Chapter 2
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Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Same goes for any characters from Angel
that should appear. Any other characters are mine and may be used for other
fanfic (Just note that they’re mine if you use them.)
Content rating note: This fic is rated PG-13.
Continuity note: This story takes place after Chapt. 1 which takes place immediately following the
Buffy episode “Showtime” and diverges into AU from there. This story is also a
rewrite of post-Showtime season 7 and the prequel to Summer
Vacation. Some of the things that happened in post-Showtime season 7 may
happen to some extent (and with liberties taken), and others…not so much. I
used www.buffyworld.com as my resource
for any dialog and such that I kept from the episodes.
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1
The Potentials jostled each other for seating in the van, waging battle over the coveted ‘shotgun’ position. Giles slid the door to the van shut, muffling the sounds of squealing Potentials. “Oh, aren’t you going to have a fun trip,” Xander said, closing the back door to the van. Giles took of his glasses and began cleaning them.
“I think I’m getting a headache, already,” Giles said. Then he popped his glasses back on and made his way back up to the house to collect any stragglers.
“Hey, Giles,” Willow said, coming down the stairs. “Kennedy’s feeling flu-ey and doesn’t want to go.”
“Unless she’s very ill, she can’t afford to miss this. It’s very important,” said Giles. “Is she vomiting? Does she have a fever?” he asked.
“Um, no,” Willow said. “She just said she feels like she’s coming down with something.”
“Does she look bad or gross or anything?” Xander asked.
“No,” said Willow.
“No clammy hands?” Xander asked.
“No.”
“Sounds like someone doesn’t want to do the Hokey Pokey,” Buffy said, walking in from the living room.
“I really wish you’d stop calling it that,” Giles said. “How are the girls supposed to take the vision quest seriously if you keep on referring to it as the Hokey Pokey?”
“I don’t refer to the vision quest as the Hokey Pokey…I refer to the ritual to bring about the vision quest as the Hokey Pokey,” Buffy said.
“Oh, well that’s all right then,” Giles said dryly, once more taking his glasses off to polish them.
“I’ll go get Kennedy,” Buffy said, giving Giles a smirk and making her way upstairs. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with a sullen Kennedy in tow.
Kennedy gave a pleading puppy dog look to Willow. She batted her eyes once and was then led out the door by Giles. After the front door closed, Buffy and Xander gave Willow a look.
“I think somebody likes you,” Buffy said.
“I- I’ve kinda been getting that feeling too,” Willow said. “But- but I’m not going to do anything about it. I mean, I’m like a teacher and she’s like a student. It would probably be wrong.”
“Eh,” Buffy said, shrugging.
“You don’t think it would be wrong?” Willow asked.
“She’s not underage or anything. And I’m the one who’s more like a teacher,” Buffy said.
“Can we say that it would be wrong anyway?” Willow asked wringing her hands.
“Too soon after Tara?” Xander asked.
“N-no, it’s not really that…It’s just that…I just don’t feel a connection. I’m very flattered and everything, and she’s very pretty, but…” Willow trailed off.
“No clickage?” Buffy asked.
“Yeah,” Willow said.
“You’d better tell her straight out when she comes back. No sense in prolonging it,” Buffy said.
Willow sighed and Xander patted her on the back.
2
Shortly after the sun had set, Buffy came down to the basement to check on Spike. He was sitting on his cot, all chained up, reading a book as usual. “Hey,” Buffy said.
“Hey,” said Spike, looking up from his book. “Enjoying the blissful silence of a Potential free house?” he asked.
“Oh, God yes!” Buffy said, plopping down on the cot next to Spike. Spike chuckled a little, but not much. He looked tired. Buffy had noticed him seeming more and more tired over the past few weeks. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the toll of his soul or something else. She looked down at his book. “Whatcha readin’?” she asked.
“Oh, ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’,” Spike replied.
“So, an inspirational story, then,” Buffy said, with a small smile.
Spike smirked at her and closed the book. He opened his mouth to say something and then grimaced. He pushed his fingers to his forehead with an “Ow.”
“Spike?”
He calmed and looked at Buffy. “Buffy…I- Ow. Ow. Ow! OW~!!” Spike cried as he grabbed his head and began convulsing. He pushed himself back against the wall and banged his head against it as he screamed.
“Spike!” Buffy cried.
After the pain subsided a bit, Spike brought his knees up and rested his elbows on them. He brought his hands down to his face and held them in front of his mouth, the fingers curled down slightly almost making fists. He exhaled heavily. He couldn’t deny it any longer. It was probably the damn chip. “The chip…” he muttered.
“The chip?” Buffy said.
“Yeah. S’been going off for a while for no reason, I guess. Was hoping it was no- AAHHG!” Spike said, going into another convulsion. Tears streamed down his face as he gripped his head and banged it against the wall. Buffy pulled him away from the wall and forced him down on the mattress. Spike kicked and thrashed awhile longer and then he was still. He held his arms in front of his face and let out a short whimper.
“Spike! Spike!” Buffy said, tugging at his arm. She tugged it away from his face and gasped. Blood had poured from his nose and he looked unconscious. “Spike…”
“Buffy?” Willow called, coming down the stairs. “I heard screaming… What happened to Spike??”
“The chip is going off for no reason. He said it’s been happening for a little while, but I’m betting not like this,” Buffy said.
“Well, that’s not good,” said Willow. She walked over and kneeled in front of Spike. “I wonder why it’s doing that?”
“Do you think you could fix it?” Buffy asked.
“Um, nooo. I’m not a brain surgeon and I wouldn’t know how to fix the chip,” Willow replied, giving Buffy a look. “It’s not like I can just look it up on the Internet under ‘Top secret government vampire projects’.”
“How about taking it out? With magic, like you did the bullet Warren shot me with?”
Willow’s face drained. “Those are heavy magics Buffy! Heavy! Not only could I kill Spike by trying, but I could lose control and go on an apocalyptic rampage. No. No. Uh uh. What about calling Riley? Didn’t he give you a contact number last time he was here?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if he will or can help. He probably will if he can, but I don’t know. Would you think about the magic thing? As a back-up plan?”
“Buffy~”
“Just humor me.”
Willow sighed. “All right…but I’m not guaranteeing I can do it. Maybe if you could do a binding spell, in case I got out of control…I could get you a book from the magic store across town.”
“That sounds good, Will. You do that and I’ll work on the Riley angle.”
“O-okay,” Willow said, and turned to go. She walked up the stairs with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Buffy rolled Spike on his back and looked around for something to wipe his nose with. She spied a stack of washcloths on top of the dryer and brought one over. She dabbed Spike’s face with it and his eyes fluttered open. “Hey, there,” she said.
“Was I out long?” Spike asked.
“Not too. I’ve got Willow researching a way to remove the chip magically, and I’m going to try and contact Riley. See if there’s an Initiative fix.”
“Yeah?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow weakly. “Remove it?”
“You don’t need it anymore and it’s not like it works when you’re triggered anyway. It’s obsolete,” Buffy answered, giving him a small smile.
Spike opened his mouth to say something, but went into another convulsion before he could make an intelligible sound. He convulsed briefly before stilling again. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Buffy got up, grabbed the keys to the shackles, and unchained him.
“Buffy,” Spike mumbled as she slipped the manacles off of his wrists.
“Do you want me to carry you up, or can you walk?” asked Buffy.
“Walk,” Spike said.
Buffy pulled him up and helped him upstairs and to the living room couch. Then rummaged through the stationery desk for the contact number Riley had given her. She found it, picked up the phone, and dialed. The line buzzed a few times and then a male voice came over the line and said, “Ned’s Flower Shop, how may I help you?”
“Uh…” said Buffy. “I’m- I’m looking for Riley Finn?”
“We don’t have anyone here by that name, Miss,” said the voice.
“I’m Buffy Summers. I’m a friend of his. If this whole flower shop thing is a cover up and you’re really the army, can you give him a message?”
“Sorry, miss, this is just a flower shop.”
“Just tell him Buffy Summers needs Initiative help, in Sunnydale, regarding Hostile 17’s chip.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Buffy sighed. “If you’re secretly the army, just give him the message. Otherwise, sorry to have bothered you.” She hung up the phone.
“No luck?” asked Spike.
“Minimal,” said Buffy. “Looks like it might be up to Willow.”
3
Willow walked out of the magic shop, spell book clutched to her chest. She hoped the binding spell contained within would be enough to contain her if she lost control. I hope we don’t need this thing at all, she thought. Please, please, Initiative guys, come and fix Spike so I don’t have to try. God or Goddess or any Power That Be that’s listening, please make the Initiative guys come. Pretty please with sugar on top? It was in the middle of this silent plea that Willow ran into someone. “Oh, excuse me- Amy!?” Willow squeaked.
“Hello, Willow. Getting back into the magic game, I see,” Amy said, crossing her arms.
“Not for fun,” Willow replied.
“Well, that’s probably for the best, since the last time you did magic for fun some people ended up dying. And, rumor is that you almost caused an apocalypse too. That really harshed the buzz in this town,” said Amy, dryly.
Willow felt her face go hot and her gut twist. “I have to go now,” she said, brushing past Amy.
Amy watched her go and narrowed her eyes.
4
Spike sat on the couch clutching his head and sweating. Buffy rubbed his back and asked him if he wanted some blood. He shook his head no. “I wish there was something more I could do for you than just sit here and wait,” Buffy said.
“That’s good enough for me,” Spike said, trying to muster a smile. Then he heard the front door open and smelled the scent of Willow.
“Hi, guys, I’m back,” Willow said, walking into the living room. Buffy and Spike stared at her. “I got the book,” she said, setting it down. “Any luck with the Initiative? Guys?” The slayer and vampire continued to stare at her. “Okay, you’re starting to freak me out, here~!”
“It smells like Willow,” Spike said.
“It?! What do you mean, it?!” Willow asked, backing up and moving towards a framed mirror on the wall. She looked in the mirror and saw the visage of Warren looking back at her. Willow shrieked in Warren’s voice. She looked over her now Warren-shaped body and patted at herself with girlish squeaks of dismay.
Then Xander and Andrew walked in the front door, carrying bags of groceries. “Hey, Buff! I picked up some supplies on the way.”
“I helped,” chirped Andrew.
Xander and Andrew walked into the living room and dropped their bags at the site of Willow/Warren.
“The First!” yelled Andrew, grabbing an orange and throwing it at the supposed apparition. The orange bounced off Willow’s chest.
“Ow!” said Willow.
“Warren! You’re alive!” Andrew exclaimed, rushing towards Willow and hugging her. He pressed his face into her chest. “You came back to me!”
“Eek! Off! Off!” squeaked Willow, batting at Andrew. “I’m not Warren! I’m Willow! I’m Willow!” Xander came forward and pulled Andrew off. And then backed away.
“It acts like Willow, too. What do you think, Xander?” Buffy asked.
“I don’t know,” Xander said.
“You know, if you want proof, there are other stories from kindergarten- non-yellow crayon stories- in which you don’t come out in such a good light,” Willow warned. “An incident which involves Aquaman Underoos, for example?”
“Willow~ My best bud~,” Xander said, walking towards her with open arms.
Buffy sighed, wondering what else could go wrong, when Spike grabbed his forehead and collapsed forward onto the coffee table, smashing it. “Spike,” Buffy said, dropping to her knees to tend to him.
“Some of us are trying to study~!” Dawn said, stomping down the stairs. She came into the living room and stopped short at the sight of Spike in the wreckage of the coffee table. “Whoa.”
“What’s his malfunction?” asked Xander, indicating Spike.
“Not his. The chip’s. It’s killing him and we need to get it out or repaired,” Buffy said.
“Oh, no~ Spike might die?!” Andrew asked.
Dawn was puzzling over how to feel about Spike when she caught sight of Willow/Warren behind Xander. “Guys! First Alert!” she said, pointing.
“No, no, it’s Willow. She’s been transformed or something,” Xander said.
“Are you sure?” Dawn asked.
“Oh, yes. I’m sure,” Xander said, nodding his head.
“Oh~ This is a disaster~,” Willow moaned. “Buffy, I’m sorry~ I can’t do a spell like this~!”
“Spell? What spell?” Xander asked.
“Buffy wants me to remove Spike’s chip,” Willow said.
“With magic?” Andrew asked. “That would be so cool.”
“Willow, I know you’re having your own crisis now, but we have to do something. We can’t just let Spike die,” Buffy said. “Willow, please-” Before she could finish her sentence, there was a knock at the door. “What now?!”
“I’ll get it,” Dawn said. She opened the door and came face to face with Graham and several soldiers.
“Agent Finn sent us,” said Graham.
“Come in!” Buffy yelled from the living room.
Graham and his men brushed past Dawn and came to a stop at the living room entrance. “Agent Finn reported that you tried to contact him earlier today,” Graham said. “He indicated you might be needing our assistance. We’re to provide you with anything you need re: ass-face here.” Buffy gave him a sour look. “Those were his exact words, Ma’am.” Graham made a motion to the soldiers and they moved into the room, prepped Spike, and lifted him onto a gurney. “We have two options: we can repair it, or we can take it out. Agent Finn said it was your call.”
She looked at Spike and said, “Take it out.”
“Let’s get him over to the hospital,” Graham said, motioning to his men once more. “We’ve got a van waiting outside to take us there,” he said, addressing Buffy.
“I’m coming with you,” Buffy said.
“If you want,” Graham said.
Buffy stayed by the side of Spike’s gurney as the men began to wheel him out. “Xander, Dawn, help Willow with her situation. I’ll be at the hospital if you need me,” said Buffy, and then she was out the door. The gang looked in the direction Buffy had gone, ponderous looks on their faces, and then turned back to Willow.
Willow let out a whine. “Maybe I did this to myself, subconsciously, so I wouldn’t have to do the spell. But then it should have gone away now that I know I won’t have to do it. Maybe it’s Karma!” Willow said, getting twitchy and frantic.
“Hey, you’re a Karma Chameleon!” Xander said. “Maybe it’ll come and go.”
Dawn and Andrew giggled but Willow was not so amused. She grabbed Xander by the shirt collar and said, “Don’t push me! I’m a woman on the edge!”
“Chill, Will,” Xander said. “We’ll figure this out.” Willow released him.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…being in this form has me feeling all freaked out and aggressive,” said Willow.
“What about Anya?” Dawn asked.
“Anya?! You think Anya had something to do with this?!” Willow asked, her voice getting high and shrill.
“No, no! I mean, she might be a good resource,” Dawn said.
“Good idea, Dawnster,” Xander said. “Let’s go…except for you.” Xander pointed at Andrew. “You stay here, in case Buffy calls.”
“Okay. Can I watch TV?” asked Andrew.
“Sure. Whatever. Just behave,” said Xander. “And put the groceries away.”
5
Buffy watched the operation through the observation window. To prevent Spike from seizing due to any chip shocks, they had him highly tranquillized. They had also strapped him to the operating table for good measure. The operating room was eerily silent, with no heart monitor beeping or anesthesia pumping.
Buffy wanted to go get a soda or a candy bar from one of the vending machines down the hall, but she felt she couldn’t leave him. She looked down at her watch and then back up again. It had only been half an hour, but it seemed much longer. Time goes slow when you’re watching brain surgery, I guess, Buffy thought. She hoped they’d be done soon, so she could take Spike home and be out of the damn hospital.
6
Anya was sitting at the table, day trading and checking her stocks on her laptop, when she heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she called out.
“It’s Xander and Willow and Dawn,” Xander said through the door.
Anya sighed and closed the lid to her laptop. “Coming~!” she said. When she opened the door, she let out a yelp at the site of Willow/Warren.
“Willow’s been turned into Warren. We’ve come to you for your thousand years O’ expertise,” Xander said.
“That’s strange. Sounds like a revenge spell,” said Anya, ushering the group in. “Either, maybe, by someone who knows Willow and what she did, or someone who knows how to make a good Subconscious Whammy Hex. That’s where you let the victim’s subconscious come up with the punishment. Very effective, but it requires a seasoned witch to pull it off.”
“A seasoned witch? Who do we know besides Willow, who’s a seasoned witch?” Dawn asked.
“Hmmm, I smell a rat,” Xander said.
“Amy,” Willow said, narrowing her eyes. “I saw her earlier today outside the magic shop, and she seemed to have a real bug up her butt. That bitch. And I know right where to find her.”
7
Willow and the others stood outside the door to one of the lecture rooms at Sunnydale-U. The sign outside the door read:
WEDNESDAY WICCA GROUP
SESSION IN PROGRESS
Willow burst through the door, startling the group of Wanna Blessed Be’s gathered around in a circle. They each had crystals hung from their necks, and Amy was indeed among them.
“Un-hex me, you bitch!” Willow yelled, pointing at Amy.
Amy snorted out a laugh at the sight of Willow/Warren. “Willow? Oh, that’s rich,” Amy said, continuing to snort laughter.
“Bite me, Rat Girl. Or I’ll-”
“You’ll what?” Amy asked, folding her arms. “Skin me? Drain me dry?”
Willow shrieked and lunged at Amy, wrapping her hands around her neck. Xander and the girls rushed forward and struggled to pry Willow off Amy, and the Wanna Blessed Be’s began pelting Willow with crystals. “Willow, you’re gonna’ kill her!” Xander shouted. She finally let Amy go and then began sobbing. Amy coughed and backed away.
“What’s wrong with me?!” Willow sobbed, covering her face with her hands.
“It’s not you, it’s the hex. Strangling is more Warren’s style. If it were you, you’d be using magic on her,” Xander said, putting his arm around Willow.
Dawn approached Amy. “Why did you do this to her?” Dawn asked.
“She tossed me to the curb, like yesterday’s garbage, so I wouldn’t be a bad influence. And then, after she gave in to evil- did stuff worse than I can even imagine- and almost destroyed the world, everyone just keeps on loving her?! No one cares about how hard I’ve worked. All anyone cares about is cute, sweet Willow. I just thought it was high time someone took her down a peg or two,” Amy explained.
“Undo it!” said Dawn.
“Oh, okay…no,” Amy said.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Xander’s head. He gasped and snapped his fingers. “We can break it ourselves! C’mon guys, let’s go,” he said.
“We can?” asked Dawn, following Xander as he led Willow and Anya away.
7
Spike woke up on a hospital bed with Buffy watching over him. His eyes were blurry and everything sounded tinny. “Hey, how you feelin’,” Buffy asked, reaching out to place her hand on his arm.
“What happened?” Spike asked.
“You got a chipectomy, courtesy of Uncle Sam,” Buffy said.
“Uncle Sam?”
“The Initiative.”
“Oh, right. Uncle Sam. The government… So, the chip…It’s out? Really?”
“Yep, and if you’re ready, we can go home now.”
“Thank you,” Spike said, fixing her with a sweet gaze. Things were coming into focus and his hearing was returning to normal too.
“You’re welcome,” Buffy said, getting up and bringing a wheelchair over. “Now hop on, your chariot awaits,” she said, patting the seat.
“I think I’ll walk,” said Spike dryly.
“Come on, it’s tradition. And who doesn’t like a nice wheelchair ride?”
“I hate wheelchairs,” he said, sitting up.
“When have you ever been in a wheelcha-” Buffy paused mid-word, noting the look Spike was giving her. “Oh, yeah. Heh. Sorry about that. But in my defense, you were totally evil back then.”
Spike gave her a bemused smirk and hopped off the bed.
8
Back at Anya’s apartment, Willow, Xander, and Dawn gathered around as Anya gathered some magic supplies and the Witch’s Grimoire. After everything was set up, Anya mixed a potion and chanted, “The center is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breaths. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!” Then, Anya picked the Grimoire up from the table and read, “Unlock the gate. Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear.”
Willow grabbed her stomach.
“Show me…” Anya continued, and the lights went out in the apartment. Then, holding up her arms, she chanted, “Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take of mine energy and be sated!” Anya plunged her hands into the potion and chanted, “Be sated! Release the unworthy! Release! Release! Releeease!!!”
After a great flash of light, Willow stumbled back and looked down at her form. She once again looked like Willow. She ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror and squeaked, “Yay!” Willow skipped back into the living room.
“See, every now and then, I remember something useful,” Xander quipped.
“Well, you only remembered there was a spell-breaking spell, not how to do it. And I had to perform it,” said Anya.
“But I remembered it existed,” Xander said proudly.
“Thank you both,” Willow said, hugging Xander and then awkwardly hugging Anya.
“When did you remember the spell from, anyway?” Anya asked Xander.
“Ironically, Giles used it to reverse the spells cast by Amy’s mom, who had done a body switch with Amy, among other things,” Xander said.
“That was the first year of the Scoobie Gang,” Willow said wistfully. “Life was so much simpler, then.”
Xander paused a moment. “How depressing is that?” he asked.
“So depressing,” Willow replied.
9
Dawn and Willow arrived home to find Buffy sipping hot cocoa on the couch next to Spike, who was slouched down and fast asleep. “Willow! You’re you again,” Buffy said, giving her friend a big smile.
“Yep. How’s Spike doing?” Willow asked.
“Good. Chip free,” said Buffy.
“Okay. I think I’m going to turn in now,” Willow replied yawning. She made her way upstairs leaving Dawn at the bottom.
Dawn looked over at Buffy and Spike, frowned, and went upstairs. “Goodnight,” she called from the top.
Buffy looked at Spike, still snoozing away, and shrugged.
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To be continued
Grrrr! Arg!
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