese that you owe
me.”
Sharky didn’t look happy. Buffy turned toward Spike. “Forty?” she repeated.
Spike ignored her. He kept his eyes on the demon. Sharky wrapped his arm around
the vampire’s neck.
“Take it easy, you'll get your kittens,” Spike assured him.
“Oh, I trust you, Mister Spike.”
“What is it with you guys? Why can't you just use money like everybody else?”
complained Buffy.
“She's funny. I like funny in a girl,” Sharky told Spike.
“I just need more time,” Spike said.
“Time, time, time! Is what turns kittens into cats! Look, I don't wanna see
anyone get
hurt.” He spun around and addressed his minions. “Boys.”
Buffy let them go. She looked over to see Spike flee the scene. She shook his
head.
Spike was a demon. Maybe Xander was right. Maybe a piece of metal couldn’t
change a demon’s nature. But she still loved him . . . Even though sometimes she
wished she didn’t.
+ + +
Willow and Tara sat on their bed. There was a large space between them. Willow
stared down at her hands.
“When things get rough, you ... you don't even consider the options. You just
... you just do a spell. It's not good for you, Willow. And it's not what magic
is for,” Tara explained.
“But I ... I just wanna help people,” choked Willow.
“Maybe that's how it started, but ... You can’t summon some happy demon or go
poof and make all the bad things go away.”
Willow kept silent.
“I don’t know if this is gonna work,” Tara softly said.
Willow raised her head. Her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “Hey. It is,
i-it's
working. Tara, please. I need you, baby. I need you. I don't need magic, I-I
don't, I ...
let me prove it to you, okay? I, I will go a month without doing any magic. I
won't do a
single spell. I swear.”
A moment passed. Then Tara nodded.
“Go a week. One week without magic.”
“Fine. Fine, that's easy!”
“I don't know, I just ... think we both need some ... I don't know, space. Oh, I
can’t
believe I’m saying this.”
Willow’s face fell again. “Are you saying you’re going to leave me?”
+ + +
The knock jarred Willow from her stupor. She had been thinking about nothing.
Nothing kept the pain away.
“Wh-Who is it?” Willow asked.
“Me.”
Willow sat up in bed. She brought her pillow close and hugged it to her chest.
“Come in.”
Buffy stepped into the darkened room. She shut the door gently behind her.
“Hey,” Buffy said.
“Hey.”
“I think we should talk.”
Willow just stared. She couldn’t believe this. She had just gotten a dose from
Tara and now
she was going to get a double whammy from her best friend.
“Willow?”
Willow turned her head away.
“What you did was wrong,” Buffy continued. “Xander never should have given you
that
necklace, but you never should have used it. You’re smarter than that. The
Willow I used to know would have done some computer hacking before attempting
it.”
“Well I’m not the geeky Willow you used to know!” Willow spat.
Buffy was taken aback.
“Just go away. I can’t take this from you right now,” Willow commanded.
Buffy nodded. She turned and left.
+ + +
Buffy sat Indian-style on a floor mat. She gazed up at Giles in shock.
“What?”
“I don't want to leave-“
“So don’t!” Her voice rose louder than she intended.
Quickly she got up. She went over to sit beside him.
“What did I do wrong this time?” She was near tears.
He seemed a tad confused by her statement. “Buffy?”
“I did everything on my own. I got a job. I’m helping Dawn to keep out of
trouble. I don’t understand. Is it Spike?”
“What?”
“Something must have triggered you leaving me. I want to know what.”
Giles’s expression was too calm. He didn’t understand what this meant.
“You don’t need me. I’ve been watching you these few weeks. Not just you, all of
you.
You’ve all grown into miraculous and capable adults.”
Desperate, Buffy said, “What about Dawn?”
“She has you.”
“But . . . I can't do this without you.”
“You can. That's why I'm going.”
“You don’t understand!” Buffy stood up. She ran a hand through her hair. There
had to be some way to get him to stay.
Giles gave her a tender look. “I know you don’t think so now, but this is for
the best.”
“No, it really isn’t. Bad things will happen, Giles. Total badness. You have to
stay!”
“I've taught you all I can about being a slayer and your mother taught you what
you needed to know about life.”
“It’s not enough! I need help. Things are going to end up just like they did
before.”
Giles narrowed his eyes. “Before?”
Taking a deep breath Buffy said, “The first time when you went away.”
Chapter 14- Uh Oh
It took a moment for Giles to respond.
“I came back as quickly as I could. I had no idea coming back -”
“No! Not when you went away after my jump.” She swallowed. “Before, when . . .”
Giles searched her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
The tears fell then. They slid slowly down her face and she made no attempt at
brushing them away. Buffy forced herself to speak slowly in order to get things
out right.
“Dawn accidentally did something. She sent us . . . We came . . . This all
happened before, Giles. Some things were different, but I’ve been through this
all before.”
“Are you saying-?”
“Yes. I’m from the future.”
That was the watcher’s prompt to take hold of his glasses and rip them off.
“Dear lord.”
+ + +
“Willow, come on, are you ready?” Dawn shouted up from the foot of the stairs.
Tara stood beside her.
Willow appeared. It looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. She had a
towel around her body and another around her hair. “Not so much. You go ahead.
I’ll just be a sec behind.”
Annoyed, Tara said, “Fine. Come on, Dawn.”
Dawn hesitated. Then she followed the blond outside. She came to a halt on the
porch.
“Tara, wait. I think we should go back in. I have a bad feeling. We have to go
back and check on Willow,” Dawn said.
Tara processed her words. She nodded. “You’re right, Dawnie. As much as I’d like
to trust Will . . . You’re right.”
Both girls went back inside. They stepped into the living just in time to see
Willow get up from her crouch by the fireplace. She quickly stuffed something
into her pocket. Tara glanced from the smoldering fire to her girlfriend.
“What have you done?” Tara demanded.
There was a long silence. Finally Willow answered.
“I’m fixing things.”
“How? By playing with our minds? I can’t believe that you’d do this. Right after
you promised. A week? You can’t even go a day.”
Willow’s eyes flashed. “Don’t you want to be happy again?”
Tara stared. Then she shook her head. “This is hopeless. I thought maybe . . . “
“Willow, you have to reverse whatever you did,” Dawn pleaded.
Willow’s face was hard. “You won’t feel this way after it’s done. No one will
remember we even had a fight.”
“Is this how it is going to be? Whenever someone pisses you off you’ll do
another spell?”
Dawn gaped. Tara had cursed.
“Maybe,” Willow spat. “I have the power and I don’t plan on wasting it.”
Oh God, Dawn thought. She didn’t recall Willow being this nasty the first time
around. Could it be they had managed to intensify Willow’s negative emotions?
Tara held out her hand. “Willow, give me the crystal,” she commanded.
Willow’s eyes widened. She seemed surprised Tara knew which spell she had
performed. Her hand cupped over the bulge in her pocket. A blue glow formed
around it with protection.
Electricity sparked in Tara’s palms. She held them out.
“Hypocrite!” Willow yelled.
“This is my last resort,” Tara said. “Just give me the crystal willingly. I
don’t want to hurt you.”
Willow laughed. “Like you could.”
Dawn took a step back. She wished she had some magical ability besides sending
people through time. But she didn’t. She was destined to watch her favorite
couple fight, physically.
Then suddenly the world went blank.
+ + +
Spike rushed into The Magic Box. He tossed his raggedy blanket to the floor,
stomping on it. Smoke lifted off it. When it disappeared he straightened. He
wore a proper brown suit, adorned with a bowtie. A ridiculous padded hat was on
his head, also covering his ears.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Spike turned his head. His eyes fell on Anya. She stood at the counter, punching
something into the calculator. She barely looked at him. If she noticed his
unusual apparel she made no hint of it.
“I thought maybe it was somebody important. Like Xander or a customer,” she went
on.
“Right. Sorry to disappoint.” Spike stepped further into the store. “Where’s
Buffy?”
Anya swatted her hand in the direction of the backroom. “She’s speaking with
Giles about something. I wouldn’t bother them. I got the impression that it was
something intense.”
Just then everything spun. Spike and Anya collapsed to the ground.
+ + +
Buffy woke up first. She slowly sat up with a moan.
“Huh?” she muttered, scanning her surroundings. She didn’t recognize the room.
She picked herself up. She opened her senses for anything supernatural. They
didn’t pick up anything. She noticed the still form of her watcher.
“Giles!?”
She knelt by his side and shook him.
“Giles?”
It took awhile for Giles to become fully awake. He moaned and opened his eyes.
“Buffy?”
“Giles, something major wiggy is going on. Do you know where we are?”
Giles lifted himself up on his elbows. He glanced around. There were mats on the
floor, a pommel horse, and a swinging dummy. He narrowed his eyes.
“No,” he answered slowly.
She offered a hand and helped him get to his feet.
“The last thing I remember is walking back to class. What do you remember?”
Buffy questioned.
He thought for a moment. “I was sorting through the watcher journals.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “You so need to get a life. Didn’t I give you a
suggestion to go to the movies once in awhile?”
“I prefer the classics.”
“Come on, My Best Friend’s Wedding is a must see.”
Her watcher looked horrified at the prospect.
There was a scream. Buffy took immediate action. She ran out of the room toward
the sound.
Buffy came into an open area. There were shelves of books, herbs, crystals, and
archaic statues. She made herself focus on the owner of the scream. It was a
woman with blond hair. She wore a pink skirt and colorful printed blouse. She
searched blindly for something at her throat. It obviously wasn’t there. A
familiar form loomed over her. He quickly made for the neck. Then something
unexpected happened. He shrieked, let the woman go, and clutched his head in
pain.
“Bloody fucking hell!”
“Spike!” Buffy shouted. She fell into a combat stance.
Spike turned toward her. His features were deformed into that of a monster. He
studied her with golden eyes.
“Slayer?”
Laughter spilled out of Buffy. She laughed so hard that tears formed in her
eyes.
“What is so funny?” Spike demanded.
She pointed at him. He looked down and for the first time realized what he was
wearing. He snatched off the tweed jacket.
“Might want to loose the hat as well,” Buffy managed to get out.
Spike removed the dreadful hat.
“What is going on?” Spike muttered.
“Good question. I thought I was done with you. You’d think an organ would take
your kind out of commission. At least for a little while. You’re like an unlucky
penny, you keep coming back.” She paused. “How can a penny be unlucky? I thought
all pennies were lucky.”
Her words made Spike freeze. He contemplated their meaning. Dawning spread over
his face. He lifted his head and gave her a menacing look.
“You dropped an organ on me,” he accused.
“Don’t act so surprised. That’s what enemies do.”
“You’re going to pay for that,” he snarled.
He flung himself at her. He was stopped by a cross. Giles held it out, defending
his slayer.
“I suggest you leave,” Giles said. “As much as I’d love to watch Buffy put an
end to you we have a direr situation.”
Spike growled. He hesitated for a moment before bolting the shop.