Revelations

Everyone had gone inside Spike’s crypt. Xander was pacing around in a circle, while Buffy was just staring at Spike like she’d never seen him before. And Anya was sipping an iced tea that Clem had offered her. Spike sat in the comfy chair, with his head in his hands. This was never how he intended for Buffy to find out about this. He hoped it would be when they were alone. Preferably, a long time from now.

Everyone was waiting for some sort of explanation as to what had happened to him, but he couldn’t really answer that. He had asked for something, but it hadn’t been this. At least he didn’t think so.

“So, let me get this straight. You’re human now?” Xander asked, in mid-pace.

“No... I mean, I don’t know.” Spike mumbled.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Xander asked.

“I said, I don’t know.” Spike said irritated with Xander.

“Why don’t you just leave him alone, Xander?” Anya said feeling badly for the way Xander was interrogating him.

“Why are you defending him? Oh wait, I forgot, you guys are old friends. Sex buddies.” Xander said bitterly.

“Why do you have to keep bringing that up? It was one time. It’s not like it will ever happen again.” Anya said, wanting to throttle Xander for being such a jerk.

“No, because you’re sleeping with Giles now.”

“What?” Spike said, suddenly interested in their conversation.

“That’s not any of your business, Xander.” Anya told him.

“You and the old man? Well, good for him. Looks like that old dog had some new tricks after all.” Spike chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s really funny Spike. It’s hilarious that she’s making her way steadily through the male population of Sunnydale.” Xander said snidely.

Anya became infuriated at his attitude and his words. She got into his face and held her hand up in front of him.

“Look at my hand Xander. Do you see this ring on my finger?” She asked angrily.

He looked at her strangely.

“You don’t have a ring on your finger.”

“Exactly! And whose fault is that?” She asked heatedly.

“Stop it! You’re both driving me crazy. Can we talk about something else here? Like what just happened outside?” Buffy asked exasperated. She stood up and put her hands on her hips.

Anya and Xander looked over at her. Anya looked embarrassed and she sat back down on the arm of the couch. Buffy looked at them and shook her head. Then she looked at Spike.

“What happened to you, Spike? Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked him quietly.

Spike just looked at her and didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell her the truth. But he didn’t know how she would react to that. He had wanted her to give him a second chance. He had wanted to start over with her before he told her about all this. But nothing ever seemed to go quite as he planned. Certainly not this.

“Buffy…” He began softly.

“It’s gotta be a spell. Or a trick? It’s probably some kind of weird, evil plan of his.” Xander interrupted.

Spike looked up at him angrily.

“Do you even listen to yourself when you speak? And why are you even still here?” He asked heatedly.

“Because I’m having a bad day, and I want answers.”

“Well, it’s none of your bloody business. In fact, none of this is anyone’s business but my own. So why don’t you all just bugger off and leave me alone.” Spike said, getting up from his chair and pointing towards the door.

“But—.” Xander started.

“Unless you’re still planning on killing me?” He asked. He waited for a moment, and Xander just stared at him. “Fine. Then get out.” Spike told him.

Xander looked at him and then at Buffy. She got up quietly and took Xander’s arm.

“Come on. Let’s go.” She said to him softly.

They both looked at Spike one last time, and then headed out the door. Anya still remained and Spike turned around and gave her a look.

“Me too? But I was on your side.” She told him.

“I know, but I want to be alone.” Spike groaned.

She sighed.

“Fine.” She stood up, and promptly disappeared.

Spike looked at Clem and he stood up.

“Uh, I don’t have anywhere else to go.” He said awkwardly.

Spike sat down in his chair and rubbed his temples.

“I didn’t mean you.”

“Oh, good.” Clem smiled. Then he sat down across from Spike. “Why didn’t you just tell Buffy what happened?”

“Because. I couldn’t. She wouldn’t understand. Besides, I wasn’t about to pour my bleedin’ heart out in front of that wanker, Harris. They don’t need to know anything. So don’t you get all soft on me and go tellin’ Buffy my secrets.” Spike said seriously.

“I won’t. I swear. It’s just that it’s so romantic.” Clem smiled happily.

Spike just shook his head and closed his eyes.

“It’s not romantic. It was idiotic, is what it was.” Spike complained.

He had thought he was doing the right thing by going to see that demon. But in the end, he hadn’t gotten exactly what he had bargained for. He wanted to be good enough for Buffy. He wanted to make sure he never hurt her again. After what he had almost done, he was sick with himself. Which didn’t make any sense to begin with. He was supposed to be evil and uncaring. He shouldn’t have felt bad, and he shouldn’t have stopped. He should have taken what he wanted, killed her and been done with it forever.

But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He figured he was already a ridiculous excuse for a demon, he might as well just complete the process. If a soul was so bloody important to Buffy? Then he was gonna get one. That way she could never accuse him of being beneath her, or less than worthy of her love. That was all he wanted. He wanted to be what she deserved, and to get the respect he felt he deserved. It was supposed to be simple.

But he never asked to be human, or whatever it was he had become. He appeared human. He had no more cravings for blood, didn’t vamp out, and was immune to sunlight now. Plus, he had a soul. But he was still strong. He could still fight the same way he always had. Maybe even better than before. He was tough, and fast, and healed just as quickly as any vampire would. He had gone back to the demon when he realized that a soul wasn’t the only difference in him.

The demon had only laughed and said he had gotten what he asked for. Then he threw him out of the cave, back into the harsh African sunlight. Spike reflexively tried to cover himself before he remembered it wasn’t necessary anymore. That was the only explanation he had gotten. He had even gone to other places, witch doctors, and no one would give him any answers. He had spent months just traveling around, seeing the world in daylight, before he had the will to return home. Back to Sunnydale. Back to face Buffy and the less pleasant people, like Xander Harris. Days like today, he wasn’t sure why he even bothered to torture himself like this.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy and Xander walked silently out of the cemetery. Finally, Buffy stopped and looked at him.

“What the hell was that back there?” She asked angrily.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” He said shaking his head.

“No. I mean you. Trying to kill Spike? Again? What’s wrong with you?” She questioned furiously.

“What? He had it comin’. He’s had it coming for years.”

“Xander, you had no right to do what you did. You could have killed him—.”

“That was the idea, Buffy.” He said shaking his head.

“Did you even think for a minute how that might make me feel?” She asked him.

“Happy? Joyful? Relieved?” He offered.

“I did not want him dead.”

“After what he did—.”

“I don’t care. It’s not your business. It’s my business. If I wanted him dead, I would have done it myself. End of story. I don’t need you to save me.” She said bitterly.

“Buffy, I was just—.”

“Well, don’t.”

He looked at her and threw up his hands.

“Fine. Guess it doesn’t matter anyway, cause Spike’s not Mr. Chips anymore. We don’t even know what the hell he is. I didn’t see that coming.”

“I know.” She said, with a sigh, and they continued walking. “By the way. I’m sorry about Anya.” Buffy said softly.

“Yeah? Me too. But you didn’t seem very surprised by it.”

“Well, I kinda knew they had something…” She admitted.

“You knew? How long exactly has this been going on?” Xander asked despairingly.

“I-I don’t know. I just walked in on them once.”

“I know the feeling. Man, how could she? With him? How could he?” Xander wondered sadly.

“As weird as it is, you can’t be mad at Anya for this.” She told him seriously.

“Yes I can.” He said quickly. Then he lowered his head. “I know. I shouldn’t be. This is all my fault anyway. I guess I just thought we could work this out. I mean, she went all vengeance demon again, but I’m not dead or disemboweled. I thought we had a shot.” He explained.

“I know.”

“And seeing her with Giles…I was just so furious. And hurt.”

“Yeah, I gathered that. But what did Spike have to do with all this? Why go after him?” She asked him with some irritation.

“Spike didn’t have anything to do with this. But he had it coming. I still don’t understand why you don’t want him dead for what he did to you.” He told her.

“Xander, there is a lot you don’t understand. And I don’t have time to explain it. But from now on, my business is my business. I know your intentions were good—.”

“They were.”

“Yeah, but you can’t just kill Spike. Especially now. He’s human…or something.” She said with a confused look on her face.

It was all just a little much to take in. Buffy didn’t really know what was going on. Spike wasn’t Spike anymore. Well, he was, but…Well, she didn’t know what he was. She knew something had been different about him when she saw him. She never would have imagined this. And she still didn’t know how or why this had happened. It appeared he wasn’t in the sharing mood either. Her head was spinning. This could change everything. And that thought was a little scarier than she was ready for.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Come again?” Giles asked Anya as he scratched his head.

“I said Spike’s human now, or something. He isn’t a vampire.” Anya explained to him, as she went to unlock the doors of the Magic Box.

“How is that possible?”

Anya shrugged.

“He didn’t say.”

“He didn’t say?” Giles asked confused.

“He got angry and told us to leave.”

“Angry?”

“He was all ‘Bugger off!’ and ‘Bloody leave me alone!’. You know, angry? But in that subtle British way. Like you get.” She explained.

“Yes, I know what angry means, Anya. I just meant, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want to explain. He must know this is rather a shock for everyone.”

“If you ask me, he didn’t seem any different. I mean, he was still Spike. Just a little more tan, maybe.” Anya said, as she got the money in the register ready for the days business.

Giles put his hand on her shoulder and started to say something, when the little bell rang over the door. Buffy walked into the shop. Giles looked up and Anya smiled cheerfully.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Anya said as her smile faded, and she returned to her task.

“Nice to see you too.” Buffy said wryly as she shook her head.

“I just meant, you’re not a customer, so I don’t need to be falsely cheerful.” She explained further.

Buffy just stared at her, and then remembered that she and Giles were together. She saw his hand affectionately on her shoulder, and she shuddered inwardly. She tried to pretend she didn’t know anything, but Giles sensed her discomfort. He removed his hand, and walked over to where Buffy stood.

“So, I’ve heard that Spike is somehow human now?” He asked her.

Buffy plunked herself down in a chair and looked at him.

“I guess. He says he doesn’t know what he is.”

Giles sat across from her and folded his hands in front of him.

“This is definitely an interesting development. It’s fascinating, actually.”

“Yeah, it’s a real hoot.” Buffy said with false enthusiasm.

“You don’t suppose he’d talk to me? I’m very interested to know what’s transpired.” Giles wondered aloud.

“Good luck. I doubt it.” She said shaking her head.

“Yes, well, perhaps he’ll confide in you at some point. He came back here for a reason, I assume. He can’t stay hidden away and secretive forever.”

“Yeah…maybe. It’s all just so weird.”

“I imagine it is. This changes things.” He said.

He knew that Buffy still had very strong feelings for Spike. This made things even more complicated. Or perhaps, less complicated. No one could be entirely sure at this point.

“Speaking of changing things…You and Anya? With the…well, you know?” Buffy said, changing the subject.

Giles shifted in his chair and cleared his throat nervously.

“Well, yes, I suppose we, uh…you know.” He said awkwardly.

“That’s just gross.” Buffy said making a face.

“Well thank you for that. I could say a few things myself about—.”

“It’s gross, but if it makes you happy, then I’m just gonna shut up.” She said, not needing to hear the things he had to say.

“I do believe I am rather happy. It’s been quite awhile.” He admitted with a small grin.

“I’m glad someone gets to be happy.” She said sincerely. Then she added, “Just don’t tell me about it.”

“Why? Because it gives you a…how do you say it? Wiggins?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Buffy laughed.

“Yes. It does. But I meant, don’t tell me cause I’m jealous.”

“You’ll find your happiness again. I promise you.” He assured her.

“We’ll see.” She said softly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

That evening, Giles and Anya were at his apartment together. They were sitting in bed, with papers and books spread out before them. They were still working on the prophecy.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here, Giles. None of this is making sense anymore.” Anya complained.

“I thought you said you were able to read this?”

“I was. But this is different. This doesn’t look like the same language.” She said, pushing the book over to him, as she flopped backwards into the pillows.

He examined it carefully and then tossed the book down.

“It’s not. You’re right. This is something else. These symbols don’t match up with the previous ones.” He explained.

“What does that mean?”

“It means, it’s going to be more difficult.” He said, rummaging through the other books, to find something helpful. He found one and smiled. “But not impossible.”

He opened the book and looked through it.

“Ah-ha. Right here. This. It’s a code. Each symbol represents something. Like this one here, for instance.” He pointed to one of the symbols. “This represents birth.”

“Birth? Someone’s going to have a baby?”

“No, a symbolic birth. A re-birth, if you will. And it’s represented three times.”

“The Trinity?” She asked, remembering the earlier passage she had translated.

“Possibly. This symbol represents darkness, and this one eternal light.” He explained.

“What’s this last one?” She pointed at it.

“It’s balance. The balance between darkness and light.” He said, looking towards the ceiling in deep thought.

“What does that mean?”

He looked at the code again and nodded his head.

“One borne of darkness, one borne of eternal light, and one to balance the two. Neither dark nor light.”

“And what’s this little swirly thing with the dots?” She asked.

“That which has no name.” He read from the book of code. “It’s describing this Trinity. Apparently, they are anomalies in this world. They have no name. Not human, nor demon or angel. They’re nameless.”

“Okay… now what? What does any of this have to do with anything?” She asked him.

“I don’t know yet. But it’s obviously important, or someone wouldn’t have sent it to me. We need to keep reading.” He told her.

“I don’t know about you, but they don’t sound like people I want to know. They sound kinda creepy.” She said with a sigh as she grabbed another book and started reading.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn crawled out her window and jumped down into the grass. It was almost 1:00am and Buffy was already asleep. She had told Dawn about what happened with Spike this morning, and Dawn had been flabbergasted. More so, because Buffy had just left and not given him the third degree. Dawn was dying to know everything.

She made her way to Spike’s cemetery. She had brought along her stake and was actually kind of hoping she could slay something while she was there. Buffy still flipped out at the idea of her patrolling alone. But Dawn felt like she could handle it. She was just as good as Buffy. At least, that’s what she thought. Buffy didn’t seem to agree.

Dawn rounded the corner and saw that there were five vampires walking towards her. She felt her heart race and she suddenly got nervous. Five was an awful a lot. More than she’d taken at one time by herself. She thought about running in the opposite direction, but then she felt like a big sissy. She was tougher than that. She was tired of always being the damsel in distress. The little girl that Buffy always had to save. She decided to hold her ground.

She walked closer to them and clutched her stake tightly. Her knuckles were turning white, and for a second she thought she might throw up.

“Forget this. I-I don’t need to prove anything. It’s not like anyone will know I ran away.” She muttered to herself.

She turned around and started to run. But it was too late, they had already spotted her.

“Oh, look at what we have here. A sweet little girl to eat.” One of the vampires snarled as he motioned for his boys to give chase to her.

Dawn glanced over her shoulder and saw the vampires were gaining on her quickly. She fought the natural urge to scream her head off, and kept running. One of the vampires caught up to her and launched himself at her feet. He grabbed her ankles and yanked her legs out from underneath her. She couldn’t help herself this time, and she let out a piercing scream.

He laughed and the other vampires descended upon her. She kicked out her legs and caught two of them right in the face. They reeled back, and she jumped to her feet. One of them came behind her and tried to pin her arm behind her back. She clutched her stake and plunged it backwards into his chest. He exploded into ash around her.

The other four vampires were surprised she was armed, but it didn’t deter them from attacking her. One punched her across the face and the other swept her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground, but never let go of her stake. Okay, so maybe I’m not quite as good as Buffy yet… She thought to herself, with what she feared would be her last words.

Just as one of the vamps was bending over her, he suddenly flew backwards and into the air, where he smashed into a tree. He caught a protruding branch, and disintegrated into dust. One by one, the remaining vampires were hauled off their feet and thrown away. Dawn’s gaze traveled upwards and she saw Spike standing there, looking none to pleased with her.

“Give me your stake.” He said quickly.

“What?” Dawn said, still shaken up at what had almost happened to her.

“Your stake! Give it to me.”

She tossed it up to him and he took off towards the other vampires. They were starting to regain their senses and were now after Spike. He punched and kicked at two of them, while Dawn had scrambled to her feet. One of the vampires had noticed her again, and he tried to grab her. She jumped up and grabbed onto one of the tree branches. She kicked him in the face, just as the branch snapped. She went sprawling to the ground, still clutching the broken tree branch. The vampire lunged for her, and she plunged the jagged piece of wood into his chest.

Spike fought the other two furiously. He hadn’t battled any vampires or anything else in quite awhile. He had run across a small gang when he had been in Paris over the summer. That was when he truly realized just how strong he still was, and how quickly he healed. Apparently, he still remembered how to fight. And fight well. Finally he was in a position to deal the death blows to both vampires and they exploded around him.

When the dust settled he saw Dawn standing by the tree. She looked exhausted, beat up, and a little ashamed of herself. He also saw something else. Surprise, written across her face. He walked over to her.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“What? I mean, yeah. My eye hurts a little…But I’m okay. Thanks.” She said, staring down at her feet.

“Are you trying to die? Is that your master plan? Because if you are, you’re off to a hell of a bloody start.” He said irritated with her.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything.” She said defensively.

“Then why are you out here?”

“I-I came to see you.” She admitted.

“Me? Why?” He asked confused.

“Because. I heard about what happened this morning.” She explained.

He just looked at her and sighed.

“Go home, Niblet. It’s not safe out here.” He said finally.

“No. I-I mean, I wanna know what happened to you Spike.” She said softly.

He looked down at his feet and then up at the sky.

“A lot of things happened to me.”

“Like what?”

“Look, you shouldn’t be out here. Let’s get inside.” He said, motioning for her to follow him to his crypt.

She hesitated for a moment, then she moved to follow him. They walked inside the crypt and he went and sat down on the couch. Clem was out for the evening doing something. Spike hadn’t asked what. He had just been relieved to be alone for awhile.

Dawn sat across from him in the chair.

“How can you fight like that? I-I mean, if you’re all human and stuff now.” She asked him.

“I’m not. Well, not entirely.” He admitted, as he lit a cigarette.

She watched as he inhaled deeply and let the smoke escape his now working lungs. He let the nicotine calm his nerves and he relaxed back into the couch cushions.

“Are you sure you should be smoking? I mean, cancer and all? I-I’m sure you never thought about that before.” She said awkwardly.

“I’ll take my chances.” He said dismissively.

“Right. Must be hard to quit after like a hundred years or something.”

“Is this what you wanted to talk about? My health?” He asked with bitterness in his voice.

“No. Sorry.” She said softly.

He looked at her expression and he felt instantly bad. He was being a prick to her, and he knew it. He was just so confused himself, that when people asked questions he couldn’t answer, it bothered him. He lashed out, when he didn’t mean to. Stupid soul hasn’t taught me anything…He thought to himself bitterly.

“Look, Dawn, I just don’t have any answers, is all. I went somewhere and this happened. I changed. But I don’t know how exactly.” He said, more calmly.

“Who changed you?”

“A demon. I asked him to change me…To give me something…But this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Whatever this is.” He added softly.

“A demon? He like, didn’t give you an instruction manual or anything?” She asked with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Spike gave her a half smile and sighed.

“Fraid not, Sweet Bit.”

“Oh…Well this is still kinda cool. I mean, you’re not a vampire anymore. That’s a good thing, right?” She asked.

“I guess. But, I don’t know how to be anything else.” He admitted.

“Well, you weren’t always a vampire.” She pointed out.

“Yes, but who I was before is not who I am now. Besides, that was more than a hundred years ago. I said goodbye to William a long time ago. Thankfully.”

“Thankfully? What does that mean?” She asked curiously.

“It means, William was ridiculous. Insufferable. A sodding poof. That’s not who I am now. I’m still Spike…Only different.” He tried to explain.

“Spike 2.0?” Dawn asked with a grin.

He shook his head and smiled at her.

“I guess so.”

She looked at him for a moment and then hung her head down.

“Do you still love Buffy? I-I mean, if you’re different now, is everything different?” She questioned him softly.

“Everything is different… But I still love her. I did this for her.” He admitted quietly.

“For her?”

“Every bloody thing I’ve done in the last two years has been for her.” He said incredulously. “It’s pathetic, really.”

“You said this wasn’t what you asked for. What did you ask for?” She wondered.

He looked at her and thought for a moment. He wanted to tell her, but it sounded so stupid. But he had nothing to lose by being honest with Dawn.

“I asked to be what Buffy deserved. Someone she could love. Someone…Not evil. I wanted a soul.” He admitted painfully.

“A soul? Like Angel? Wow…Oh god…You don’t have that happiness thing, do you? I mean—.”

“No! There is no clause. And I’m not like Angel. This is nothing like Angel.” He protested.

“But that’s what you wanted?” She asked.

“No. Well, maybe a little. Buffy loved the great poofter. I thought if a bloody soul was so damn important to her, that I’d just go get one. End of story.”

She looked at him and started to laugh softly.

“What? What’s so funny?” He asked self consciously.

“Nothing…It’s just, easy? You thought it would be easy? Did you think you could just go to Souls-R-Us and pick one up?”

“No. I didn’t say that.” He said shaking his head.

“Well, you said you’d just go get a soul. Like that’s something people do everyday.”

“Well, it seemed easy enough. And it would have been if I’d of gotten what I asked for.” He pointed out.

She thought for a moment and looked at him seriously.

“Maybe you did?”

“What?”

“You asked to be what Buffy deserves. Maybe this is it?” She told him sincerely.

He just looked at her and didn’t know what to say to that.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy walked into the kitchen sleepily. She poured herself a cup of coffee and went to get the paper off the porch. As she was walking into the entryway, Dawn came running down the stairs. She had been hoping to run out the door and head to school before Buffy could see her. But that plan hadn’t worked out for her, as she ran right into Buffy.

“Ah! Dawn! Slow down. What are you doing?” Buffy said, rubbing her arm, where Dawn had slammed into her.

Dawn refused to look Buffy in the eye.

“Sorry, I was just late for school.” She mumbled quickly, as she tried to push past her.

Buffy looked at her curiously and grabbed her arm.

“Wait a minute. Look at me.” She said firmly.

Dawn sighed and lifted her head to look at Buffy. She had a huge black eye from where one of the vampires had punched her the night before.

“Oh my god…What the hell happened to your face?” Buffy asked, with concern.

“It’s nothing. I tripped and fell. No biggie.” Dawn shrugged.

“You fell? Onto what? Someone’s fist? Come on Dawn. You’re lying to the pro, here. You’ll have to do better.” Buffy said folding her arms and looking at Dawn disapprovingly.

Dawn groaned and crossed her arms defiantly.

“Fine. I got hit. It’s not that big of a deal.” She said, trying to make light of it.

“Not a big deal? You didn’t have that last night when you went to bed. You snuck out didn’t you?” Buffy said, realizing exactly what had happened.

“No, I so did not.” Dawn lied. Buffy’s steely gaze showed she wasn’t buying a word of it. Finally Dawn relented. “Fine. I did. I snuck out. I’m sorry, Buffy.”

“Who did that? Or should I ask what did that? Was it a vampire?” Buffy asked, already knowing what the truth would be.

“Maybe.” Dawn said giving Buffy a look that willed her to understand.

But Buffy didn’t understand. She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands.

“Dawnie, you cannot keep doing this. You’re going to get into trouble.”

“I’m fine. I—.”

“No! This isn’t a game, okay? You are not the Slayer. You are sixteen years old, and you’re just a girl. Stop playing superhero, because you’re gonna lose. And if something happened to you…” Buffy said, getting emotional.

Dawn saw the worried look on Buffy’s face and the shaky tone of her voice. She reached over and touched Buffy’s arm.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to get in trouble last night. I didn’t sneak out to slay. I swear it.” Dawn said sincerely.

“Then why? You wanted a casual stroll through the cemetery? And accidentally ran into a vampire?” Buffy asked sarcastically.

“Five.” Dawn whispered.

“Five? Five vampires? Oh my god…You could have been killed. Or worse. Do you know how dangerous it is out there? What am I saying? Of course you do. And yet you still don’t listen.” Buffy went on an angry tirade.

“I know. It was stupid. But I’m fine. Thanks to Spike.” Dawn added, knowing that the mention of his name would at least temporarily shift the focus off of her and her stupid mistakes.

“Spike? He was there?” Buffy asked surprised.

“Uh-huh. He like totally kicked their asses. I mean, I helped too, but he was cool.” Dawn smiled.

“What?”

“Yeah, he’s still all strong and everything. Just like always. He didn’t really seem all that different to me.” Dawn said thoughtfully.

“How can he be that strong if he’s human now?” Buffy wondered aloud.

“He’s not. Well, not exactly. At least that’s what he said.”

“I know. I mean, I remember that’s what he said earlier, but it still doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe he’s like you? A Slayer?” Dawn asked.

Buffy looked at her like she’d just sprouted a third head.

“A Slayer? Right. I’m sure that’s exactly what he is now.” Buffy laughed and shook her head. “That’s irony for you.”

“What? It’s not so strange. I don’t mean that he’s actually a Slayer, just strong like one. Or maybe he’s like half vampire and half human? I saw that in a movie once.” Dawn offered.

Buffy thought about it and wondered if there was any truth to that. It certainly seemed there were a lot more questions than answers where Spike was concerned. But then again, there always had been. She looked up at Dawn.

“Look, you’re gonna be late for school. And if someone asks what happened to your eye? Think of something cooler to say than ‘you fell’. That sounds so ‘battered wife’ and no one ever believes it.” She said with a small smile.

“Bar fight?” Dawn offered.

“The social workers will love that.” Buffy said sarcastically. Then she looked at Dawn. “Just get to school. We’ll talk later about your sneaky slaying.” Buffy said, not willing to let the issue drop that easily.

Dawn nodded and walked out the door. Buffy looked at the clock and knew she didn’t have to be at work until noon. She ran upstairs to take a shower and get dressed. She wanted to see Giles before he got to the shop.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Giles and Anya were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. They had worked for most of the night, and Anya was a little cranky about it.

“Tonight, we should do something fun.” She told him.

“So, I take it I’m boring you again?” He said, as he looked up at her over his glasses.

“Yes. I mean, no. Not all the time. This morning was fun.” She said as she looked at him suggestively.

He smiled at her and reached for her hand over the table. He kissed it and looked at her.

“This prophecy is very important, Anya. I realize it’s not terribly interesting for you, but we’re very close to getting somewhere.” He explained to her.

“I wish it would hurry up. My eyes hurt from looking at all those symbols and codes and drawings. Last night, I actually had a dream that a bunch of hieroglyphics were chasing me.” She told him with a pout.

He chuckled at that and shook his head.

“I actually think I may understand some of what we uncovered last night. I can’t be sure yet, but I was thinking about it all night.” He said thoughtfully.

“But not when we were having sex, right?” She asked him bluntly.

He nearly spit out his coffee and looked at her.

“Pardon?”

“I just mean, you weren’t thinking about dusty books and prophecies while we were having sex, right?”

“No, it was the furthest thing from my mind. Believe me.” He reassured her.

He had to remember sometimes that Anya was not known for her subtleties. It was going to take a little getting used to.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Giles was beginning to think that everyone in Sunnydale was going to start dropping by for early morning visits. He got up to answer it.

“Hey Giles.” Buffy said with a small smile.

“Buffy? What are you doing here?” He asked, as he motioned for her to come inside.

Buffy walked in and saw Anya sitting at the table. She forced a smile.

“Hey, Anya. I wasn’t interrupting anything…gross? Was I?” She asked the two of them.

“No.” Giles assured her.

“We finished that earlier.” Anya smiled.

Buffy just swallowed her uneasiness and looked at Giles.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” Buffy said softly.

“Yes, I have something I’d like to talk to you about as well.” He said seriously.

Anya stood up from the table.

“This sounds like it will probably be a dull conversation. I think I’m gonna head to the shop.” Anya told them.

“I’ll see you soon.” Giles told her.

Anya smiled and went over to give him a kiss. Buffy stood and watched until she had to close her eyes. When she opened them, Anya was gone. And Giles was standing there with a grin and blushing cheeks.

“Yes, well, what were we talking about?” Giles asked momentarily flummoxed.

“I had something to tell you, and you said you had something to tell me.” Buffy reminded him.

“Right, shall I go first?”

“Go ahead. What is it?”

“Well, remember I mentioned that prophecy?” He began.

“Yeah. The one that Anya thought was a bomb?” She had remembered him telling her.

“Yes, that one. Well, we’ve been working on it. And so far it’s very intriguing.”

“End of the world intriguing?” She asked raising her eyebrow.

“No. Well, not so far as I can tell. But what’s interesting about it, is this Trinity of warriors it mentions.” He said, as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Trinity of warriors?”

“Yes, it seems that there are three individuals who were chosen to fight the forces of darkness. Together. From what I’ve read these warriors are set to take up residence on the Hellmouth. To guard it from the coming evil.” He explained.

“We’re expecting warriors in town? Should I set up the guest room?” She joked.

“No, from what I’ve gathered, they should already be here.” He said, scratching his head. He was trying to find the right words to say this to her.

“Already here? Who are they?” She asked curiously.

“Well, I believe you are one of them, Buffy.” He said softly.

“Me? I’m not really a warrior, I’m the Slayer.”

“Yes, well, I realize that. But you fit the description that all the members of the Trinity share.” He told her.

“What description is that?”

“That which should not be. Neither living, nor dead.” He told her.

“What?” She asked confused.

“You were brought back from the dead, Buffy. You technically should not be here. But you are. You once asked me why you were brought back, and perhaps this is it.” He explained seriously.

She thought for a moment and tried to absorb what he was saying. Then she looked at him.

“Okay, so I’m the chosen one. Again. Who are the other two?”

“Perhaps you should sit down for this.” He said as he shifted uncomfortably.

She looked at him perplexed and a little nervous. She wasn’t going to like this, she could tell.

“Tell me Giles.”

“Well, given what you’ve told me about Dawn, and her abilities—.”

“No. She’s definitely not a warrior. She’s just a teenager.” She protested.

“Yes, and so were you when you became a Slayer. Buffy, it fits. Dawn is also something that should not be. She was created from energy. She was given an artificial life. Neither dead, nor really living.” He tried to tell her.

“No, her life isn’t artificial. It’s real. Just like everyone else’s. Dawn is not the one you’re looking for.” Buffy said getting up to face him.

“Buffy—.”

“No, it’s not possible. I-I think you read it wrong.”

“I realize this isn’t what you wanted to hear.” He said softly. “But this is important.”

“No. What’s important is Dawn having a normal life. I never should have let her come slaying with me to begin with. Did you know she almost got killed again last night?” Buffy told him.

“Oh dear…She snuck out again?”

“Yes, and she would have gotten eaten if Spike hadn’t of saved her. That doesn’t scream warrior to me.”

“Spike saved her?”

“Yeah. Look, I need to go. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She said, not accepting what he was telling her.

“I thought you had something you wanted to tell me?” He questioned her.

“It’s not important. Another time.” She said dismissively, as she headed out the door.

Giles stared after her and hung his head. He knew she would be upset. She guarded Dawn’s future ferociously. This was clearly not what she wished for her sister. But Giles was certain that his suspicions were correct. Buffy and Dawn were part of this Trinity. He just had no idea who the third member could be.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy walked down the street lost in thought. It was still too early to go to work, but she didn’t want to go home. She was reeling from the idea that Dawn was meant to be some kind of mythical warrior. It just didn’t make sense. Dawn was just a kid. Now Buffy knew how her mom felt when she found out she was the Slayer. Denial and refusal to accept was a big theme going through Buffy’s mind.

It made her pause and step back from her feelings for a moment. What if this turned out to be true somehow? What would she do? What would Dawn think about that? How could Buffy keep her safe anymore? Then she remembered that Dawn didn’t want to be protected from the world. She wanted to be part of it. To be a part of what Buffy was doing. She wanted to help. This came from inside her. It didn’t come from something Buffy had told her to do. It was inside her. Buffy realized that.

She had feared this moment for months. Ever since she realized Dawn was special. Buffy had feared the day when Faith died, and a Watcher came to town looking for Dawn. But this was different. This was something else entirely. And she didn’t know what any of it meant. Probably because she refused to listen to Giles. She hadn’t even let him finish what he was telling her. She wondered if she should go back to him.

Just then, she ran smack dab into someone on the street. She hadn’t been paying attention to where she was walking.

“Sorry.” She muttered without looking up.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Spike said with a small smirk.

She looked up at him and registered shock at seeing him in broad daylight.

“Spike. Daytime Spike. That’s gonna take some getting used to.” She said with a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m still getting used to it myself.” He told her.

She stared at him for a moment then looked down at her shoes.

“So, uh, where are you going?” She asked finally.

“I was just going to get something to eat. Food. You know, the real kind.” He clarified.

“Right. How’s that working out for you?” She asked, then immediately regretted it. She sounded like an idiot.

“It’s working out okay.” He said with a grin.

“Good. Well, enjoy your meal.” She said awkwardly.

He looked at her and sighed.

“This is strange, isn’t it?” He asked.

“You picked up on that?”

“A little.”

“I just don’t know what to say to you. I mean, I have questions…” She told him.

“So do I. Listen to me Buffy, I want to talk to you. About all of this…” He said sincerely.

“Then why don’t you? What happened?” She asked him.

He looked at her and then over at the café he had been about to enter, before they bumped into each other.

“Do you want breakfast?” He asked.

“You’re buying me breakfast?” She asked surprised.

“Unless you’ve eaten already?”

“No.” She shook her head.

He motioned towards the café. They sat down at a table by the street. He looked at her and smiled.

“You look beautiful in the sunlight.” He marveled.

“So do you.” She admitted softly.

He just looked at her surprised that such a nice thing came out of her mouth. Especially directed at him.

“I didn’t know if you’d ever want to see me again.” He told her.

“I didn’t.”

“Yeah, I deserve that.” He conceded.

“But, then I sorta missed you.” She added.

“After what happened…that night. I decided something had to change. I was at the end of my rope. I couldn’t go on anymore the way things were. It was killing me. You were killing me. I just wanted it to stop.” He tried to explain.

“You could have just left me alone.”

“I tried to. But when I attempted to move on…with Anya, you were furious. You acted like I had ripped your heart out. Then I felt worse, and that’s why I went to you that night. I knew it wouldn’t have hurt you unless you loved me. I just wanted to hear you say it.” He told her.

“And you thought by doing that to me, I’d somehow love you for it?” She asked, feeling the anger she had pushed aside for months.

“No. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. But I know I did. And that’s why I left. I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

“Where did you go?”

“To Africa. To see a demon.”

“To make you like this? Human?” She questioned.

“No, I wanted something else.” He admitted.

“What? Me dead?”

“No. If I wanted that—I didn’t want that. I wanted to give you what you deserved. Somebody good, somebody not evil. Somebody with a soul.” He said softly.

“A soul? You asked for a soul? Why would you do that?” She asked completely confused.

“Because, I thought it would make me better. More worthy. I don’t know. I told you, I was at the end of my rope. I wasn’t thinking clearly. But he didn’t just give me that. He did this to me. He made me alive.”

“But you’re still strong, like before. Dawn told me you helped her out last night.” She told him.

“You really need to keep a better eye on her. She seems to think she’s invincible.”

“I know.” Buffy said softly, still remembering Giles words to her about the prophecy and Dawn’s potential future.

“She is good though. I always knew she had it in her.” He smiled.

“You did?”

“Well, she’s your sister, isn’t she? A Bitty Buffy. Knew she was gonna grow up to be like you.”

“Bitty Buffy? Where do you come up with these names?” She asked with a small grin.

“It fit.” He smiled back.

She looked at him for a minute, just trying to take in the way he looked. He looked the same as before, but something about seeing him in the daytime, was still startling. And his demeanor was different. He wasn’t putting on a Big Bad front anymore. This was real. This was who he was now. And they were actually sitting here having a conversation. No fighting or name calling. It was weird. Although she realized part of the reason for that wasn’t just because he had changed, but because she had.

She wasn’t hiding her relationship with him anymore. Not that they had a relationship anymore. But what they didn’t have, wasn’t a secret. She was tired of being afraid of her feelings or trying to hide them. After seeing what happened to Willow, she couldn’t see anything the same anymore. She couldn’t see Spike the same way. And that was even before she knew he had changed.

She had treated him like an animal. Never considering his feelings, and never acknowledging the things he did that were good. She always focused on the bad. She didn’t think he could be capable of anything else, being what he was. But when she saw her best friend turn into a monster, much scarier and more sinister than Spike had ever been, it made her think. A lot. Darkness lived in everyone. Even herself. But it was what you did with it that counted. She understood that now.

“Are you okay with all this?” She asked him curiously.

He looked at her, startled that she would even inquire about his well being at all.

“I guess.” He said softly.

“I just mean, it must be a lot for you to take in.”

“It is.”

She looked at him again.

“Maybe you should talk to Giles? He might be able to find something out. You know, about what you are, or what happened.” She told him.

“Giles? Right. I’m sure he’d just love to see me. If his ‘welcome home’ is anything like Xander’s—.”

“It’s not. It won’t be. He doesn’t know about—everything.” She said softly.

“You didn’t tell him?”

She just shook her head.

“I still don’t think he wants to see me. He hates me, remember?” Spike told her.

“He said he was fascinated by all this. You know how Giles is. He likes a good mystery to solve. Anything that gives him an excuse to dust off the books.” She said with a small smile.

“Great, just what I wanted to be. A mystery for the mighty Watcher to solve.” Spike said rolling his eyes.

“Fine. Whatever. I just thought maybe he could help.” She shrugged.

“Alright. I’ll venture over there after we eat. Happy?”

“I don’t care.”

“Then why’d you suggest it?” He asked.

“I was trying to be nice.” She said with a sigh.

“Yeah? Well, it’s strange.”

“What?”

“You being nice? I’m not used to it.” He admitted.

She looked down and played with the napkin on the table.

“Me either. But I don’t want things to be like they were before. Things have changed now.”

“Yeah, now that I’m not an evil, soulless thing, you can find it in your heart to treat me with a little kindness?” He asked feeling more bitterness than he realized.

She looked up at him.

“Isn’t that what you wanted? Isn’t that why you did this to yourself?”

“No.” He said quickly, then he lowered his head. “I mean, yeah, I wanted you to give me a chance. But I wanted you to do it because I deserved it. Not because you felt obligated. Not because I’m suddenly human and I have this soul. I didn’t want that to be the only reason.” He explained.

“It’s not.” She said softly.

“That’s why I didn’t want you to find out about any of this. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“I said, it’s not the only reason. You’re not the only one who’s changed, Spike.” She told him seriously.

“Had an epiphany, did you?” He asked disbelieving.

“If that’s what you want to call it. Look, do you think I’m proud of what happened between us? What I did to you? I’m not. For months, I was so ashamed of myself, I couldn’t even look in the mirror.”

“Yeah, ashamed of me.”

“No, ashamed of myself for acting the way I did.” She admitted softly.

“Buffy…”

“Look, what’s done is done. We can’t change the past.”

“No, we can’t.”

They just sat there at the table staring at each other. There were so many things that both of them wanted to say, but the words escaped them. They couldn’t change the past, but they could start over. But the question was, did they want to? Finally Spike broke the tension.

“Is there a waiter or something? We’ve been sitting here for awhile.” He said, as he looked around him.

“Uh, actually, I think we need to go up to the counter and order.” She pointed out.

“Bloody American cafés. In Paris, they come to your table.”

“You went to Paris?”

“I went a lot of places. Still don’t know why I came back here.” He muttered.

She chuckled at that, thinking she wouldn’t want to come back either if she had seen Paris. He saw her laugh and he admired the way her eyes sparkled and her nose crinkled slightly. It was adorable. He sighed. This was exactly why he had come back. He’d come back for her.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy and Spike had eaten bagels and drank coffee together. Buffy had to admit it had been one of the nicest breakfasts she had had in a long time. For the first time ever, she and Spike were just two people. Two people, sitting in a café. In broad daylight. For most people, that wasn’t exactly newsworthy. But for them, it was huge.

After that they had walked together the three blocks to the Magic Box. Buffy figured Giles would be there by now.

“You sure he’s not gonna kill me?” Spike asked.

“Pretty sure. He was okay when I told him about us.” She shrugged.

“He was?”

“He laughed.”

“Laughed? What did you do? Get him all liquored up first? Soften the blow a bit?” Spike asked with a smirk.

“No. Apparently it was all very amusing to him. But you have to remember, Willow was trying to kill us at the time, so he was a little distracted.”

Spike shook his head.

“I still can’t get over that. I didn’t believe Clem when he told me. But I shoulda seen it coming.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, Willow’s always been a little…unstable. That whole magic thing was a crutch. Made her feel important. You didn’t really believe that she had given it up for good, did you?” He asked her.

“I don’t know. I trusted her, I guess. I mean, she seemed like she was doing okay. But then when Tara died…”

“She had no reason to be good anymore. And all hell broke loose.” He finished her sentence.

“Yeah, I guess so. It was so weird. She was like a different person. She was going to conjure some she-demon and incinerate the earth. Willow. Sweet, dependable Willow.” Buffy said, still floored at the memories.

“She isn’t so sweet anymore, is she? I knew something like this was bound to happen. Ever since she brought you back, I knew she was trouble. I could tell.” He told her.

“Well, she’s better now. She’s getting help, and hopefully she’ll be able to come back soon.” Buffy said softly.

“Better now? It’s not gonna be that easy. All that magic? She’s gonna be paying for a long time.”

“Paying how?”

“In ways you probably can’t even imagine.” Spike said shaking his head.

Buffy had no words for that observation, so she kept silent. Finally, they walked up to the front of the shop. Buffy opened the door and they walked inside. Anya was busy with a customer and Giles was bent over behind the counter looking for something.

“Hey Giles.” Buffy said cheerfully.

She startled him, and he bumped his head on the edge of the counter.

“Ow!” He said rubbing his head. “Buffy, you startled me.”

“Sorry.”

Then Giles saw Spike standing behind her, looking highly uncomfortable.

“Spike.” He said with a nod of his head.

“Giles.”

Buffy looked at them and sighed.

“Good. We all remember each other names.”

“So I hear that things have changed for you, Spike.” Giles said, as he walked out from behind the counter.

“I hear they’ve changed for you too.” Spike said with a small smirk, as he nodded his head in Anya’s direction.

Giles shifted nervously as he realized what Spike was indicating. Apparently, news traveled quickly.

“Yes, well, Buffy tells me that you’re human or something?” Giles said, changing the subject.

“Something like human.”

“Well, I must say I’m fascinated to hear exactly what transpired. And how you came to be like this.” Giles said, scratching his head.

“Buffy said you wanted a mystery to solve. So, solve me. That’s what you do, isn’t it?” Spike asked with some sarcasm.

Giles just looked at him and felt the old animosity bubble to the surface. Spike was definitely still cocky. And Giles couldn’t forget easily that this was still the same Spike who had given them nothing but trouble over the years. He may be physically different, but that didn’t automatically endear him to the Watcher.

“Um, I have to get work. But you two chat. I’m sure it will be loads of fun catching up.” Buffy said, feeling the tension in the air.

She turned around and started to walk away.

“Don’t leave me here with him!” Giles and Spike both exclaimed in unison.

Buffy hurried out the door without looking back. Giles and Spike looked at each other awkwardly. Finally Giles spoke.

“If you want my help, then perhaps you should sit down and tell me precisely what happened.” He said, scratching his head, and attempting to be helpful.

Spike’s cocky attitude dissolved. Just thinking about what happened to him, settled the confusion in. He sighed and plunked himself down in a chair. Giles sat himself across from Spike and waited for him to speak.

“Where do you want me to start?” Spike asked him.

“I suppose the beginning would be a good place. I’m assuming you didn’t just wake up one morning and become suddenly human.” Giles told him.

“That would have been interesting. But no. I asked for this.”

“Asked for it?” Giles asked curiously.

“I didn’t ask for this exactly, but I went to see a demon. He has power, he can change things. He can give you things that you want.”

“He grants wishes?”

“Kinda like a great big genie, only uglier and scarier. But it’s not like he just gave this to me. I earned it.” Spike clarified.

“Earned it? How?” Giles asked curiously.

“There were tests. I had to fight all kinds of big uglies. Which of course, I did. Then he was supposed to give me what I asked for. Only I didn’t exactly ask to be some kind of bloody freak with no name. Not human, not a vampire. I’m nothing.” Spike said bitterly.

“Yes, well, I see—wait. Did you say, freak with no name?” Giles asked, suddenly very interested.

“Yeah. After this happened, I went to see a few witch doctors. Seers, demons. Anyone that could tell me what the hell I was. Most of them got scared and ran away from me. But the one who didn’t, told me I was nothing. I had no name. I was an abomination. Not real comforting for old Spikey.” He said, fumbling in his pocket for a cigarette.

The hair on Giles’ neck was standing on end now. This couldn’t be. But it all made sense now. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and he wasn’t sure he was liking the picture it was making.

“Dear god…” He muttered softly.

Spike pulled out his cigarette and looked at Giles.

“What? It’s not that bad. I’m okay, really.” He assured him, as he attempted to light the cigarette.

Giles looked up at him. His shock momentarily rendering him speechless. Then he noticed Spike’s cigarette.

“Will you put that away.” He said snatching it from Spike’s lips. “There is no smoking in here. Besides, you mustn’t do that. It’s bad for you.” He scolded.

“Yes, Father.” Spike said with a sarcastic laugh.

“I’m deadly serious Spike. You cannot put your health in danger.”

Spike looked at him like he’d grown antlers, or turned back into a Fyarl demon again.

“Why the bloody hell do you care?”

“Because. Spike there are things that you don’t understand. Things about your future.” Giles began, not knowing quite how to inform Spike of this news.

“Oh, so now you can see into the future? That’s a neat trick. Tell me, am I gonna win the lotto? I picked my

numbers—.”

“This is not a joke, Spike. Remember when I asked you once if you thought you might have a higher purpose?” Giles asked him.

Spike looked at him uncomfortably. He didn’t want to have a higher purpose. He just wanted Buffy to love him. End of story. That’s why he did this. He didn’t want to hear about anything else.

“Look, I need to go. Thanks for reading my fortune and what not.” Spike said, as he stood up from the table.

“Spike, listen to me. There’s something you need to know.”

Spike just shut his ears and walked out of the shop. He was feeling something he couldn’t describe. Maybe it was fear? All he had wanted was a soul. A simple request. One that would allow Buffy to see him as a man, and not a monster. He couldn’t comprehend himself having any higher importance than that. And right now, he just didn’t want to.

Giles stared at the door as it slammed shut. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes despairingly. Anya had finished up her sales and walked over to him. She put her arms around his neck from behind and leaned into his ear.

“What’s wrong? What was Spike doing here?” She asked him.

“He came here looking for answers.” Giles said quietly.

“And he got mad when you didn’t have them?”

“No, I rather think he doesn’t want to know the answers.”

Anya looked at him and walked around to sit across from him.

“What is it Rupert? Your face is all scrunched up looking. And not in that sexy way. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No, not a ghost. A warrior.”

“What?”

“It appears that we’ve found the third member of the Trinity.” He said, lost in thought.

Anya was taken aback and looked at the door where Spike had disappeared moments earlier.

“Spike? Spike is the third warrior? Are you sure? I mean, this is Spike we’re talking about.”

“It all fits. Neither dead, nor living. Should not be. He completes the triad. Dawn was sprung from eternal light; pure energy. Spike was borne of darkness. And Buffy is the balance. Sprung from darkness, but of the light. It all makes sense now.” Giles explained, more to himself than to Anya.

“Wow.” Was all she could think to say.

“Yes. They are the hope for our future.” He said softly.

Anya thought for a moment and then sighed.

“Then I fear for us.”

He looked at her and cracked a faint smile. The truth was he feared it as well. Not because he didn’t think the three of them were capable of the task. But because none of them would even listen to him. They had no idea the importance of their future. He only hoped that one day soon, he could get them to listen.

* * * * * * * * * *

Twisted Fate

Anya and Giles were in his bedroom, in bed together. She was lying back against the pillows and he was sitting up reading another passage of the prophecy intently. She sighed loudly to try and get his attention back onto her and not the mountain of papers and books spread before him. Unfortunately for Anya, he hadn’t noticed. She sighed again, this time with a little more enthusiasm.

Finally he turned his attention to her. He pulled his glasses down over his nose and looked at her.

“Is there something you need, Anya?” He asked her with slight amusement at her pleas for attention.

“I’m beginning to think that you love that prophecy more than me.” She said with a pout.

“I don’t love the prophecy at all really.”

“Then why are you spending every second researching it? What ever happened to ‘It’s thousands of years old. What’s another few hours?’ Remember? You said that to me.” She pointed out.

He sighed and took his glasses all the way off and tossed them onto the papers in front of him.

“Anya, I’d love nothing more than to spend every second cherishing you. But it’s not feasible at this time. I’m very close to figuring out this passage. It’s extremely vital. And as I’m understanding it, it’s not very pleasant.” He explained to her.

“Not pleasant? Something bad is gonna happen?” She asked with a frown.

“Yes, well, I’m not certain yet. But that’s why I’m so engrossed in this.”

“Something bad is gonna happen? It can’t. Not now. Things are just starting to get good for me. For us. And now the world is going to end. Again?” She said, sitting up straight and beginning to panic a little.

“Relax, Anya. I didn’t say the world was ending.” He said shaking his head.

“So it’s not? We’re safe?” She asked hopefully.

He glanced at her and then looked down at the papers.

“Well, I didn’t say that either.” He admitted gravely.

She stood up and started pacing around the room.

“This is such a bad time for this. Why couldn’t the world have ended when I was miserable, and lonely, and depressed?” She wondered aloud.

“There’s no need to panic as of yet. I’m not finished with this. Don’t worry.” He told her with a calm voice that belied his own uneasiness.

She stopped pacing and sat down next to him.

“But you’re worried. I can tell. How can you tell me not to be worried, when you are? And you’re the calm, level headed, British one that never gets upset unless it’s something really bad.” She pointed out to him.

He didn’t know what to say to that. She was right. She knew him too well. He rubbed his temples and looked at her.

“Well then, yes. I’m concerned. Something catastrophic is slated to transpire. That much I’ve ascertained. But what it is, I don’t know yet. But that’s not my main concern.” He started to explain to her.

“Not your main concern? Catastrophic happenings, and that’s not what you’re worried about?” She asked incredulously.

“I’m worried about the Trinity.”

“Aka the three stooges.” She said with a roll of her eyes.

“The what?”

“The three stooges? It was a TV show? You know, slapstick comedy? They were always poking each other in the eyes, or throwing pies. It was humorous.” She explained.

“Yes, Anya, I know who the three stooges are. I just meant why are you referring to them like that?”

“Because. They are supposed to be this great force to be reckoned with. Unstoppable. The chosen three. And none of them are even interested in being a part of this. The three stooges would probably have a better chance at saving the world than these three.” She said shaking her head.

“Buffy has saved the world many times. She’s more than capable.” Giles pointed out.

“Then why are you so worried?”

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“It’s Dawn and Spike. Dawn is just a child. And Spike is…Well, he’s Spike.”

“Yeah, but he’s not evil anymore. I’m not even sure he was really evil before. He never seemed that evil.” Anya told him.

“Well, evil or not, it doesn’t really seem to matter. He wasn’t interested in what I had to say. I’m sensing he’s quite bitter about his new lot in life. Adding an ancient prophecy and a destiny to fulfill was a little more than he wished to take in at the moment.” He said with a sigh.

“I could talk to him. I know how he feels. I’ve been there myself.” She said quietly.

He looked at her and was reminded of exactly who and what she was. She wasn’t human anymore. He knew it, but he didn’t think of it often. It never seemed to matter much. But he remembered clearly that she hadn’t taken so easily to becoming human when it had happened to her.

“If you think it might help.”

“It might.” She shrugged. “You know, he really should have been more careful what he wished for anyway. Wishes can be tricky. I know that first hand.”

“Yes, I imagine you do.”

“I mean, you ask for one thing, but then it never ends up the way you think it will. And then it’s too late.” She went on.

“I realize that. But do you really think you can talk some sense into him?” He asked.

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Then I only have to convince Buffy that what I’ve told her about Dawn is in fact true.” He said with a sigh.

“Good luck. I think I’ve got the easier job.” She told him.

“You’re probably right.” He said despairingly.

* * * * * * * * * *

Spike stood in his crypt looking into the mirror. He had just gone out and bought a nice wall mirror at a thrift shop. It was still extremely bizarre for him to actually see his reflection. Over 120 years without one, and he hadn’t really missed it. But now he was scrutinizing himself, smoothing down his hair.

“Are you sure I look okay?” He asked Clem who was sitting in the chair watching TV.

“You look super. Real handsome.” Clem smiled.

Spike peered closer to the mirror.

“My roots are showing. This looks terrible. Why didn’t anyone ever tell me how ridiculous this looked?” He asked.

“It looks cool. Edgy.” Clem offered.

“I need to buy some more bleach.” Spike muttered. Then he looked at Clem. “What about black? I could dye my hair black. That’s edgy.”

Clem made a face.

“No, I don’t like black. Bad memories.”

“Bad memories of what?”

“That witch. The Slayer’s friend. You shoulda seen her. I-I only caught a glimpse of her at Rack’s place before I ran for cover. But she was scary. Black hair and eyes. Real creepy.” Clem remembered with a shudder.

“That’s a good point. Wouldn’t want to remind Buffy of something evil. Not that I need black hair for her to think of me as evil.” He added with a sigh.

“She knows you’re not evil. Not anymore.”

“I guess.” He said softly.

“I think you should just keep it blonde. It looks good.” Clem told him sincerely.

Spike shrugged off thoughts of Buffy and looked at the mirror again.

“Does this scar make me look disfigured? I had no idea it was so noticeable.” Spike wondered.

There was so much about his appearance that he never even thought about before. But now that he could see himself, his self assuredness and his cockiness were waning. He always acted like he was the hottest guy in town. Living or dead. But now, he was afraid that he was wrong.

“You look sharp, Spike. The same as you’ve always looked. Don’t worry so much.” Clem told him sincerely.

“Maybe I should just toss out the mirror. It was easier when I didn’t have to worry what I looked like.” Spike said, taking the mirror off the wall. He turned it around and propped it up against the wall.

“I’m gonna go downstairs and go back to sleep. There’s nothing on TV today.” Clem told Spike with a yawn.

He climbed down the ladder and disappeared, leaving Spike alone again with the mirror. He stared down at it, and contemplated turning it around again. Before he could do anything, Anya appeared in the room next to Spike. He jumped back and felt his heart thumping out of his chest. That was still a strange sensation to get used to. Every time it happened he felt like he was dying.

“Bloody hell! Stop doing that.” He said breathlessly to Anya.

“Sorry.”

“What are you doing here?” He asked her.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing.” She said with a shrug.

“Everything’s peachy.”

“Good. That’s great. Giles said--.”

“Giles? Is that why you’re here? Your old man sent you?” Spike interrupted, as he realized that she probably had an ulterior motive for visiting him.

“No he didn’t send me. I wanted to come. I wanted to help.” She told him.

“Why are you still a part of this whole mess? Clem told me you got your vengeance back, as proved by your little teleportation act. Why help them?” Spike asked curiously.

“Why did you help them?” She asked.

“The chip. I had no choice.”

“Sure you did. You could have just left town. Gotten some minions to kill people for you and feed you. Or you could have just blown up the entire town.” She offered.

“Now you tell me.” Spike said sarcastically.

“The point is, you didn’t. You loved Buffy. And I love Giles now.”

“Yeah, I hafta say I didn’t see that coming. What happened there?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting it either. When Xander left me, I wanted to die. And then I wanted him to suffer. Painfully. And for all eternity. But I just couldn’t do it. Then when Giles came back, things were different. Suddenly I wasn’t thinking about Xander anymore. Or vengeance or any of that.” She told him.

“Yeah, well, it’s an improvement. I always knew you could do better than that silly wanker Harris.” Spike told her.

“Thanks.” She smiled.

“It’s good that you’re happy. The last time I saw you…”

“Yeah, I know. You were pretty torn up yourself.”

“And it just got a whole lot worse.” He said sadly.

“It doesn’t have to be like that. I mean, I know adjusting to being suddenly human is a lot to take in. I remember. But you get over it. And you adjust.” She told him.

“Yeah. And you were so well adjusted to it, that you leapt at the chance to become a demon again. Right?” He pointed out.

She was silent for a moment then she sighed.

“Well, okay, I never said it was easy to adjust. And your situation is different. I was all weak and helpless. You’re not.”

“No, I’m not. Thank god. I swear, if I was turned into some kind of poofy wanker, I’d stake myself right now.” Spike said miserably.

“But you’re not a vampire anymore.”

“Yeah? But I’m guessing a stake to the heart would still do some damage, wouldn’t it?”

“You have a point.” She agreed. Then she shook her head. “Look, there will be no talk of staking ones self. Or anything else really stupid like that. I’m here to tell you that this didn’t happen for nothing. You were made like this for a reason. Giles told me--.” She started to tell him.

“That I had some kind of higher purpose? He’s lost his bleedin’ marbles. Do I look like I have a higher purpose?” Spike objected.

“Well, you do. I’ve read it with my own eyes. There’s a prophecy. You’re supposed to save the world from something catastrophic.” She told him matter of factly.

Spike just laughed at her and shook his head. Then he lit up a cigarette and began pacing.

“I’m supposed to save the world? Isn’t that Buffy’s job?”

“Yes. But it’s your job too. Now, anyways…The prophecy talks about a Trinity.” She told him seriously.

“A Trinity? Me and Buffy? And who else? Don’t tell me… its Xander, right?” Spike said with a chuckle.

“It’s Dawn.” Anya said seriously.

That got Spike’s attention. He tossed the cigarette down and stomped it out.

“Come again? The Niblet? Saving the world?” He asked incredulously.

“I don’t really know how it all works. All I know is that this Trinity exists, here in Sunnydale, and you three seem to fit the description. Giles knows more about it. You need to talk to him.” She urged him.

“Does Buffy know?” He asked quietly.

“Yes. Well, sort of. Giles told her about Dawn, but she wouldn’t listen. And she walked out. Kinda like you did. You two really are exasperating, you know that?”

Spike smiled slightly and shook his head.

“She’s protective of the Little Bit, that’s all. I can see why she wouldn’t want Dawn to be any part of this. Whatever this is.” He told her softly.

“I get that, but this is real. And it’s happening whether you three believe it or not. I suggest you listen to Giles, because I don’t really want the world to end right now. My business is doing well, I’m in love again—this time with a real man, and I’m not really interested in living out the rest of my immortality stewing in the fires of hell because you and Buffy are being stubborn.” She said huffily.

Before he could say anything else to her, she was gone. Apparently he had pissed her off. He sighed and slumped down in his chair. He was going to have to face this, whether he wanted to or not. The only upside to all of this was that Buffy and Dawn were involved. The only two things in this world that he really cared about. As long as his future was with them, he would be okay. He just wasn’t sure what Buffy would think of that. If she was upset before, she’d likely be really upset when she learned the third part of this twisted triangle of fate, was him.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy was making dinner while Dawn was sitting at the table doing homework. She kept glancing over at her, trying to comprehend what Giles had told her before. It didn’t seem possible that Dawn could be a part of something so huge. But she could deny it all she wanted to, deep down she knew that it was true. She had known it for awhile. Not what exactly, but she knew Dawn was important. And it wasn’t just because she was the Key. Even Buffy’s mom had known that Dawn was special and important.

Buffy had assumed that it was her Key status, but now she was starting to believe it was something more. It had always been something more. Once the whole thing with Glory was over, and Buffy had died, no one even talked about what Dawn was. When Buffy returned, Dawn’s origins had been the last thing on her mind. She was so self absorbed and miserable, she couldn’t think straight. But now things had calmed down considerably. And Buffy could think of nothing else.

She was afraid to tell Dawn the truth, or to hear the entire story from Giles. She was already worried that Dawn was getting too confident in her abilities. It was making her sloppy. If she knew this about herself, Buffy had no idea what Dawn would do.

Dawn looked up and saw Buffy staring at her.

“Did I just grow some horns or something?” She asked her.

Buffy was jolted out of her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring at me funny.”

“Sorry…I was just thinking.”

“About what?” Dawn asked curiously.

“It’s nothing. Dinner’s almost ready. You should finish your homework.” Buffy told her, deciding some things were best left unsaid. For now anyway.

Later that evening, Buffy was going through her closet, looking for her brown jacket. She hadn’t worn it all summer because of the heat. And even though September in Sunnydale was hardly cold, the evenings were starting to cool off. She pushed aside some of the clothes, and something fell off the hanger and landed at her feet. She bent down to pick it up.

It was Spike’s leather duster. He had left it behind when he ran out of her house that night. Her first thought had been to burn it. But instead, she had taken it and hung it in her closet. She figured she would give it back to him the next time she saw him. But then he had disappeared.

Sometimes she would take it out and put it on. It felt nice just to feel the leather on her skin, and to smell the lingering scent that he had left behind on it. It was crazy really. She should have felt nauseous at the scent of him, but it made her feel warm inside. She had missed him. He had hurt her, and she had destroyed him. They were like poison to each other. Killing each other slowly. But somehow in the midst of all of that, she had grown very attached to him.

She hadn’t wanted to call it love. Love was supposed to feel happy and content and comforting. Love was romance and whispering sweet nothings in each others ear over dinner and a movie. What she had felt for Spike was neither comforting nor romantic. It was an aching, burning need, deep inside her chest. It was painful and exhausting. Not pretty, but definitely very real. Just as he had insisted all along. And it was love. In it’s most primal and excruciating form. She knew that now.

She picked up the duster and tossed it onto her bed. It was time to give it back to him. She didn’t need to store it away like an old memory anymore. She had kept it as some sort of proof that he had existed in her life. A reminder of his presence, however brief and painful it might have been. She didn’t need that anymore. He was back, and everything was different now. She didn’t want to hold onto their past anymore.

After everything that had happened with Willow, she had wanted to start fresh. This last year had been the worst time in all her lives put together. And it had been that way because she made it that way. She had vowed to let go of the anger and the hatred and begin her life anew. Not very many people had the chance that she did for a new life. She had been given a strange gift. Unwanted at first, but still a gift. She had nearly thrown away her second chance at life, and she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

She found her brown jacket and threw it on. She grabbed Spike’s coat and draped it over her arm. She went downstairs and headed for the door. She threw it open, and started to head out. She collided with Spike who was just getting ready to knock.

“Ahh!” She cried out in surprise.

The look on his face showed that he was just a shocked as she was.

“Bloody hell!”

She caught her breath and looked at him. She started laughing.

“What is it with us? Why am I always literally running into you?” She asked shaking her head.

“I don’t know, but we need to stop. My new heart can’t take it.” He said clutching his chest where his thumping heart resided.

She smiled at him.

“Sorry.”

“Where are you running off to anyway?” He asked.

“I-I was actually going to see you.” She said quietly.

“You were?”

“I have something for you. This.” She said, thrusting his jacket at him. “You left it here.”

He took the jacket and held it up. He had almost forgotten about it. He had left so hastily that night, that he hadn’t remembered bringing it with him. But then he remembered that he had draped it over the stairs. He knew he couldn’t go back for it, so he had left it behind.

“I thought you woulda tossed this out with the trash.” He said softly.

“Well, I was going to burn it…But I didn’t have a match handy.” She said with a wry smile.

He chuckled at that.

“Thanks.” He said shaking his head.

They both stood there in the doorway looking at each other awkwardly. Finally Spike spoke again.

“Uh, can I come in?” He asked.

“What?”

“Inside? Or am I not welcome here anymore?” He asked cautiously.

“Oh, um, sure. You still need to be invited?” She asked curiously.

“No…But I was trying to be polite.” He told her with a small smile.

“Right. Polite. Polite Spike. It’s all very weird.” She muttered as she moved away from the door and motioned for him to come inside.

He walked inside and went into the living room. She shut the door behind him and followed.

“So why’d you come over?” She asked him.

“I wanted to talk to you about something. Something Anya told me today. Is Dawn here?” He added quietly.

“No, she’s sleeping over at a friends house. Is this about Dawn?”

“In a roundabout way…Anya told me about the prophecy.”

Buffy looked away from him and walked across the room, as if to distance herself from his words.

“Why would she tell you about that? So you could come convince me? It’s not really any of your business.”

“Yes it is.”

“No it’s not. Dawn is my sister--.”

“I know, but she’s partly my responsibility too.”

“Since when?” She asked incredulously.

“Since you died and left me in charge of her.” He shot back, a little too harshly.

Her face softened.

“Look, I appreciate what you did while I was gone. And I know you care about her, but this isn’t the same.”

“You’re right. Because if this is true, then neither one of us can protect her from it.” He said seriously.

“Yes I can. She can’t ever know about it.”

“You think that will stop the world from ending? Denial?”

“The world isn’t ending.” She protested.

“Not yet. But it will. A very pissy Anya informed me of this fact just this morning.”

Buffy’s face turned ashen. Giles had told her he didn’t think the prophecy was that dire. He hadn’t mentioned anything about apocalypse. But then again, she had run out before he finished, and had avoided him ever since.

“Why would she tell you this? Why do you even need to know about any of this?” She asked confused.

“Well, the world is ending, and I’m a part of said world…So I think I need to know.” He said dryly.

“Well, Dawn doesn’t need to know. She’s part of some Trinity. And so am I. I’ll just find the other person and we’ll take care of it. Just like I always do. Dawn doesn’t need to be involved.” She rationalized.

Spike stood up to face her.

“Fine. Then lets do this thing.”

“What?”

“You want to take care of it without Dawn? Then let’s do it.”

“You don’t need to be involved either.” She told him.

“I am involved. You’re looking for the third piece of the puzzle? Here I am. That’s why Anya told me.” He said seriously.

She looked at him incredulously. Then she started laughing.

“You? You’re the third warrior?”

“Hey! What’s so funny about that?” He protested.

“Oh my god…You’re serious?” She asked, as her laughter stopped.

“Deadly serious. You think I wanted this? Hell no. I didn’t go through all this just to get my newly human self killed trying to save this bloody planet.” He told her seriously.

She sat down on the couch and tried to comprehend what he was telling her.

“Oh my god…” Was all she could mutter.

He walked over and sat down next to her.

“Look Buffy, Dawn is a part of this. I don’t like it either. But we can try to keep her safe if we work together. Whatever this is? We’ll deal with it. If we don’t tell her and do nothing, Dawn is dead for sure. And so are all of us.” He told her seriously.

She knew that what he was saying was true. She could pretend it wasn’t happening, but whatever it was would transpire whether she believed it or not.

“Did Anya tell you what was going to happen?” She whispered softly.

“No. I don’t think Giles has figured it out yet. She said we need to talk to him.”

She stood up and faced him.

“Then we’ll talk to him. But until then, we don’t say anything to Dawn. I want to know all the facts before I tell her anything.”

“Agreed.” He nodded his head.

They were silent for a moment, both trying to comprehend their twisted fates. If there was such a thing as destined to be together, Buffy and Spike knew they were it. Their fates were intertwined, as they always had been. There was no escaping it.

“So should we go now?” He asked her finally.

She looked at him and wasn’t sure she was ready to face the whole story yet. She sighed.

“I guess.”

“Or we could wait?” He offered.

“That sounds like a good idea.” She sighed with relief.

She grabbed the remote control and flipped the TV on.

“VH-1 is doing Behind The Music—New Kids On The Block. I really wanna see that.” She said, flipping the channel.

He looked at her and smirked.

“You really have no taste in music do you?”

“Hey! I’ll have you know that the New Kids were very talented. Plus it takes me back to junior high.” She protested.

“Ah…the memories.” He said sarcastically.

“Life was simpler then.” She said softly.

“Yeah, I guess it was, huh?” He said sympathetically.

They both sat on the couch together, watching the show. She hadn’t asked him to leave, and he didn’t say anything. Being near her felt so good. Watching television, no matter how insufferable the music, was an experience, just because it was with her. What he didn’t know, was that she felt it too.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow lay in her bed at the Wiccan retreat. She had been there for three and half months and was ready to go home. She had learned a lot about controlling her rage, and what the real purpose of magic was supposed to be. They had lifted her binding spell a week ago. Now was the test to see if she could use her power for good.

So far, so good. The witches in the coven had been adamant that she not be stripped of her powers completely. Willow was one of the most powerful witches they had ever seen. If they could mold her into using that power for the good of humanity, she could be that much more powerful. White magic, contrary to popular belief, was much stronger than Black magic. It was the power of White magic that had helped bring Willow back to humanity. But in order to be affluent in the use of this magic, Willow had a lot to learn.

She tossed and turned uncomfortably in the lumpy bed. Some nights, she didn’t sleep at all, just thinking about what she had done, and what she tried to do. The guilt consumed her. But she would try the mediation chants that the other witches had taught her, and usually it worked. But tonight something felt different. The air felt thick and was churning around her. There was a heavy presence in the room with her. It felt stifling. She sat upright in bed and panted nervously.

In the dark she saw a shape taking form in front of her. A red mist hovered in the corner. She tried to call out to someone for help, but no sound came out of her mouth. Was this a test? Were they trying to scare her to see if she’d flip out and use her magic for destruction? She wondered to herself. She tried to calm herself, as the mist took shape.

All at once, a figure walked towards her.

“How’s it going?” The shadowed figure asked her.

She was paralyzed by fear when she recognized the voice.

“Y-you’re haunting me now?” She asked.

“Nah. Just stopping by.” He said as he walked into a patch of moonlight.

Willow saw his face for the first time. It was Warren. She felt her heart racing and she squeezed her eyes shut. This had to be a test. Or a dream. It wasn’t real.

“Go away.” She told him.

“Did you really think you could get away with what you did?” He asked her.

“Did you?” She spat back at him.

He laughed.

“Well, you’re right. I guess I had it coming. But man sister, skinning me alive? That was harsh.” He said shaking his head.

“You said it yourself, you had it coming.” She said trying to keep her wits about her.

“Right, well I have to thank you I guess. I mean, it’s because of you that I’m here now.” He said, walking closer to her.

“Stay away from me.” She said firmly.

“What? Are you gonna kill me? I’m already dead.”

“Why are you here?” She asked angrily.

“Like I said, to thank you. You know, I always wanted to take over the world. It was a dream I had. And looks like I’m still gonna get my chance.” He told her with a sinister smile.

She closed her eyes again and chanted to herself.

“You’re not real. You’re not real.” She said over and over again.

“Wrong. I am real. And I’m not alone. Because of you, we’ll rise again. And when we do? You’re really gonna see something.” He said with a laugh.

And with that, he was gone. The mist faded away and the room was empty once again. Willow hugged her knees to her chest and started to cry. She was going crazy again. Now she was talking to the dead. She was being threatened by someone who she had killed months ago. This had to be some kind of punishment, and she wasn’t going to sit still while they tormented her. She got up out of bed and went to the door. She opened it and peered out. The hallway was empty. She walked out and began shouting.

“Stop doing this to me! I can’t take it!” She cried out.

Two of the head witches in the coven came into the hallway to see what the racket was all about. One of them tried to calm Willow by putting her arm on her shoulder. She shook it off.

“Don’t touch me! Make it stop!” She sobbed.

The witch grabbed her into a firm embrace and held her still. She could feel the pain and fear radiating off of their young charge.

“Shh. It’s okay my child.” She whispered soothingly.

“No. You brought him back. He was here. Was it a test? Did you want to see how I would react? Is that it?” She asked desperately.

“What? Who was here?” The witch asked her.

“Him…Warren.” She sobbed.

The two witches looked at each other and frowned. They ushered Willow back inside her room and closed the door. They sat her down on the bed. The eldest Wiccan, Elizabeth, sat next to her.

“Willow, it wasn’t a test. Tell us what you saw.” She told her softly.

“Warren was here. He told me that he wanted to thank me for killing him.” She explained.

“Are you certain you weren’t dreaming?” Elizabeth asked.

“No, it was real. He was standing right there. You didn’t do this?” She asked confused.

Elizabeth looked at the other witch then back at Willow.

“No, we did not. You must calm down. Use your meditation, like we’ve taught you.” She said soothingly.

“I tried, but it didn’t work. I felt the rage again. I tried not to.” She said sadly.

“It’s alright. You’ve still come a long way. If this spirit is haunting you, we’ll take care of it. We’ll do a cleansing ritual.” She assured her. “Esme, get the sage and sea salt.” She told the other witch.

She left the room and Elizabeth looked at Willow.

“My child, I realize that this was upsetting for you. But you did take a human life. There are consequences for that.”

“So now I get to be haunted by a guy I couldn’t even stand when he was alive?” She asked sadly.

“We are all haunted by our past. You have to face it in order to conquer it.”

“I’m trying to face it.” She whispered softly. Then she started crying again. “I just want to go home.”

Elizabeth took her in her arms and rubbed her back softly.

“I know, Love. In time, I promise you.” She whispered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next evening, Giles pored over the text in front of him. He had finally found the proper key to deciphering the most vital text in the prophecy. It was disturbing at best. Anya walked over to where he sat at the table in the Magic Box.

“Find anything yet?” She asked him.

“Almost. I just need to figure this last bloody symbol out.” He said distractedly.

She peered over his shoulder and squinted her eyes into focus. She pointed to the page.

“There. It’s this one.” She told him.

He examined it and realized she was correct. He had been staring at it so long, everything was blurring together. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes came in handy. He read over the translation. Then took his glasses off and placed them in front of him.

“Dear lord…” He muttered softly as he rubbed his eyes.

“What? What is it? What does that symbol mean?” She asked hurriedly.

“It’s a dark sorceress.” He told her.

“A dark sorceress? And?” She prodded him.

“This dark sorceress will bring about the apocalypse.” He clarified.

“Okay, well, now we know what we’re dealing with. Buffy and them can just stop it.” Anya said matter of factly.

“It’s already in motion, Anya. It can’t be stopped now.”

“We’re too late? B-but how can that be?” She asked sadly.

“This was put into motion in the autumn of the year twenty o one. It says right here. We’re a year too late to stop the process.” He said despairingly.

“But how? What happened? How come we haven’t seen this sorceress before?”

He sighed and covered his eyes with his hands.

“We have Anya. It’s Willow.” He said despairingly.

“Willow? She’s doing the black mojo again? Aren’t those witches supposed to be looking after her?” Anya asked anxiously.

“They are. And it’s not what she’s doing now. It’s what she already did. When she resurrected Buffy, she started a chain of events. The barriers between the worlds of the living and the dead were opened. When the spell was interrupted, the doors failed to close properly.” He explained.

“Oh my god. I knew she didn’t know what she was doing! I told her it was a mistake.” Anya said bitterly.

“Yes, quite a mistake. But she didn’t stop there. She attempted to resurrect Tara as well. And when it didn’t work, she destroyed the guardian of death, thus breaking the walls down even further between worlds.”

“I-I really don’t like the sound of this.”

“Neither do I.” Buffy said as she stood behind them.

She and Spike had entered through the back door un-noticed. Giles put his glasses on and looked at the two of them.

“Buffy…Spike. How much of this did you hear?” He asked.

“Enough. So Willow really got her wish. She gets to end the world.” Buffy said incredulously.

“Buffy, she doesn’t know she did this.” He explained.

“Well, that doesn’t matter, does it?” Spike interjected.

Giles lowered his gaze back down to the books in front of him.

“No, it doesn’t.” He admitted.

“So she broke down some barriers. How do we put them back up again?” Buffy asked.

“Well, I haven’t uncovered the solution yet, other than the Trinity is involved somehow.”

“Well, you’ve got your Trinity. Well, part of it anyway.” Buffy told him.

“You’ve decided to help, Spike?” Giles asked curiously.

“Got nothing else to do. Besides, I still like this world. Not eager to see it end just yet.” He shrugged.

“Yes, well, that’s comforting.” He said scratching his head.

“What happens if we don’t get the walls back up again?” Buffy asked.

Giles sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Well, then the worlds of the living and dead merge together, thus creating hell on Earth.” He explained gravely.

“Wonderful. As if it’s not hellish enough.” Spike said sarcastically.

“But what about the good people? Like my mother. Will she come back too?” Buffy asked softly.

Giles looked at her sympathetically.

“Not like you would expect. It would be complete chaos. Heaven and Hell colliding, mixed with the people still on this earth. It would be a fierce battle. The peace that your mother knows now, the peace you experienced, would be lost forever, Buffy. There would be no more afterlife. Only suffering.” He told her sadly.

Buffy thought about it for a moment. She would give anything to see her mother again. But not if it meant stripping her of her eternal peace. Buffy knew what that would feel like. It had almost been too much for her to bear. She couldn’t imagine a billion more lost souls feeling the kind of torment she had felt. Torment magnified by a thousand.

“Then figure out how we stop it.” She said determinedly.

“I will. But Buffy, what about Dawn?” Giles asked hesitantly.

Buffy looked over at Spike and then down at her feet.

“Spike and I will protect her.”

“You might not be able to.”

“We will. It’s what we do.” She said softly.

Spike looked over at her and touched her arm gently.

“Until the end of the world.” He said to her quietly.

She looked up at him.

“Even if that happens to be now.” She finished for him.

Anya and Giles watched as something passed between the two of them. It was an understanding or something even more powerful than that. It was a connection and a bond. Giles could feel it. And normally it would have disturbed him to see any affection between Spike and Buffy. But not now. Their affection for one another and for Dawn would be the glue that held this Trinity together. It gave him hope for the world after all. He would have to thank Anya properly later for getting Spike to come around.

“Yes, well, I will keep you informed of what I find. I plan to work on this all night and will hopefully uncover some answers.” Giles told them.

“What about Willow? Should we tell her what’s going on?” Anya asked them.

“No. She’s trying to recover. Informing her that she created an apocalypse will only serve to set her back.” Giles said shaking his head.

“But shouldn’t she know what she did?” Anya protested.

“No, Giles is right. It wouldn’t help anything. Let us deal with it.” Buffy agreed with Giles.

Giles looked down at the books and realized he wouldn’t be getting any sleep for several days. There was still so much to go over, and so many questions left unanswered. But he wouldn’t rest until he figured it out.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy and Spike walked back towards her house silently. Neither one of them knew what to say about what they had just learned. Not only was the world ending, Willow had been the one to put it in motion. And worse yet, it was Buffy’s resurrection that had started it all. Buffy couldn’t help but feel guilty somehow, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t asked to be brought back. But she had been. And now she realized that the reason she was returned was because she was one of the only people who could stop this mess.

She had learned that the spell used to resurrect her had been interrupted. It shouldn’t have worked at all. But Willow assumed that it did, because Buffy was here—living and breathing. But now Buffy wondered if Willow hadn’t brought her back at all. What if a higher power had finished what she started? Knowing that the future of the world was in jeopardy without her presence? It was all so overwhelming and entirely plausible.

Spike looked over at her and tried to gauge what she was thinking.

“We can do this. It can’t be harder than destroying a hell god.” He told her.

“Yeah, and I did that so well, I ended up dead.” She said wryly.

“Well, not this time.” He said confidently.

“I hope your right. I just don’t know how we’re going to tell Dawn this. I’m still worried about her. She can fight, but she isn’t really proficient. How can she possibly help us defeat this? It’s happening now. All the training in the world isn’t going to prepare her for this.” She worried.

“Well, we’ll work with her.”

“What if she’s not willing? What if she’s like we were and wants no part of this?” Buffy asked.

“Then she’ll come around. We did. Apocalypse is a pretty strong motivator.” He pointed out.

“We should tell her soon.” She said softly.

“We can tell her now.” He said as they made their way up Buffy’s front walkway.

“You tell her.”

“Me? Why? She’s your baby sis.” He countered.

“Yeah, but she listens to you.”

“No she doesn’t.”

“Fine, then we’ll both tell her.” She sighed.

They opened the door and walked inside. Dawn was watching television and she looked up when they entered. She smiled when she saw that Buffy and Spike were together. She was glad they were sorting out their differences and getting along again.

“Hey guys. What’s up?” Dawn asked.

“Nothing.” Buffy told her with a sad expression.

“Then why does your face look like that?” She asked curiously.

“Like what?”

“Like the world is ending. It’s not is it?” Dawn joked.

Buffy and Spike just looked at each other and said nothing.

“Oh god…I was kidding. It’s not ending, is it?” Dawn said panicky.

“Dawnie, there’s some stuff we need to tell you. It’s really major, and it’s very important. I don’t want you to be scared--.” Buffy started.

“Just tell me. You promised you wouldn’t keep secrets from me anymore.” Dawn said seriously.

“I know. And I’m not. But this might not be easy to for you to hear.” She said softly.

She and Spike sat down on the couch next to Dawn. They began explaining everything that they knew so far. Willow’s inadvertent apocalypse, and Dawn’s role in the prophecy. Dawn sat there completely silent and stunned, as Buffy finished the tale. Finally Dawn spoke.

“I’m like a superhero? That’s so cool.” She said with a grin.

Buffy and Spike looked at each other. Spike shrugged.

“Well, that was easier than I thought.” He muttered.

“Dawn, this is serious business. You’re not a superhero. This is real.” Buffy said seriously.

“I know. But this is just so cool. I’ve got power, or something. I’m not just a boring regular girl.” Dawn said excitedly.

“What’s wrong with being a regular girl? I thought that’s what you wanted?”

“No, that’s what you wanted. I knew I was more than that. I could feel it. Don’t you see? This means I actually have a reason for being here.” Dawn explained.

“Dawnie, you always had a reason for being here.”

“Yeah, first I was the reason for Glory trying to kill us all. Then I was the reason that hell was unleashed on Earth when that portal opened. Then I was the reason you died trying to close it. I thought the only reason I was here was to be a burden, or to cause pain. This means I have a real purpose. I can save the world instead of end it.” Dawn told her quietly.

Buffy and Spike looked at her sadly. Neither one of them realized exactly how affected Dawn had been by everything that had happened to her. They both felt a pang of remorse for not noticing the torment Dawn had been going through since she had found out how she came to be.

“Dawn this isn’t going to be easy.” Spike said softly.

“Nothing ever is. But I’m not afraid.” Dawn said confidently.

“Well you should be. I-I can’t always be there to protect you. And you’re not ready for this. Your fighting skills are good, but they’re not that good. We’re going to have to train, and--.” Buffy told her.

“Relax, I’m cool with that. I want to be the best. Just like you.” Dawn smiled.

“I’m not sure we have that much time.” Spike said, knowing that’s not what either of them wanted to hear.

“Well, then we’ll have to get started now. Let’s go.” Buffy said standing up to face them both.

“Where are we going?” Dawn asked.

“Patrolling. You need to learn how to focus and we don’t have time for drills. The only way you’re gonna get the hang of this quickly, is to do a little actual monster fighting.” Buffy told her.

“But I’ve already done that.”

“Yeah, and you’re gonna be doing a lot more of it. So let’s go.” Spike said, agreeing with Buffy.

Dawn got to her feet and smiled at them. For once she actually felt a part of something. She wasn’t left behind with a babysitter like a four year old. She was in on this. She was important. Vital even. It was a good feeling.

Buffy went to get weapons for all of them, and then they headed out the door. Buffy was more terrified for Dawn than she ever had been. But she had to let it go. This wasn’t something she could change. It was fate and it was her duty to see that Dawn was ready to face it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow sat in the garden of the retreat. She was still shaken up over what had happened the other night. But the Warren apparition hadn’t appeared again. They had smudged her room with sage and sprinkled sea salt around her windows and her door. It was supposed to cleanse the room, and keep evil spirits from entering. So far, it seemed to work. But Willow was still uneasy.

She hadn’t told anyone about this, but she feared she knew why Warren had come back. The night that they lifted her binding spell, she had done magic. She reassured herself that it wasn’t evil magic, and that it was okay. She wanted to talk to Tara. She missed her so much, she couldn’t breathe when she thought about the way she had died. She had sent a plea to the spirit world to allow her access to the heavens. She wanted to call on Tara’s spirit, and make her appear.

She wasn’t trying to resurrect her, or strip her out heaven. She just wanted to talk to her. But the spell hadn’t worked. Tara hadn’t appeared, and Willow had chalked it up to being rusty after not using magic for so long. She was afraid now that she had somehow summoned the wrong spirit. Warren had appeared to her, instead of Tara. She wanted to try the spell again, this time focusing her energies more clearly on the image of Tara.

She held a photograph of her lost love in her hands. She stroked it gently and a tear fell onto the glossy paper. She wiped it away.

“Tara, please come to me. I need you.” She whispered softly.

She chanted the spell again, all the while staring intently at Tara’s smiling face. She concentrated fully, and felt the air charge around her. She didn’t break her gaze from the picture, as she continued her chant. Finally a white fog formed in front of her and she looked up. Tara stood before her, bathed in light and a fine, white mist.

“Oh my god…Tara.” Willow whispered as tears poured from her eyes.

“Shh…Willow, don’t cry. I’m alright.” She told her softly.

“I-I’ve missed you so much. I can’t make it without you.” She cried.

“Yes you can. You’re strong.” Tara told her soothingly.

“I’m not. I’m not strong.” She said sadly.

“Willow, I need you to listen to me. I don’t have much time.” Tara said to her seriously.

“What is it?”

“You can’t call on me anymore. It’s not right. I’m not supposed to be here. There’s something happening that I need to tell you.” Tara said quickly.

The image of Tara started to fade away, and Willow stood to her feet.

“Don’t leave me! Please!” She cried out.

Just then, the red mist that she saw the other night, appeared before her. Warren materialized and smirked at her. With a wave of his hand, Tara cried out and disappeared in a haze of mist. Willow screamed.

“No!”

“It’s too late sweetheart. She was trying to warn you. That’s sweet. But it’s already too late.” He said evilly, as he disappeared with a flash.

Willow fell to her knees and began sobbing again. Something was happening, and Tara tried to warn her. But she didn’t know what it was. Seeing Tara cry out in pain again was more than Willow could bear. She had to know that Tara was okay. She couldn’t stand it if she had somehow brought about more pain to her.

“Tara, please don’t leave me.” She uttered between sobs.

“I’ll never leave you.” She heard a voice whispered on the wind.

She looked up to see if Tara had returned, but the garden was empty. She didn’t see the face peering out of the estate window, watching her intently. It was Elizabeth. She turned to face Esme, her sister in the coven.

“She’s faltered. It’s only been a week and she’s already slipping.” Elizabeth said sadly.

“Perhaps she wasn’t ready?”

“I fear you’re correct. I knew she was doing magic again. And not just the exercises we taught her.”

“Then why didn’t you stop her?” Esme asked.

“Because I wanted to see if she could identify her behavior as wrong and try and correct it. I thought that the apparition she saw the other night would have frightened some sense into her. But I was mistaken.” Elizabeth said unhappily.

“Perhaps we should bind her again?”

“It’s too late. I’m sensing that it’s of no consequence anymore.” She said gravely.

“What do you mean?”

“Something is already in motion. It was too late even before she arrived in our care. Binding her now will be useless. We have to keep trying to get through to her. Whatever this is I’m feeling…She is the source. And with our help, she will be the resolution.” She whispered softly.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Giles was getting increasingly frustrated with this prophecy. It was written in Ancient Egyptian, as well as some sort of code. Distinguishing between the two was impossible at times. He had just uncovered a passage now that claimed a specific key was required to decipher the code. Unfortunately, all the ancient texts he had been using, were not the right ones.

He tossed the book across his kitchen table.

“Bloody hell!” He muttered angrily.

Anya came over to him and put her arms around his shoulders.

“Honey, maybe you should just take a break? You’re getting all warm and your face is turning red. I don’t want your head to explode.” She told him.

“Well, it bloody well just might. I can’t figure this out. I don’t have the right key. It would have been helpful if whoever sent this, also sent me the tools I needed to decipher it.” He said irritated.

“We’ll figure it out.”

“It might be too late. We’re running out of time.” He said unhappily.

She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. She was afraid and she felt helpless. She hated that feeling. She wished that she could just zap this all away with her demon powers. Then she got an idea. She walked around and sat across from Giles.

“I have a plan! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I’m a demon, right? I have the power of the wish.” She started to explain.

“Yes…” He agreed not knowing where this idea was heading.

“Well, we’ll just get someone to wish that the world wasn’t ending. And poof! It’s done. It’s very simple really.” She said with a smile.

Giles considered this for a moment, then shook his head.

“No, we can’t do that. You said yourself that wishes are tricky. You never end up with exactly what you ask for. What if by wishing this all away, we somehow unleash something far greater?” He pointed out.

She pouted.

“Fine, bring that up why don’t you.” She muttered unhappily.

“It was a very good idea, but we can’t be certain that it would work. We can’t risk it. Besides, I thought you only granted vengeance wishes for scorned women?”

“Well, ordinarily, yes. But that doesn’t mean I have to limit myself. My friend Hallie grants justice wishes. Mostly against parents who treat their children badly. She calls herself a justice demon. I could be like that. You can only smite down so many men before it just gets redundant.”

“That’s comforting…I think…Anyway, we can’t do that. We’ll just have to do this the hard way.”

“Well if you change your mind…”

“I’ll remember it.”

Just then there was a knock at the door. Anya went to answer it. It was Buffy and Dawn.

“Hey. Is Giles here?” Buffy asked.

“He’s in the kitchen.” Anya said pointing the way.

“So do you like, live here now? With Mr. Giles?” Dawn asked curiously.

“No, I don’t live here. Not officially. But I’ve been waiting for the right time to bring that up to him.” Anya said thoughtfully.

“Great. Look, has he uncovered anything else.” Buffy asked impatiently.

Anya sighed.

“No, and he’s starting to get very grouchy.”

They all walked into the kitchen and saw Giles sitting there with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He looked up when they entered the room.

“Oh, hello Buffy. Dawn. I was just--.”

“Getting nowhere? Anya told us.” Buffy finished for him.

“Yes, well, I’m trying.” He mumbled unhappily.

“Is this the prophecy? What does it say about me?” Dawn asked looking down at the table.

“You’ve told her, I take it?” Giles inquired to Buffy.

“Everything. Just like you said I should.”

“Can I read it?” Dawn asked curiously.

“Dawn, this text is very old. It’s impossible for anyone without a vast knowledge of ancient languages to decipher it.” He explained to her.

Dawn picked up the book and stared at the symbols on the page. She reached her hand out and placed it over the pictures. All at once her fingertips began to glow a bright blue color. Buffy’s eyes grew wide.

“Put it down Dawn!” She shouted.

Giles merely stared at Dawn who appeared to be in trance. The glow traveled up her fingertips onto her arms. Buffy watched in horror and shock. She tried to take the book out of her hands, but Giles grabbed her arm.

“No. Let her finish.” He told her quickly.

“Finish what? What the hell is happening to her?” Buffy asked frantically.

“She’s the Key…” Anya whispered.

“What?” Buffy asked.

“The Key. This code required a special key to uncover it. Dawn is the Key.” Giles clarified with astonishment.

“What?”

They watched as the symbols on the page transformed themselves into words. Dawn was completely transparent and glowing at this point. Finally, she dropped the book and stumbled backwards. Buffy caught her. She was dazed and she looked up at everyone.

“What happened? What was that?” She asked confused.

“Dawn, are you okay?” Buffy asked, as she inspected Dawn for signs of trauma.

“I’m fine. Was I like glowing or something?” She asked curiously.

“Totally. You were like a big firefly.” Anya said with amazement.

“Cool.” Dawn muttered as she shook her head.

Giles picked up the book and stared at it. All the hours he had spent staring at this text, and Dawn had come by and transformed it all in an instant.

“Do you realize what you’ve done, Dawn?” He asked with amazement.

“I’m sorry. I totally didn’t mean to. Did I ruin the book?” She asked sheepishly.

“No, you just finished my work for me. Look at it.” He said, showing the book to Dawn and Buffy.

“I did that?” Dawn asked.

“Yes.”

Buffy sat down at the table and tried to comprehend what had just happened. Dawn most definitely had power Buffy never imagined. She was something truly amazing.

“What else can I do?” Dawn asked excitedly.

“I have no idea. But reading this might give us some answers.” Giles said, as he sat down with the newly deciphered text and began reading.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy had left Giles’ place to go get Spike. She figured that this concerned him too, and he should be there to hear everything. Plus, she really needed to talk to someone about what had just happened. These last few weeks had been one surprise after another. She wasn’t sure how much more change she was going to be able to take.

She walked into Spike’s crypt and found him standing in front of his mirror. He was making various faces at himself, and she stood back and watched him with amusement. He smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t know why I was worried. I am a good looking bloke.” He said confidently to his reflection.

“Yeah, and not conceited at all either.” Buffy chimed in.

He jumped when he heard her voice, and felt his face growing hot. He was blushing with embarrassment that she had caught him talking to himself. Sometimes he really hated being human. Vampires never blushed. Of course, they didn’t admire themselves in the mirror either.

“Buffy, what the hell are you doing here? Don’t you knock? I could have been naked or something.” He said uncomfortably.

“I’ve seen it before.” She shrugged.

He smirked.

“And you were hoping to see it again, were you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She looked away from him nervously, and he instantly felt like an ass. He shouldn’t be trying to joke with her like that anymore. She didn’t appreciate it before, and she certainly wouldn’t now.

“I’m sorry. I was just--.” He said uncomfortably.

“It’s okay. I still have a sense of humor, you know.” She said with a small smile.

“Right then…So, uh, is that why you came here? Hoping to get a glimpse of naked Spike?” He asked with a small grin.

She laughed this time and shook her head.

“No, that’s not why. I need you to come to Giles’ place. Something big is happening. I thought you should be there.” She told him.

He walked over towards her.

“Something big? Like what?”

“Well, for starters Dawn did this weird mystical glow worm thingy, and deciphered an entire book of ancient text.” Buffy said with a sigh.

“Come again?”

“Giles was trying to figure out some part of the prophecy, but he didn’t have the right key. Well, it turns out the Key is Dawn. Again. Or still…I’m not sure which.” Buffy shook her head.

“She deciphered the prophecy?”

“She didn’t mean to.”

“Is she alright?” He asked with some concern.

“Yeah, she’s great. She’s all happy with herself.”

“I guess she would be.” He agreed softly.

She looked over at him and her eyes welled up with tears.

“Spike, I’m scared. I don’t know what any of this means, or what will happen to her. Or us. It’s all just so much. I-I’m not sure I can do this.” She admitted to him.

He moved over and had the urge to draw her into his arms, but he pulled back. He didn’t want to make a wrong move.

“You can do it. You’re strong, and so is she.” He reassured her.

“But what if I lose her? I was never supposed to have a sister. What if she fulfills this purpose, and then just disappears again? What if this is the only reason she’s still here?” Buffy asked tearfully.

Spike couldn’t help himself this time, and pulled her to him. She was stiff in his arms at first, and he was ready to pull away from her. But just as he was letting go, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. He buried his face in her hair and couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to feel her in his arms again. And this time it was because she wanted to be there.

He smoothed her hair down and whispered to her.

“It’s alright, Love. We’re not gonna let that happen.”

She just let him hold her and try to comfort her. It felt right being in his arms again. Only this time, it was better. She wasn’t fighting it. There was no point. They needed each other, more than ever before. She remembered how he was the only one she could turn to last year, after she came back to this world. She remembered the comfort he gave her. And he was giving it again. He had to be afraid himself, and yet he wasn’t showing it. He was trying to be strong for her and Dawn. It was then she realized how strong he really was. He always had been, she had just never given him any credit before.

“I’m sorry Spike.” She whispered softly.

He pulled back and looked at her.

“Sorry for what? You have nothing to be sorry for.” He told her.

“Everything that I did before…All the things I said to you…I’m sorry for that. And I’m not just saying that now because things have changed. I wanted to tell you that before you left, but I couldn’t. So I’m telling you now. I’m sorry for everything.” She said sincerely.

“Don’t be. You said yourself, it’s in the past.” He said to her.

“I know. And it is. But I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.”

“I am too.” He said quietly.

“I need you right now.” She whispered.

“I thought you never needed me?”

“I lied.”

They looked at each other and the air was getting heavy between them. Old passions were bubbling to the surface. Spike’s heart was beating rapidly once again in his chest, and the sound of blood rushing in his ears seemed deafening. He wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid. After what he had done before, even touching her seemed like a gamble. What if he read her signals wrong again? What if he kissed her and she didn’t want him to? He was so fearful of making a mistake that he simply moved away from her, and went to get his newly returned duster.

The tension was broken and Buffy sagged, as she realized Spike was not going to kiss her. Then she realized just how badly she had wanted him to. That startled her a little. She had been aching for him for months and being this close to him again brought that hard truth to the surface. She pushed it away and tried to regain her composure.

“We better get back to Giles. We don’t wanna be out of the loop. You said something big was happening, right?” He said as he pulled his coat on and headed for the door.

“Something big is definitely happening.” She whispered softly.

Only she wasn’t talking about the prophecy. She was talking about them. She was falling for him again. Only this time, there was nothing stopping her. Except maybe for him. He had pulled away from her, when he had to have known she wanted him to kiss her. She worried that it was too late, but she hoped that wasn’t true.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

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