Chapter: 12 of ?
Pairings: S/B, X/A, W/T, D/J (more to come later...)
Time Period: After the summer following 'Back Track'
Rating: PG-13 to an occasional R or NC-17
Summary: The sequel to 'Back Track'. The previous year has been
changed, and the Scoobies are ready for the next year. How much as
their 'fixing' messed up the year they're about to enter? They'll
be pleasantly (and unpleasantly) surprised... (A season 7 redo,
following a redo of season 6.)
Disclaimer: My wishlist still consists of those three boys. I own
neither them nor any of Buffy. Joss does, however, and he's so ice
to share.
NN: As usual, all italics are enclosed in 'these'.
< --- >
The front door creaked open, and a backpack laden Buffy trudged
inside. Wearily she let the backpack slide to the floor.
"Buffy? Is that you?"
Buffy bit back the sarcastic reply she'd had in mind. "Yeah, it's
me," she answered instead, flopping onto the couch. She groaned as
the muscles in her back began to rearrange themselves.
Dawn came down the stairs, pulling her hair back into a
ponytail. "You look tired," she said.
Buffy gave her a look that clearly said 'Duh much?'. Dawn took a
seat next to her, ignoring the look. "How was school?"
"Tiring," Buffy admitted with a sigh. "I want my chance at a life
so badly, but I'm not sure I can do it."
"You can! You're just tired from today, that's all. You may be
blonde, but you're not stupid. Most blondes aren't." Dawn
paused. "Except for Harmony."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the mention of the vampire who was the
best example of a 'dumb blonde'. "Maybe it's just today, like you
said. It feels like I bit off more than I can chew, though. It was
just such a wonderful offer, and you guys went to so much trouble
for me, and I wanted to go back so much..."
"You didn't think about what it would do to your schedule," Dawn
finished for her.
Buffy nodded, leaning her head back. Throughout the day she'd
listened to teens, saddened by how many of them though that no one
cared about them. She'd then raced over to the Magic Box to teach a
few martial arts classes. After hurrying through dinner, she'd run
to her college courses, physically and emotionally drained from the
day's activities.
"Where are the others?" Buffy asked.
"Patrol; they should be back in about twenty minutes."
Buffy bit her lip, glancing down at her hands. She knew that the
whole idea for her to go back to school while the gang patrolled for
her had been 'their' idea, but she still felt guilty that they were
doing her job while she went and had a life.
"They want you to have this chance," Dawn said, apparently reading
the look on her sister's face correctly. "They wouldn't have
offered otherwise. They know how much you've sacrificed through the
years."
Buffy stared at her sister, her mouth hanging open. When had she
gotten so perceptive? She began to ask, but stopped when the lights
went out.
"Uh, we did pay the electric bill, didn't we?" Dawn asked
nervously.
"Yeah, which makes this either a blackout, or..."
"Hellmouth," they chorused in unison.
Buffy turned and glanced outside. Every other house had lights of
some kind on. "Just us," she said miserably. "Great."
"Now what?"
The Slayer sighed. "Light candles, I suppose. Oh, call Xander,
tell him to bring the big heavy-duty flashlights from his house."
There was a pause in which Buffy assumed that Dawn had nodded,
before she felt the sofa shift as her sister headed for the phone.
She heard a small 'click' as the phone was picked up, then nothing.
Buffy's frown deepened. "Dawn?"
"The phone's dead," Dawn's voice said, wavering. "I don't like
this."
"Get the flashlights," Buffy started, but froze when they both
heard a small 'thump' in the next room. Instantly she was on her
feet, heading for her shaken sister.
"I'm scared," Dawn whispered when she felt her sister's hands on
her shoulders.
"I know," Buffy whispered back. "Let's both head to the kitchen
and see if we can find the flashlights."
They'd taken less then two steps towards the kitchen when they
both saw a shadow of something skinny and nimble dart across the
kitchen floor. The girls quickly took four steps back.
"I don't think we'll be getting the flashlights," Dawn mumbled.
Buffy inwardly cursed. She didn't know exactly where the weapons
chest was, and she didn't want to alert the creature that she was
preparing for battle. Maybe flames would scare it away. "Head for
the big candlestick holder," Buffy hissed to Dawn. "I'll cover."
Slowly but surely they made their way to the fireplace, where Dawn
quickly snatched the multiple candle holder off the mantle. As fast
as she could she felt around for the matches Willow always left next
to the candlesticks, should there be a blackout. Trying to still
her trembling fingers, she lit the candles one by one.
In the glow of the living room, the girls could see
nothing. 'Thump.' Their heads whipped around, glancing over at the
dining room. Nothing.
Now that she could see, Buffy began to make her way over to the
weapons chest. She was almost there when she heard Dawn gasp. She
whirled to see her sister ashen-white, staring at the sofa in mute
horror. "What's wrong?" she whispered.
Dawn swallowed, turning to her sister. "I-I saw it. The m-
monster."
Buffy frowned, realizing there was something else she wasn't being
told. "And?" she prompted.
"It had Mom," Dawn breathed.
All the air left Buffy's lungs in a rush. Her mom? No. It
couldn't be her mom. "Mom?" Buffy asked, trying to make it sound
ludicrous. "Dawnie, we warned you that the First..."
"It was her!" Dawn insisted. "And it was strangling her! She was
reaching out for me, but when I blinked, they were both gone."
Buffy could feel her insides rolling. The thought of her mom
being hurt by some hell-beast that she had been chosen to
destroy...she shook herself. 'Knock it off, Summers! Mom's dead.
She's gone. This is the First, here to take you down a notch.
Don't let it!' "Dawnie, that wasn't..."
Suddenly a gust of air whipped through the room, blowing out the
candles. Buffy's hair flew in her face, stinging her eyes. As she
tried to push the hair away, she heard Dawn scream. Reacting on
instinct Buffy jumped forward, tackling her sister down to the floor
with her.
"Leave us alone!!" Buffy yelled, feeling the gust of air pounding
down on her, trying to rip her to shreds. Dawn whimpered,
apparently being battered as well. "I said, leave us ALONE!!"
The air stopped. With a shaky sigh of relief Buffy looked around
the room. No shadows. No creatures. Just the one person floating
a few inches off of the floor, bathed in a golden glow.
Dawn glanced up, her eyes lighting up as she caught sight of the
person that had made her sister's jaw drop. "Mom!"
"Andrew, you're...no, go right...your other right...Andrew would
you...oh for cryin' out loud...."
Spike sighed, rubbing his forehead after easily dusting the
vampire Andrew had been toying with for ten minutes. "Having a
little sympathy for General Buffy of the first time around?" Xander
teased.
Spike gave him a look, causing Xander to chuckle. "None of the
Potentials were THIS bad," he grumbled. "Jonathan knows his stuff.
Andrew just...doesn't." Spike growled, trying not to knock Andrew
over the head.
Andrew pouted. "Andrew, just imagine this as a D&D board, okay?
Only, imagine this as a surprise attack. A split second decision.
You've rolled the dice in your favor. You have one option: attack.
That's it," Xander said, trying to explain things to the geek in
terms he would understand.
Willow giggled at the look of awe and revelation that passed over
Andrew's face. "Say no more, Dungeon Master," Andrew said, his
voice laden with respect as he bowed towards Xander. "I know now
the rules that I must follow."
Xander rolled his eyes. Spike snorted, highly amused.
Willow and Tara giggled behind their hands, before Tara cleared
her throat. "What time is it?"
Jonathan glanced down at his wrist-watch, before digging for his
cell. "It's a quarter to. Might wanna give Dawn that call."
"Call?" Anya asked, frowning.
"We told her we'd call and check in, make sure Buffy got home safe
and everything," Willow explained as Tara dialed.
Even as Anya was nodding in understanding, Tara was ending the
call, staring at the phone worriedly. "What's wrong?" Xander asked.
"I got a message saying that the line wasn't available, like it
had been disconnected or something," Tara said, sounding
puzzled. "I know I punched the right number in."
A sinking feeling began to grow in the pit of Spike's
stomach. "We're goin' home," he announced suddenly, causing all
heads to whip towards him. He whirled around, missing the feel of
his leather duster. He'd packed it away in the closet at home,
telling a saddened Buffy he'd wear it when he felt ready.
Home. Buffy. Buffy, whom he couldn't reach. He didn't realize
he'd started running until the others yelled for him to slow down.
"Are you okay?" Xander panted when they'd caught up to the
vampire, whose walking could've been considered jogging.
"Just got a really bad feelin', that's all," Spike said. "We need
to get back to the house, and we need to get back now."
Buffy continued to stare as Dawn jumped up to embrace her mom.
Joyce stepped back, smiling sadly at her daughter before the
younger Summers could reach her. "Mom?" Dawn asked, her bottom lip
wavering.
"Oh, sweetheart, don't cry," Joyce crooned, starting to reach her
hand out for Dawn. She stopped, however, and regretfully pulled it
back towards her side.
"Get away from her," Buffy hissed, finally finding her voice at
last. She pushed herself to her feet, ignoring Dawn's jumbled
protests as she yanked her sister behind her.
Dawn kept her eyes on her mom as she yelled, "Buffy, what the hell
are you doing?"
"Watch your language!" came the chorused response from Buffy and
Joyce. Buffy turned on Joyce, seething.
"You stay away from us," she snarled. "I know who you are."
"Buffy!" Dawn cried, but Joyce waved her back.
"It's all right, Dawn," Joyce said. "Your sister has every single
right to be wary. It's why I'm here in the first place." She shook
her head sadly. "I begged for a chance to warn my girls of what was
to come."
Buffy glared at her, before pulling back her fist to slam into her
mom's face. Dawn shrieked and tried to stop her, but it was too
late.
The Slayer's fist went straight through Joyce's nose. That halted
any noise from Dawn.
"You're my mom, huh?" Buffy said triumphantly. "I think you're a
big fake."
Joyce looked hurt, but shook her head. "Mom?" Dawn asked, a bit
more hesitantly this time.
"Buffy, please, sweetie..."
"Don't sweetie me! I was never your sweetie! I was a sweetie to
Joyce Summers, and you're not her!!"
Dawn stared wide eyed at her sister, then turned her stare on to
Joyce. "Are you my mom?" she asked again.
Joyce nodded immediately. "Of course I am, sweetheart. I know
it's hard to believe, what with the whole mess going on right now,
but it's really..."
"Prove it," Buffy demanded suddenly, her gaze uncertain for the
first time. "Prove that you're my mother."
Joyce smiled, tears in her eyes as she gazed at Buffy. "My sweet
baby," she whispered. "You know, when I brought you home from the
hospital, I laughed when your father told me you'd be trouble. I
guess he really knew what he was talking about," she
chuckled. "Elizabeth Anne Summers, you are my first and were, for
awhile, my only daughter. I pushed you away when you tried to tell
me about your destiny because I couldn't accept it. I bashed Spike
in the head with a fire axe and told him to stay the hell away from
my daughter. Though, granted, he didn't listen," she added with a
small grin.
Buffy's anger began to melt as she realized that her mother,
Joyce, could really be standing in front of her. "Mommy?" she
whispered.
Joyce smiled. "I knew, right before everything went black. I
knew you loved me."
Buffy choked back a sob, dropping her head into her hands. It had
to be: from the dress down to the flower-cookie scent that was
uniquely hers, it was her mother.
Dawn glanced up at Joyce, her smile a testament to her
name. "It's really you," she breathed, and Joyce nodded.
Buffy wiped her eyes, taking in every single aspect of her glowing
mother. "I'm sorry that..." she started, but Joyce shook her head.
"I'll have none of that, young lady. You were doing the right
thing to do: you had every right to believe it wasn't me. That's
why I'm here: to warn you about what's to come. I can't tell you
exactly everything, but I'll try to give you girls the better part
of it, enough so you'll figure it out on your own."
"Better part of what?"
Joyce's smile was grim. "The final battle, Dawnie. The one
that'll bring you to your knees if you're not careful. The school
is a dangerous place, and staying there for even an hour can give
you enough vibes to put you under Hell's hands." She
shuddered. "I'd hate to think of what would happen to someone
sitting down there for days."
Dawn's eyes widened. "Spike was down there," she said, and
Joyce's head snapped up.
"He was? How long?"
"Two nights and a day," Dawn said, biting her lip. "But he'll be
okay, though, right?"
Joyce placed a hand over her eyes, shaking her head. "This is
bad. Very bad. Spike's in a dangerous spot right now. With the
soul weighing him down now, that would make him an even easier
target. Make sure he's kept somewhere safe, where others can't
reach him."
"Why?" Buffy asked, frowning at Joyce.
Joyce sighed. "The last thing we want is for last year to repeat
itself all over again. He'd be much safer that way, trust me,
sweetie. Safer for you AND him."
"But even easier for them to take him!" Buffy argued, but Joyce
was already shaking her head once more.
"He's a liability to himself now as well. You know that, Buffy.
Just like you were, when you returned from Heaven. You felt out of
touch from everything, out of sorts."
"Well, after spending a whole summer with you there, of course I
did!" Buffy said, suddenly breaking into a sad smile. "Remember?"
Joyce nodded immediately. "Of course I do, sweetheart. And I
know you miss it. But it'll be waiting for you still. You'll reach
it one day again."
Dawn watched with a frown as Buffy's smile slowly
disappeared. "Buffy?"
"I never saw you once," Buffy said softly. "I was there for what
felt like eternity, and I never saw you a single moment of it. I
saw no one, in fact. But you wouldn't know that, would you?
Because you've never been to Heaven, have you?"
Joyce stared, before shrugging, a smirk on her face. "Whoops."
Chapter 13:
< --- >
"Spike, slow down! We can't run as fast as you can," Xander
called.
Spike couldn't have cared less at the moment. All he knew was
that the girls, 'his' girls, were home. Alone. Without a working
phone. "Try the house again," he barked, wishing for the eleventh
time that they'd brought the cars.
"But it was..."
"Just do it, Tara!"
Willow clenched her fists at his snarling, but Tara shook her
head, placing a calming hand over her girlfriend's. The fact that
the vampire had used her real name just went to show how worried he
really was. Spike was usually very good about hiding his emotions,
but everyone could see the panic written across his face. With a
nod towards Jonathan, Tara soon had the boy's cell in hand and was
dialing.
'Beep, beep, BEEP!' "I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is
unavailable or has been..."
"Nothing," Tara said with a sigh. "The line still isn't working."
"Try Buffy's cell," Spike said without a moment's pause.
Willow would've rolled her eyes had she not been so worried
herself. Dutifully Tara dialed, her frown deepening as she reached
the three high-pitched beeps once more. "Her cell isn't...Spike,
wait!" she cried, breaking into a run as the vampire sprinted
towards home.
Joyce took three steps towards Buffy and Dawn, and the girls took
an equal amount of steps back. "If that's not Mom, then where IS
Mom?" Dawn whispered.
Joyce overheard and laughed. "Heaven, I would suppose. No clue,
though, because your sister's right: I've never been to Heaven.
I've no desire to, either. I'm quite content to be here. With you
two." Her grin turned positively wicked, and Buffy placed herself
in front of Dawn.
"You can't touch us," Buffy said, her eyes darting around for
something they could use against the First. Her eyes landed on her
purse, and she could see the bulge where her cell phone was.
"Don't even bother," Joyce said, still grinning at the
Slayer. "It won't work."
"I'm sure it won't," Buffy muttered.
Joyce's eyes were still locked on Dawn, and the girls took a few
more steps back. "It really can't touch us?" Dawn asked.
Joyce sighed. "No, I can't. Unfortunately. Or I really would
paint quite a pretty picture for the others when they got home.
Blood red would be quite a nice color in here, wouldn't it? I've
always detested the color on these walls," she said casually, and
Buffy's stomach twisted at the fact that it sounded like what her
mom really would say. Her mom would discuss paint like this. But
to talk about killing the two of them in the same context, with the
same easiness...she couldn't suppress the shudder at what the First
was doing.
"What do you want from us?" Buffy demanded, trying to get a reign
on her tumbling emotions and stomach.
Joyce's grin twisted into a glare. "I want your heartbeat," she
hissed, and Dawn whimpered, burying her head in her sister's
shoulder. "I want your blood so I can bathe in it, open the gates
to Hell with it. THAT'S what I want from you. I want a victory
over you."
"Too bad," Buffy spat, her gaze venomous. "Because you're not
gonna get it."
Joyce's features twisted, and Buffy swallowed down her dinner as
she stared at Jenny Calendar. "I beg to differ," Jenny said coldly.
After what seemed like hours, though was probably no more than
fifteen minutes, the gang reached the neighborhood they were looking
for. Spike wasted no time in heading for the road that would take
them straight home. Directly in front of him, he could see the
Summers' residence, and after a few moments, he noticed something
odd.
Spike had stopped, lost for a few moments in thought as he stared
at the house. The others used this opportunity to catch up to him
and attempt to breathe. Glancing down at the house in question,
they frowned as they noticed what was so odd about it.
"Why aren't there any lights on?" Andrew panted, voicing
everyone's thoughts.
"Power failure?" Anya suggested.
Willow shook her head. "We've got a generator to back up
something like that. And I would think that it would affect the
entire block. Trust me, I've done that before," she muttered,
recalling a time when she'd been responsible for a power outage.
"I don't like this," Xander said, sounding uneasy.
Spike stared at the house, wondering why he had this bad feeling
in the first place. "Me neither, mate. Me neither."
"Who is she?" Dawn whispered. When her sister didn't answer, she
tugged lightly on her sister's shirt. "Buffy?"
Buffy stared at the image of her late computer teacher, watching a
black mist begin to swirl around her as she rose higher. "You think
you're going to win?" Jenny said, and the girls winced from the
rasping growl she spoke in. "You haven't a chance, Slayer. You
thought that going back in time would change things?!"
Buffy felt her jaw drop, and Jenny laughed. "You thought I
couldn't feel when the gates of time were opened? Fool! I
witnessed the creation of those gates!" she roared, stretching her
arms out. Black tendrils mixed with a blood red colorbegan to
gather at her fingertips, the black mist beginning to seep out
throughout the entire room.
Buffy cried out and covered her ears as a high-pitched whine
began, and Jenny only laughed harder. "This is merely the tip of
the iceberg, Slayer!" she yelled. "Do you really think you stand a
chance now?"
Buffy reached over for a weapon, any weapon, to try and use
against their intruder, but Jenny upped the pitch of the whine,
causing Dawn to scream as she covered her ears. Glass in the
photograph frames began to crack under the high frequency, and Buffy
gave up, reaching down to cover Dawn as best as she could as she
kept her hands clamped over her ears. Any more of this, and they'd
both be deaf.
Buffy clenched her eyes shut as the whine reached an unbearable
high, but above it all, she could still hear Jenny cackling.
"C'mon," Spike said, hurrying off towards the house, ignoring the
groans from the Scoobies. "We've got to get to them."
"Maybe they're fine," Jonathan said, though the vampire could hear
the concern in his voice. No doubt the boy was thinking of what
could be happening to Dawn, because suddenly Jonathan was hurrying
his step up.
They were five blocks away from the house. Spike could hear the
heartbeats of the tired but diligent Scoobies, and he wished he was
close enough to hear his girls' heartbeats. To know that they even
still had them.
Four blocks away now. Closer now, and Spike could begin to hear a
dull whine, high pitched enough to shatter glass. He winced at the
frequency, then felt his stomach drop as his ears informed him that
the whine was coming from the house directly in front of him. Their
house.
Three blocks. From the occasional 'ow's he was hearing from the
Scoobies behind him, they could now hear the whine as well. Spike
was beginning to feel the start of a headache from the high pitch as
it battered at his skull. Stupid vampire hearing. And stupid
vampire sight that allowed him to make out a black mist against
darkness inside the house.
"What's wrong? What do you see?" Xander demanded, letting Spike
know that his worry was obvious to see. He didn't care anymore.
"Dark mist," he said, never breaking his steady running.
Willow's eyes widened, and she forced her tired legs to keep
going. "Oh goddess," she panted, "The First?"
Two blocks now. They were almost there. Spike opened his mouth
to reply, but stopped everything as the glass in the front window of
their house shattered into the house.
Chapter 14:
< --- >
The whine stopped, and wicked laughter faded away with it, but the
only thing Spike heard was the crashing of the windows as they broke.
Spike stared, stunned into a frozen position. Then, he was
running towards the house, pushing his vampiric speed to the limit.
He'd seen the glass go inside, but maybe it had gone out, and not
in. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they were okay.
On the sidewalk finally, up the path and bursting through the
door, he skidded to a halt as he silently gazed at the horror that
had become the living room.
All of the glass from the windows had been blown inside, as if
pulled by something, and Spike had a pretty good idea as to what had
pulled. Furniture was toppled over, plants and pictures were
knocked over, and splatters of red were seen on the pale walls.
Blood. Buffy's blood.
By now the Scoobies had caught up with him, and they stared in
stunned silence at the wreck before them. When her eyes drifted
over to the blood on the walls, Willow glanced around the room,
before turning to Spike. "The girls?" she almost begged, hoping he
could tell her where they were.
Her soft spoken plea set him in motion. He switched into game
face, ignoring the crunch of the glass underneath his boots as he
listened for heartbeats.
The first one was wild and erratic, and easy to find. Spike
quickly hurried into the far right corner of the room, pulling away
the chair that had turned over and had half trapped, half protected
Dawn.
She shrieked as he yanked the chair away, her bloody hands coming
up to cover her face. "Buffy said to leave us alone!!" she yelled.
"Does that mean us, too?" Anya said, and that had Dawn's head
whipping around to view her saviors. Her eyes traveled over each
person, finally landing on Jonathan, and she burst into tears.
Spike knelt down, hands skimming over the cuts and scrapes she was
sporting. "Anythin' else?"
Dawn sniffled, shaking her head. "J-Just this stuff, from the
glass and wind."
"Wind?" Tara asked, frowning slightly.
Dawn nodded, wiping her eyes on the back of her wrist. "The wind
that attacked us first, when the creature was holding Mo..." She
closed her eyes, shivering. "No," she whispered softly, "Not Mom.
Buffy knew it wasn't her; she even tried to warn me. I just...just
wanted it to be her so bad..."
Dawn's head whipped up, eyes darting around the room
frantically. "Buffy. Where's Buffy? She was down on the ground
with me, trying to protect me, and then the glass shattered, and we
were both screaming, and then it was only me screaming. I-I don't
know what happened to her. Is she..."
"Shhh, hush Bit," Spike said, brushing her tangled hair away from
her face. "We'll find her. Don't worry."
Jonathan was right behind him, ready to help Dawn in any way he
could. She glanced past Spike and saw him, her hands reaching out
for him. Carefully Jonathan bent down, pulling Dawn into his arms.
She managed to give him a small smile as he carried her over the
glass, since she was still wearing socks.
Spike, meanwhile, had closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint Buffy's
heartbeat. Normally, that was easy enough to do. But there were so
many other heartbeats close by, and his emotions were doing his mind
no good. He forced himself to concentrate, pushing away the images
his mind conjured of Buffy laying on the ground, glass through her
chest.
A slower heartbeat pulled him from his gruesome thoughts. Slowly
Spike followed it, heading into the kitchen and behind the counter.
The cupboards were dented slightly, as if someone had hit them, and
when he glanced down, he knew why. With a shout to the Scoobies he
knelt down beside the unconscious Slayer, hands automatically
reaching for her wrist for a pulse. His mind yelled at him, telling
him that he'd followed her heartbeat to find her. Of course she
wasn't dead!
Spike ignored his inner voice and checked anyways, relieved to
find that it wasn't fading. Just slow, painfully slow. She would
be okay.
His hands then went to work, checking every single inch of her to
find injuries. Starting with her feet up, he was glad to see that
she still had her leather boots on. That had provided some
protection from the glass.
After examining her chest (and no, there was no glass protruding
from her heart), he gently reached up to pull a piece of glass from
her forehead. "Damn you," he cursed, wishing the First was solid,
so he could kick its ass. The damage it had done to his girls...
Glancing down at her face once more, he was slightly surprised to
see her eyelids fluttering open. She blinked as she realized who
was standing over her. "Dawn?" she croaked, before coughing on the
blood in her mouth.
Spike helped her slowly sit up, brushing hair away from her
bloodied face. "The First?" he asked quietly.
Buffy nodded, laying her head against his shoulder. "The First.
Dawn?"
"She's fine. Bit rumpled, clothes torn and her arms scratched,
but overall just spooked. Don't blame her," Spike muttered darkly.
Buffy nodded again, not even attempting words anymore. Spike
closed his eyes, pulling her close against him, thankful that both
girls were all right.
"Buffy?" a wavering voice said from the hallway. "Is she okay?"
Buffy started to stand to assure her sister she was fine, but
Spike grabbed her before she could and pulled her down into his
arms. "Scared me so much," he murmured against her frazzled hair.
Buffy managed to give him a small smile, though it was still
slightly bloody. "So glad you're here," she whispered back, before
she turned towards the hallway. "Dawn..."
"Yeah, I know. And no, don't even think 'bout standin' on your
own, let alone walk. I'll hold you up."
"Always?" Buffy asked, remembering the same promise from a wedding
the year before.
Spike's eyes met hers, widening slightly as he remembered as
well. "Always," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
After Dawn had been convinced that her sister was indeed alive,
the gang had tended to their wounds, which had thankfully only been
a few pieces of glass, cuts and bruises on the younger Summers' part.
Buffy hadn't been so lucky, with a few more pieces of glass
embedded in her forehead and arms. Multiple scratches and deeper
cuts lined her arms and back, and her right shoulder had been
knocked out of place during the blast into the kitchen cupboards.
After Doctor Willow had made her diagnosis, Spike had once more
taken Buffy into his arms and carried her upstairs to the comfort of
her own bed. He'd tended to her there, making sure she was well
drugged up before he pushed her shoulder back into place. She'd
whimpered once, then had been rewarded with a kiss for her bravery.
She'd fallen asleep during his removal of glass, so after he'd
taken care of the injuries as best he could, Spike had silently made
his way down to the living room.
Anya and Willow were sweeping up glass and putting things back
where they belonged, while Tara worked on Dawn's forehead. The
teen's hand was firmly clasped in Jonathan's, who showed no signs of
letting go. Andrew was helping Xander with the windows, carefully
brushing any remaining glass pieces in the window frame onto the
floor, where it was quickly collected by the two women.
Xander glanced up as Spike came down the stairs, giving his friend
a small smile as the vampire rubbed his forehead. "Tired?" Xander
asked.
Spike snorted, but it was more a relieved noise then
sarcastic. "Thought I might've lost 'em both," he admitted quietly,
glancing over at Dawn. Dawn gave him a weak smile, before leaning
her head against Jonathan's shoulder.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Willow asked, pausing in her work.
Spike nodded, heading over to help Xander. "She's gonna hurt like
hell tomorrow, but other than that, she should be all right."
"Dawn told us what happened," Tara said, giving the teen in
question a small hand squeeze. "About the First, and what it tried
to do."
"It was Joyce, wasn't it?" Spike asked gently.
Dawn bit her lip but nodded. "Yeah. For most of the time it was
here, anyways. A-At the end, it turned into this dark-haired woman
that I didn't know. She had kinda short hair, and would've been
pretty if she hadn't been trying to kill us."
Xander and Willow exchanged glances. "Jenny," Willow said
sadly. "That was our computer teacher, Jenny Calendar."
"Is she dead?" Andrew asked.
Jonathan nodded. "She died about five years ago. I think she was
murdered. The cops didn't say too much else."
Xander snorted. "Thank Angelus for that one. She was going to
restore his soul through a spell, but he got to her first."
Silence descended on the room as the rest of the group let that
one sink in. "Oh," was all Dawn said quietly.
"The First can only appear as people that have died," Willow
explained. "Like it could appear as Spike, Angel, even Buffy."
"Yeah, 'member that," Spike muttered bitterly, memories of a dark
cave and a taunting Slayer spinning in his head.
Willow placed a comforting hand on his arm, as if reading his mind
and knowing exactly what he was thinking about. "We need to
seriously start fighting back," she said to the entire group. "The
First has already started its campaign, and made its intentions
known."
"It knows about your time traveling," Dawn said suddenly.
All heads swiveled to her in growing alarm. "It...It was taunting
Buffy," Dawn continued, after Jonathan had squeezed her
hand. "Asked her if she expected to change the outcome of things
with a simple time spell. It sounded kinda amused and pissed off at
the same time."
The three time travelers exchanged worried glances. "How?" Xander
asked. "How did...but it...does it know what else..." He finally
gave up trying to explain himself, hanging his head in frustration.
Spike decided to voice his friend's thoughts. "Does it know
what's to come, then?" he said quietly. "If it does, it'll be
expectin' our old moves. At least, I think it...maybe it'll..." He
growled at himself, more confused then before.
"Or maybe it knows what we're gonna do now. No, how could it do
that? It can't use the guise of someone before they've died, so
it's not a time traveler. And it certainly wasn't there last year
when we went back. At least, not that we noticed. But that
wouldn't make sense for it to hide, would it? Well, maybe it
would've...but what if something had...no, that doesn't make..."
With an exasperated noise Willow threw her hands up in the
air. "Are none of us capable of finishing a sentence?"
"Apparently not," Anya supplied. "But I think that time travel is
a subject in which people tend to not complete their thoughts. It
just makes them even more confused, bringing them around full circle
to their first question."
"Willow's right, though. We have to start really fighting back,
before the First gets the upper hand. Again," Xander said, with
Spike and Willow nodding their agreement. "The million dollar
question, however, is what do we do first?"
Silence descended on the room as everyone thought the situation
over. A harsh ringing caused everyone to jump, before turning
towards the phone. Willow cautiously headed over towards it, as if
afraid it would bite her. Hesitantly she picked the handle off the
receiver. "Hello?"
Her slight frown disappeared immediately. "Giles!" she exclaimed
happily, and everyone relaxed. "Hey! How are..."
The frown came back as she listened to him. Spike, who could hear
Giles just fine, began to frown as well.
"What?" Tara asked, beginning to look worried.
Before Willow could respond to Giles or Tara, Spike stepped
forward and took the phone from her. 'Go explain,' he mouthed, then
turned to the phone.
"Giles got a call from the coven, saying that a huge, dark entity
had made its presence known in Sunnydale," Willow told the
others. "He was concerned that something might've happened to us,
thus the call. He wants to know about what happened."
Spike, meanwhile, was trying to tell a panicked Watcher that his
charge and company were now safe and sound. "Look, Rupert, the
girls are 'fine'. Buffy's restin' now, but she's been taken care
of."
"Taken care of?!"
Spike mentally groaned. Right. Wrong words. "She's fine. The
Bit's fine. First came, yelled at them, blew out the windows, then
left. We're cleanin' up the mess right now. Don't worry 'bout it,
all right? Worry 'bout what we have to do next."
There was silence on the other end. "You're all...?"
"Yeah, we're all in one piece," Spike assured him, a small surge
of happiness shooting through him as he realized he was being
included in the 'everyone' category. It was a nice feeling.
Granted, he'd been feeling that for the better part of a year now,
but to hear it from Giles made it that much more important. Spike
almost shook his head. Now he knew why the others craved Giles'
approval so much: he was practically a father to everyone, or the
closest thing some would have to the loving father they were
supposed to have had.
"What are we supposed to do next?" Spike asked, pulling himself
from his thoughts. "The First is attackin' way faster then it did
last time. More violently, too. And it mentioned somethin' to the
girls 'bout knowin' that we did the time travel. That's what
bothers me the most."
"It knows about your time spell?" Giles asked, sounding shocked.
Spike nodded, rolling his eyes at himself even as he did
it. "Yeah, leavin' us with more questions then answers. Whole time
spell thing makes my head spin."
"I agree," Giles said absently, and Spike grinned, knowing the
other Brit was currently cleaning his glasses. "Well, my first
suggestion to you as to what should be done next concerns the
Potential Slayers. We've just started getting the reports of girls
being found dead or missing around the globe, and the council isn't
sure what we should do."
"The coven still got the map of the girls?" Spike asked suddenly.
The others, who had been talking quietly amongst themselves, now
turned to Spike with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, it does," Giles said slowly, sounding confused. "Do you
have an idea of sorts?"
Spike grinned. "Got one that just might work."
Chapter 15:
< --- >
"Spike?"
Spike was at the bedside immediately. That tiny, whispered word
was one of the best things he'd ever heard from her. Of course, 'I
love you' beat anything out. But when you're sitting and watching
someone who had coughed on blood all through the night, you're
willing to take any word from her that said she was all right.
He knelt by the bedside, reaching over to take her hands in his.
She gave a tired but genuine smile. "Morning," she whispered.
Spike chuckled, placing a kiss on both of her hands. "You mean
good evenin': you slept all night and day."
Buffy groaned, turning to bury her head into her pillow. "Seems
like all I do is sleep," she grumbled.
Spike's grin softened. "I think your students, teachers, and
friends would say differently."
"I feel useless," she mumbled.
"Useless?" Spike said, staring at her incredulously. "If there's
one word that describes you, luv, 'useless' isn't it."
"Then explain why you guys are doing my job," she snapped, keeping
her face in her pillow.
Gently Spike reached over and grasped her chin in his fingers,
turning her to face him. Despite her tone of voice, her features
were miserable, not angered. "This what Nibblet said you were
talkin' 'bout before you got the big scare?" he asked quietly.
Buffy sighed and nodded, pushing against the mattress in an
attempt to sit up. She hissed as the move caused her already sore
shoulder to flare up with new pain. "I'm tougher than this," she
muttered, ever as Spike was helping her up.
"Just 'cause you're the Slayer doesn't mean you can't have down
days. And you shouldn't feel guilty 'bout us patrollin' for you."
"For me! You just said it yourself! You guys shouldn't have to
do my job," she argued.
"We made the arrangement in the first place. We're all right with
it. Don't worry 'bout it."
"But..."
"We know which side of the stake to jab into the vamps, luv,"
Spike teased. "You don't need to babysit us."
Buffy looked down at her hands. "I don't want to be the cause of
someone getting hurt because I wasn't there," she said in a hushed
tone.
After gazing at her for a few moments, Spike took a seat beside
her on the bed. "Look at me," he said softly. "Buffy, look at me."
Slowly she raised her eyes, uncertain green meeting assuring
blue. "You have sacrificed everything from your clothes to your
life for this mission," he said kindly, but firmly. "After
everything that you've done for us, this is the least that we can
give back. You may come home tired, but we can still see you
smiling. Tell me you're not enjoying yourself the tiniest bit, and
we'll consent and let you desist in all your curricular activities."
Buffy raised her eyebrows at him, and Spike rolled his
eyes. "Lemme guess: another William speech," he drawled.
Buffy's grin was answer enough. It dropped, however, when Spike
said, "We can take care of this, don't worry."
"And the First? Can you take care of that on your own, too?"
"That why you need this break even more! Look, we know there's a
war comin'. Soon you'll be up to your ears in evil and Potentials,
and there'll be no Buffy time anymore. Take it while you can. All
right?"
Buffy opened her mouth to object. "'Sides, if we ever really DO
need you, you've got your cell, and we have that automated text
thing on speed dial. We're covered, pet. Promise."
Buffy bit her lip. One more push and she'd cave, and they both
knew it. "I think you're smart enough to take the courses," he said
casually.
Buffy's head shot up. "How much 'did' Dawn tell you?" she asked
suspiciously.
"Told all of us everythin'," Spike admitted, giving her a sheepish
glance. "Red then told me 'bout your SAT scores, so don't think I
don't know that as well. My girls are clever and brave," he boasted.
"And have an incredible knack for getting into trouble," Buffy
joked.
Spike grinned. "That, too." The grin fell slightly. "Even if I
hadn't been told 'bout those test scores, I could've told you that
you've still got what it takes to do anythin' you want. Anythin' at
all."
Buffy began to smile at that, managing to look grateful yet
slightly shocked at the same time. "What would I do without you?"
she finally murmured, leaning against his chest as much as her
injuries allowed. Spike said nothing, but smiled and wrapped an arm
gently around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.
A few light knocks broke the peace that had, for a little while,
engulfed the two. "Yes?" Buffy called softly.
The door practically flew open as Dawn bounded into the room,
leaving a flustered Xander and Willow behind her. "She, um, wanted
to see you," Willow told Buffy simply.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Dawn squealed, paused to take in her
sister's injuries. "Well, at least better," she offered. "But I
heard you say 'yes' when Xander knocked, and I wanted to make sure
that you were feeling better, and would it be okay if I got a hug?"
With a laugh Buffy sat up and offered her sister her good arm. A
gentle hug was exchanged before Dawn pulled away. "Homework now,"
she said, having caught Spike's pointed look. She gave him a small
contrite smile. "Sorry, I just had to make sure."
Spike rolled his eyes, but his gaze softened. "Big sis'll be
fine. Just gotta rest a bit, that's all. Homework, though."
"Okay. Homework. Sure. Bye!" Dawn said, giving her sister a
beaming smile. She headed back out, allowing an amused Willow and
Xander to come in with what Buffy finally noticed was a food tray.
"Dawn babble. That's something I haven't heard in awhile," Xander
said, bending down to place a chaste kiss on Buffy's
forehead. "Good to see you up."
Buffy smiled at her friends. "Thanks. And hey, soup! The cure
all food."
Willow gave her a grin. "Homemade, too. Well, homemade, as in
taken from a can and heated on the stove. But not microwaved.
Point there."
"They were serving soup the other day at the school, but I doubt
it was as good as this'll be," Buffy said, before her eyes
widened. "School. Work. My classes. My courses! What time is
it? I could probably make Mr. Devon's lecture if I..."
"NO!" the others chorused, bringing Buffy's babbling to a halt.
She stared at them in surprised silence, and Spike reached over to
pull her to him. "No," he repeated, softer this time. "No work, no
teachin', no anythin'. We called everybody, told 'em you'd been in
a car accident. Said you'd be back in next Monday."
"Monday?!" Buffy shrieked. "I can't! Today's what, Thursday?
That leaves Friday and the weekend, and I..."
"Can always extend your leave for longer if you need to," Xander
finished for her. "Take a break. Or, take a break from normality,
and put yourself back in slaying mode. Giles called last night."
Buffy sat up straighter, ignoring the pain that appeared in her
shoulder as she did so. "Is something wrong?"
"In England, no. Here, big yes." Willow took a seat before
continuing. "I guess the coven noticed the flare from the First
last night. They called Giles, who in turn called us."
"But everything's okay there?" Buffy persisted.
"Worry less about him, and more about us," Xander said. "We
talked with him last night and came up with a plan of sorts."
Willow gave her friends a sly grin. "Anya doesn't like it at all."
Spike smirked while Xander rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't she like
it?" Buffy asked, completely out of the loop.
"I came up with a thought to gather the girls before the First
starts really movin' in," Spike explained. "It knows 'bout our time
jump, and what we did the first time 'round, so it'll be expectin'
that to happen. It also knows that the Watchers are gonna start
collectin' the girls soon, and probably knows who's goin' where at
what time, you get the drift. So, I figured that we step in and
hopefully do the un-thought of, throwin' that bloody First out of
sorts."
Buffy nodded, looking slightly dazed from his speech. "Spike, you
might want to take pity on the poor girl," Willow grinned. Buffy
nodded emphatically to that.
Spike gave Buffy a soft smile, placing an apologetic kiss on her
forehead. "Sorry; got a tad carried away there. In any case, we're
gonna send someone to collect some of the girls in the U.S."
"Wait, one of OUR someones?" Buffy asked, staring at them as if
they were insane. "A Scooby someone?"
When her friends nodded, Buffy gave them a 'you're-so-past-insane-
I-don't-have-a-word-for-it' look. "Wasn't expecting that one," she
admitted when she finally found her ability to talk.
"We're hoping the First won't be expecting it either," Xander
said, crossing his arms. "The coven has a list of the girls on
American soil, so it's just a matter of someone getting them and
bringing them back."
"Do we have a 'someone' chosen?" Buffy asked, frowning.
Willow nodded. "He's all chosen and everything."
Buffy's frown deepened. "He?"
Xander grinned. "Me."
Chapter 16:
< --- >
Buffy stared, then blinked a few times at her friend. "Are you
okay with this?" she finally ventured.
Xander thought for a few moments, before nodding. "I'm the best
choice, really, and getting off of work won't be a problem,
considering that we finish the project next week. Plus, I get to
sight-see America. Okay, at Mach 3 speed, but I'll still see it."
"Now you know why Anya doesn't like the plan," Willow grinned.
The others joined in with smirks of their own. They all knew
that, as toned down as Anya was these days, she still asked for
orgasms out loud, bringing red faces to some and giggles to others.
"Are YOU okay with this?" Xander asked, his smile falling.
Buffy sighed. "Honestly? Not really. I want everyone here so I
can protect them, but I know I can't do that. We need those girls,
too. You can handle yourself in a fight, if you have to. Just take
your cell and check in often, okay?"
Xander gave her a sailor's salute. "Aye, aye, cap'n!"
Buffy leaned over to swat him, hissing after she'd done so. "Eat
your soup and get some rest," Willow ordered. "Xan and I will start
plotting out a course for him. Don't worry about 'anything'," she
said, as Buffy opened her mouth to object. "Not a single thing."
"Then what AM I supposed to do?" the Slayer half-joked.
Willow stood, her lips tugging into a grin even as she fought to
remain stern. She finally lost the battle and smiled as she
replied, "Rest, and spend time with your guy. We'll give you
updates later. For now, just enjoy the peace. There won't be much
of it later."
With one last glance at the couple, the two friends made their way
out of the room. "Rest?" Buffy questioned when they'd shut the door
behind them.
Spike nodded. "Rest. Just as soon as you've downed some of that
soup and popped in a few painkillers."
"Yes, mom," Buffy replied in her best put-on voice, then giggled
as she ducked to avoid his playful swat.
The group, with the help of the coven and Giles, had picked out a
route that would take Xander as far as the Atlantic coast, before
bringing him back in a zig zag pattern. The path would presumably
allow him to reach more girls. "Hopefully before that thing gets to
them," Tara had said, earning nods of agreement from everyone.
Buffy had rested, earning stern glares from everyone (especially
Spike) if she'd tried to do a single thing. "It's only a weekend
vacation of sorts. Lay back and relax," Willow had advised.
'Easy enough to do, with the ultimate evil running around,' Buffy
had thought sourly, but had said nothing.
"Do you have a First Aid kit along? Several?" Anya asked, handing
Xander a piece of luggage.
Xander nodded. "Yes, Ahn, to both questions."
"And your jacket?"
"It's packed."
"Cell phone?"
"In my pocket."
"Was I this bad?" Buffy whispered to Spike.
Spike gave her a wink. "Just shows that you cared. Means you
were worried."
Buffy leaned against him, shifting from foot to foot. The gang
was gathered at Xander's house to see him off, the date now five
days after the attack. Buffy had gone back to work the previous
day, and had been touched upon finding an assortment of get well
cards and gifts from the kids at the school. Her students had
welcomed her back with a banner at the shop, and even her fellow
classmates and teachers had told her it was good to have her back.
The only people who HADN'T welcomed her had been the vampires and
demons that Buffy met up with while patrolling.
Xander closed the trunk to his SUV with a sigh. "There should be
plenty of room for the girls and their luggage," he said. Glancing
up, he caught sight of Willow and Dawn heading down the sidewalk, a
huge cooler between them.
"We packed it with things that won't spoil on you," Dawn explained
as Xander peeked inside. "You can eat them anytime."
He frowned, looking back up at the two. "Uh, thanks, but some of
this is juice and sandwiches. It 'will' go bad, trust me."
Willow gave him a mischievous grin. "I promise you that they
won't. I give you my word."
Spike narrowed his gaze at her. "What did you do?"
Willow threw her hands up, rolling her eyes as she did so. "You
guys don't let me have any fun anymore! It's just a simple chant
that keeps the object safe from rotting and molding. That's all.
Perfectly safe to eat. It'll last until you've eaten it, and then
the regular speed of decay'll resume. It just slows the process
down."
"Then I can keep some of this for the girls," Xander said, turning
back to an anxious Anya. "I've got everything, don't worry."
Anya bit her lip. "Razor?"
"In my duffel bag."
"Extra cash?"
"In my wallet."
"Me?"
Xander paused, before smiling ruefully. "That I don't have. At
least, not on the trip."
Anya rushed forward, burying herself in his arms. "Be careful,
please?" she whispered.
"You too," Xander said, rubbing small circles on her back. "I'll
call every night, okay?"
Anya nodded. "Okay. You can call in between nights, too. You
don't have to wait until night to call me."
Xander chuckled. "I know, Ahn. I know."
There was a small pause, before Buffy turned to Spike. "I wanted
to check the map over again," she said, before grabbing his hand and
leading him back towards the apartment building. Dawn and Willow
took the hint and quickly followed behind.
"We might as well give them a few minutes of privacy," Buffy said
once they were out of hearing range. She glanced back to see Xander
and Anya with their foreheads rested against the others'. Xander
was talking in what appeared to be hushed tones, and Anya's eyes
were closed.
"I don't think I've ever seen her this upset before," Dawn
commented, looking back at the couple as well.
"I know how she feels," Buffy murmured. A cool hand slipped into
hers, giving it a small squeeze. She smiled at the contact. "And I
know how happy she's gonna be when he comes back."
That earned her a kiss on the top of her head. Her smile grew as
she leaned back against Spike's chest. "You really missed me that
much?" he asked softly, his accent slipping into William's again.
"And so much more," she answered.
Tara came out then, taking Willow's hand in hers. "I think
they're done," she said, glancing over at the couple in question.
Xander and Anya had indeed parted, though neither looked very
thrilled with it. The rest of the gang headed over to say their
goodbyes.
Dawn reached him first, throwing herself at him in a tackle sort
of hug. "Bring me back a souvenir or something cool, please?" she
begged, earning a grin from Xander.
Tara was next, giving him a shy smile and hug. She then stepped
over to stand next to Anya, who looked in need of a hug as well.
Spike came forward then, grinning as he extending his hand.
Xander stared at it for a few seconds, before shaking his head,
laughing. He took the offered hand and the two shook, before they
stepped into their customary hug. The others merely rolled their
eyes at the two's constants attempts to preserve their 'manliness'.
"You guys are strange, you know that, right?" Dawn said, raising
her eyebrows at both men.
"Define 'strange' in this town, Bit," Spike said, pulling
away. "Just watch yourself, Xander. You're in a race of sorts
here, tryin' to get to those girls before the Bringers do. Doubt
they'll be really friendly towards you, what with you takin' the
girls from 'em and all."
Xander smirked before replying, "But there's no pressure here,
right?"
Spike shook his head in an exasperated manner, though his eyes
twinkled with amusement. "No more pressure than normal, at least,"
he joked, before his grin fell. "You can handle yourself if you
need to. No doubts there. You got anythin' packed, should you have
to get unfriendly?"
Xander nodded, turning to glance back at the car. "Yeah I've got
a few things packed if I need to arm myself."
Spike cleared his throat, bringing Xander's attention back to
him. The vampire started to say something, then changed his mind,
merely handing the young man a knife in a black leather sheath.
Xander stared at it in stunned silence, before glancing up at his
friend in silent askance. "One of my best weapons," Spike said,
trying to sound nonchalant. "Want it brought back in one piece."
Silently Xander took the blade, before pulling Spike in for a
crushing hug. Spike returned the embrace wordlessly, not really
caring how poncy he looked. Xander had become almost a brother to
him, a real best friend. He couldn't go along to protect Xander or
the girls, but he could at least give the young man a better chance
of making it back alive. The knife really 'was' one of Spike's best
weapons, but the underlying tone was hopefully obvious enough
without being too corny. From the silence Spike was hearing, it was
just fine.
Xander pulled away, glancing over Spike's shoulder to see his
remaining friends watching him with smiles. "Well, I'm bringing
back a souvenir for Dawn and a knife for Spike. What can I bring
for you ladies?"
"Just you in one piece," Buffy requested, stepping forward into
Xander's arms. Willow joined them, and the three original Scoobies
shared a final moment together.
"I know I'm sounding like a broken record after everyone else's
comments, but be careful, please?" Willow pleaded, giving Xander the
mournful, worried puppy eyes that were uniquely hers.
Xander smiled. "I'll be fine, Wills. I promise. Now, I've got a
road to hit," he said, giving everyone a pointed look. With laughs
the gang headed over to the safety of the curb.
Everyone, that is, except Anya. She stayed by the passenger
window of the SUV, gazing at Xander with worry as he climbed in.
Xander leaned over from his seat to press his lips to hers. When
they parted, he wiped away a few tears that were making their way
down her face. "Calling every night, and speeding home to you,
okay?"
Anya nodded, unable to swallow past the knot in her throat. "I
love you," he whispered.
Anya managed a smile at that. "Love you, too."
Xander gave her one last kiss, before sitting back to start the
car. With a wave to everyone Xander began his trip across the
country.
Anya stood rooted to the ground, her eyes fixed on the rapidly
fading SUV. Buffy came over, tapping her on the shoulder. When
Anya finally turned, Buffy offered her friend open arms, saying a
quiet, "I know."
Anya sniffled and walked into Buffy's hug. "Sometimes human
emotions really suck," Anya muttered, laying her head on the
Slayer's shoulder.
Buffy sighed. "I know that, too."
Chapter 17:
< --- >
The plaza was crowded, people laughing and drinking well past
midnight. No one noticed the young couple heading away from the
throng of bodies to a more secluded spot. "Where are we going?" the
blonde girl asked, giving her partner a drunken grin.
He glanced back at her, smiling slightly as he took her hand in
his. "Just an alley not far from here. We can be alone then."
The girl whooped, then broke into a fit of giggles, allowing him
to lead her to a quiet back alley, away from every other person out
there. Alone, at last.
She squealed as he grabbed her hips and swung her around, until
her back was against the wall. She did quiet some when he stepped
between her legs and licked his lips. He pressed his crotch against
hers, and both moaned at the contact.
Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against hers, forcing his
tongue inside her mouth. His hands roamed down to clutch at her
ass, pulling her even closer to him.
She hissed with pleasure. "So damn hot," she mumbled between
kisses.
He groaned, trailing his lips down her chin and onto the right
side of her neck. "Oh, Buffy," he growled.
The girl paused, frowning slightly. "Buffy?"
Without warning he bit down on her neck, causing her to gasp and
try to push him away. His grip on her tightened even more, keeping
her trapped against the wall and his body. She continued to fight
him until she was too weak to move. She closed her eyes, the sounds
of laughter and his slurping the last things she ever heard.
Once she was dead he pulled away, licking the last drops of blood
off of his fangs. Briefly he closed his eyes, enjoying the taste
and sensations of her blood. If he thought really hard, he could
almost imagine that the blood belonged to...
"Buffy?"
Spike opened his eyes, turning to see his lover yawning. "Buffy!"
Dawn called again, more urgently this time.
"I'm awake already!" Buffy yelled, sitting up. She glanced over
at Spike, smiling as she took in his rumpled hair. "Morning," she
said softly.
Spike gave her a small smile in return. "Mornin'. Should
probably head down before Bit starts hollerin' again."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. How come you're always
right about these things?"
"'These' things? Not all things?" he asked, giving her a mock-
pout.
Buffy merely laughed, giving him a small kiss before heading down
to her pushy sister.
Spike laid back down on the bed, his tongue flicking over his
teeth. He couldn't taste any human blood, but it had been over six
hours since the alley. At least, six hours since he THOUGHT the
alley had happened. The girl had almost looked like Buffy. Her
blood hadn't had that sweet tangy taste that Slayer's blood usually
had, though.
Spike clapped his hands over his ears. He hadn't killed that
girl! He'd been with Buffy all night, not out grinding and killing
some Buffy look-alike. And he would never betray Buffy that way.
Never. She was his everything, his reason to keep going.
That didn't answer his question, though. Spike slowly uncovered
his ears, staring miserably at the ceiling. His stomach rolled at
the very thought of draining some girl. No, he wasn't doing this.
He'd been here at the house all night.
Hadn't he?
He came down a little while later, after making an investigation
of softs of himself. There 'was' a faint taste of blood in his
mouth. He wasn't sure if it was human or pig, though. No scent of
humans on him besides the ones he lived with. It had all been a
trick of the First's, then.
He was greeted with the tantalizing aroma of pancakes and he
smiled, knowing exactly who was cooking without even looking into
the kitchen. He was guaranteed funny-shaped pancakes this morning.
Peeking in, he saw Willow and Anya at the table, looking through
the morning newspaper: Anya with the economical section, and Willow
with the news. Dawn had the comics at the counter, absently popping
grapes into her mouth every now and then. Buffy was helping Tara
with the cooking, though she did glance up as he came in. Her face
instantly lit up at the sight of him. Spike returned her smile,
feeling a pang of guilt for even having though of going with another
girl, when his golden goddess was right there in front of him,
pancake batter on her right cheek.
His smile broadened as he walked over, kissing the mess on her
face away. "Don't you have a school to get to?" he asked.
She gave him her wounded puppy eyes. "What, trying to get rid of
me already?"
"I'd keep you here all day if I could," Spike said, raising his
eyebrows at her. "You know that."
"I know that VERY well," she murmured, batting her eyelashes at
him. He chuckled, but suddenly his pants were feeling a little too
tight. Bad, bad thoughts. He didn't trust himself at the moment
with thoughts like those. He almost snorted. He didn't trust
himself at ALL at the moment.
Spike gave her a small smile, ignoring her obvious come-on
comment. He caught a flash of disappointment in her eyes, and then
she was smiling again. He cursed himself inwardly for still feeling
so insecure about the soul. She deserved a man that could give her
so much more than this. Someone who could satisfy all her needs.
A gentle touch on his arm brought him out of his thoughts.
Glancing up, he saw Buffy giving him an understanding smile. 'It's
okay,' she mouthed. He gave her a small questioning gaze, somehow
hoping to convey his insecurity that way. She squeezed his arm
lightly, and he knew he'd succeeded. She was okay with it.
Spike wanted to tell her why they hadn't really kissed, made love,
any of it since the night before he'd left. Wanted to tell her that
even though they'd gone back in time and changed things, he still
remembered the bathroom. And once he'd gotten his soul back, it had
reminded him none too kindly of it.
Technically, it hadn't happened. They'd changed things, and that
night in the bathroom had never really existed. But he could still
feel her terry robe under him, hear her screaming and sobbing for
him to stop.
"Spike!"
Spike jumped, startled out of his thoughts once more. Everyone
was staring at him now, worried expressions on their
faces. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Buffy said in a calmer tone, though
her face betrayed her true emotions.
"She's been calling you for a few minutes now," Anya informed him.
"I'm fine. I am," he added when they looked
doubtful. "Just...thinkin'. That's all. I'm all right, I swear."
The others nodded, still looking concerned. Buffy bit her lip,
clearly not pacified. "I'm 'fine'," he said softly. "Really.
Didn't mean to scare you."
"Thoughts about sparks?" she asked, though she did look more
relaxed now.
"Somethin' like that, yeah," Spike admitted. "If it gets really
bad like before, I'll come to you with it. Promise."
Buffy relaxed completely at that, allowing Spike to pull her into
a much needed embrace. "Worry me so much," she mumbled.
Spike rolled his eyes, having expected that certain response. "I
know, luv. I know."
"Pancakes are ready," Tara announced, bringing the funny-shaped
breakfast over to the table. Dawn and Anya gave her smiles, but
Willow frowned, her eyes never leaving the paper. "No pancakes?"
Tara asked, glancing over her girlfriend's shoulder.
Willow redirected her frown from the news to Tara. "Your face,"
Tara explained.
The redhead made a small 'o' with her mouth. "Not at the
pancakes, honey. The news."
"Why, what's wrong now?" Buffy asked, heading over to her friend.
Willow sighed. "The cops found a Natalie Dorm in an alley last
night, after they'd been called in to deal with a drunken group at
some party or another. They're saying she was intoxicated, and fell
on shards of glass. Guess where the puncture wounds were?"
Everyone groaned. Everyone, that is, except Spike, who stood
frozen beside Buffy. It couldn't possibly...but there was only one
way to find out. Slowly he walked behind Willow and glanced down at
the newspaper. He stared at the picture of Natalie, swallowing past
the bile in his throat.
Blonde hair. Resembled a certain Slayer he knew. Two puncture
wounds on the right side of her neck.
The girl he'd killed.
"Earth to Spike?"
Spike looked up at Dawn, hoping he didn't look as guilty as he
felt. "Yeah, Bit?"
"I was just gonna ask if you were okay. You kinda zoned out on us
again."
Spike nodded, trying to still his trembling hand as he ran it
through his hair. "Just fuzzy; didn't get much sleep last night."
He stole a glance at Buffy, only to find that she wasn't paying any
attention to their conversation. Her eyes were also locked on the
picture, her features displaying her obvious self-loathing and
misery. Last night had been her college night. No patrol.
Her face fell as she continued to gaze at the dead girl, and
Spike's guilt rose to a new level. He knew that she'd been worried
about someone getting hurt because she hadn't been out there doing
her duty. She was blaming herself for the girl's death. Blaming
herself for something he'd done.
Spike shook his head, disgusted with himself, and headed for the
stairs. "Spike?" Buffy called after him, a frown apparent in her
voice.
"Not feelin' all that well. Gonna head back to bed," he said, not
looking back at her as he ascended the stairs. What had he done?