Chapter 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. 3. The whole story takes place after the Buffy
episode “Showtime” and diverges into AU from there. It’s 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1
Buffy swung at the vampires who jumped out at her, Spike and Willow. They were patrolling the cemetery sans Potentials tonight. Although Buffy had given the excuse that she wanted to reward the Potentials for their hard work by giving them a night off, she had an ulterior motive in mind. She needed to see if her Big Guns were giving their all. Already she could tell Willow wasn’t up to form, as Willow backed away from the fight. Spike was at least trying, but without the Potentials to teach, he seemed stiff and mechanical in his fighting. No passion for the task.
Finally, a vampire broke away from Buffy and Spike and ran towards Willow. Uh, oh. What do I do? Magic or stake? Magic or stake? Willow thought rapidly. She pulled out a stake but continued to mentally debate the issue until the vampire was practically right on top of her. “Eeek!” Willow squeaked, and stabbed wildly at the vampire in a panic. Stake! Stake! she thought. She missed several times, bloodying her stake by stabbing non-heart-containing parts of the vampire’s chest.
“Ow! Ow!” the vampire cried. Then the vampire let out a final “Ow!” as Buffy staked him in the back, having dispatched all but the vampire Spike was still fighting. Buffy was more than a little perturbed that Willow was even more useless in combat than she suspected. Buffy sighed and turned her attention to Spike.
Spike’s vampire was on the ropes and had backed up against a tall tombstone. Spike pounced, the vampire rolled out of the way, and Spike hit the tombstone with a crack and fell to the ground.
“Ooh!” Buffy said, wincing.
Spike let out a little groan and clutched his chest while his vampire ran like the dickens. Buffy whirled her stake at the fleeing vampire and dusted it. Then she made her way over to check on Spike. “Are you okay?” she asked, kneeling down.
“I’m fine,” Spike said, his voice strained and anguished.
“Liar. Let me see,” Buffy said, lifting his shirt. She moved her hands over his stomach and chest.
Spike pushed her hands away and said, “’M fine. Just a couple of cracked ribs.” He darted his eyes to the side.
Buffy’s face flushed a little and she pulled his shirt back down.
“Ah hem,” Willow said. Her eyebrows were raised and she was giving them a look.
Buffy gave Willow a look in return, eyeing her bloodied stake.
“Your stake’s all bloody,” Spike said, holding his chest and sitting up.
“Yeah, I kinda missed a few times,” Willow said. Then she looked down at the gory stake. “And I kinda wish I hadn’t because – Ew.”
Buffy sighed. “C’mon guys, let’s go home. We need to have a talk.”
2
Buffy sat Willow and Spike down at the bench in her backyard and stood in front of them. “Okay, I know you guys have been through some stuff and have some issues, but I really need you to get your acts together. That was completely pathetic out there,” Buffy said.
“Hey!” Willow and Spike cried.
“Add insult to injury,” Spike said, clutching his chest.
“Willow, you can pull off a small spell in a pinch, but lately you’ve been the Wicca who won’t. And Spike, you do well when you’re teaching the Potentials, but on the battlefield you’ve been getting your ass handed to you. I need you guys to get it in gear!” Buffy continued.
“How can I get it in gear when my gear is scary!?” Willow asked.
“I know I haven’t been fighting well, Buffy, but it’s just not fun anymore!” said Spike.
“Yeah, fun! Not fun!” Willow agreed.
“No passion!” Spike growled, dramatically clutching his chest for emphasis. “I mean, it’s pretty hard to enjoy the violence after your gut’s been twisted up by all the violence you’ve already done!”
“Yeah! It used to be exciting and fun and a rush and now it’s just scary and makes me feel like I’m gonna throw up!” Willow added. “And then when I do actually do a spell, I just gotta feel numb to get through it.”
“Yeah,” Spike agreed.
Buffy sighed. “I know. I understand the numb feeling.” Boy, do I understand it, she thought to herself. “I wasn’t exactly in tippy-top fighting shape after I came back from the dead, you know. But I got past it, and you guys need to get past it too,” she said.
“Easier said than done, luv,” said Spike.
“Yeah, it took you, like, a year to get past it,” Willow said in a small voice, feeling the guilt of Buffy Resurrection.
“I know, but I improved throughout the year. All I’m asking for is some improvement. And fast,” Buffy replied. Spike continued to look at her with a hurt expression.
“W-Well, are there any tips you could give us? Anything you can think of that helped with the whole passion thing?” Willow asked.
Buffy got a funny look on her face and said, “Well, uh…I don’t think what worked for me is going to work for you guys. What with you being gay and Spike not being able to screw himself.” Willow and Spike raised their eyebrows and exchanged a look with each other.
“Umm, yeah…I don’t think sex with Spike is the answer, here,” Willow said, stifling a chuckle.
“Yeah, I don’t think sex with me is the answer,” Spike said smirking. “Although I could screw myself, if I wanted,” Spike added, shaking his fist up and down.
“Nice,” Buffy said dryly.
Willow could stifle her chuckles no longer and started laughing.
“Sadly, I’m not in the mood,” Spike said.
Buffy put her head in her hand. “I think we’ve gotten off track here,” she said.
“And that whole sex thing didn’t work out for me so well anyway, seeing as she was just using me and didn’t love me,” Spike continued, chuckling.
Willow stopped laughing immediately and stared at him, stunned. Buffy lifted her head and stared at him with a sad expression.
“Yeah, that’s not funny, is it?” said Spike, wincing a bit. “Sorry. Sorry,” he added looking at each girl.
“That’s all right,” Buffy said, struggling to finish her point. “Just, whatever it takes, get it done. With the fighting. That’s all,” Buffy said and then turned and walked briskly into the house.
Willow and Spike sat in silence for a while, listening to the crickets chirp in the grass. Then, Willow turned to Spike. “You know…I kinda thought she loved you,” Willow said. “I mean, she was pretty upset about the whole Anya thing last year.”
“That’s what I thought too, Red,” Spike replied, sighing. “But, as it turns out, she just had ‘feelings’ for me. Said she couldn’t trust me enough for it to be love. That’s what she said,” Spike continued, his voice starting to shake at the end.
“When did she say that?”
“Right before I left,” Spike answered.
“And that’s why you left to get the soul? Because she said that?”
Spike tilted his head to the side in a nervous tick and started to well up. “I have to go,” Spike said, starting to get up.
“Wait! I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about that,” Willow said grabbing his arm. “Let’s talk about how screwed we are. With the fighting and the magic. Because I could use some talkin’ to,” Willow said, starting to tear up a little herself. She had a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach and she didn’t want to be alone with it.
Spike sat back down. “Sure…” he said. They sat there in silence for a while and sniffled. Then Spike said, “So, redemption…pretty hard, huh? Makes you wanna curl up and die?”
Willow smiled. “Yes. It kinda sucks ass.”
“Big time,” Spike said, smiling back.
3
Xander was eating Cheetos in the kitchen when Buffy walked in and swept through. “G’night, Xander,” Buffy said as she passed by.
“Gnff,” Xander replied, choking down a mouthful of Cheetos. Then he crumpled up the empty bag and threw it away in the trashcan by the door. He peeked out the door’s window and saw Willow and Spike on the bench, talking. He watched them for a moment and noted they were looking awfully chummy. Spike patted Willow on the shoulder and Xander frowned.
After talking for a bit longer, Spike and Willow returned to the house and Spike bid Xander (who had moved to lean against a kitchen counter) and Willow goodnight. “Goodnight, Spike,” Willow said, as the vampire closed the basement door and made his way downstairs.
Then Willow turned to Xander, who was frowning at her. “What?” she asked.
“So, what were you and The Evil Undead talking about?” he asked.
“Just stuff. Like how we’re having trouble getting back in the fighting spirit.”
“So, are you buddies now or something?” Xander asked arms folded.
“Um, I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk with him much, but I kinda feel like he gets me. It’s not like we’re making each other friendship bracelets or anything,” Willow said, smiling nervously. She could feel a big stink coming.
“I’m just not so sure you should be bonding with Spike,” Xander said.
“Why not?” Willow asked softly. “He’s one of the good guys now. He’s even got a soul. At least he has an excuse for all the bad stuff he did before. Unlike me, who was just a big psycho witch.”
“Don’t even compare yourself to that…monster,” said Xander, raising his voice.
“Why are you getting so bent out of shape? I’ve been friendly with Spike before.”
“But you weren’t bonding with him! Being amicable is one thing. Even I can be amicable with him. But I draw the line at bonding. It’s bad enough that Buffy’s acting all Florence Nightingale with him without you buddying up to him. It’s sick. It’s sick and wrong,” Xander said, straightening.
“Because he’s a vampire?” Willow asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“That’s just scratching the surface. If you knew what he did to Buffy, you wouldn’t be so chummy with him. Even Dawn has the good sense to have nothing to do with him anymore.”
“What? Why? Because he slept with Buffy? Dawn didn’t seem upset about that at the time…Although…I have noticed that Dawn has been avoiding him ever since I got back,” said Willow, with a puzzled look. “Was it because he left?”
“Puh! He should have stayed gone,” Xander said.
“Is there something I’m missing? ‘Cause I get the feeling I’m missing something,” Willow said.
Xander’s lips thinned. “I could tell you. Or you could just take my word for it and leave Spike alone. You’ll be happier if you just take my word for it,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” Willow asked, getting agitated.
Xander took a deep breath and said, “Spike tried to rape Buffy.”
“What!? Whe- When did that happen?!” she asked, eyes widening.
“That night that you came in and Buffy was on the bathroom floor with bruises. That was Spike’s doing.”
Willow stared at him for a moment. “But- but you- she- never said anything…”
“I guess she just wanted to deal with business and not get into it,” Xander said.
“Did- Did you see it happen?”
“No. But when I asked Buffy she admitted that’s what happened.”
Willow’s breath started quickening. “But why? Why didn’t she tell me? And how…and why…did Spike do that? I mean, I know he was a soulless vampire and all, but after all that we’ve been through…that- that just doesn’t seem like him. And h-how could she not tell me?!” Willow said, starting to cry a little. Xander walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Wake up, Will. He was soulless, evil, thing. He’s a vampire. They’re no good. Or at their best, very little good,” he said softly.
“And- And Dawn knows?” Willow asked.
“Yeah, she was still all pie in the sky about Spike. She still wanted him to babysit her. She needed to know the truth,” Xander said. “And even as he is now, Will, Spike’s not exactly safe. He could get triggered anytime and he’s still a vamp. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to get too chummy with him. I’m not saying he isn’t trying to be good and I’m not saying that I don’t feel a little sorry for the guy in his current state, but he can’t help what he is. You can’t let yourself get too close to him or get too attached.”
Willow pulled away from Xander and said, “W-Well, maybe no one should get too close to me either! I have magic inside me that’s never going away! I could be dangerous too!”
“Willow, you’re not a monster,” Xander said, reaching out for her.
“I’m just as much of a monster as he is! The only difference is, I never had to lose my soul to be one, and instead of a demon I’ve got magicks!” Willow said, and then she turned away and ran out of the kitchen, blocking Xander from following with a magical force field across the doorframe. Willow ran upstairs to the bathroom and shut the door.
“Aw, crap,” Xander said, banging a fist against the force field.
Spike lay chained up in the basement, tears running down his face. He’d heard every word.
4
Willow sat on the toilet seat sobbing. She heard Xander’s car peel out of the driveway and looked up briefly. And then she heard a knock on the door.
“Hey, whoever’s in there, if the First Evil is with you, stop listening to it and open the door,” Buffy called out. The First Evil had taken to haunting the bathroom lately, hoping to convince someone to O.D. on pills or slit their wrists. Buffy had locked all the pills and razor blades up, but there was still the mirror to worry about.
Willow sniffled and unlocked the door. “No First Evil. It’s just me,” she said.
“Okay, I know I was a little hard on you, but I didn’t-”
“It’s not that,” Willow said, still crying.
Buffy came in and shut the door. “What is it?” Buffy asked.
“Is what Xander said true~??” Willow asked. “Did Spike really try to- to-?” She continued, cut off by her own sobs.
Buffy’s face darkened and her eyes got wide and glassy. “What did he tell you?”
“He said that Spike tried to rape you before he left. Is that true, Buffy~?” Willow asked, her voice taking on a high squeaky edge.
Buffy took a breath and said, “Yes.”
“When you here on the floor, all bruised up- How could you not tell me?!”
“I just- I don’t know. I already told Xander. I felt like I got it out of my system,” Buffy replied, trying to appear as unemotional as possible.
“But I’m your best friend~!” Willow cried, pushing past Buffy and opening the door. She magically closed and locked it the instant she was out. She magicked the door unbreakable as well, trapping Buffy inside.
Willow rushed down the stairs, sobbing all the way. Then she made her way into the kitchen and down into the basement. She stopped in front of Spike’s cot and kicked it underneath, hard. “Why did you do it?!” she wailed.
Spike rolled to face her, a little bit startled. His face was tear stained and his eyes were puffy. “Nothing I say will make it better,” he said.
“You tell me why!” Willow said, hitting his chest, forgetting his recently cracked ribs. Spike cried out and grabbed his chest while Willow continued to rain blows down upon him, asking ‘why’ over and over. Spike sobbed and pushed her away.
“I didn’t mean to!” he wailed.
“How do you not mean to?!”
“It’s complicated,” he said.
“You explain it to me,” Willow said, seething and about ready to rain black-eyed magic down on him if he didn’t comply.
“I was confused! You don’t understand!” he said, getting up. “That’s all she would take from me! I tried to give her everything, but all she wanted was sex! That’s the only way she’d let me in! Let me love her~!” He sobbed and put his hand to his face. He sat down on the cot and cried as bitterly as he had the night Buffy had died. “I was just a thing. I was nothing! A soulless thing! That’s why I got the soul. So I could be the kind of man that would never do that. So she could love me.”
“I’m still confused. She must have said no. Wasn’t that a big tip off that she wasn’t in to it?” Willow asked, her gut twisting, torn between pity and wrath.
Spike looked up, looking at Willow with glassy eyes. “She never meant it before. It was her favorite game. Pretend she didn’t want the evil thing. But she wouldn’t lift a finger. Or- or she would kiss me or t-touch me. Not that ‘no’ ever carried much weight in my world anyway. ‘No’ was never worth shit unless you could back it up.”
“Didn’t she…fight back?”
Spike chuffed. “Fighting and sex went together. She was better than Dru. She was fierce. I know now that’s not healthy for her…but at the time…seemed like business as usual. She didn’t want gentle. I would’ve been. But every time I tried, I got kicked in the teeth. If not immediately, then in the end. Not that that’s any excuse. Not that I didn’t get off on the violence.” Spike grimaced and grabbed his chest. He could feel it, burning inside him again. The soul. The spark.
Willow stood in front of him, trying to process the information. Spike cried out and stood up, struggling against the chains. He reached out to her and morphed into vamp face. “Punish me! I deserve to be punished! I’m a murder and a rapist! Hit me with lightning or fire or a thousand shards of glass! Punish me, you bitch!”
Spike’s insanity shocked Willow out of her wrath. She had the dazed look of someone hit on the head with a brick. All she could think to do was ask a stupid question. “But you only tried to rape Buffy, right?”
Spike stopped struggling, fixed his yellow eyes on her, and said, “Only tried with her. Succeeded with others.”
“Who?”
Spike let out an exasperated sigh. “Who?! What do you bloody mean, who?! Most of the time I didn’t even know their names. It’s not like it was personal.”
“When?”
“Why does it matter?!”
“I don’t believe that you raped anyone. Unless you were lying to me about me being desirable and that’s the only reason why you didn’t rape me, I don’t believe you.”
“You’re off your bleedin’ nut!” Spike said, morphing back to human face. “When did I ever try and rape you?!”
“You didn’t. You could have, but you didn’t. When you kidnapped me and Xander you said ‘I haven’t had a woman in months’ and looked at me like you were gonna have me but I said ‘There will be no having of any kind’ and you didn’t even try anything with me,” Willow said.
Spike blinked. “Well, yeah, but it wasn’t because you weren’t desirable. I already told you, you were when I tried to bite you a few years ago. I just preferred to seduce my victims. Meant more that way. Angelus was the one who was big on rape. Without him, the rest of us lost interest. We just didn’t have the passion for it that he had.”
“Wow…that’s really messed up, Spike.”
“Yes.”
They stood across from each other, insanity short-circuited and replaced with numbness.
“So you beat each other up?” Willow asked.
“Well, we were rough with each other. She beat me up more than a few times. Can’t really say I ever beat her up. Fighting was fun, and I’d do S&M, but I didn’t want to beat Buffy. Not for real. Didn’t mind so much if Buffy beat me. As long as it made her feel better, I’d take it.”
“You do realize how sick and twisted that is now, don’t you?”
“I always knew, I just couldn’t feel it. Now I can and it- it- Just thinking about it makes me feel-”
“That’s okay. I think I get it,” Willow said. She sighed, and slumped her shoulders. “I’m sorry I went ballistic on you. I’m not really mad at you. Not present-you anyway. You wouldn’t have done that with a soul, and if I hadn’t screwed Buffy up so bad by bringing her back, then you wouldn’t have done it soulless either. This whole mess is my fault.”
“Bollocks. Only part of the mess is your fault,” Spike said. “And I’d rather have a screwed up Buffy, than no Buffy at all. So I can’t regret your incredibly foolish and dangerous actions too much.”
“Yeah, that pretty much seems to be the consensus. I just wish it hadn’t…broke her so much.”
“Me too,” Spike said, looking tired. “Listen, Buffy and I, we’ve already talked it out. We apologized and forgave, and all that. I just wanted you to know that before you talk with her.”
Willow nodded. Then, walking forward, she said, “I know this is going to seem very Full House but…” And with that, she hugged him. Spike stood there for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her as well, rattling his chains as he did so. He cried into her hair a bit and then they separated.
“Are we cool?” Willow asked.
Spike nodded and sat down on his cot. “We’re cool,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
Willow sighed. “Well, I guess I better go up and talk to Buffy. I kinda locked her in the bathroom.”
“Locked her in the bathroom?” Spike asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I kinda confronted her and then locked her in.”
“You confronted her while she was going to the bathroom?! Red, that’s just bad timing!”
“Nooo! No!” Willow said waving her hands. “I was in there crying and she investigated and things went downhill from there.”
“Oh, well that’s better then,” Spike said. “Use magic?”
Willow nodded and said, “Uh huh.”
“’Cause otherwise she’d be down here, wouldn’t she?”
“I think so.”
5
Willow went up to the bathroom and dispelled her magicks. She opened the door and found Buffy sitting on the toilet seat, with her chin resting on her fist. Buffy turned her head and got up, eyeing Willow with a perplexed and worried look on her face. Willow came in and shut the door behind her. “I’m sorry for what happened between you and Spike. And I’m sorry that happened to you,” she said, looking down.
“Almost happened,” Buffy corrected.
“Right,” Willow said, softly.
“Did you do something to Spike? I thought I heard yelling,” Buffy said, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other, as if anticipating a fight.
“No, I didn’t do anything to Spike. There was some yelling and crying. Words were exchanged. Guts were spilled, figuratively speaking. I guess I understand why you didn’t tell me. You knew I’d ask questions and you didn’t want me to know how screwed up things were with you and Spike,” said Willow.
Buffy looked down, “What did he tell you?” she asked.
“I kinda flipped his crazy switch, so he was sorta all over the place but…the gist of it seems to be that there was some using and abusing going on.”
Buffy put her hand to her face and crying. “You must think I’m horrible. You must think I brought it on myself.”
“No, God, no! I don’t think either of those things, Buffy,” Willow said. She moved forward and hugged Buffy. “Besides, I’m the one that screwed you up.”
“I could’ve dealt with it a different way,” Buffy said, sniffling and clutching Willow’s shoulders.
“At least you stopped doing it. And you and Spike seem to be making it up to each other. Not that you can make up for those types of things, but…Spike said you forgave each other and stuff, so what else can you do?”
“You’re not going to tell Giles, are you?” Buffy asked, sniffling.
“No. I guess he doesn’t know about the…incident…or the other stuff, right?” Willow asked.
Buffy shook her head.
“I don’t see any reason he should know,” Willow said pulling away from Buffy.
“What about Xander and Dawn?” Buffy asked, wiping her eyes. “They’ve been so supportive about the…incident. I’m afraid they’ll turn on me if they know the truth.”
“I have to say that’s a possibility,” Willow said, with a nervous expression.
“Comforting,” said Buffy, matching Willow’s look.
6
Buffy went down the basement stairs and approached Spike’s cot. He was lying on his side, facing the wall. He appeared to be sleeping, but she wasn’t sure. She bent down and placed her hand on his arm. “Spike?” she said in a soft voice. He started and sat up.
“I’m sorry, Buffy. I didn’t mean to tell her. She-”
“It’s okay,” Buffy said, sitting down on the edge of his cot. “It worked out all right. It’s actually kind of a relief.” Buffy gave him a weak smile. “I just came down to check on you. Willow said she flipped your crazy switch.”
“Yeah,” Spike said, with a crooked smile. “I feel like a right fool, too.”
“Don’t,” Buffy said, caressing the side of his face. Spike blinked and pulled back a bit.
“You keep confusing me with romantic gestures and I’ll start to think you like me,” Spike said, trying to sound jovial.
“I do like you,” Buffy said, perkily.
“You know what I mean,” Spike chided.
Buffy leaned in and spoke softly. “You know, don’t tell the others, but you are my favorite,” she said with a sassy grin.
A smile spread across Spike’s face and he started to chuckle. Then he smiled at her, like he used to when they’d flirt. “I love you, Buffy,” he said. “I’m not sayin’ it to get anything. It’s no secret. I just felt the need to say it.”
“I wish I could say it back,” Buffy said, putting her arms around him and her head on his chest.
“Well, that’s sweet of you, Slayer,” Spike said, hugging her back.
No really, I do, Buffy thought. But I’m scared and there’s too much else going on. She closed her eyes and sighed.
7
The next evening, the Summers’ backyard was filled with the sounds of sparring. Giles was training the Potentials and Dawn out in the back yard. They had almost finished by the time Principal Wood showed up to see Buffy’s operation. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Lots of paperwork to catch up on.” Buffy smiled, invited him in, and then brought him out to the back porch to watch the Potential’s training session for a moment. “Looks like you got your hands full,” Wood said.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Buffy replied.
“What about the vampire?”
“Vampire? Spike? Spike’s training in the basement.”
“Can I see him?” Wood asked.
Buffy shrugged and said, “Sure.”
As Buffy and Wood walked down the basement stairs, they heard the sounds of Spike pounding on a punching bag. Buffy sighed as she noticed it was some rather dispassionate pounding. “Got a moment?” she asked.
Spike stopped and turned around. At the sight of the principal, Spike frowned. “Sure,” he answered.
“You remember Robin Wood,” Buffy said, motioning to the man.
“Robin Wood? So where’s his merry men?” Spike snarked.
“You’re making fun of my name with a name like Spike?” Wood retorted.
“Okay, okay,” Buffy said stepping between them. “We’re all on the same team here.”
“Are we?” Wood asked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Spike said, attempting to get in Wood’s face and squashing Buffy between them.
Buffy pushed the guys away from each other. “Can we behave like adults?” she asked, looking at each of them.
“I can,” Wood said.
“Not my fault he’s touchy,” Spike said.
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. “Why don’t we all go back outside? Xander should be about done grilling supper and Giles should be wrapping up the training. Spike, will you help me set up the picnic tables?”
“Sure, pet,” Spike said.
Wood narrowed his eyes at him.
8
Buffy and Spike had to set up several picnic tables to accommodate everyone. There were two Potentials tables and one non-Potentials table (although Andrew had been bumped to a Potentials table since Wood was there). Xander was serving up burgers fresh from the grill and fries fresh from the Fry-Daddy. The caption on his chief’s apron read: YOU KILL ‘EM, WE GRILL ‘EM.
While serving up a burger to Willow he gave her an apologetic look. He had called her up last night to make up with her, and while he had been successful, he still felt bad for upsetting her so much. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and he knew that all would be well between them.
Then, Xander moved on to the last person at the table who hadn’t been served. “Here’s your rare hamburger, Spike,” Xander said, setting it down in front of the vampire. “Moooo!” he added.
“Why did you just make a cow sound?” Anya asked, looking up from her meal.
“Because Spike’s burger is so rare, it’s still mooing,” Xander said, taking off his apron and sitting down to his own plate.
“But it’s dead. It’s dead and ground up. It can’t moo no matter how rare it is,” said Anya.
“Never mind, Ahn,” Xander said.
Wood watched as Spike poured Tabasco sauce on his burger and fries. Wood made a face. “Why is he even eating? Vampires don’t eat human food, last I checked,” Wood said.
“Spike is a very…unique vampire,” Giles said.
“That’s a nice way of putting it,” said Xander.
“He likes the taste,” Buffy said.
Wood bit into his burger, wondering how this vampire that killed Slayers came to be accepted into the current Slayer’s inner circle. Not that it mattered, really. All that mattered was that the monster had killed his mother and soon it would be dust at his hands, at the next available opportunity or whenever his plan was finished. Fast or slow, the bastard is going down, Wood thought.
Then, dinner was suddenly interrupted when a large demon leapt out of the bushes and landed on the table, putting one foot square in the potato salad. The demon had big black horns and claws. Its face was inhuman and filled with sharp teeth. It snarled, breaking everyone out of their stunned stupor. The Potentials screamed and ran for weapons, as Buffy had taught them to do when they encountered a demon. The others, except for Buffy, Willow and Spike, ran for weapons at Xander’s shout of, “To the weapons chest!”
The demon lunged at Willow and she shrieked. Before it could reach her, Spike tackled it to the ground. It kicked him off hard. Spike flew all the way through a kitchen window and into the others, who had grabbed their weapons and were rushing towards the door. They all went down in a tangle of limbs.
Now, the demon turned towards Buffy and began slashing at her. She narrowly avoided its attacks. “Could use some help here!” she shouted.
Willow quickly went through spells in her mind and realized that the only ones that would be quick and effective would bring out the black-eyed badness for sure. She flashed back to the demon spider incident at the college and to the First-locating spell and hesitated.
In the moments Willow was debating, the demon slashed Buffy across the chest. Willow shrieked and whipped black magic lightning at the demon. Willow could feel the dark power come over her as her eyes went black. In a panic, she crumpled and stopped her magic allowing the demon to escape.
“Damn it~,” Willow whined, with tears in her eyes. Then she noticed Buffy lying still on the ground. “Buffy!” Willow exclaimed, running over to her.
9
Buffy lay unconscious in her bed surrounded by everyone except the Potentials and Andrew. Willow and Spike looked down at her prone form with worried and shamed faces. “She appears to have been put into a coma,” Giles said, after taking her vitals.
“Can we bring her out,” Dawn asked in a small voice. She held one of her sister’s hands in her own.
“Maybe with a spell or something?” Xander asked.
“It’s all my fault!” Willow burst out, tearing a little. “If I hadn’t hesitated with the magic, this wouldn’t have happened!”
“It’s my fault too,” Spike said solemnly. “I was off my game. Shouldn’t have been taken out so easy.”
“Blame won’t help us,” Giles said. “We have to concentrate on research. On finding out what that demon was and how to cure its effects.”
“I have some books I got from my mother’s Watcher that might help. I can go get them,” Wood said.
“Yes, thank you, Principal Wood,” Giles replied.
“I have books I salvaged from The Magic Box,” Anya offered.
“Thank you. With the books I have in my possession, we should be able to find out what this thing is,” said Giles.
After all the books were gathered, the group congregated in the living room, looking through them for the demon. The Potentials were sent off to bed but everyone else was researching. It was Dawn that finally spotted the demon in question in one of the mustier books. “I found it!” she said. Dawn read aloud from the book, “Quidgekoth – a demon that sends its victims into a coma with its poison tipped claws before eating them. To cure the victim, one must obtain the claws, teeth and horns of the demon and perform the Quidgekoth Poison Cure Spell. On the next page it has the spell for the cure and a list of other ingredients needed.”
“Let’s see,” Giles said, reaching out for the book. Dawn handed it over. Willow peeked over Giles’ shoulder as he read over the list of ingredients and the spell. Willow let out a dismayed sound.
“That’s a pretty heavy spell,” she said. Then Willow took a deep breath and mustered her courage. “But it has to be done. I’m not gonna let Buffy down this time.”
Spike set his jaw. “I’ll get the demon,” he said. Then, he grabbed his short leather jacket and headed out the door.
Giles blinked, straightened his glasses and said, “All right then. Anya and I will get the other supplies we need. The rest of you, stay here in case of another attack and protect Buffy.”
“Okay, I’m gonna go up and sit with Buffy and try and center myself,” Willow said. “Xander, will you help?”
“Sure, Will. What do I have to do?” he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“All you have to do is sit across from me and hold my hands.”
“I’m there,” he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
10
Spike tracked the demon for half an hour, finally locating it in the sewer. It had its head bent down into the water for a drink. Spike’s boots grated against the sewer floor as he moved forward, and the creature picked its head up and growled. It turned around, water dripping from its jaws. Spike could feel anger rise up within him as he looked at it and thought of Buffy lying in a coma. “Prepare to have your arse kicked, you sewer water drinkin’, coma inducing, butt ugly, mother fucker!” Spike bellowed. The monster roared and leaped at him.
Spike dodged to the side and then kicked the Quidgekoth in what may have been its gut. The monster roared and swiped at Spike with its claws. Spike morphed into vamp face and roared back. He brought both fists together down on its shoulder. It swiped at him again and he ducked. “Too slow, mate,” Spike said with a fangy smile.
Spike could feel something in him awaken from months of forced slumber. A violent glee spread through him and bubbled out in laughter. The Quidgekoth lunged at him again and he jumped up grabbing a pipe and swinging his feet to the ceiling. As the demon passed under him, Spike brought his feet back down with such force that it knocked the demon on its stomach.
Spike dropped, turned, and leapt on the creature’s back. He grabbed its horns as it started to get back up. “Say goodnight, bitch,” Spike said as he twisted the demon’s head to the side and broke its neck. It slumped to the ground.
Spike stood up and looked down at the fallen Quidgekoth demon. He stood a moment, reflecting, then said, “All right, dammit! If I gotta’ have fun to fight decent, then by God I’m gonna’ have fun! That’s right, the Big Bad is back!” Spike stomped the demon. “He’s back and he’s on the mother fuckin’ side of good!” Spike stomped it again. “Yeah!! Yeah, I’m kickin’ ass and taking names!! From now on my demon is working for me!!” Spike roared.
Then Spike sighed and morphed back to his human face. “As soon as I get rid of the damn trigger. Then! Then that bitch is mine.” Spike began dragging the demon out of the sewer. “Damn trigger,” Spike said, and then mumbled a few obscenities. “Gonna kick its ass.”
11
When Spike arrived home, he dumped the demon in the living room in front of Giles and several Potentials, and then stalked into the kitchen for a pint of blood. After downing a pint, he rummaged through the shelves for something chewy to eat. He found a few bags of Halloween candy that had been hidden since October behind some cooking bowls. He grabbed one of the bowls, ripped open the bags of candy, and poured all the candy that would fit in the bowl.
When he came back out to the living room, munching on candy. Giles, Andrew, Dawn and some Potentials were harvesting the demon parts need for the spell. “Ew,” Dawn said as she cut off one of the demon’s claws with a bolt cutter.
Spike passed them by and made his way up to Buffy’s room. Xander and Anya were sitting on chairs by the door and Willow was sitting cross-legged on the floor. A circle had already been made around her with pink powder, and she had a few crystals around her as well. There was enough space in front of her for a large bowl.
“Ooh, Spike has candy!” Anya said, getting up and reaching into the bowl.
“Spike, you were supposed to bring back demon bits not-” Xander looked into the bowl, “Boo-Bits,” he finished, plucking out a wrapped candy with BOO-BITS written on the wrapper.
“They’re a little stale, but not bad,” Anya said, popping another in her mouth.
Willow sighed. “Spike, please tell me you brought back the demon.”
“Of course. Said I would,” said Spike with a mouthful of candy. “You ready to do your mojo?”
Willow looked back at him. “I hope,” she said.
Spike handed his candy bowl over to Anya. “Gonna tell ya what ya gotta do, Red,” he said walking around to the front of the circle. “You gotta make that black magic your bitch. Show it who’s boss.”
“Actually, I was thinking of trying to access the magic from the good side. But thanks anyway,” she said with a little smile.
“Oh…Well that’s even better then,” Spike said with a head tilt and a shrug.
Finally, Giles and Dawn came up with the big bowl. It was full of Quidgekoth horns, claws and fangs. Giles handed the bowl to Willow and she set it in front of her in the circle. “Okay, guys…This is it,” she said. Willow took a deep breath and then began reciting the spell. As Willow recited, she focused on keeping self-control. The coven in England had told her that self-control was the key. That, and being tapped into the life force of the Earth.
Light wisps danced around Willow. She felt as if the spell was fighting her, and resisted the temptation to force it. Finally, she could feel it ready to work. One last incantation. Magic lightning crackled around her and spread to the crystals and the bowl. A blast of energy obliterated the Quidgekoth ingredients and a mist wafted over Buffy, then was absorbed.
Buffy awoke with a start and shivered.
12
Giles explained to Buffy what had happened, while Dawn rushed forward to give her a hug. Buffy looked around the room and gave each of her friends a tired but warm smile.
“I- I’m sorry we let you down,” Willow said.
“Yeah,” Spike agreed.
“You didn’t let me down. You came through in the end. That’s all that matters, right?” she said, extending her hands to them. They each took a hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Sorry, anyway,” Willow said. Spike nodded. Then they stepped away so Giles could hand Buffy a cup of tea.
“Speaking of the end,” Buffy said. “I think it’s nigh. I think I had one of my prophetic dreams.”
“What was it about?” Dawn asked.
“The Hellmouth…crammed full with hundreds of thousands of Uber Vamps…ready to do battle,” Buffy said.
“Oh my,” Giles said, taking off his glasses.
---
To be continued
Grrrr! Arg!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send all comments, or critiques to sailorlum@sailorlum.com.