Fluffy Dopplegangland

by Nebula

Willow sat across from Anya, who seemed impatient to have the spell started. “Well?” Anya snapped suddenly. “You’ll do the spell, right?”

Willow nodded. “Give me a minute, though. I have to get everything right.” She sprinkled the powder over the plate and smiled. “There. We’re ready.”

Anya knelt on the other side as Willow began to chant. Soon she’d have her necklace back, and these mortals would pay.

Willow frowned, as images began to flash in her mind. She was fighting Oz? Buffy was fighting Xander, and looking very Faith-like? Xander was dust? Oz had pushed her onto a slab of wood…now she was dust, too. What was this? Images of things to come?

It couldn’t be, because there was someone else in the picture now. Someone Willow thought she’d never see again. Buffy had seemed to notice him, too, and the two began to fight.

Finally he got the upper hand. Willow watched in horror as he grabbed Buffy and knocked the stake from her hand. The Master roared as he plunged his fangs into her neck and began to drink heavily.

Was he cutting himself now? The images began to blur as Willow fought to stay in control of the spell. She felt a popping sensation in her ears, and then pain. She felt like her head was going to explode.

With a cry she pulled out of the spell, and the plate separating her and Anya smashed.

“Damn!” Anya exclaimed. She looked down, frustrated, then looked up at Willow, whose nose was bleeding. “Oh. Are you all right?” she said stiffly, as if the words were foreign to her tongue.

Willow nodded. “Fine,” she said, frowning. That had felt really weird. She looked up to apologize for the spell not working, but Anya was gone. She shook her head and stood, heading for the library. That had been way too weird. Time to consult Giles.

< --- >

The warehouse was dark, considering the time of day. A young blonde girl with tough attire lay on the ground. On her neck were two puncture wounds, decently sized.

Suddenly her eyes opened. She sat up and rubbed her neck. She frowned, and pulled her hand away. She was cold. She placed two fingers to check for a pulse, and her frown deepened. She was dead.

“He sired me,” she growled, before saying a few choice words. Then she began to smile. “He sired me. Me. A tough, kick-ass Slayer is now a vampire as well.” Her grin broadened.

“This is gonna be fun.”

< --- >

Buffy headed home, mulling over what Willow had told her. Giles had said it had sounded like an alternate reality. She shuddered at the thought of her fighting the Master again. It didn’t sound like a fun reality.

Movement from the bushes to her left had her reaching for her stake. She almost laughed when a familiar blonde fell out, covered in leaves. “Take it the ‘torture Dru’ scheme didn’t pay up?” Buffy teased.

Spike growled, thankful it was a cloudy day. “Sod off, Slayer,” he muttered, turning to walk away.

A kick to his chest had him down on the ground, a stake pressed against his heart. “This is my town, Spike,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re to get out, because I don’t even want to know what you had planned this time. I’ve been more then fair. Do I make myself clear?”

For a second, Buffy could’ve sworn she saw his eyes glimmer with…despair? Sadness? It was gone in a flash, and he was chuckling again. “No problem, pet. Be on my merry way once I’ve had a drink. Fair?”

Buffy pursed her lips together, but let him up, the sadness in his eyes a little too weird for her. “Fair. Just go. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.”

“Still owe me a fight, you know. ‘Member?” he called, as he walked away.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, Spike,” she muttered, heading home once more.

< --- >

Spike sipped his Bloody Mary, complete with real blood. His eyes drifted over to a few hot vamps in the corner, but he wasn’t interested. All he wanted was Dru.

She’d said he was ‘covered in the Slayer’. What did that mean? Sure, he wanted to be the one that took her down, and he’d made a truce with her once. Okay, technically twice, but how did Dru know about that one? Besides, if it hadn’t been for her, he would have never gone back to Sunnyhell in the first place.

Willy seemed even more nervous than usual. “What’s got you in a titter?” Spike grumbled, causing Willy to jump.

“Not too much. There’s just word of a really nasty vamp goin’ ‘round. They say she could take the Slayer down.” Willy glanced around, then bent over to whisper to Spike, “I’m worried for the Slayer. Don’t let it get around, but…she keeps me safe and honest,” he admitted. “She’s a good gal.”

“And a major pain in the…” Spike sighed, and didn’t bother finishing. He had to agree with Willy on some levels. She was a good person all around. She’d had multiple opportunities to stake him, and she hadn’t. She’d always let him explain himself first at least.

He paid for his drink, then headed out, unable to take the sight of the ‘ladies’ anymore. He was headed towards his car when a familiar face caught his eye.

“Well, well, Slayer,” he said, catching her attention. “I told you I’d leave town as soon as I’d had my drink, and now I will. Didn’t have to follow me and whatnot.” He frowned, taking in her complexion and make-up. “And since when have you decided to join the army?”

She smiled at him, and he began to worry. Something was off. “Slayer?” he asked tentatively.

In less then a second she had him pinned by the throat against his car. “Don’t call me that anymore,” she hissed. “I’m not that person anymore.”

He chuckled. “Pet, you’ll always be the Slayer. No matter what happens.”

Her two fingers pressed against his neck, and he frowned. “Yeah, I’m dead, pet. No pulse.”

She pouted slightly. “Drat. You were so cute, too.” Spike’s eyes widened. “But you’re right. I am the Slayer. Of course,” she said, her face shifting to reveal a game face. “I’m one of you now, too, so where does that leave us?”

She hoisted him into the air and with one hand tossed him through the air. With a ‘hmph’ she turned and walked away.

Spike picked himself up and stared after her, unable to believe it. She was dead. The Slayer, no, Buffy, was now a vampire. Double strength, from what he’d gathered. More his foe now then ever.

Then why was he crying? He brushed the tears away and ran as fast as he could towards the high school.

< --- >

Willow yawned loudly, earning a disapproving look from Giles. “Sorry,” she said sleepily. “I’m tired. Researching alternate realities is difficult.”

The library doors burst open, and Willow suddenly wasn’t asleep anymore. She yelped in surprise as Spike ran towards her.

“I’m not doing another spell!” she yelled.

She looked up and was surprised to see him staring at her sorrowfully. “What’s wrong?” she asked, not liking the look on his face.

“Good lord!” Giles exclaimed, quickly followed by Xander, Oz, and Cordelia.

Xander ran for a cross, but Spike shook his head. “Don’t worry ‘bout me. Worry ‘bout…” He swallowed.

“What’s going on?” Cordelia asked, blunt as ever.

“She’s dead.”

“Who?” Oz asked, frowning.

“The Slayer. Buffy.”

Giles reached forward and grabbed Spike’s jacket lapels. “If you so much as…” he started angrily.

“I didn’t do it!” Spike exclaimed, pulling away. “M’not stupid enough to sire a Slayer, givin’ her double powers.”

“Sired?” Willow squeaked.

“I’m tellin’ the truth,” Spike said, falling into a chair besides Willow, looking miserable. “She’s dead.”

There was a shocked silence as everyone tried to digest this information. “Start from the beginning,” Giles said, in a shaky voice. “Tell us everything.”

Spike nodded and launched into his tale, from the jump out of the bushes to her pinning him against his car. “And then,” he swallowed, the Scoobies’ sniffles starting to get to him, “And then she threw me into a wall, and walked away.” He wiped away the tears and said, “I mean, I may not have, y’know, thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but she was a great fighter and a good person.” He sniffled, tears running down his face.

Willow began to sob hysterically. Spike wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth.

The library doors swung open, and a cheery voice had them all staring. “Hey guys! More research? I can do…Hey, what’s Spike doing here? I thought I told you to skip town.” Buffy stopped, finally getting a good look at everyone. “Uh, guys, what’s going on?”

Xander grabbed a cross and threw it at her, and hurried for a crossbow. The cross hit her forehead, then clattered to the ground. “Ow! Xander, what are you doing?” Buffy looked at him like he’d gone crazy, then picked it up.

“Xander!” Giles called, staring at her hand. She wasn’t burning.

“What’s going on?” she said, frowning.

“Spike said you were dead!” Xander exclaimed.

“I WHAT?!?”

< --- >

“So let me get this straight…there’s a vamp me out there?” Buffy sighed and flopped into a chair. “Great. Just great.”

“She’s got double strength, too. Slayer and vampire combined. Should know; I was on the receivin’ end,” Spike grumbled.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “What do we do? And how come there’s a second Buffy in town now?”

Willow snapped her fingers. “The alternate reality!”

Spike looked confused, so Willow explained. “I was trying to do this spell for a girl, and all of a sudden, I got images of me and Xander as vampires, Oz staking me, and Buffy fighting the Master. She lost this time, though, and he bit her.”

“That doesn’t mean he sired her,” Oz said.

Willow shook her head. “No, but there was more. Everything started getting blurry, but I though I saw him cut himself. If he had forced her to drink…”

“She would have been sired,” Giles finished.

“Okay, what did other-me look like?” Buffy asked.

“Like an army outcast,” Spike said. “Very tough persona, heavy eye shadow, that sort of stuff.”

“Kinda like Faith, yeah,” Willow agreed.

“Since you both are in agreement as to the description of this vampire, I would say it’s safe to piece together that they’re one and the same.”

“Talk about a mouthful, Giles. Couldn’t you just have said, ‘they’re the same’?” Cordelia asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “I should probably find other-me before she does some serious damage. And since Spike knows what she looks like, he can come,” she added with a smile.

Spike stared at her. “I just told you what she looks like. It’d be like lookin’ in a mirror!”

“I know that,” Buffy said, grabbing a crossbow. “But I need backup. Besides, it’ll be fun to see her toss you around.”

“Uh, Buffy? I wouldn’t suggest killing her. Try and bring her back, if you can.”

Buffy looked at Giles, puzzled. “Why not?”

“You two may be connected, as you share the same features and such. If you were to dust her, they’re no saying that you won’t die as well.”

Silence. “Great,” Buffy said, making a face. “Just great.”

< --- >

Buffy clenched her fists. They’d been walking around for ten minutes, but there’d been no sign of a Slayer/vampire that looked like her.

That wasn’t what was even bugging her so much. The real odd thing was that Spike hadn’t said a word since they’d left the library. That had her wondering why he’d even gone there in the first place. To what: warn them? That didn’t make sense.

She sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. “Sit, bleach-boy,” she ordered, wishing he’d say something sarcastic. He nodded and took a seat next to her.

“What is wrong with you? You’ve probably never been this silent in your entire life!” Buffy demanded.

Spike looked hurt. “Have too! Just don’t wanna talk, that’s all,” he mumbled.

“What? Why?”

It was Spike’s turn to sigh. “Ever since I first came here, and I saw you, I wanted to be the one that got to take you down. A battle of glory to the death, ya know?” Buffy rolled her eyes but let him continue. “Then I saw her, and I thought it was you. She got hostile, and I still thought it was you, but she was actin’ a lil’ different. When she slipped into game face…” He swallowed, before saying softly, “I was…I don’t know…lost. It felt…wrong. You not bein’ alive anymore.” He turned to face her, and Buffy was surprised to see him so serious. “You may not be my favorite person in the world, but you’re a decent fighter, and you keep your word. I trust you. Know it sounds weird, but it felt like I’d lost a good friend. That’s all.” He turned back to stare at the ground.

Buffy stared at him, shocked. He really thought of her like that? “This might sound odd from me…but…thank you,” she said. It’d been a long time since someone had told her that she meant something to them.

Spike looked at her and smiled. “Welcome.”

Buffy couldn’t stop staring. She’d never seen him smile like that before. It wasn’t a smirk, or sarcastic. It was sincere, and it was…beautiful. It really was.

Screams pierced the night air, shattering Buffy’s thoughts. “Think we found her,” she said.

Spike nodded. “Seems like. Let’s go.”

“Don’t stake her, please,” she said quickly. “Not in a dying mood.”

He smirked, the beautiful smile long gone. “Aw, you take all my fun,” he said, before taking off in a dead run. (No pun intended.)

She growled. “Stupid bleached vampire with a gorgeous face…” She gasped, her features contorted with shock. “Angel! Angel!” she repeated, trying to hammer out the mushy thoughts of Spike.

< --- >

They found her trying to make a meal out of a young man. His girlfriend was cowering in the corner, a fresh bruise on her face.

Buffy faltered, staring at the vampire her. She was the same thing, the real deal, except with fangs, a bumpy face, and an attitude. Okay, Buffy had that last one too, but the fangs and face were all new. It was disconcerting to see her as a vamp. A trashy vamp at that.

Vamp Buffy looked up and seemed slightly startled as well. “Well, well,” she said, sneering. “I knew something weird had happened the other night. Seems I fell into a weird reality where the other me is a slut. Hello, cutie,” she added, the last comment aimed at Spike.

“Let him go,” Buffy said, feeling a twinge of hurt.

Spike noticed the pained _expression and whispered in her ear, “Don’t let her get to you, Summers.”

“You mean don’t let me get to me,” Buffy whispered back.

Vamp Buffy sighed and tossed the guy towards the girl. “Run,” Buffy advised. The two nodded eagerly and did just that.

“How would you know I’m a slut?” Buffy said, stepping towards her other self cautiously. “Unless, of course, you are, and you’re assuming that your alternate dimension twin is the same?”

Vamp Buffy snarled and leapt at Buffy, tackling her to the ground. The two tussled for awhile, before Vamp Buffy slammed the palm of her hand into Buffy’s chin. Hard.

Buffy tried to focus as stars flew around her head. She cried out in pain as Vamp Buffy grabbed her by her hair and yanked her head, exposing her neck. Vamp Buffy hissed with pleasure and bent in for the kill.

She hissed with pain, not pleasure, as Spike sent her flying with a blow to the head. “You all right?” Spike asked, looking with concern at Buffy.

She nodded, dazed. “Been better. Thanks,” she said, and he smiled.

“Anytime.”

There was that smile again! That real, genuine smile of his that sparked something inside of her.

Growling to her left alerted her to the danger, but it was too late. “Look out!” she yelled as Vamp Buffy lunged at Spike, bringing him down. She cackled as she threw his head towards the pavement, knocking him out cold.

“NO!” Buffy screamed, jumping up. Her vampire self merely sent her sprawling with a kick. Buffy could only watch helplessly as the other Buffy pulled Spike into her arms and fled into the night.

< --- >

“She took him? What could she possibly want with Spike?” Giles mused.

Buffy paced the library floor, making it difficult for Willow to bandage her forehead. “I don’t know! Willow, quit following me. I’m fine. Spike is the one we should be worried about!”

Xander frowned. “Pardon if I don’t seem to be understanding perfectly, but you do know that Spike is a killer, right? You didn’t hurt your head that much, I’m hoping.”

“I’m perfectly aware of what he is, Xan, and who he is.”

“Then why save him?” Cordelia asked.

Buffy sighed. “I…I don’t know,” she admitted. “He’s different. I can tell. Something’s different, at least. And he did save my life. I owe him to try and save his.”

“Very well,” Giles said, not looking very happy about the situation. “We’ll see what we can do.”

Xander grumbled but went to get weapons, followed by Cordelia and Oz. Willow managed to get Buffy seated and started patching her head up. When the others were out of hearing range, Willow said, “I think you’re doing the right thing. And you’re right; he’s changed. He was really upset when he thought you were gone.”

Buffy smiled as Willow applied the medicine. Xander’s words ran through her head. She was technically helping a murderer escape. Why?

A gnawing feeling was growing inside her, and she recognized it as worry. She really was worried about Spike.

< --- >

Spike was awakened by a cuff across the head and an obnoxious voice. “C’mon cutie, rise and shine.”

He groaned and looked around through blurred vision. The lighting was dim, and there was a faint smell of alcohol in the air. Ah, he knew where he was.

“Why do you always pick the Bronze?” he grumbled, his vision clearing. Frightened people were milling about, cautious of the female vamp and a few cronies she’d picked up.

“Nice henchmen,” Spike said.

Vamp Buffy snorted. “If that slutty me shows up, they can deal with her while I get ready.”

“Hey!” he said angrily. “She’s no slut!”

His reward was a slap across the face. “Shut up! I’m the boss around here. I make the rules.” She frowned, pounding her hand against the wall.

Spike tried to sit up and found that he was tied to a chair on the stage. “Great. Just bloody great,” he muttered.

“You know what I want? I want to head back to the other world, and get my sire,” Vamp Buffy said. “He would love it here. Besides, he knows more about torturing humans then me.”

“I can help you with that,” a female voice said from the crowd. Spike turned to see a young woman step forward, grinning. “I know why you’re here, and who’s behind it. A red-haired girl at school by the name of Willow is responsible; she brought you here, and she can send you back.”

“How?” Vamp Buffy asked, ignoring the panicked look on Spike’s face.

“She’s a witch,” the woman said simply.

“How do you know all this?” Vamp Buffy said, a grin growing.

The woman chuckled. “How terribly rude of me. I never introduced myself. I am Anyanka; a vengeance demon.”

“You, boys, whatever,” Vamp Buffy said, catching the henchmen’s attention. “Stay here and watch the cutie, along with the rest of the crowd. You’re gonna need stuff to do the spell, right?”

Anyanka smiled and nodded. “I’ll get them.”

“Good. I’ll get the girl,” Vamp Buffy said, turning to Spike. She pressed her lips to his fiercely, then pulled away when he struggled. “Be back soon, cutie.” With that, she glided off.

Spike struggled with his bonds as best as possible, but couldn’t get them to loosen. “Hey!” one of the cronies said, running forward. A blow to the back of his head had the world spinning, and then he was falling into blackness.

< --- >

“Any other weapons or things we need?” Buffy asked, looking around. The Scoobies continued arming themselves.

“Nope,” Xander said, loading a crossbow. “I think we can handle her.”

Giles glared at him. “I would like to remind everyone that you’re not to dust the other Buffy. She could connected to ours, in the matter that if she dies, so would our Buffy. I would rather that not happen.”

Oz nodded, picking up a bottle of Holy Water. “No staking, gotcha. Knock her out, get Spike back, then what? Send her back to wherever she came from?”

Willow grinned and stood. “I could do it. Now that I know what I’m doing, it’ll be easier. We just need her here.”

“Do you have the proper materials?” Giles asked.

Willow nodded. “I should have them here, too. I just did the spell earlier today.”

Cordelia frowned. “You did it for that Anya right? I don’t know who she is. She just jumped into the group the other day.”

“How would she know about those types of spells, anyway?” Xander asked.

Silence fell over the Scoobies as they tried to process the idea. “I don’t like this,” Oz said, shaking his head.

“Me neither. Sounds like she could stirring up some trouble. We’ll see if we can find her, too.” Buffy grabbed the crossbow from Xander and put a stake in her pocket.

“You’re not to dust her, Buffy,” Giles warned.

She snorted. “I know that. Who’s to say she doesn’t have cronies employed for her?”

“Typical evil leader thing to do,” Xander joked.

“Let’s go, then. Willow, you can work on the spell, and get it ready. Giles will help.” When her friend didn’t answer, Buffy turned around. “Willow?”

Willow was gone.

“Not to make everyone panic, but with a maniac vampire on the loose, and my girlfriend missing, I’m starting to worry,” Oz said, frowning slightly.

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Cordelia offered.

< --- >

Willow headed down the corridor towards her locker. She had all the materials there. She shivered, looking around. She really did hate the school at night.

A scraping to her right had her jumping. Nothing. Still, she quickened her pace. She had learned to trust her instincts a long time ago in Sunnydale. Besides, her locker was right…

She screamed as a familiar face stepped out of the shadows. “B-Buffy?” she asked tentatively.

The blonde smiled. “You must be the one I’m supposed to get.” She vamped out and snarled.

“I didn’t think it was her,” Willow said, turning and running. Should she scream for help? Or should she use the air for running?

Her shoes clicked on the school tiles as she kept running. She turned to look behind her, to see Vamp Buffy giving chase. And gaining.

Okay, she was too far from the library. An excellent time to scream. After doing so a few times, she ducked into an empty hallway, hoping to throw the vamp off.

It didn’t work. If anything, the vamp gained on her.

Suddenly she tripped. She screamed as she went down, trying desperately to climb to her feet. Vamp Buffy grinned and lunged.

She yelled and fell back, staring at the dart with surprise. She looked up at Oz, the tranquilizer gun in his hand. She tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

“Oz!”

Oz smiled at her and offered her a hand up. “Nice to be the one on the giving end of the gun for once, not the receiving. And next time you want to get materials, get someone to go with you. Like me.”

Willow smiled with poorly concealed relief. “Came a little too close,” she said, looking back at the vamp that resembled her best friend.

“Agreed,” Oz said, as the other Scoobies came running.

< --- >

Spike flinched as a slap brought him to a conscious state. “Time to wake up, ‘cutie’,” the henchman sneered.

Anya paced nervously. “She should’ve been back by now. I could’ve gotten the girl in less time.”

“I doubt that,” a voice said, pushing Willow into the Bronze. Spike felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Willow cried out as she was shoved to the floor. She looked up and spotted him. “Spike! Are you…”

Vamp Buffy gave her a kick, sending her sprawling. Spike pulled on his bonds helplessly. “Red!”

“Shut up. I’ll deal with you in a bit. Now, the deal was…?”

“With her, we can get you back to your dimension.” Anyanka smiled.

“Why do you want to help me?” Vamp Buffy asked suddenly, her gaze narrowing.

Anyanka sighed. “Look, I’m a vengeance demon. Or was. They took my pendant in the alternate dimension that you’re from. If I get you there, I can get it back, and have my powers returned. Plus, that town is much easier pickings, wouldn’t you say?”

“True,” Vamp Buffy said, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “But this one’s a challenge. Besides, I’ll have my twin by my side.”

Spike looked over at her. She couldn’t have… “What do you mean? The Slayer?” Anyanka asked, skeptical.

“Ran into her over at the school. Before I found her?” Vamp Buffy said, pointing at Willow. “Let’s just say…the world’s going to be interesting with two Slayer vampires.”

Willow whimpered. “Oh hush up,” Vamp Buffy said. “Like she’s worth crying over anyway.”

“She is!”

Vamp Buffy turned to the stage. “She is, huh? In what way?”

Spike struggled with his bonds. “She was a decent fighter, a great daughter and friend, and a hell of a woman,” he said through gritted teeth. “And she was more, too. So much more. The way she’d roll her eyes but hear you out anyway. The way she smiled. The way she fought.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “And you took that away.” The bonds broke, and he smirked. “Let me try and make it up to the world,” he said, standing.

Vamp Buffy looked surprised as he stood. Two cronies headed his way, but a few kicks and a snap to each neck brought them down.

Anya shrieked. “You’re not a vampire!”

Spike turned, frowning. Who wasn’t a…his eyes widened as they landed on Vamp Buffy, who was now looking slightly panicked.

“Willow, go!” she shouted, pulling a dagger from her pocket. Willow jumped up and ran towards Spike.

Just then, the Bronze door slammed open, the Scoobies running in. “She’s not…?”

“Dead?” Willow finished for Spike. “No. She was faking. We caught the other one. We came to get you out and see what Anya was up to.”

“She kicked you!” Spike exclaimed, a vampire headed their way.

Willow gave him a stake, and he quickly dusted it. “It’s called third period,” Willow said, grinning. “Drama class. It’s great.”

Spike began to smile as well. He threw the stake and caught a vamp sneaking up on Xander. Xander turned to watch him disintegrate, then nodded his thanks to Spike.

Spike was about to tell the whelp he was welcome when an arm around his throat pulled him back. Willow gasped. “Buffy!” she shouted, getting her friend’s attention. It didn’t take too much to guess who it was.

“Hey, cutie,” Vamp Buffy whispered in his ear.

“Let him go,” Buffy said, hopping up onto the stage. Vamp Buffy just grinned, pulling him closer.

“Willow, go help the others,” Buffy said, her voice deadly. Willow nodded and hurried off.

Spike didn’t want to admit it, but he was starting to get nervous. The vampire holding him had twice the power he did. “How’d you get out?” Buffy asked, breaking his thoughts.

“There’s a window in that caged room,” Vamp Buffy said, shaking her hips. “Always was a skinny thing.”

Buffy pulled a compact crossbow out from boots. “Not skinny enough to dodge this,” she said, aiming.

“Honey, we’re connected. I die, you go buh-bye too, you know. Which would be a pity, considering you’re wearing my clothes, and I’m stuck in yours,” Vamp Buffy said.

“I’m well aware of that,” Buffy said, tightening her grip on her crossbow. “Let him go, and we’ll both be fine.”

“Buffy, luv, you might…” Spike hissed as Vamp Buffy pulled her arm closer. She was going to break his neck if she kept this up.

Vamp Buffy glared at him. “Shut up, cutie. I told you, I’m the boss, and I make the rules.” She smiled suddenly and lowered her head, licking his neck. Spike flinched, clenching his fists and trying to pull away.

When Vamp Buffy pulled away, Spike looked up, surprised to see murder in Buffy’s eyes. “He’s a cutie, what can I say?” Vamp Buffy smirked.

“Let him go,” Buffy said through clenched teeth.

“That tune is getting old, honey,” Vamp Buffy said. “The only way I’m letting him go is if I’m dust.” She chuckled. “I wonder how soon that’ll be?” She bent down to lick his neck once more. Spike struggled, causing her to strain forward, exposing her chest.

“Sooner then you think,” Buffy said. Spike looked up, and watched in horror as she let the bolt fly.

“NO!!!” he screamed, catching the Scoobies’ attention.

The bolt hit its mark just as Willow turned. “BUFFY!!”

Vamp Buffy looked surprised, letting go of Spike. She screamed as she turned to dust. There was a flash of light, and she disappeared.

When Spike could see again, his eyes darted around, searching desperately for Buffy. She was gone.

“No,” he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Willow put her hands over her mouth, shocked. The other Scoobies stared with dumb horror at the stage, whose lone occupant consisted of Spike.

He stared at where she’d been, and began to sob uncontrollably. She was really gone. She’d known the price, and had done it for him anyway.

“Looking for me?”

He gasped and looked up. Buffy stood, decked out in army gear and trashy make-up. “Didn’t think I’d be that missed,” she teased.

“What happened?” Willow asked, running forward.

“I got knocked back by the blast. I’m okay, though. What about you?” Buffy asked, turning to Spike.

Her answer was a passionate kiss. Her eyes widened with surprise before she began to respond hungrily.

They pulled away long enough for her to breathe, before they started again. “Okay, I’m guessing we’ll just leave them here,” Xander said, turning away.

Willow smiled. “That sounds like a good guess. Besides, shouldn’t we be looking for that girl, Anya?” With a fair amount of shoving, she managed to get the Scoobies out of the Bronze. She giggled at the sight of Spike and Buffy so wrapped up in each other, before closing the door behind her.

THE END