Replay

Hearing came back first. Words floated into her ears and she concentrated on them. They came from Dawn, she realized. They also seemed to be directed at her.

". . . days. Please, Buffy, wake up. You’re the only one I have left. Everyone has left me. Don’t leave me too." She let out a sob. "Don’t leave me again."

Buffy struggled to move but found she couldn’t It was as if she were a rock, heavy and stiff.

"I don’t know what to do," dawn continued. "No one knows what will help you. They say nothing is physically wrong. So then . . . Why won’t you wake up?"

Was that the sound of Giles polishing his glasses? She inwardly smiled. Figured.

Waiting took hours. Boring hours because Giles left and Dawn had stopped talking. The only sound was the door as her sister left and returned. Buffy was determined to open her eyes. The blackness was getting old.

Finally it happened. Buffy’s eyes fluttered. It took great effort, but she was able to keep them open. There was a moan. It took her a moment to figure out it came from herself.

The girl had fallen asleep near the bed. She slumped over, her head rested on the nightstand.

Dawn’s head shot up. She almost fell out of the chair when she got a look at Buffy. She gasped.

Dawn jumped up to wrap her arms around the slayer. Buffy held her back, her hand stroking her hair.

Buffy sat up a little and winced. She got a good look at the room. The bed was huge. It was made of dark wood and covered in a red blanket. The lamp on the nightstand lit up her surroundings in an eerie dim glow. Across the room hung a picture. It showed a girl in armor. Joan of Arc, she guessed. Fancy place. But where was it?

She narrowed her eyes. "Xander’s wedding. What did I miss? Dawn says it’s only been a week."

Giles removed his glasses. Surprisingly he simply held them as he spoke. "Possibly the stress was too much for her."

"You guys are being cryptic," Buffy said. "Send someone in who will tell it to me straight up. Go get Spike."

The whole world crashed down upon her. Buffy shoved off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the mattress. She got up. Her legs supported her weight with no trouble, thanks to slayer recovery. A lacy nightgown hung over her. She really wasn’t fond of girly sleepwear. Who picked this out for her?

"No," Buffy whispered. She shook her head. This wasn’t happening. Her eyes stung.

She directed her gaze on Dawn. "You sent us back. I changed things. We were together. Don’t tell me that was all a lie."

"You’ve been in a coma for days, Buffy. Who know what the mind can conjure up," Giles reasoned.

He moved toward her. She stepped back. He wanted it to be a lie. He wanted Spike to be dust. Oh God!

Another person entered the room. Through her swimming vision she made out Angel. Seeking for comfort, she ran into his arms. His strong arms went around her, holding her up.

"Angel, tell them I’m right! I went back in time! I changed things for the better! Willow overcame her addiction, Xander married Anya, and Spike . ." She berried her face in his chest. She quickly pushed back as if burned.

Angel’s lips tugged upward. "I’m human, Buffy. I didn’t realize it at first. I shanshued after the battle. We can finally be together."

This was all wrong. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. She couldn’t have imagined it all. It had been too real, too potent. She remembered Spike’s mouth as he brushed it against hers, his body pressed to hers, his words as he whispered lovingly in her ear. And they were telling her that this gray world was the real one.

She put her hands over her ears. Angel was human? No, he hadn’t been warm when she had carried him away form the alley. Buffy took in the scene of her friends and sister. Dawn was wearing the same outfit as that day. Why would she being wearing the same clothes a week later?

"This isn’t real!" She picked herself up and dried her tears. There was nothing to cry about because Spike was alive. The room flickered, moving in and out of darkness.

Chapter 27- As the Cloud Darkens

"Tara, move!" Buffy shouted. It was the only thing she could do. She didn’t have enough time for anything else.

Warren aimed, his finger over the trigger. He grinned wickedly as he prepared to fire. Xander threw himself forward. The Scooby knocked himself into Warren and grappled for the gun. The weapon lost its target on Buffy. Somehow during the fight Warren managed to shoot. There was a loud bang as the bullet flew.

All Buffy could think was ‘oh God’. Her gaze traveled to the second story window.

+ + +

Warren got the upper hand and tossed Xander off him. He got a better grip on the gun. Laughing he said, "I’m better, stronger. You can’t stop me."

He started to bring the gun up. His arm shook. What was happening?

Bring the gun to your head.

No. Why would he want to do that?

You are no longer necessary. I found another host.

"No!" Warren screamed aloud.

Bring the gun to your head.

Against his own accord, his hand went up. He pressed the gun to his temple. Warren never got scared. He got angry as hell, but never frightened. Until that moment, because he knew he was going to die. By his own hand.

Something was inside him. He had felt something different before. He had felt stronger somehow, although he had no notion of the cause.

"Warren, what are you doing?"

Hah, that was Buffy. She was trying to save him despite all the evil things he had done. Ever the hero.

Warren closed his eyes and blew his brains out.

+ + +

Buffy gawked in horror. Warren lay on the ground, blood pooling from his head. The gun was still in his grasp. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth. She had seen a lot of horrible things. Nothing had ever seemed this gruesome, this realistic. This was death from a front row seat.

Xander hugged Buffy, while turning her head away. Oh, Xander. She was the slayer and yet he knew that there was still a girl inside. She inwardly thanked him, wishing she could do it outright. But she couldn’t. The slayer had to be strong, couldn’t show her weakness.

"Something made him do that," Buffy said.

"Buffy, he was crazed. Are you sure he didn’t all of a sudden realize what he was doing and end it all?" Xander replied.

She shook her head. "I’m sure. Something was messing with him. Didn’t you see his hesitation?" Her eyes enlarged.

"The time shifter?" Xander said.

Just then Willow exited the house. She stopped in front of her friends. Her eyes were blank.

"Willow, God, are you okay?" Xander asked.

"How did this happen?" Willow asked softly.

"Warren. He had a gun."

"Warren."

"I tried to stop him but . . . He pulled the trigger anyway."

Willow walked off. She stepped over Warren’s corpse as if she didn’t even notice it was there.

"Hey!" Buffy protested. "Where are you going?"

"Will!" Xander called. He turned to Buffy. "Should we go after her?"

Buffy glanced up at the house. "Tara." She burst into the house and raced upstairs. The door to the master bedroom was cracked open, beckoning her to enter. She stepped inside. The room was still and calm, completely contrary to her mood.

A beam of light cascaded over Tara, as if it were a spotlight. Buffy knelt by her side. Her honey hair spilled around her face. Buffy brushed it aside.

"Tara?"

Tara’s blue eyes stared up at the ceiling.

"Tara?" Buffy fought the impulse to shake her.

And then the miracle happened. Tara blinked. Buffy laughed in relief. Blood had formed on the witch’s top. Buffy searched for the wound. She pressed down on it with pressure.

"Willow?" Tara whispered.

"Shhh," Buffy hushed. "Don’t talk."

Xander bounded into the room. He paled at the sight.

"Call 911!" Buffy shrieked.

+ + +

The house was empty when Dawn arrived home from school. Dread washed over her at the quiet.

"Buffy!" she called.

She dropped her bag to the floor. This was the day Tara had been shot, she realized, going stiff. How could she have forgotten? She had traveled a whole year through time and forgotten this earth shattering event? How could Buffy have sent her off to school? How could she have gone as if nothing was wrong? What if Tara lay cold upstairs?

Dawn braced herself before she ascended to the next level. Deja vu took over. She pushed open the door. She took a deep breath and looked past the bed. There was nothing there except a blood stain on the carpet. That fact didn’t appease her any bit.

"Dawn?"

The teen turned. Giles stood in the doorway. His expression was grim.

"Is she . . .?"

He sighed. "No. Buffy and Xander managed to get her to the hospital but things are still uncertain."

Dawn nodded. She threw herself at him. He awkwardly held her, offering fatherly comfort.

"Buffy sent me here to fetch you."

She nodded.

+ + +

Buffy hunched over in her chair, her face in her hands. Xander reached over and placed a hand on her back. It didn’t really offer any comfort but she was grateful just the same.

Just then Dawn’s voice penetrated her ears. "Buffy!"

Buffy’s head shot up. She jumped to her feet. Her sister hurled into her arms. They clung together, emotion swallowing them both. Buffy looked over Dawn to Giles. He met her gaze gloomily.

"Any news?" the man asked.

The girls separated but continued to hold hands.

"She’s in surgery," Buffy replied. "The doctors said it could be awhile."

He nodded. "Any sign of Willow?"

Darkness washed over her. She felt ice cover her chest. "No. We need to find her. I-I don’t understand . . . Why would she leave Tara? It doesn’t make any sense."

"Unless she thought Tara was dead," Xander said.

Buffy’s eyes grew large. "Or someone ‘made’ it appear that way."

Dawn seemed stricken. "You mean . . .?"

"The time shifter." Buffy let go of Dawn. "Xander, you check the Magic Box. Giles, make sure Andrew and Jonathan are unharmed. Dawn and I’ll search out Rack. Willow went there last time."

"This all happened before?" Xander asked.

"Not completely," Buffy said. She sighed. "I don’t have time to get into it all. After this is all done I’ll give you the time travel 101. But now –"

"Right. Got you."

+ + +

Xander helped Anya up. She staggered a little. He led her over to a chair near the research table. He knelt down before her.

"Do you feel any change? Can you talk?" he asked.

Anya leaned her head against him. "It’s wearing off. Willow was here earlier. She put the whammy on me and went straight to the dark arts books. Sucked them dry."

He rubbed her back. "Look, Ahn, something bad happened earlier."

"I know." She paused. "Tara."

Xander nodded. "Yes, but not the way you think. She’s not dead, but at the hospital. Willow’s been caught in a delusion that Tara didn’t make it."

Anya met his eyes. "She’s okay?"

"Hopefully she will be. The doctors are working on her. But right now we have to worry about Willow. She’s not in her right mind. Did she say anything to you?"

Shaking her head, she said," No, not a thing. She seemed out of it. Just went to the books and stripped them."

"Is there a locator spell you could do?"

"There aren’t any books left," Anya stated matter of factly.

Feeling like an idiot, Xander said, "Oh. Right."

+ + +

Giles hesitated before ringing the doorbell. Afterward he stuffed his hands into his long coat and waited. He heard muttered voices before the door opened.

"Give that back! Asura Priest is extremely rare!"

Giles stared dumbfounded as he witnessed the two boys battle over a card. Finally the blond snatched it away triumphantly. He hugged it to him protectively as if it were precious gold. Jonathan glared at him. Giles cleared his throat.

Andrew looked over. "Oh. What are you doing here?"

"Have you seen Willow recently?"

"-No."

Jonathan looked interested. "Why?"

"I would suggest you take cover," Giles told them. "It seems that magic has consumed her. She is out for vengeance."

"What did we do?" Andrew asked with panic.

"Nothing really. Except that you were once friends with Warren."

"But we’re good now!" the boy protested. "We’re like Darth Vader in the last Star Wars."

"Willow? Willow-Willow? The Willow that used to pack her school lunches?" Jonathan questioned.

"The very one. Extraordinary, I know. She is under the influence of a powerful demon and the darkest magics imaginable," Giles said.

Andrew glanced at Jonathan. "Dude, we gotta get out of here. Mexico, we can go to Mexico!"

"Mexico?" Jonathan asked dubiously.

"That’s the best hide out ever."

Giles frowned. "Buffy thought you deserved a warning."

The watcher turned. He could hear them bicker as he walked away. He shook his head. His duty was done. They could decide what to do about the news he offered.

+ + +

Buffy and Dawn burst into the Magic Box. They halted at the sight of the dispersed books. Buffy took one and flipped through the blank pages.

"Damn," the slayer muttered.

"Every last one," Anya said.

Buffy shut the book. "She did the same thing to Rack."

Xander stepped forward. "What do you mean by that?"

"Drained him," she clarified.

Xander turned white. "This is so not good."

"Where could she be?"

The bell to the shop sounded. All heads turned toward the front of the shop. Spike stood there. He scanned them all. His eyes landed on Buffy.

"There’s speak of another apocalypse," he said.

+ + +

Power. The time shifter had never felt so much. He was humming with it. There was so much he didn’t know what to do with it. He wondered why he had even bothered with the boy.

Willow came to a stop on the bluff. She rose her hands. They crackled with life. The time shifter chuckled as the ground rumbled.

___________________________________________

They walked at a fast pace. Buffy led them, Spike right behind her. The others fought to keep up.

"This can’t be happening," Anya whined. She looked over at Xander. "You still haven’t married me. Did you know this was going to happen? Is that why you postponed it?"

She grabbed his arm and clung to it. "I’m sorry, I’m being silly. But you can’t blame me. We’re all going to die."

Buffy glanced back. "We’re not going to die. All Xander has to do is give his yellow crayon speech."

"Oh, you know," Buffy said. "Willow broke the yellow crayon in kindergarten and cried."

Buffy turned back around. "You bragged about it enough in the future. It’ll come to you."

The group slowed their pace as they grew nearer. Storm clouds had formed over Kingsman’s Bluff. A small figure could be seen standing on the platform of land. Lightning sparked in the air.

Xander came running. He gasped at the sight of his best friend. Her hair had turned raven and blew around her face wildly. Blue veins ran across her flesh like spider webs.

He hesitated a moment before trying just that. "Willow? It’s Xander. You know, that guy you’ve known since we were one inch tall. Uh . . ." He nervously glanced at Buffy for reassurance. She motioned him to continue. "We’ve always been close. Uh . . . Uh . . .The yellow crayon!"

There was a span of silence. Xander searched for how to continue. "The yellow crayon, yeah, uh . . . First day of kindergarten. You cried because you broke the yellow crayon, and you were too afraid to tell anyone."

Xander turned toward Buffy. "Look, did I ever tell you exactly how this yellow crayon speech went?"

Spike pointed at the witch. "She can’t even hear a bloody thing. That thing has her under his mojo. Too far gone." The ground gave a heavy shake. Buffy would have lost her balance but he caught her before she fell. He steadied her. "Whatever you do, better do it fast."

"If only I had my books," Giles commented. "We could have found a way to expel the shifter."

Buffy clung to Spike as the earth trembled once more. She feared this was it. She opened her eyes again and let them drown in his pools of blue. His expression was soft.

She kissed him hard. She meshed herself to him, begging to become one. He was uncertain at first but then surrendered to her. They would have continued the dance, but they were suddenly knocked apart. Spike slammed to the ground on his back. Buffy hit on her rear.

"The shifter travels through dimensions, right?" Dawn asked as she picked herself up.

The teen stalked over to Spike. She rolled up her sweater and held her arm out to him. He stood up and raised an eyebrow at her.

Fluidly, Spike’s beautiful face shifted into that of a demon. He studied her with golden eyes. Then he slowly brought his elongated teeth to her wrist. They sunk down into her skin and she hissed from the sting. He sucked briefly before letting her go. Red was smeared across his lips and he licked it off.

"I’m ok, guys," Dawn said. She stared down at her arm. Red trickled down it. She inhaled deeply.

Green burst out. It swirled around Dawn with madness. Willow dropped to her knees and cried out. A black mist tore from the redhead. The green sucked it into its midst.

Dawn allowed the vampire to lick up the blood, sealing the puncture wounds. The green portal gradually faded. Dawn leaned against Spike for support.

Their attention shifted back to the risen temple. Willow got to her feet. She turned toward the gang, her black eyes full of fury.

"Think about what you are doing," Buffy said. "There’s no reason for it. Tara isn’t dead."

"The shifter clouded reality. She’s in the hospital. Warren’s gone. Everything is all right now."

"No, it is not all right!" Willow spat. "I’ve seen what this world has to offer. I can’t stand it. All there is, is pain. It just keeps coming. How can you stand it?"

"But the fight never ends. There’s only one way to stop it. Stop it all." Willow turned around to continue unleashing her wrath on the world. "You may not see it now but I’m saving us all."

He held his arms out to the side. "If the world’s going to end I wanna be the first to go."

"There’s nowhere else for me to go. You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end ... where else would I want to be?"

"I know you're in pain. The world knows how to dish that out. But it also knows how to give love. Don’t you remember love? Tara isn’t dead, Willow. Don’t you want to be the first thing she sees when she wakes up?"

"And if that isn’t enough, remember us, your friends. Buffy died for us. Live, she said. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Live, for her. Remember? And me. . . I’ve never had the opportunity to sacrifice my life for yours but I’d do it in a heartbeat. I love you, Willow."

"I love you," Xander repeated to Willow. Tears formed in her eyes. "I love you."

She collapsed. Xander gathered her up in his arms. He rocked her back and forth. Her crying turned to deep sobs. Her hair flickered from black to red, back to black, and then stayed red. Buffy came over to hug her as well.

The cloud over Kingman’s Bluff disintegrated and the sun came out to shine down on the trio. Buffy’s head shot over, fear squeezing on her heart. Her worry was not necessary, however, because Spike was gone.

The first thing Tara saw was Willow. The red-head gave her a watery smile and squeezed her hand.

Willow became serious. She let go of her girlfriend’s hand and looked away. She was suddenly scared.

Willow shifted nervously in her seat. "I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m going to England for help. It-It’s my idea."

Willow looked Tara back in the eye. "You can’t go anywhere now. If you still want to come after you’re all better, and after you’ve heard the whole story, then you’re welcome."

Anya and Xander got married outside in a gazebo. There were no relatives invited, unless you counted their real family: Giles, Buffy, Willow, Dawn, and Tara. When the bouquet was tossed it practically fell into the slayer’s arms. Her eyes stung, and she longed for something that she would never have.

The reception was held at the Summers residence. Buffy watched from the couch as Xander and Anya twirled around with Dawn to some music. Off to the side Willow and Tara whispered together. They seemed to be doing all right. In two days Willow would be heading to the coven. Tara was going to head over with her and see how it worked out. The scene around her filled her with bitter sweetness. Everything was resolved. Everyone was happy.

Buffy snuck out without anyone noticing. The night was warm and quiet. Lightening bugs occasionally lit up in the blackness. Buffy sat down on the bottom step of her back porch to witness them.

Out of the shadows emerged a white head. The rest of him camouflaged with the night. The vamp slowly neared. He timidly met her gaze.

She nodded. "You’re going away. Seems that’s the new trend. Willow, Tara, and Giles to England for a coven visit. Xander and Anya honeymoon in Hawaii. And you to Africa, right? For a soul?"

He shuffled his feet. "Can’t go on knowin what might get loose given the opportunity. Want to know the people around me are safe- Want to give you what you deserve."

"We’ve been over this. I deserve a man who has a bit of monster. Can’t happen. I have to settle for a monster with a bit . . . No, a big chunk of man."

"Go get your soul, Spike. I’ll love you with it. But don’t do it for me. Do it for you. Because frankly, I don’t give a damn what you could do, I care about what you actually do," she added.

He turned to go. Then he paused and turned back around. She stood, hopeful that he had changed his mind. She wished for him to stay. She really did mean her words.

Buffy moved forward. She tenderly brought her lips to brush against his. There was no passion in the action. All there was, was love tinged with sadness.

Her heart felt like it tore in two when he pulled away. And she wondered if it really had, fore she was sure he took a part of her away with him.

He’ll come back, she told herself, wrapping her arms around herself. He promised.

The pain was more than he ever felt, even with Glory. Spike rolled over and slowly rose to his knees. His alabaster skin was marred with black and blue. He stared into the dark cave.

"Bloody right I have. So, you’ll give me what I want? Make me what I was? So Buffy can get what she deserves."

The demon placed his hand over Spike’s heart. A reddish glow formed, followed by heat. Spike threw back his head and hollered.