Author's Note: So, about S7... Does anyone else wish they had a Crazy-Spike to English dictionary? And what's with that hideous blue shirt, anyway? At least he fixed his hair, though. Man, do I hate that he has to go through all that crap and Buffy gets off scot free! Argh! Oh...heh...I should probably discuss this part. In case you ever lose faith in me, yes, I really, really do hate Riley. He's going to get it, trust me. Even if it may not seem like it right now...

Previously: The spell from 'Superstar'. Buffy and Spike joined forces to stop it, while the entire Scooby Gang hunted them down. It was a classic love story, full of sewers and fistfights and nosy dorm neighbors...typical Sunnydale romance. But now, the two of them have finally tracked the monster down to a cave. Meanwhile, Willow and the majority of the Scooby Gang are tracking Spike, while Jonathan's just informed Riley and Xander that he needs to put an end to the spell...

Xander and Riley started with surprise when they saw the rest of the Scooby Gang emerge from the bushes on the other side of the clearing. Jonathan, however, just gave their four friends a grim nod, resigned to the fact that everything was falling into place and the result was inevitable.

“Oh, good,” Willow said, flashing the three men a smile, “I was kinda starting to wonder if maybe the tracking spell had latched onto something else.”

Jonathan spared her a tight smile and continued to follow the slight tingle of the mark on his back that always let him know where the monster he had created was. It brought his path directly parallel to Willow’s.

“We’re tracking the monster,” he informed Willow. “Buffy and Spike are trying to kill it.”

“Oh,” Willow said, slightly confused, but she could tell by Jonathan’s tone that now was not the time to press the issue.

Anya had no such tact, however. “If Spike’s brainwashed Buffy, then why would they go try to kill a monster?” she asked.

“Buffy’s not brainwashed,” Xander said simply, wrapping his arm around her as they continued to follow their twin guides deeper into the woods. “She’s herself.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed, but he made no comment.

The tense silence hung over the group as they made their way through the maze of trees until finally they could hear sounds in the distance. Several curious looks were exchanged, but as they approached it became all too clear that what they were hearing were the sounds of battle…

“Slayer, look out!”

Buffy barely managed to roll to the side in time to avoid the monster’s fist. She continued to roll several more times until she was sure she was out of range before she shakily returned to her feet.

Spike had jumped the creature from behind while she was escaping. He had long since lost the small dagger he’d brought from her dorm room, and she once again cursed the fact that all her heavy artillery had been at Giles’ for re-sharpening. They could definitely have used some sturdier equipment.

Spike was nothing if not resourceful, though. His right hand managed to find the blade of Buffy’s dagger that had broken off in the thing’s side, and he twisted it viciously, causing the monster to roar in pain and slam the vampire on its back hard into the wall.

Spike slumped to the floor just as Buffy returned to the battle, catching the creature’s head with the flat heal of her boot before it had a chance to injure Spike further. She leapt back in time to escape a wide sweep of its claws, but lost her balance when she landed, her foot catching on a jagged rock. She managed to maintain her footing, but she was off just enough that she couldn’t fully evade the next blow.

She bit back a hiss of pain when she felt razor-sharp claws graze her stomach, the cuts not deep enough to incapacitate her but still bad enough to bleed and sting like hell.

She responded with a strong left cross to the beast’s jaw. Its head snapped back, and before it could right itself again, Spike had caught a hold of its throat from behind and began to squeeze.

Buffy took the opportunity given her to land a bone-snapping kick to the creature’s right knee and a hard punch to the stomach.

It howled in pain and stilled for the second Spike needed to snap its neck from behind.

They both paused.

And then the monster screamed in outrage, catching Spike by the shirt and throwing him into Buffy with supernatural strength.

The two lovers collided, but Spike somehow managed to twist to the side just enough that he didn’t land on top of Buffy when they fell to the ground.

“Bloody hell!” he gasped, dodging to the side as the creature slammed into the ground right where the two of them had just been. “What does it take to kill this thing?!”

“Lop off its head,” Buffy suggested from the other side of the enraged beast.

“With what?!” Spike demanded.

“Find,” duck, “something!” Block. Buffy began to give ground as the monster slashed and snarled at her like a cornered animal, never giving her a moment’s respite.

Spike searched around for his lost dagger, saw that it was behind Buffy, and let out a sigh of hopeless exasperation. “’m gonna hate myself for this in the mornin’,” he muttered, rolling his eyes heavenward, before he tackled the beast from behind once more.

“Spike, you’ve already tried—” Buffy stopped abruptly, and her eyes widened at the vampire’s latest, oh-so-unpleasant strategy.

Spike’s fangs sunk deep into the beast’s shoulder, and he fought back the instinctive gag reflex when some of the creature’s yellow, oozing blood got into his mouth.

Buffy watched his demonic features contort in disgust and realized that this latest foolhardy plan had to have an ulterior motive. She looked around, spotted the dagger, and scooped it up all while the beast writhed under the assault of needle-sharp fangs.

“Let go!” Buffy commanded just before she swung the blade at the monster’s throat.

Spike jumped back, spitting in revulsion at the foul taste in his mouth.

And Buffy’s blade struck the creature’s neck…and got lodged halfway through.

“Damn you!” Buffy screamed, swinging at the thing’s neck. “Why. Won’t. You. Just. Die?!”

It fell to its knees under the force of her continued blows.

“Think you’re finally gettin’ to it, luv,” Spike commented, still trying to spit the nasty aftertaste from his mouth.

As if in response to his statement, there was a strangled cry from the entrance of the cave. Buffy and Spike spun around in surprise to see the Scoobies gathered en masse at the opening, all surrounding a shrieking Jonathan.

“I’m hurting him!” Buffy exclaimed in horror, turning to Spike.

The vampire gave her a helpless, bewildered look. “That shouldn’t happen…” His brow furrowed.

In the meantime, the lamentably unkillable monster in question took advantage of Buffy’s distraction to lunge up at her. It tackled her back onto the ground and…

There was a moment of silence.

Everyone gaped.

And then Anya snorted.

Her snort was followed immediately by Tara’s.

And then Willow’s.

It quickly spread to Xander, Buffy, and Spike.

Giles finally caved in and joined what was fast becoming hysterical laughter.

Riley just looked confused.

Jonathan didn’t look up at all as he felt the power fade from him. In all fairness, though, the experience wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Nearly weeping from her mirth, Buffy rolled the monster off of her…as well as the six crossbow bolts and one dagger that had all impacted the beast’s back in the space of only a millisecond.

“Who says slaying’s not a team sport?” she managed to get out between giggles.

The monster groaned, and Buffy sighed.

“Die already!” she exclaimed in frustration, finally ripping the thing’s head from its shoulders. It vanished in a bright white flash. “Finally…” she began, turning back to Spike.

And then it happened.

Another wave of bright light flashed through the cave, and suddenly the world tilted, shifted…

Memories bombarded Buffy’s mind, restoring the natural flow of the universe. Only the subtlest variations on the pivotal events of her life…but paralyzing changes nonetheless. If Buffy had had the presence of mind to look at Spike’s face at that moment, she would have seen the same memories in his eyes…

Flash! Jonathan’s presence is removed from the high school on parent-teacher night, and it’s Buffy who Spike nearly impales on the pole. And it’s Buffy who humiliates Spike for the very first time in battle.

Flash! Halloween. Two and a half years ago. Jonathan doesn’t step in to save Buffy’s life. It’s Buffy herself that beats Spike down once again.

Flash! Buffy is suddenly the one who holds the blade to Drusilla’s throat, threatening to destroy the only thing Spike really cares about…

Flash! An abandoned church. Buffy and Spike are now the two engaged in mortal combat. Spike breaks free for just long enough to grab hold of Drusilla. He nearly makes his escape when something impacts him hard from behind. He crashes forward into the organ as flames begin to lick at the dried wood around them. All that time in the wheelchair: suddenly her fault…

Flash! That first tentative alliance. Spike carries an unconscious Drusilla and looks casually over his shoulder to see Angelus and Buffy fighting to the death. He turns away disinterestedly. After all, he’s got what he came for. Let the Slayer kill her wayward lover all by herself…

Flash!  “Guess you’re not worth a second go. Come to think of it, seems like someone told me as much. Who was that? Oh, yeah. Angel.” Buffy is enraged. She catches hold of Spike’s wrist and yanks the ring from his hand. He barely dives through the manhole in time, sizzling in the sun as he goes. The Gem of Amara, invincibility, everything gone because of her.

Flash!

Flash!

Flash!

Buffy’s eyes widen as the attacks on her multiply exponentially within her head. Harsh, bitter words that sting for weeks afterward, threats, kidnappings, and on and on and on and…there it is. That pure, unbridled hatred that had built up within her over the years.

Spike flinches back as if slapped when everything that has gone wrong with his unlife can suddenly be traced back to her. With every defeat, he sees her face standing over him. Buffy winning in battle after battle, crippling him, bringing back Angelus, turning Dru against him, taking the Gem of Amara, and finally distracting him while the soldiers kidnap him and stick the chip in his brain.

“Oh…god!” Buffy exclaimed in horror when reality finally reasserted itself.

Spike quickly withdrew the hand that he had offered her and backed away, only rage and fury visible in eyes that until recently held so much love.

And Buffy was sure that the same affection that had been in her eyes vanished as well.

Both felt as if they’d just been punched right in the stomach, a sickening feeling ten times worse than when Willow’s Thy Will Be Done spell ended. Because this time the love had been real, and now it was gone, destroyed by a world in which it was impossible. And both couldn’t help but mourn the loss for a split second, even if neither would ever admit it aloud.

“Huh,” Anya commented from the doorway. “That was weird.” She turned to Xander. “Don’t you think that was weird, honey?”

Xander couldn’t help but nod numbly and stare at where Jonathan was painfully rising to his feet. “Y-You’re not real!” he finally accused, pointing his finger at the former superstar.

“Uh…sorry?” Jonathan whimpered nervously, his former resolution to end the spell suddenly not seeming like such a good idea. He backed into the cave wall as the entire Scooby Gang turned their attention to him with the exceptions of Spike and Buffy.

“What happened?” Riley demanded, confused.

“A s-spell?” Giles suggested, equally bewildered.

“You made us all believe you were, like, an ultra-Slayer?” Willow frowned.

Then, several voices in unison. “Why?”

“I-I-I…” Jonathan stuttered hopelessly, too flustered to defend himself…not like he could really defend his actions anyway.

Fortunately, he was taken out of the spotlight by the scene playing out between the two former lovers behind him.

“Oh no…” Buffy whispered, wrapping her arms around herself, desperately seeking comfort.

Spike’s eyes narrowed at her reaction. “Tha’s how it is, ‘ey Slayer?” he said with feigned disinterest.

“Spike,” she spat the word out like it was a bad taste in her mouth.

Hurt flashed in his eyes for a second, before it faded into his traditional cocky grin. “Yeah, well, ‘s been fun, Slayer. See you dead.” He turned to exit the cave.

“If I ever see you again,” Buffy retorted, her icy words halting him in his tracks, “you’ll be the one who’s dead.”

A deadly smile twisted up the edges of his lips. “Can’t’ve been that bad, luv,” he teased. “Or maybe I was too good. That what’s got your knickers in a twist? Still want me?”

White-hot rage burned in Buffy’s eyes, and her hands clenched into fists. “Like I would ever, ever touch you!” she exclaimed. “You disgust me! You’re an evil thing, and you’re lucky I’ve let you live this long. Now, get out! I never want to see you again!”

“Like ‘d want to be with the Slayer, anyway,” he scoffed, his tone bitter, biting. “Can see why they all leave you now, luv,” he growled. “After all, you’re really not worth it, are you?” And then he was gone, disappeared into the blackness outside the cave.

And Buffy fell to the floor in tears.

Riley was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him. “Buffy, are you all right?” he asked, worried. “He didn’t hurt you, did he? Did he? Because if he did…” He left the threat unfinished.

Buffy managed to shake her head, despite her tears. “N-No, he didn’t… Oh god!” She began crying anew.

“Shh…it’s OK,” Riley soothed her. “He’s gone now, and I’ll make sure you never have to see him again.”

Buffy managed to nod meekly and put herself together again, suppressing the instinctive pang she felt at the thought of never seeing Spike again. “I-I’m OK,” she said shakily. “Really. Just…not a good spell.”

“Speaking of which,” Giles turned the infamous Ripper-stare on Jonathan, and Jonathan yelped in response.

“Let him go, Giles,” Buffy said wearily. “The spell’s not designed to cause harm…well, except for the monster, that is.”

“I swear, the guy who gave it to me glossed right over that part,” Jonathan pleaded desperately.

Buffy raised her eyebrows at this but made no comment. “I just want to get some sleep,” she finally declared. “Being on the run from you guys really takes a lot out of a girl…” Just like falling madly in love only to lose it again over some stupid spell does.

“Let’s go home then,” Riley said with a small smile, wrapping his arm around her waist. “We’ve got a lot of making up to do.”

Buffy gave him a weak smile. “Yeah,” she said unenthusiastically…

Please, don't kill me! I swear, it's not over yet! Everything will turn out all right, I promise. Just look at all my other fics: B/S, B/S, B/S, etc, etc. I have not suddenly gone insane and become a *shudders* Riley fan. But you will have to give me feedback to keep it going. ~_^