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!

Faith could barely restrain her amusement. She knew that Red had not wanted to discuss what it was they would be doing with the demon once they found him. It wasn't something Buffy or her friends would understand.

Faith heard Willow groan softly just before she spoke. "No. Killing it isn't an option. Not for us, and not for you." Faith smiled at the hard edge in Willow's voice. It was a tone she had become used to in the past several months since she had woken up from her Hell.

Faith's coma had not been a silent one. It had been riddled with dreams. Nightmare visions of her life. All the things that had gone wrong, and all the things that could still go wrong.

When she had first seen the redheaded witch inside her mind, she had believed she was another apparition. But soon she felt her presence, and realized she was real. Willow had somehow gained access to her addled brain, and wove her way through the distorted images. When she left to return to the waking world, she brought Faith with her.

Something had changed that day. Something complicated, and unfathomable. Something the brunette Slayer would never understand. Willow had saved her. From her nightmares, and from herself. That wasn't something she ever expected, least of all from a girl she had tried to kill. Nor was it something she was likely to forget.

When Willow had explained the situation. Told her about the demon, and the ritual he was trying to perform, Faith had been compelled to help. She knew the ritual was dangerous. It required a large amount of her blood, and it would require her to be bound to a vampire. The same vampire whose blood would be needed to complete the spell.

Willow had been very adamant about trying the ritual, but only if they could protect Angel's soul. And now, here they were, explaining the situation to Miss Perfect and her clones. Faith tuned back in as Willow had finished explaining how she had awoken Faith and what exactly was needed in the ritual. She noticed with a smile that willow had left out some important details.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Buffy started as she stood up. "You not only woke Faith up from a coma, which I inflicted…"

"Oh yeah, thanks for that by the way." Faith sneered.

"But you want to perform some ritual that will bind her to a vampire, just so she can protect another vampire?" Buffy asked. She turned to Faith and smirked. "You do remember you're a Slayer, don't you? We do still kill vampires."

Faith leapt off of the counter and was on Buffy in seconds. She threw her back onto the ground and hit her square across the jaw with her right fist. She was about to kick her when she felt the presence on her mind, calming her, telling her to back off. Faith climbed off of Buffy and turned around. She locked eyes with Spike who grinned in acknowledgement of what her bond had told her.

"It's been a blast, but I got places to be." Faith winked at Buffy who was climbing off of the floor for the second time that day, fingering the bruise that was forming on her face.

Faith left the living room and headed out the back door, leaving the group staring after her in confusion.

"Buffy? Are you alright?" Willow asked as she brought the blonde slayer a cold compress for her face.

It was just them alone in the room now. Everyone else had gone. Giles, Anya and Xander had gone home. Angel, Cordelia and Doyle had gone to Angel's mansion, where they would be staying. Spike had left, to return to his lair. He had business to attend to.

"No, will, I'm not. This is… this is a lot to deal with. I don't understand any of it. You and Spike? When did that happen? And Faith? Why her?" Buffy pressed the compress to her wounds.

Willow sighed. "I told you, Spike and I have been together for six months. The how and why don't really matter now. All that does it that he loves me. I love him. That won't change."

"He's a vampire." Buffy reminded her. "And a soulless one. He kills people, Willow, or did he tell you he'd given that up?" Buffy's voice had gotten slightly louder and taken on a snide tone.

Willow tucked a piece of hair behind her hair as she stared at her friend. She was slowly losing her patience.

"No, Buffy. I have no delusions for who and what Spike is. Yes, he kills people. So do you. He drains their blood to survive. But aside from all of that I still love him." She put up a hand to still Buffy's protest. "Did you stop loving Angel when he went psycho and tried to kill us? And in case you hadn't realized it, Angelus was way worse than Spike ever could be, although I wouldn't repeat that to him." She smiled slightly, and then frowned at Buffy. "He's doing good things here Buffy. He has the vamps under control. That's something that hasn't happened in a long time. If he didn't take charge, there would be a lot more dead people. You have to know that."

"I'll tell you what I know. I know that you've lost your mind. You're sleeping with a killer, and you've brought Faith back. I know that you stood by and did nothing while both of them attacked me. I know that for some unknown reason, you refuse to kill the demon that's after my ex-boyfriend. I'll also tell you what I don't know. You. Willow, I don't know who you are anymore." Buffy shook her head sadly and walked out Willow's front door.

Once alone in her house, Willow walked into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She sighed heavily. "Well, that could have gone better."

"Yes, it could have."

Willow was startled by the deep voice. It seemed to rumble throughout the house. She turned to face the demon that stood in her doorway.

"Mavan, what are you doing here? It isn't safe." She hissed.

"Did you get the secondary?" He asked, ignoring her concern.

Willow sighed as she brushed past the large demon and returned to her kitchen. "I think so, but I need to talk to her alone."

"And you're sure? That with this spell, I won't need the soul?" Mavan asked the witch carefully. He couldn't afford for her to be wrong. Too many lives depended on it.

Willow nodded. "Come back tomorrow. I should know by then."

Mavan started to leave, but was stopped by Willow's small hand on his scaly arm. "Be careful. The others… they don't understand. Buffy… she slays first, asks questions later." She looked up into the translucent cobalt eyes of the demon. "Your people need you. We can't afford for you to go looking for trouble."

Mavan blinked once, allowing his eyes to change colors. He smiled slightly, showing off his tusks. "I know. What you have done will not be forgotten."

"You aren't going to do it." Xander was incredulous.

Spike heard the anguished scream and ran into the house. Willow was a huddled in a ball, tears streaming down her face. He cradled her in his arms, rubbing soothing circles on her back, as he looked at the others present.

"What happened?" He demanded. "Is she hurt."

"I… I don't know." Anya told him.

Spike looked to Drusilla. "Dru? What happened?"

"The demon died. Daddy's nasty Slayer killed it."

"Was the ritual completed? He asked, looking to Faith.

"No." Willow sobbed. She pulled herself away from Spike and began packing the supplies away.

Everyone was silent for several minutes. Finally Faith spoke, voicing the question no one else dared to ask.

"What now?"

Willow looked up at the Slayer. There was a sadness in her eyes, although her features were set in hard determination. "It's over. Mavan's people are gone. The Lavate' would have claimed their souls. There is nothing left for us to do."

"We can't find this… Lavate'? Kill it?" Faith asked, feeling anger that what they had tried to accomplish for so long had failed.

"No Deary." Drusilla placed a cold hand over one of Faiths. "The Lavate' is a thing, not from out dimension. Truly evil. Rather delicious, if you think about it." She giggled.

"It can't be let into our dimension." Anya spoke quietly, dredging up memories from her past. "Unless someone opens up a portal."

"Like Daddy." Drusilla remembered fondly.

Willow stood up. "In any case, we failed." Her voice was sad, guilty.

"It isn't your fault, Red." Faith told her.

Willow looked up, her green eyes hard. "No. Its Buffy's. She did this. I know she did."

"You can't be sure." Anya stood up and collected the candles.

"I can." Willow spoke softly. She shook her head. "No matter. What's done is done." She turned towards the former vengeance demon. "Thank you… for trying to help us. I know Xander must not have been happy."

Anya smiled. "He'll get over it." She handed the candles to Willow. "I had better go." She turned towards the back door and stopped short just before opening it. "Interesting family you have here, Will."

Willow smiled as the ex-demon left her house. She turned to face Drusilla and Faith. "You had better be leaving as well." Her voice was heavy with the burden of guilt she felt on her soul.

"I can stay. Help you with B." Faith offered.

Willow shook her head. "No. You and Dru should go home. We're done here."

Faith noticed the tone of finality in Willow's voice and looked questioningly at Drusilla. Drusilla shook her head in a silent warning. Faith sighed and gave Willow a hug. "Okay, we're off. Still have several hours before sunrise. We should be home by the end of the week. Call us."

Willow nodded as she hugged Drusilla tightly. "Behave yourself. And tell Miss Edith not too much tea before bedtime."

Drusilla giggled softly as she followed Faith out of the house.

Willow set her supplies down and turned towards the fireplace.

When Willow heard the door close behind her, she spoke. "I'll be ready to leave whenever you are."

Spike had been making plans to leave Sunnydale for the past several weeks. But he refused to leave without Willow, and she was reluctant to leave her life, and her friends behind.

"Are you sure, Luv. We can stay a bit longer." Spike put his arms around the small redhead, hugging her to his chest.

"No. There's nothing left worth staying for."

"Are you going to say goodbye?" He asked, not caring personally, but knowing that it would be better for her if she did.

Willow shook her head. "No."

Her explanation was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"It's Peaches… and company." Spike told her, sensing his sire.

"Come in, Angel."

Angel entered the house, followed by Cordelia and Doyle. Doyle looked around the living room, and then back to Spike and Willow. He noticed Willow had been crying and frowned. "What happened?"

Before Willow could answer, Buffy came bursting through the door, stake in hand. She launched herself at Spike, fully intending to stake him. Before she could get close enough, Willow ran towards the Slayer and pushed her back, causing her to drop the stake.

Willow stalked closer to the Slayer, her eyes glowing a pale green that was different than anything Buffy had ever seen. "You dare to come here? To my house? With your weapons? In an attempt to kill my mate?" Her body had started to glow, and Buffy could feel the energy coming off of her.

"Red, calm down." Spike spoke calmly. Even though he personally would love to see his witch kill the Slayer, such an act would wound willow deeply, once she had calmed down.

"Willow?" Angel asked worriedly. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he could feel the rage coming off of the hacker.

Willow took a deep breath to calm herself. She felt Spike's cool hand, comforting her. "She isn't worth it, Pet." He whispered in her ear. Willow nodded.

"We're leaving." She spoke calmly to the room in general.

"Leaving? But why? Where?" Xander sputtered as he entered the room. He hadn't been too far behind Buffy, but had hesitated when he heard Willow's angry voice.

Willow looked up at Xander sadly. "I suppose you helped her?" She felt the tears start to come, and tried to will them away. "You helped her murder an entire species?"

"What?" Buffy asked as she regained her footing. "We killed a demon, that was all."

"After she asked you not to?" Cordelia's voice was appalled.

"What's the big deal. He was a demon, we killed it." Xander asked.

Willow glared at her oldest friend. "Not all demons in this world are evil."

"Evil, not evil. How was I to know?" Buffy asked petulantly.

"Because I told you." Willow sighed. "It doesn't matter now. The damage has already been done." She turned around and smiled at Spike. "We'll be leaving in a few days. We don't know when we'll be back. IF we'll be back."

"What just a minute!" Buffy snapped. "You're leaving us… for him? You are choosing a soulless killer over us?"

"I am not, as you so childishly put it, choosing anyone over anyone. My place is with him now." She looked from Xander to Buffy and then back again. "This is not up for discussion."

"You'll be sorry!" Buffy snarled and ran out of the house.

"You'll change you mind." Xander spoke quietly before following Buffy.

Doyle watched Willow carefully. She seemed to be really exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally as well. He grabbed Cordelia's hand. "Come on, Princess, lets take a walk."

Cordelia, seeing Angel's desire to speak with Willow nodded.

Willow turned to Spike; "Can you go get that box. The one on my desk?"

When Spike had left, Angel took her hand firmly. "Are you sure about this? You don't have to leave. Do you know what you're getting into?"

Willow laughed softly at Angel's concern. "If you mean, do I know what it will be like to live with a master vampire, then the answer is yes. I do." She smiled. "I know the other's don't understand. They may never understand, but I hope that you can. Do you?"

"I'm not sure." Angel told her honestly. "You're soul is pure. I don't want it tainted, by Spike, or by the life you will be living. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you're doing this. Why you're leaving. Leaving your home, your family, your friends, for him."

"I love him." She told him simply as if that explained everything. "My home is where he is. He is my family. As for my friends, what happened here tonight changed things. In a way that we can never fix. We can never get back to what was before."

"What did happen?" Angel asked. He was still unclear on what it was Buffy had done.

Willow sighed and sat down on the couch. "Do you know of the Lavate'? It lives between dimensions. Stuck, until a portal is opened, or a dimension becomes so weak as to allow its entry?" When Angel nodded, she continued. "Mavan, the demon Buffy killed, came from such a weakened dimension. His people were at the Lavate's mercy. He had erected shield, but they were growing weak. He came here, to our dimension to seek help. Additional power, to secure his dimension, and keep the Lavate' out."

"The Blood Rites ritual." Angel whispered. Willow nodded.

"Yes, but I found another ritual, one that would ensure that the soul wasn't necessary. We performed it here, tonight. Unfortunately Buffy found him before it could be complete. And with his death…"

"The shields on his world were released, allowing the Lavate' access." Angel nodded in understanding. He felt his undead heart weep at the loss of all those lives.

"Yes. Had Buffy listened to me, none of that would have happened. The ritual would have been performed. Mavan's people would be safe."

"She couldn't have known." Angel protested.

"No, but she didn't have to know. She only had to trust me." Willow spoke sadly.

Angel walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. "You said you completed the ritual tonight, here? If I remember correctly the blood Rites ritual requires the blood of a Slayer, and a vampire that are bonded. And they must give their blood willingly. Was this the same?"

Willow smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes."

"Faith was the Slayer. Who was the vampire? Not Spike?"

"Not bloody likely!" Spike exclaimed coming down the stairs with an intricately carved wooden box.

Willow held out her hands for the box. Once she had it, she opened the box carefully and pulled a small jewelry box. She handed it to Angel. "She said you would understand."

Willow stood up led Spike back up the stairs, leaving Angel alone.

Angel opened the box slowly. He didn't know how, but he knew what was inside. He could almost picture in his mind before he actually saw it. When the lid was opened completely, he saw the soft cotton wrapped around the necklace. The chain was tarnished, showing it's age. The cameo was small, and old. A family heirloom, if he remembered correctly. Not that it mattered. Her family was all dead, killed by his hands. She had been wearing it when he killed her. Stole her life, and her sanity, and turned her into a creature. That's when he knew whom the bonded vampire was.

"Drusilla." He breathed her name as if it were a prayer, although prayers didn't help her then, nor would they help him now. What was done, was done. Nothing could change the past. Nothing could take back what he had stolen. That's when he realized what She had been trying to tell him. It was over, forgotten, forgiven even.

He had given the necklace to Drusilla shortly after he had embraced her. She had kept it all these years, as a remembrance. A reminded of what had been. What she had been, and what he had done to her. For her to have given it back could mean only one thing. It had been buried, along with the past. She had said goodbye to the young girl he had tormented, and accepted what she had become. What he had made her.

Angel grasped the necklace firmly as he left the house.

Sunnydale 2006


"What?" Angelus scowled. "The vortex? Are you sure?"

Willow glared at Angelus and then turned to Drusilla. She seemed to have a faraway look in her eyes. "Dru? What is it?"

Drusilla turned and smiled. "She's coming. She'll be here soon. We can't start the party without her."

"Who, pet? The Slayer?" Spike asked cautiously. He really wasn't in the mood to entertain Slutty.

"My Slayer." Dru corrected.

Willow smiled as realization hit her. "When will she be here?"

A violent pounding on the door interrupted Drusilla's answer. "Blondie, open up!!"

Willow giggled as she went to the door. "Speak of the devil." She stepped aside and let the brunette Slayer in the house.

"Red, you look good. Where's Dru?" Faith hugged Willow and then wondered into the house.

"Faith?" Angelus stood up and stalked towards the slayer. As he approached her, he inhaled deeply and recognized a scent he had never associated with her. He turned to Drusilla. "You're bonded to a Slayer?" He asked incredulously.

"You didn't know?" Anya asked from her place on the couch.

Angelus looked around the room. "Apparently, I'm the only one who didn't know. When did this happen?"

Spike chuckled. "That soul must have warped your memory."

Angelus searched him mind for some piece of information he had overlooked. His dark eyes widened with knowledge. "The spell? To save that demon?" He looked directly at willow. When she nodded, he turned back to Drusilla. You been bonded all these years?"

Drusilla smiled as she approached her mate and hugged her close. "You're late, Pet."

Faith shrugged. "Anyone can be on time, I like to make an entrance."

"That's it!" Willow slapped herself in the head mockingly. "I can't believe I was so stupid."

"What is it, Luv?" Spike asked, growing concern at the wild look in her eyes.

"Marcus!" Willow called towards the back of the house. A few seconds later Marcus entered the room.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Call Peter. Tell him I was wrong. I have everything I need."

Marcus nodded and left the room. Willow turned around to the group, eagerly waiting for an explanation.

"The Lavate'." She told them mater of factly. She turned towards Anya. "You told me L'larion worked for a demon stuck between dimensions? He needs to open a portal so he can enter this world?" When Anya nodded, Willow turned towards Angelus. "See that's it. He brought you back, knowing how close you came all those years ago to opening the portal. He's hoping you'll do it again." S he spun around, everything becoming clear in her mind. "See, he expected you to return and pick up where you left off, but you won't."

"I won't?" Angelus asked, amused as he leaned back comfortably on the couch and pulled Anya onto his lap. He grinned when she didn't protest.

Willow turned to face the smirking Angelus. "No, you won't. He's expecting the same Angelus that terrorized this town nearly ten years ago. But you aren't the same, are you?" She raised an eyebrow at her mate's sire and continued. "You're not the Angelus from a decade ago, you're the Angelus from a century ago."

Angelus turned a stunned expression on Spike. "Spike, my boy, what have you been telling her?"

"Only the truth." He grinned.

"So, now that we know, what now? Kill this L'larion?" Faith asked as she flopped in one of the vacant chairs.

"No, I have a better idea." Willow grinned wickedly. We banish the Lavate, once and for all."

"Can you do that?" Anya asked skeptically.

"No, I can't. But we can." She told them confidently.

Buffy stood up and pulled Xander to his feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" He asked as he followed her out of the house.

"To see Willow. She was supposed to come buy, but I guess she found something more important to do. We need to talk to her. She knows something, and I say it's time she shared."

Xander nodded slightly and followed the Slayer down the street. He paused for a second, thinking he heard something. When nothing seemed to be lurking in the streets, he continued walking. After another minute he stopped again.

< She isn't your Anya any more > a voice whispered into his head. < Willow has taken her away. If you're not careful, she'll take them all away >

Xander shook his head of the thoughts that seemed to be invading his mind and ran to catch up with Buffy.




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