Title: Returning
Author: Kylia
Email: kylia_bug@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don’t know.
Rating: PG13 (for now, although that may change)
Spoilers:
Category: Willow/Spike
Summary: Willow and Spike are forced to return to Sunnydale when Angelus returns.
Distribution: Fire & Ice, WitchFanFic, anyone else, ask, and you shall receive
Author's Notes: This takes place a few years into the future.
Dedication: For Elka & Inell for providing me with a never-ending Fic fix!

L'larion scowled slightly. The witch had figured it out. She knew what he wanted. That could prove to be a problem. But only a slight one. There was still much that he could do to affect the outcome. The addition of Anyanka to their little group had been unexpected. She could prove to be more trouble than she was worth.

L'larion knew that now, more than ever before, the rift between the witch and the Slayer needed to be widened. If they fought one another, they would be too busy to fight his plans. Luckily for him, he wouldn't have to interfere too much, their wounds were deep.

Buffy awoke in a cold sweat. She didn't know exactly how long she had been asleep, but she surmised it had been several hours. She looked around the room and wondered what had happened to Willow. She had said she would be there in a couple of hours, but that had been nearly five hours ago.

There was a time when she would have been worried about Willow's absence. But that time had passed. Buffy now knew that if Willow hadn't shown, it was probably because she had chosen to, not because something had happened. The Slayer had no doubt that the evils that lived in the dark had more fear of the redheaded witch than the other way around.

Still, she wondered what had happened. She was about to pick up the phone and call, when there was a knock at the door. She smiled slightly. <Better late than never>,

"Willow, what took so…." She hesitated when she saw who stood on the other side of the door. "Long." She stepped aside to let her guest in. Xander? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

Xander smiled sadly as he flopped wearily on Buffy's couch. "I know. Anya's gone." He looked up at Buffy. "I don't think she's coming back."

"Oh, Xander." Buffy sat next to her friend. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that everything would work out fine, but she knew it wouldn't. She had noticed the tension that had surrounded Xander and Anya. Something had happened between them, something that she couldn't identify. She saw as Anya slowly drifted away. She seemed to be lost in the memory of a time past. Something was haunting her. Some past event. Buffy couldn't be sure, but she thought it was connected to what had driven Willow away.

She sighed. They had lost so much on that night.

Sunnydale, California December 1999


Willow looked out the window and smiled sadly. She heard the water being turned off in the next room. After a few moments, she heard the bathroom door open and Spike came back into the bedroom. Willow turned around to face her lover. He was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing nothing but a pear of his trademark black jeans. She walked over to him and kissed him tenderly, trying to hold on to the last vestiges of peace.

"You don't have to do this." Spike reminded her.

Willow pulled herself away and turned back towards the opened window. "I do. I'm tired of hiding. I'm tired of lying to them. Making excuses for where I spend my nights… My days, all my time." She turned around and smiled wistfully at Spike, who was staring at her with that expression that told her he didn't care. He didn't care that she didn't tell her friends about them. It didn't matter to him that her friends wouldn't approve. He would only care when their insensitivity would cause Willow pain. It was an expression she had come to know well these past few months.

Willow sat down next to him on the bed. "I'm not ashamed of this. I never was. We've known we couldn't keep it a secret forever. And I don't want to. Not anymore."

"They won't approve. They'll think I forced you." Spike smirked at the reaction that was sure to following.

Willow grinned. "I don't care." She told him honestly.

She had thought long and hard about the past six months. When Spike had returned to Sunnydale, he had come to see her. He had come back for her. At first she didn't believe him, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to tell Buffy he had come back.

It hadn't taken long for her to fall hopelessly in love with him. She felt whole with him. He accepted her for who she was. He didn't want anything from her, except for her love, which she gladly gave. He knew her better than anyone. Better than Buffy, better than Xander, better than Giles. They only knew certain parts of her. Spike knew it all, and loved her still.

Despite his complete acceptance of her, and hers of him, they still hid in the shadows. No one even knew he had come back to Sunnydale, much less that they were together.

She had known it was only a matter of time before the others found out. Willow was surprised their secret had remained a secret for as long as it had, especially after Spike had taken control of the local vampire population.

Willow also realized that if her friends weren't so emersed in their own lives, she couldn't have kept her secret for as long as she had. It should have been apparent, to Giles' at least; there was someone in control now. Random attacks were few and far between, and Buffy was never attacked when Willow was with her. That should have sent warning bells to the Slayer. But, it didn't.

Buffy had thrown herself into college life, trying to pretend, even if only for a short while that she was a normal girl. She studied hard, went to parties. She even began to date. Never the same boy more than twice, but it was better than sitting at home, brooding over her lost love.

For his part, Xander had returned from his road trip, and had quickly started working at a local bar. He seemed to be in his element there. The patrons liked him, found him amusing, and being an establishment which catered to some of the more questionable Sunnydale residents, Xander was often aware of things that happened, before Giles even.

Anya had returned to Sunnydale with Xander, after running into him during the summer in a small Midwestern town he had stopped in for a short period of time. The couple had renewed their almost-relationship, and it had developed into something a lot more serious.

Willow found herself enjoying Anya's company more than she would have thought possible. They had a love of magic in common, which was something that Buffy didn't understand.

Willow realized that if any of her friends would be supportive of her relationship with Spike, it would be Anya. Although she hoped Xander would understand, Willow feared that would not be the case.

"They'll make you choose." Spike's words brought Willow out of her inner thoughts.

She turned to her mate and smiled. She knew he was right, no matter how she wished he wasn't.

"If it comes to that, it will be their loss." Willow spoke with an intensity Spike recognized. It reminded him of why he had chosen her as his mate.

Willow stood up and walked to the closet. She looked at her clothes, trying to decide what to wear. Her clothes had changed slightly in her time with Spike. She was tempted to wear one of the dresses Spike had bought for when they went out together but quickly dismissed it. She knew that the information her friends would gain tonight would be shocking enough. She instead settled on a pair of blue jeans and a novelty shirt she had found at the local mall. It read, 'vampires to it better'. The shirt itself was black with writing in blood red letters.

Spike had chuckled when she had first worn it, offering to show her how accurate the phrase actually was.

Willow turned around and smiled as Spike pulled on a T-shirt. "How do I look, lover?"

"Good enough to eat." Spike waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he stalked towards her and nibbled on her healing bite marks.

Willow pushed him away as she heard the doorbell. She had suggested that they meet at her parent's house, knowing things would go better if she was on home ground.

"I guess I better let them in." Willow left the bedroom and walked towards the front door, knowing that what she was about to do would change her life, and the lives of those around her.

Angel stood on the porch and waited for willow to open the door. He turned to Cordelia and Doyle. Doyle was looking a little nervous. This was the first time he had been to Sunnydale, and he wasn't sure about meeting all of the people he had heard so much about.

Cordelia patted his arm reassuringly as Willow opened the door.

"Angel, Cordelia. It's great to see you. Come in." S he stepped aside, allowing the trio entrance. After shutting the door behind them, Willow turned to Doyle. "You must be Doyle? I'm Willow. It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." She grinned, and then added conspiratorially, "Don't worry, it's all been good."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Willow, why are we here?"

Willow looked at her friend in confusion for a moment. "I thought you came because of the Levale' demon?"

"I think she means why are we here, instead of at Giles?" Angel explained, wondering about the location himself.

Willow nodded. "I have some information, but I want to wait until everyone gets here." She hoped they would accept her reasoning and not ask to many questions.

Angel watched in curiosity as Willow left them to get some refreshments. She seemed to be nervous, and he couldn't figure out why. He knew that the Levale' demon, which had been their reason for coming to Sunnydale was a threat to Sunnydale, and the Slayer in general. But what he couldn't figure out is what information Willow could possibly have that Giles didn't, and how she would come across such information.

Another thing that bothered him was Spike. He could feel his presence. It seemed to waft around the house, almost as if it belonged there. He had a feeling that it did. In his absence from Sunnydale, Angel had lost some of his connections, and others seemed to be tight-lipped about certain goings on in Sunnydale. Both of these facts led Angel to believe there was a new power in Sunnydale. One which had managed to gain control of the vampire population.

And now, between Willow's nervousness and the feeling that Spike was nearby, Angel believed he knew exactly who the master was. What he couldn't figure out was how Willow fit into all of this. A part of him wanted to demand answers, however another part of him, the part that knew Willow better than most, knew that that would only serve to anger her, thereby insuring he would receive the answers he sought. So, instead he waited. He trusted Willow and her judgment enough to know that she would explain things when she was ready. Angel had a feeling that that time had come.

His suspicions were partially confirmed when Willow returned with refreshments. She handed Angel a glass of bloodwine. After one taste, Angel realized the blood mixture was made of human blood. He seriously doubted she would have bought the cocktail solely for his visit. Nor did he believe she would have bought some with human blood, at least not for him. That left only one explanation. She obviously kept the drink on hand.

That realization brought a whole new slew of thoughts into his head. Things like what exactly was Willow's relationship with Spike? How long had they been involved? Was she aware of his activities? And if so, where did that put her relationship with Buffy?

His mind spun around in circles as the repercussions for this new found knowledge began to present themselves. He looked around the room and hoped the others would arrive soon. He didn't know how long he could wait before his curiosity demanded answers.

Nearly an hour later, Willow found herself feeling like she was about to face a firing squad. She smiled slightly.

"Willow?" Giles asked, "What is going on? You said you had some new information about this demon?"

Willow thought briefly about giving them the information they had come here, and hoping that they didn't ask how she had found out. But only briefly. Everything she had told Spike was the truth. S he was tired of lying, tired of hiding. She sighed, realizing it was long passed time for the truth to come out.

"Okay, first things first, The demon we are after is a Lavale' demon, which you know. What you may not know is that this particular demon, is after Buffy." She looked closely at her friend. "He needs slayers blood. A lot of it."

Buffy was about to protest Willow's theory when Willow raised her hands, "Let me finish. There's more. He needs it for a ritual he wants to perform." She sighed heavily as she turned her attention to Angel. "The ritual also requires the blood of a vampire, and the soul of a demon." She paused as she watched everyone take in this latest information. "The soul of a vampire." Her green eyes bore into Angel's, willing him to grasp what she was saying.

"So, that's why this demon came here?" Xander asked.

"Yes, because this is the only place you can find both a vampire with a soul, and the blood of a slayer."

The room was enveloped in silence as everyone thought over what Willow had told them. Buffy was skeptical. Cordelia and Doyle were worried. Xander was concerned, if only for Buffy. Giles was confused, and Anya tried to remember everything she could about this species of demon, trying to figure out what ritual he was trying to perform.

It was Giles' who spoke first. "If I may ask, where did you get this information?"

Willow turned her head slightly towards the stairs, where she could feel Spike standing, waiting. She smiled as he entered the room. "That would be from me."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Willow watched in horrified silence as Buffy jumped up, stake in hand. Buffy pushed past a stunned Giles and stalked towards where Spike stood in one corner of the room.

"Willow, move out of the way." Buffy glared at the blond vampire.

Willow stood her ground, as everything seemed to come back into focus. "Buffy, put the stake down. It isn't what you think." Willow took a step closer to Spike, shielding him from the angry Slayer.

"Willow, Move. Out. Of. The. Way." Buffy demanded through clenched teeth. She took a step closer, pushing Willow out of the way.

Spike snarled as Willow hit the floor with the force of the blow. His eyes glowed golden asshe approached Buffy, readying himself for a fight.

Watching the drama unfold, Angel felt a fear go through him. He stood up and in one swift movement put himself between his childe and his former love. He winced in pain as he felt the wood imbed itself in his shoulder. He slumped to the floor, the stake still protruding from the wound.

Cordelia gasped and ran over to Angel. When she saw how deeply the stake was stuck into the vampire's skin, she looked worriedly from Angel to Doyle.

Spike watched in stunned silence as his Sire took the injury that was meant for him. He had never expected Angel to get in the way of him being dusted. The fact that he had sent a wave of an unrecognizable emotion through the younger vampire.

Spike turned to Willow when he heard her groan from the floor. She was sitting up, rubbing her head, where she had hit it against the railing of the stairs. She looked around and gasped as she saw Angel lying on the ground. She turned to Buffy, who was staring with this blank expression on her face.

Willow leapt up and went to Angel. When she saw that the wound wasn't anywhere near his heart, she breathed an audible sigh of relief. She turned towards Spike, who was standing behind her.

"Let's get him upstairs. We need to get that out of him."

Spike and Doyle lifted the wounded vampire, using their superior strength to aid them. Cordelia followed them up the stairs, leaving Willow alone with her other guests.

Buffy was in a state of shock. She had nearly staked Angel. She couldn't believe how close she could have come to killing him. If he had been standing a little to the right, the stake might have reached his unbeating his heart.

She couldn't understand what Spike was doing in Willow's house, nor could she understand what would possess Angel to step in front of the stake.

She turned to look at Willow, and frowned when she noticed Willow refused to meet her gaze. "Willow, I…"

Willow turned towards Giles, ignoring Buffy's plea. "I'll be back. If you want to wait, I'll explain everything."

Giles nodded as Willow left the room to tend to her injured guest.

"Good going, Slayer." Anya shook her head at Buffy, gaining a glare from Xander.

"What the hell was that all about?" Xander asked nobody in particular.

Buffy sat down on the couch and sighed. "I don't know." She looked up at Giles. "Did you know Spike was here?"

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his weary eyes. "Uh, no…"

"I noticed that deadboy didn't seem too surprised." Xander interrupted.

"Yes, well, maybe we should wait for Willow to return." Giles didn't know what was going on, but he doubted any speculation would help the situation any.

Willow entered the guest bedroom and watched as Cordelia grasped the end of the stake while Doyle and Spike held Angel down firmly.

"On three," Cordelia was telling her boss. "One, two..." She pulled the offending weapon out, wincing at the scream of pain that erupted from Angel's lips.

Willow brought the first aide kit from the dresser and began to wrap the wound up.

The four of them sat in silence for several moments, while Angel regained his composure. He turned to Spike and then Willow. "Care to tell me how long this has been going on?"

Spike shrugged. "Not really any of your business."

"Spike." Willow warned softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled slightly at Angel. "About six months." She held up her hand to still any more forthcoming questions.

"I'd rather only explain this once. Are you okay to come back downstairs?" She grinned as she spoke her next words. "I'll protect you from Buffy."

Angel couldn't help but chuckle at her. She had changed. He could see the subtle differences, and he found himself wondering if they were changes that had come about because of his childe. It had also not gone unnoticed that Spike had not tried to stake him himself, which caused him to wonder if perhaps Spike and Willow were good for one another.

"Let's get this over with, Peaches." Spike helped Angel to his feet, and led him back down the stairs.

Willow was the first to reach the living room, followed by Cordelia, Doyle, Angel, and finally Spike.

"Okay, I know you have questions, and I'll answer them, but…" She looked directly at Buffy, "If you can't behave yourself, you'll have to leave." Her tone was serious, brooking no argument. She watched Buffy nod her head in agreement. When Xander appeared to protest, Willow turned an icy stare at her old friend, "That goes for you too, Alexander LaVelle Harris."

Xander blanched at Willow's use of his full name, but nodded in agreement.

Willow smiled as she sat down in the love seat, motioning for Spike to join her. "Spike and I have been together for about six months." She looked seriously at all of her friends before she spoke again. "My relationship with him is not up for discussion. Accept it… or not. Its up to you." She paused, "That's not why I called you here."

"Why are we here?" Anya broke the stunned silence. She didn't understand what the big deal was. So Willow was shacking up with a vampire. It's not like Buffy hadn't done the same. And she recognized Doyle for what he was, therefore Cordelia was also involved with a demon. Their reaction didn't make much sense to her.

Willow smiled at Anya's bluntness. She recognized the understanding in the former demon's eyes, and was pleased that at least one of her friends wouldn't condemn her.

"Like I said before, this demon needs Slayer's blood to complete his ritual. He also needs the soul of a demon, preferably a vampire, and since there's only one of those…" She turned to face Angel, and smiled slightly.

"You also said that it needed vampires blood?" Giles asked, trying to grasp the full scope of what was needed.

"Yes, that's where I come in mate." Spike grinned cockily.

"What you're going to offer yourself?" Xander snickered.

Spike scowled. "Willow, Luv, tell me again why I'm here?"

Willow smiled at her lover affectionately. "Because, they need to know what they're up against." She turned back to the others. "Look, we know where the demon is, and we know how to kill it, but it requires a spell, and everyone has to be a willing participant." She looked pointedly at Xander and then turned to Anya. "Also, I need a secondary to help bind the demon."

"What kind of spell?" Giles asked cautiously.

Willow sighed. "It's a protection spell. Basically it will initiate a blood bond between myself, Anya, if she agrees, Angel and Doyle. Between the four of us, we'll be able to keep the demon from extracting Angel's soul."

And what about me?" Buffy whined. "Who will protect me?"

Willow looked at Buffy for the first time since she had started to explain. "No one. You're not in any danger."

"But… I don't understand. You said that they need Slayer's blood. And I'm the Slayer."

"Not the only Slayer."

Everyone turned to the new voice, which had entered the room. Faith smirked at the shocked faces in the room. "Miss me, B?"

Buffy jumped out of her seat, pushing past Cordelia and Doyle who were standing between her and the brunette slayer. She pushed Faith into the wall behind her, and was about to kick her when she was grabbed from behind and pinned to the ground.

"What is it with you, Slayer? Nearly staking my sire not enough for you, now you're killing your own kind?" Spike taunted as he gripped her wrists firmly, holding her in place. He released her, tossing her towards the other end of the room. "I believe Red asked you to behave." He reminded her with a grin.

Faith laughed as she stood up and hopped on the counter that separated the living room and kitchen. "So, fang, she tried to kill you… again?" Her dark eyes sparkled as she looked over the dark-haired vampire.

Willow stood up and walked over to Faith, glaring slightly. "I thought you were going to stay hidden?" She hissed.

Faith shrugged. "Got bored."

"Yes, well, maybe you can explain?" Giles asked Willow, hoping there was some fathomable explanation for the events, which had led them all here.

Willow sighed. "This ritual requires the blood of a Slayer, but like the protection spell, it requires that the blood be given willingly. " Willow looked pointedly at Buffy. "I knew that you couldn't, wouldn't ever do that."

"You're in a coma." Xander's shocked voice interrupted Willow's explanation.

Faith chuckled. "Was. Red liberated me."

Xander looked confusedly at Willow while Giles tried to understand.

It was Anya who spoke first. "You brought her out of her coma?"

Willow smiled. "Yes"

"How?" Buffy spoke quietly from the floor, where she had taken to leaning against the couch.

Willow looked at the brunette Slayer. "Let's just say I have a unique understanding of how her mind works." Spike snorted.

Willow glared at her mate and walked over to where Giles was sitting. "Look, the bottom line is that we can stop the ritual. We have all the elements. We'll find the demon, send him back to his dimension, and Angel can go home." She turned around and headed into the kitchen, suddenly wanting nothing more than to get out of the room.

"Wait!" Xander's voice cut through the silence. Willow stopped and faced her old friend.

"Did you say send him back to his dimension? You're not going to kill it?" Xander questioned incredulously.




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