By Ripe Wicked Plum

#####

So cold...Buffy thought as Spike's cool lips played across hers, his tongue entangling with hers as he pressed her a bit farther against the pillar she had her back too, both blondes oblivious to the activity of the Bronze around them.

She broke the kiss to breath, and inhaled deeply. Spike stared down at her, a small smile curling his lips as he watched the petite blond catch her breath; drinking in the way her chest heaved underneath her jacket, and the heated flush of her cheeks.

She lifted her greenish-blue eyes to his, nearly gasping at the emotions roiling within them. Lust, desire, love and tenderness...things that weren't supposed to exist in a soulless creature's eyes.

She felt overwhelmed by his eyes...his lips...by his arms, which were loosely draped around her, as if he instinctively knew she was still a little claustrophobic since her experience in digging herself out of her own grave.

Spike dipped his head to her throat, kissing the soft skin, and Buffy tilted her head, closing her eyes as his lips slid along the column of her throat; his tongue darting out to taste her salty-sweet skin. He lifted his lips to her ear, whispering quietly, "We should get you home, luv...make sure Dawn's all right."

She looked up at him, and he smiled at the disappointed pout on her face, "Don't you want to know why I was planning a father-son outing with the Watcher? I know I do," He dropped his lips back to hers, lightly kissing her, and Buffy smiled.

"Hmmm...Randy."

Spike lifted his head, "Oh...shush up, Joan."

"What?" Buffy said as Spike let go of her, and they walked out of the Bronze, heading down to Revello Drive together, "What's wrong with Joan? It's a nice, normal name."

"Boring," Spike intoned, "You forgot boring. It's like William...it's a soddin' poofter's name," Spike glanced down at the hand swinging by Buffy's side, then tentatively reached for it.

Buffy looked at him in surprise when he enclosed her small hand in his large one and the vampire fidgeted nervously. She smiled a tiny bit, then gave it a small squeeze, nearly laughing when Spike visibly relaxed. "You're nervous."

"Well..." Spike glanced at her, "Last time we kissed...you wanted to pretend it never happened...makes a bloke kinda wonder where he stands with you..."

"Complaining about your crumb now?" Buffy teased as they turned onto her street together, and she frowned when she saw a bunch of boxes piled up her porch, "What in the hell?"

"Just what I was thinking," Spike said as Buffy let go of his hand to jog up to her house as Tara came out, carrying another box, dried tears evident on her face.

"Tara? What's going on?" Buffy asked in concern as Spike came up beside her, and the vampire's eyes narrowed.

"It was her, wasn't it?" He asked acidly, and Tara sniffled, swiping at fresh tears.

"She...she wanted Buffy to for-forget about being in heaven..." Tara said softly, "She...she promised she wouldn't...that she wouldn't do magic for a week...she couldn't even go one night..."

"Willow did this?" Buffy asked in stunned confusion, "But...why?"

Spike shoved past the two girls, and Tara let out a small sob as the vampire snarled up the stairs, "Willow! Get your 'effin arse down here NOW!"

Dawn came running down the stairs, her eyes wide, "What's happening?"

"You, go back to bed!" Spike ordered, "You have school."

"But I..."

"NOW!"

Dawn turned on her heel at his no-nonsense tone and raced past Willow on her way down, and Buffy gently led Tara back in, who was fairly quaking at the thought of the confrontation that was coming.

"NOW, RED! Or so help me, God, I will drag you down here by your fuckin' venomous TONGUE!"

Willow's eyes were narrowed as she came into sight, "Don't you dare threaten me, Spike."

"I'll do whatever I damn well please!" Spike snapped, pointing towards the living room, "You get in there now."

"You're not actually going to let him talk to me like that?" Willow asked Buffy and Tara. Tara only looked away as Buffy's eyes narrowed a bit.

"We need to talk, Willow."

Willow stalked down the stairs, and shoved past Spike to get into the living room, and sank down onto the couch, sulking.

Spike glanced at Tara, whose shoulders were slumped, and her head bowed in a defeated posture, and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Why don't you make us some cocoa or something, luv? Take your time...pull yourself together a bit, eh?"

Tara lifted her head a bit, biting her lip, "No...I...should go. My friend's expecting me...sh-she said I could stay with her tonight..."

Spike gave her an understanding smile, and Tara glanced over her shoulder as a horn honked outside, "I...should go..." She turned and darted out the door.

Spike took a deep breath, trying to rein in his temper a bit before whirling on his heel and Buffy followed him slowly, wanting nothing more then to disappear up the stairs and let Spike handle it by himself, but remembered what Giles had told her. My responsibilities...not his...he doesn't even have to be here...

Spike glared at Willow, who was sullenly glaring back at him, "Look at you...you're nothing more then a spoiled little child! What the bleeding hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me!"

"Nothing?! You call this nothing?! We could've gotten killed tonight because of your irresponisble spell-casting!"

"Excuse me? Me get us killed? Whose the one that brought some kind of demon mafia down on us, huh?" Willow asked snidely, "We wouldn't have had a problem if you hadn't brought your loan shark down on us!"

"You're actually trying to pawn this off on Spike?!" Buffy asked in surprise, "Are you insane?!"

Willow shot Buffy a look, lifting her chin haughtily, "I was trying to help you."

"Help me?! Goddamn it, Willow...I think you did enough to help me," Buffy spat out angrily, shaking her head as Spike glared banefully at the witch.

"You were fucking with people's minds, Red. You had no bloody right. Don't you think I've had enough with people messing around in my brain?! And Tara! The woman you supposedly bloody well love! The girl who just had her brain sucked not four months before! You're no bloody better then Glory!"

"It's not the same thing!"

"It is the same BLOODY THING!" Spike shouted, "You had no right to mess with people's minds, Red! I don't care how omnipotent you think you are! You don't get to decide what people do or don't remember!"

"Oh, come on!" Willow jumped to her feet, and Spike and Buffy both instinctvely took a step back, "It was an accident, all right?! I didn't mean to make everyone forget..."

"You're playing with forces you don't understand, little girl," Spike's voice dipped low, his entire manner breathing of danger, "This is well beyond little balls of sunshine and conjuring baby-eating trolls. These are real dark forces. You're screwing with the natural order of things! You're not a wiccan, anymore! A wiccan would never condone these actions! Tara would never do this!"

"Tara's weak," Willow replied flippantly, "And I was just trying to help Buffy. I actually care that she's suffering because of what she had been through! I was trying to make her like before...when she was happy!"

"Wake up, Willow! I wasn't going through anything till you decided to just one day bring me back from the dead. You ripped me from paradise! So sue me for being NOT HAPPY at the moment! And I'm trying...I'm trying to get along...and I'm trying to find my happiness again...but you can't do this to me! You can't be like this! You have to stop it before...before you really lose control of yourself. You never used to be like this!"

"I am in control, Buffy!" Willow cried out, "Don't you see that?! Don't you see I'm trying to take care of you?!"

"I don't need you to take care of me, Willow! I don't need you...I don't need you interfering in my life...in my head! You have no right! This is me! This is what I am! And I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you! I'm sorry if you think I'm unfeeling or...or I don't know! This is me, goddamnit, and if you have a problem with it, get out of my damn house!"

Willow cast her eyes down, "I'm...I'm sorry...you're right...I...I'm sorry...I promise...no more spells...unless you really need them for slaying...or...or...there's nothing that will work...oh...and when I'm trying to de-rat Amy."

Buffy glanced at Spike, who was studying Willow intently, and then looked back at Willow, "We'll talk some more tomorrow...I've had a long night..."

"All right," Willow smiled brightly, then glanced towards Spike, her gaze darkening a tiny fraction, "I'll walk you out."

"I got it, Wills," Buffy assured her, and Spike removed a cigarrette from his pocket as he followed her towards the door, and Buffy grabbed it out of his mouth before he could lit it.

Spike rolled his eyes, muttering low beneath his breath, "She's watching us."

"The tree...an hour..." Buffy whispered back, and Spike very subtly nodded before loping off into the night.

"Night, Buffy," Willow said, heading up the stairs, and Buffy sighed as she heard the door to her room close, and went towards her room.

In exactly an hour, there was a knock at her window, and she opened it to admit Spike, and the blond vampire climbed in quietly, "Why do I have the feeling that you didn't ask me here to make out some more?"

"I didn't," Buffy shook her head, "It's...Willow...I think she's..."

"Lying?" Spike answered, and Buffy gave him a relieved look, glad she didn't have to say it herself.

"Yeah...she...gave up way too easy...and she just let Tara walk out. Something's really wrong with her, Spike...I...I can feel it."

"Me too, luv," Spike shook his head slightly, "The...air around her's changed...we can probably pick it up because of our prenatural tendancies."

"Like...if you get near her...you can feel her power...and it's not a good one? I'm starting to get the wiggins around her that I might when I felt a demon watching me...and tonight...tonight I really noticed it. It's gotten stronger." Buffy sat down on the edge of her bed, looking up at Spike worriedly.

"She's starting to cross lines I wouldn't touch," Spike replied, "Even before...she needs help, Slayer...before she goes too far and you all get hurt."

Buffy sighed heavily as Spike sat down beside her, "I wish Giles was here."

"I know, luv," Spike shook his head slightly, "Listen...if worst comes to worst...I can call in a few favors...I know some warlocks pretty heavy with the mojo...they could bind...or limit her powers."

"I want to believe...that it's not gone that far," Buffy said softly, looking towards him, "But just in case..."

He looked down into her worried face, and smiled gently as he tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, "I'll start making calls tomorrow. I'll keep them on stand-by...one ring, and it's done..."

"Thanks," Buffy allowed herself to relax into his touch as he ran his fingers along her cheek, "What would I do without you?"

"Probably dead," He winced, "Sorry...mouth...foot..."

Buffy laughed softly, "No...you're right. Did I ever say thank you for all the times you helped me?"

"Well...there was the once...but I was a little beaten-up and ripped apart by a Hell-Goddess...and my lips were numb..."

Buffy smiled as she leaned towards him, and Spike closed his eyes, sliding his hand beneath her hair to rest it against the back of her neck as their lips met, and he stifled a moan as her warm tongue slid into his mouth. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, her body heat seeping into his skin slowly, warming him.

He broke the kiss, inhaling her scent sharply, and slowly opened his eyes to meet hers. He kissed her forehead tenderely, "I should...go."

"Hmm..." Buffy pulled him back for another kiss, "Don't..."

"Have too," He murmured as he kissed her again, partially standing, and Buffy stood with him, never letting go of his lips as he backed towards the window, his arms around her waist still. She pinned him against the window frame, her lips demanding more of his, and Spike groaned against her mouth before breaking the kiss. "Buffy...I have to go..."

"You can stay," Buffy protested as she brushed her lips against his ear, "Please?"

Spike looked at her in surpriseas Buffy smiled up at him coyly, and pulled at the black t-shirt tucked into his jeans. Spike grabbed her wrists, "Slayer..." He nearly moaned as her mouth found his throat, bloody chit's fighting dirty..."Not tonight...not like this..."

Buffy let go of him, the hurt evident on her face, "I...I thought that..."

"I do, luv..." Spike cupped her chin, and tilted her face towards his before planting a chaste kiss on her lips, "But...I want our...first to be...special, pet...just as beautiful as you bloody well deserve..." he let go of her and slid out the window smoothly, "Good night, Slayer."

Buffy watched as he dropped down to the ground and jogged off into the night. She sighed as she closed her window again, and leaned against the frame with a small smile before shaking her head, and started to get dressed for bed, and jumped when there was another knock at her window.

She opened it, and nearly screeched in surprise when Spike yanked her down to crush his lips to hers roughly, plundering her mouth with his tongue almost desperately.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss whole-heartedly, a low, burning feeling starting low in her stomach, and she broke it after a few minutes to gasp for breath.

"I love you," He said before disappearing again, and Buffy stared after him in almost stunned surprise before giggling as she saw him stop to adjust his jeans with a swear, complaining about never getting to sleep because of damned Slayers, and shut the window again with a shake of her head. What a weird vampire.

#####

Willow's eyes were narrowed as she peered into the glowing orb floating in front of her. In it, she was watching as Spike and Buffy kissed by the windowsill, and with a subtle flick of her wrist, it focused on Spike's face.

Willow cocked her head as she held up two feathers, one, a black crow's feather, the other a dove's, and stroked the glass with them. "Serphant's tongue, lying spite," She hissed, her eyes filled with anger and hatred, "Let them all see the side that's right. Mask be cast aside, allow them to see the creature trapped inside. Hectra, I command you, let them see the side that's true."

She smiled as the orb flashed brightly before disappearing, and laid the feathers by her jewelry box, and as she walked away, a gust of breeze from her passage by the dresser caused the dove's feather to float down to the ground.

#####

Buffy sighed heavily as she watched Willow and Dawn make breakfast together before both girls would head off to school, leaving the Slayer by herself for the day...which was really just fine with her. She would usually go visit Spike around mid-afternoon, giving him time to sleep for a while before disturbing him. Not that he ever appeared annoyed when she invaded his home.

She smiled slightly, touching her lips as she thought of Spike, hmm...lips of Spike...so not a bad thought anymore.

"Buffy?"

"Hmm?" Buffy was jerked out of her happy thoughts by Willow's voice.

"What are you up to today?" The redhead asked, "You want to do something tonight?"

"I have to patrol," Buffy answered, "I didn't do much Slaying last night, and from what Dawn said about the vampire chasing you guys, it's time I did a sweep of the tunnels."

Willow's face darkened a tiny bit, but then it disappeared, "Are you taking Spike with you?"

"Probably...he's been complaining about the lack of action lately," Buffy didn't meet Willow's gaze as she grabbed out some orange juice, a small smile flitting across her face.

"Well, be careful," Willow grabbed her schoolbag, "I don't really trust him. He's too unpredicatable."

Dawn and Buffy exchanged a confused look as Willow headed out, "Since when did Willow not trust Spike?" Dawn asked in bewilderment, and Buffy shrugged.

"She's probably still mad at him for yelling at her," the Slayer said, ruffling Dawn's hair, "Scoot. You have school."

"Don't forget, I'm staying at Lisa's tonight," Dawn reminded her as she grabbed her bag, "You'll be fine without me, right?

"Sure. I'll just probably indulge in some Ben and Jerry's...watch some movies. Have some quality me time," Buffy assured her with a smile as she walked her sister to the door, and Dawn grinned back before bouncing out the door.

Buffy watched as her sister went down the street, and turned the corner.

As soon as she was out of sight, Buffy rushed up the stairs and into her room, throwing open her closet. She frowned as she glanced around at her clothes, then dug through the clothes lying on the bottom of the closet with a sigh. So much easier when I didn't care what I wore...

#####

I know it is here somewhere...the blond sighed as he tossed through a trunk at the foot of his bed, grimacing as he came up with a carton of cigarrettes, and tossed that aside as well. He finally found what he was looking for, and he sighed in relief as he opened the small, black case and settled a pair of gold-rimmed wire glasses on his face. "Much better."

He pulled out an old small, leather-bound journal, and glanced through it briefly, smiling almost foolishly as his eyes alighted on a sketch of Buffy he had done, "Still got it, Will, old boy," He muttered to himself, slipping it into the breast pocket of his suit.

He stood up, and fussed with his bowtie till it was straight, running a hand through his ungelled, wavy blond hair, then glanced towards the ladder when he heard the door above open. "Oh...bloody...she can't be here now!"

He sighed as he peeked his head up through the hole in the floor, catching a glimpse of Buffy's ankles, and ducked down as she called his name, "Eh...coming!" He called back to her, nervously fidgeting with his tie again. Right...she's up there...now...the light of your life...He glanced back up before ducking again, Oh Lord...I saw her ankles...right...now...try and not make a fool of yourself.

He gathered up what little courage he had at the moment and stepped through the hole, smiling at Buffy. "Hello."

Buffy stared at him, a strange look flitting across her face, "Is this some kind of joke?" She asked the bespectacled, suited vampire, who was looking decidely nervous. "Or are you channeling Randy again?"

"Of course not," He said, his voice sounding strange to Buffy's ears, and she frowned, trying to place what was wrong, "I...uh...I have some tea made...if you want..." He stammered, then would have flushed if he could have, "Oh...stupid me...would you like to sit?"

Buffy stared at Spike in confusion as he took her arm, and led her towards the chair near the tv, and she sat down automatically, watching as Spike went back down the ladder, presumably to grab the tea. All right...what the hell is going on? Buffy thought, shaking her head slightly, it was like the night before, when he thought he was Randy Giles...except...with even less of an edge then before. And what the hell is with the glasses?!

Spike came up again, carrying two teacups, and his hand was almost shaking as he handed Buffy one, and she took it from him before he could spill it all over the place, "So...uh...Spike? Are you feeling all right?"

"Oh, I'm quite fine," Spike replied, "And how does the day find you? Healthy, I hope?"

"Uh...yeah...except for some...uh...confusion...a lot of it," Buffy shook her head slightly, what's wrong with his voice? It hit her suddenly. He had dropped the Cockney accent. He sounded more like Giles then his usually self at the moment.

Spike shifted uncomfortably under her suddenly intent gaze, his eyes flickering away from her, and Buffy raised an eyebrow. He was acting extremely shy and unsure of himself as well. Gone was the cocky, confident vampire...in his place was a shy, awkard, somewhat foppish young man.

"Spike...are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Buffy," He smiled at her warmly, "But...would you mind not calling me that?"

"Oh...um...sure. What should I call you instead?" Buffy asked, even more bewildered before. What is going on with him?

"I prefer...William. My given name."

"William? You were just complaining last night that it was a poof's name!"

"I...rather like it now," Spike cocked his head slightly, looking off dreamily at a point above her head, "It's...fitting, don't you think? William means protector...that's what my mother always told me."

"Your...mother?" Buffy cleared her throat a bit, "Ah...right..."

They fell into an akward silence, then Buffy spoke up again, "Are you screwing with my head, Spike...er...William? I mean...if you are, it's not funny..."

"I am most assuredly not!" he protested, and Buffy eyed him doubtfully before standing and striding towards him purposefully. Spike blinked in surprise as she removed his glasses, and then the Slayer was dragging his head to hers, pressing her lips forcefully against his, trying to slide her tongue past his lips.

Spike jerked away from her, then stumbled back a bit, "Bu-Buffy...I...I...must insist that you not do that!"

"We were doing it last night," She reminded him, and he reached for his glasses, obviously on the defensive, "And I thought you liked it..."

"I did...but...it's...it's not proper," Spike resettled the glasses on his face, "We shouldn't even be together unchaperoned until we're engaged. And...kissing is completely out of the question."

"You have to be kidding! Spike! You sound like Ms. Manners all of a sudden!"

"A proper gentleman does not..." His eyes widened when Buffy stepped towards him, "What are you doing?"

"I think that chip finally fried your brain," Buffy said, shaking her head. It was like Spike was channeling Giles, granted, a even more anal retentive, withdrawn Giles...This is majorly weird.

"Dammit...and I was really looking forward to making out," Buffy muttered beneath her breath, and Spike swallowed heavily as the Slayer turned towards him, "You at least know how to get to the Magic Shoppe through the sewers, right?"

Spike nodded, "Uh...yes...it's just down there...but...uh...it's through my bedroom...and it's not entirely proper..."

"Stow it, Willy," Buffy sighed as she climbed down the ladder, a flustered vampire following behind her. They started through the dark tunnels, and she felt Spike shudder beside her.

"Dreary place, this is," He muttered beneath his breath, "Not really a place for a lady..."

"Sp--William...any idea why you suddenly...uh...woke up...like...uh...this...?"

A bit of light flickered off the surface of his glasses as he glanced at her curiously, "Like what?"

"Like...never mind," Buffy shook her head, stumbling over something in the darkness, and Spike reached out to steady her, his hands landing on her waist, and he inhaled sharply at the contact as she straightened. He relunctantly let go of her, closing his eyes with a sigh. Control yourself, man. You're not a bloody school-boy. You're a man...he nearly melted when her hand found his in the darkness. "Just so I don't fall again," The Slayer told him, "You can see better then me."

He swallowed heavily, "Uh...right...of course...I guess it's all right then..." He muttered, inhaling her scent longingly, wishing he could see enough to write. Just being around her inspired muses in him he never suspected of existing.

Such power in a small body...he thought longingly, If Cecily could see me now...she'd be seething!

He smiled to himself as Buffy moved closer to him to avoid a pile of animal bones, and sighed happily. He was in love with her...more so then anyone else he had known...and she had feelings for him back, even if she didn't use the word love...but he could give her time. Standard courting schedules usually lasted a few years...and then maybe five years of engagement till they were married...but he could wait that long for the woman he adored.

"Up ahead...the...eh...entrance to the basement's there..." Spike told her, and Buffy sighed as she found it, giving it a push and glancing around the basement of the Magic Box, no evil mummy hands, at least...she thought, preceding Spike inside, and glanced at him as he closed the door behind him, and he smiled at her before offering her his arm, chewing nervously on his bottom lip.

"Uh...after...we're done here...there's something I want to show you," He said, casting his eyes down, thick, black lashes sweeping over his eyes, "It's...rather...personal...but I would love nothing more then for you too see it..."

Buffy couldn't help but smile at him, and she nodded, "Sure, Sp--William...I would love that..." She said as she took his arm, and allowed him to lead her up the stairs, and they opened it into the shop.

Anya glanced towards them, eyebrows shooting up when she saw their linked arms, and then noted the suit Spike was wearing, the same one as the night before, "Don't tell me he's still Randy!"

"Nope, he's someone else entirely," Buffy shook her head as she let go of Spike's arm and went towards her, "I'm still trying to figure out who he is."

"Did you try asking him?" Anya rolled her eyes, "Hey! Who are you?"

Spike blinked in surprise behind his glasses, then ran a hand through his uncombed hair, "Anya...are you feeling quite well? You and Buffy are both acting strange..."

"He's calling us strange?" Anya rolled her eyes, "Humour me."

Spike shook his head, "Willam Archer Pritchard."

Buffy frowned slightly as Anya shook her head, "That didn't really help."

"Hey guys..." Xander called as he walked in, and did a double-take when he saw Spike, "You know, I'm thinking your cover was pretty much blown yesterday, Fangboy...glasses ain't going to help much."

Spike pushed his glasses up on his nose, wrinkling his nose in Xander's direction before glancing towards Buffy, "Are we done here, darling?"

"Darling?" Xander gaped at Buffy, "Why is the vampire calling your darling, Buff?"

"Long story," Buffy sighed, "He's...really...not right at the moment...I mean...look at him."

Spike glanced down, a hurt look flickering across his face, "What's wrong? Did I do something to displease you, Buffy?"

"No, William," Buffy shook her head at Xander, giving him a look, "He was fine last night...after the whole...spell thing...and then I found him like this, in his crypt this morning...it's like...he's not Spike...but I think he has Spike's memories...since he remembers me...and...uh...me."

"I admit I was a shade vulgar recently," Spike replied, "But...I'm intending to change that now..." Spike liftedhis chin a bit, "I'm going to be the man I know I am..."

"If he bursts into a song number, I am so gone," Xander shook his head, "Any idea what brought this on?"

"I...have theories...but I don't know if they mesh really well," Buffy sighed, "I was thinking Willow...but...why would she turn Spike into...well...a Giles?"

"Wait...stop...rewind...why would you think Willow?" Xander asked, and Buffy gave him a look.

"Spike kinda freaked on her last night when he confronted her about that spell...apparently she was doing it to make me forgot I was in heaven..."

"Bloody dreadful woman, she is," Spike piped up, then picked up a book off the counter, and started to flip through it, his eyes rapidly scanning the pages.

Buffy raised an eyebrow in Spike's direction then looked back at Xander, "She wasn't...entirely non-hostile last night. I don't think she's quite all there right now...she has some problems...and she's not happy with Spike."

"I don't care how mad you are...you just don't turn vampires into polite, proper Englishmen, dammit!" Xander said in mock outrage, and Spike glared at the boy over his glasses, then sighed, looking back down at his book.

Xander stared at Spike, "Hey...Fangboy...I just made fun of you...aren't you going to say something back?"

Spike glanced at him, and shook his head slightly, choosing instead to ignore him, and Xander glanced at Buffy, "There's something seriously wrong with him."

Buffy gave her friend a 'duh' look before shaking her head, "Does the name Pritchard mean anything to you?"

"Huh?" Xander frowned, "Not really. Why?"

"Spike's last name....I don't know...it sounded familiar. Maybe he mentioned something about it before..."

"He's not really big on the details of his life," Anya pointed out, glancing towards Spike, "You do know you're a vampire and you don't need glasses. Unless you're just trying to look smart or something. I hear Sly does that."

"I am not trying to look smart," He protested, "I like them. They make me look...uh...dignified."

"I so want my boyfriend back," Buffy sighed, and then her eyes widened as Xander and Anya's heads whipped towards her. "Uh...did I say that out loud?"

Spike was staring at her, a tender look on his face, and Buffy shook her head slightly as she went up to the vampire, then turned to face Anya and Xander, "Guys...this...is the man I...uh...sorta love."

"Buffy...you do know that once this...whatever wrong's with him...wears off, he won't be the same guy?"

"I sorta fell for him before it happened, Xand," Buffy sighed, and Anya frowned.

"Sorta? That's...pretty vague..." The ex-demon pointed out, then noticed the flicker of hurt flickering across Spike's face, "I mean...but in a good way."

"Buffy?"

The Slayer glanced at the blond, and shook her head, "Not right now, Spik--William...not till we fix this..." She glanced towards Anya, "Maybe you can start...looking for spells or something? I'm going to head to the campus and get Tara...she could probably help. William...you...stay here with Anya and Xander."

He looked disappointed but nodded, and then brightened, "I can help them do research...but on what, I'm not entirely sure, love."

"That's all right," Xander clapped a hand on the vampire's back, "I think we're all pretty clueless at this point."

Buffy shot a final glance at Spike before disappearing out the door.

#####

"I'll...do what I can," Tara assured the Slayer as they walked down the hallways of Sunnydale U, Buffy having pulled the blond witch out of a class by saying it was a family emergency, "But...I'm really...not as powerful as Willow...and if she's responsible for that spell..."

"I know...we just need your help on where to begin. No one can figure out why'd she make Spike all snuggly-Victorian vampire..." The Slayer paused, glancing at a sign, frowning slightly, "We...should go there first."

"What? Why?"

"Something that's been bugging me for the last hour," Buffy said as she headed into the campus library, and headed towards a computer. She typed in 'Pritchard,' and watched as a the whole screen filled with pertinent search results and clicked on a description.

"The Collected Works of William Archer Pritchard, published posthumously," she read, then wrote down something on a piece of paper by the computer.

"What is that?" Tara asked as she followed the Slayer through the library, and Buffy browsed the titles, finding a whole shelf reserved for Pritchard.

"Pay-dirt," Buffy opened up one of the books, and glanced at it, arching an eyebrow, "Lotsa pay-dirt."

#####

Spike was bent over a book, eagerly looking through it, and he lifted his eyes when the bell above the door jangled. He smiled brightly when he saw Buffy, and the Slayer offered him a smile, "Effulgent?"

Spike's smile disappeared as he stared at her, "What did you say?"

Buffy tossed him a book, stepping aside as Tara came in, and Spike looked down at it, horrified, "They published them?! Every bloody awful one of them?!"

Tara lifted an eyebrow at Spike's appearence and accent, or lack therof, "You think Willow made him lik-like that?"

"Yeah," Buffy watched in amusement as Spike flipped through the book, an awed look on his face, "That's where I heard the name before. There was a small section on you in my poetry class in the college...you know...before I died..."

"There was a section on me in your class?" Spike looked geniuanly surprised, "I'm...I'm a recoginized writer...do you know what this means?"

"You missed out an about a hundred and twenty years of royalty payments?" Anya suggested.

"That...and I had to die...to be recoginized for my greatness..." Spike frowned, "That's...rather depressing, actually..."

"A lot of famous writer's had to die first. Like Stephen King," Anya said, and Xander cleared his throat.

"Actually...Anya...Stephen King's still alive."

"Whatever...same thing."

Spike shook his head as he flipped through his own book, a look of amazement on his face, then glanced at the first publication date, it was three years after he died. "I cannot believe this...it's been in publication for this long...and I never knew..."

"No offense, Will...but I think when you were turned, poetry was the last thing on your mind. When was the last time you even wrote something?" Buffy said, and Spike glanced at her, smiling shyly.

"That's what I was going to show you," He said softly, removing the journal from his pocket, and holding it towards her.

Buffy took it from him in surprise, then glanced at Tara, who was heading towards the spellbooks, a puzzled frown on her face.

"Could...you not read it here?" He asked self-conciously, "I mean...wait till we're alone at least?"

"With no chaperone?" Buffy teased, slipping the book into her jacket pocket, and glanced towards the door, "I got to patrol soon anyhow..."

Spike smiled brightly, and Buffy gave him a look, "Which you are not coming with me on. Not till Tara fixes you."

"I assure you, there is not a thing wrong with me," The vampire protested, then looked down as the glass in his glasses popped out and landed on the table, "Bloody hell."

"See? You're blind. So...stay," Buffy glanced at the others, "And if Willow comes...please, please, don't let her see him like this...I don't want to know what she was trying to do...but I'm thinking, this isn't what she had in mind."

"All right, Buffy," Anya said, nodding as the Slayer headed out the door, and she paused when Spike called her name, coming up behind her. She turned towards him as he fidgeted a bit nervously, and reached into his pocket.

"I...uh...got this for you a few days ago..." he said nervously, "I...know it's not much...but I thought...you know...you'd like it..." He pulled out a long, thin, black box, and Buffy took it from him in surprise, and popped it open. Inside, lying against the black velvet of the interior, was a cross, interwoven with gold and silver bands.

"Spike...it's beautiful..." She breathed as the vampire lifted it out, and she held up her hair as he fastened it around her throat, and she felt him inhale her scent as she dropped her hair, and turned back towards him. "Still a no on the kissing, right?"

Spike nodded, and Buffy sighed, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek, then smiled as the vampire shook his head, "That was pushing it, darling..."

"Oh, shut up and join the nineties," She teased before slipping out the door, and Spike watched her go wistfully. He glanced towards the others, Tara engrossed in a book, and Xander and Anya talking together in low voices, the look on the boy's face making it obvious that the discussion was about his upcoming wedding.

He sighed heavily before going down and taking a seat back at the table, picking up his book.

#####

Buffy was sitting atop a tombstone, her eyes running over the pages of the journal, devouring every word, every syllable Spike had written down in his sloping, somewhat messy handwriting.

It was kind of hard to read, since it was some parts poetry, other parts journal entries, but it was giving her a window too gaze in at a creature so secret...at feelings so foreign, that she had never known it could have existed.

Some pages were rumpled, or entire paragraphs scratched out with messy scrawls, some pages were spotted with blood, and by reading those entries, she knew that he had been crying. Most of the entries after she had died were like that.

She was standing there...I was touching her...her hands in mine...so small and warm...Christ...I'll kill that bitch, Willow...for doing this to her...for making her dig her way out of her own grave...

So dark...so stifling...

As if millions of miles away from the nearest life.

My fingers cut to bone, my nails breaking off against rock.

She was in bloody heaven...HEAVEN...experiencing something I can only dream about...and they pulled her out...they fucking yanked her out...what right do they have to mess with nature?! Christ...and what right do I have to feel this bloody happy...that she talked to me...confided in me...

Buffy glanced up, hugging the journal to her chest, her shoulders shaking a tiny bit with emotion. She glanced around the deserted graveyard before slowly standing and heading back to the magic shoppe.

#####

Tara frowned in bewilderment as she looked through book after book, trying to find out what spell had been used to on Spike...but she was at a loss. She glanced down at the vampire, who was dozing off in his seat, a book open on his lap. Xander was bored, and was entertaining himself by flicking paper at Spike's head.

Tara shook her head slightly, turning her attention back to the book, a world of misgivings opening ip for her. What are you playing at, Willow? What were you trying to do to him?

Spike jolted awake when a particular big ball of paper hit him in the cheek, and he looked down at the other balls littering his lap and shoulders, and shot a glance at Xander, who tried to look innocent as he hastily hid the rest of the paper.

Spike shook his head, and pushed his glasses up on his nose before glancing at the clock, and sighing as he stood, straightening his tie.

"Where do you think you're going?" Xander asked as the vampire started towards the door, and Spike gave him a look.

"I'm going home...it's late."

"No way...Buffy said for you to stay here..."

"I know, but I'm tired, hungry, and terribly confused about all this commotion...I just want to go home for now."

Xander glanced at Anya, who shrugged, "Let him go...Buffy knows where he lives. She can beat him up later for leaving."

The blond vampire shook his head as he headed out the door, and Tara sighed heavily as she turned back to the books.

#####

Buffy was so engrossed in Spike's journal that she didn't notice the owner walking towards her, head bowed, muttering quietly beneath his breath, talking to himself as he created his little 'sonnets.'

Buffy's head shot up when she walked right into him, and Spike yelped, jumping back, and then tripped, falling ass over tea-kettle, tumbling into the gutter, and he let out a very impolite swear as he landed in a mud-puddle.

Buffy bit her lips against the laughter that threatened to escape as he stood up, pants soaked with dirty water. He tried to squeeze out his pants leg, and she couldn't help it, but the sight of a McDonald's cheeseburger wrapper firmly stuck to his ass set her off.

She started laughing hysterically, clutching his journal to his chest, and wide, dark blue eyes rose to hers, and the laughter immediately died when she saw the stricken, wounded look on his face.

He immediately turned and started running in the direction of the graveyard, embaressed beyond belief by his clumsiness, and his face would have been flaming it was possible for his species.

He ignored the sound of Buffy shouting his name as she tried to get his attention. Stupid...stupid...you sod...can't do anything right...

He swiped at his eyes as they teared up, only more mortified as they poured down his pale face.

He was going to be like this forever, the screw-up, the one people tittered at behind their hands. He was never going to be the one that swept into a room and commanded everyone's attention...never going to be the one who who could scoop his lady off her feet...

He slowed his jog gradually, panting needlessly for breath. He glanced behind him, and saw that he had lost Buffy, and was quite a bit of distance from where he had started. He hadn't realized how fast he had been running.

He shook his head slightly as he sank down on the grass, feeling lost and alone, like he always had. He felt like he had so many years ago , in that damnable parlour with all of the others laughing at him not so behind his back, looking down their noses at him.

Well, to be fair, he did pratically do a bleedin' swan dive into the gutter...and it was probably a funny image...but he couldn't get over the lack of self-confidence and fear that he was doing something wrong all the time.

He shook his head slightly, wondering why he was acting like a little prat. Buffy liked him...pratically said she loved him...not quite...but almost there...

Right...just like you thought Cecily was head over heels for you...and Dru for that matter...same old scene...same old fight... same ole game of kick the Spike...

"SPIKE!"

His head shot up, thoughts interrupted by Buffy's voice, and she panted as she jogged up to him, and then glared down at him, "Goddamn it! I've been running up and down this stupid graveyard for the past half hour!"

"So-sorry..." He stammered, flustered now by her presence and anger as he climbed back to his feet, "Don't hit me."

Buffy's glare softened, and she rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to hit you, you big baby. What the hell was that about? You just ran off."

"You...lau-laughed at me," He cast his eyes down shyly, and Buffy sighed slightly.

"I'm sorry...but you..." She giggled, and he looked up at her, his eyes widening again, "Oh come on! You would have laughed if I had went swimming in a mud puddle like that! It was...cute."

"Cu-cute?" He smiled tentatively, "You...thought I was...cute?"

Buffy rolled her eyes again, but this time less in exasperation and more in amusement, "Yeah, Fang Boy, but don't let it go to your head."

He grinned abashedly, eyes lighting up behind his glasses, and Buffy wanted to lean forward and just kiss his shyness away...but there was the problem of him nearly going into panicked convulsions whenever she got closer then a foot.

Instead, she settled for taking his hand, smiling slightly when he jumped, then relaxed a bit. She really was starting to miss the old Spike...but this one had his own merits as well.

Her fingertips drummed on the journal he had given her, a frown marring her features. Those passages...they had all been written by the old Spike...her Spike...not this one...well...maybe...not all the way this one.

He looked up at her, smiling slowly, unsurely.

He reminded her of the way Spike had acted the night she had come back...gentle, sweet...a bit confused and flustered...

Okay...big with the confusion again...

Spike waited for her patiently, smiling slightly at the faraway look on her face. How many times had he let his thoughts carry him away like that before? Countless. More so lately when the beautiful, passionate, sweet rose in front of him had firmly planted her roots in his heart, the thorns of her insults and words of love firmly digging into his flesh...Oh...have to write that down...

Her eyes suddenly snapped back to reality, and she tensed before throwing him down on the ground, landing hard on top of him, and he gasped as a certain part of his anatomy jumped up and took notice, and he tilted his head as a crossbow bolt zinged by the airspace he had formerly been occupying.

"Now this...is familiar," He gasped out as Buffy wriggled on top of him to look over her shoulder, and then she was on her feet.

"Oh...not you again!"

Spike stumbled back to his feet gracelessly, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he stared at the shark-headed demon, nearly groaning. Yet another reminder of his less then sterling behavior as of late. Smoking, drinking, gambling...and kissing women he wasn't engaged to yet. His mother would be sorely disappointed. And gambling for kittens, no less. No doubt, his mother was spinning in her grave, the poor, dear old lady.

Sharky was back, with back-up of at least a dozen vampires. Not good. He threw his shoulders back, however, and prepared to fight for his lady love. I am so gonna die.

Buffy glanced at Spike as he went into an awkard fighting stance, and what may have passed for a determined look on his face, but it looked more like he was constipated.

The vampires and Sharky were staring at Spike like he had gone completely insane. "Uh...Mr. Spike..." Sharky cleared his throat a bit, "About the matter of my kittens..."

"You'll not be getting any kittens on my watch!" Spike said, puffing out his chest proudly, "You all should be immensely ashamed of yourselves. Eating poor defenseless kitties?! What in the world is wrong with you?"

Buffy rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Oh...great. I'm getting a Spike-induced headache. I remember these. They suck."

Sharky cocked his head slightly, sensing something off about the vampire and severely doubting his sanity at the moment. "Screw it. Break his legs, boys...and do the lady as well. Get the message doubly across."

"HEY!" Spike let out an indignant shout, but the vampires were already swarming towards them, and Buffy threw herself into the fight.

Spike followed her, then yelped when one of the vampires punched him in the face, and he hit the ground on his ass. "Really...gentlemen...can't we be civilized about this...?"

Buffy looked towards Spike as he rolled, just avoiding being stepped on, and frowned. This was not good. At least when he was Randy, he could fight back...now he was just getting his ass beaten.

She tried to go towards him, but was intercepted by another vampire, and she whirled on her heel, kicking him in the chest and sending him staggering back, but before she could make a move to stake him, four more were on her, dragging her down to the ground.

#####

Tara shook her head slightly as she slammed her book shut, chewing on her bottom lip.

She couldn't find a thing that could explain what had happened to Spike in the volumes...and probably wouldn't...not till she figured out exactly what was Willow's intent with her spell.

She glanced down at Anya and Xander, who were both looking tired and ready to close up for the night, and she sighed as she climbed down from the loft. "I ca-can't find anything..." She stammered a bit nervously, "I'm...go-going to have to go an-and...see Wi-Willow and ask her wh-what she did..."

"Is that a good idea?" Anya asked, looking slightly concerned, "She's really not right in the head." Blunt, but honest...that was Anya's way, and Tara glanced at Xander's face as he flinched a bit, but he didn't disagree.

"I have to know what she did," Tara shook her head, "What she was trying to accomplish with the spell she used on Spike..."

"Well...aren't we kinda assuming that Willow's even the one that put the spell on him?" Xander asked, "It could be anyone...I mean...Deadboy Jr isn't exactly enemy-free..."

"It's...too coincendental," Tara shook her head as she grabbed her things. "Buffy said she and Spike had a confrontation...and then..."

"He's suddenly the leader of the Undead Poet's Society?"

Anya patted Xander's arm, "You've been holding that one in for a while, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Xander sighed, shaking his head slightly, "You'll be careful, right?" He seemed uncomfortable voicing the warning, but tried to ease his own mind. It was just Willow...his best friend since they were pratically born...she wasn't dangerous at all.

Then why am I so worried?

#####

Spike rolled to his feet awkardly, trying to avoid being hit again, his nose already bleeding and he was sure he was going to have one heck of a shiner come again. He watched in horror as Buffy was dragged down to the ground.

One of the vampires went in for the bite, and a deep, angry snarl was ripped out of his throat, surprising him, and apparently the others.

He tried to fight back his rather uncouth and entirely uncivilized demon, but with the threat against what it perceived as 'his' woman, he couldn't hold it back.

Buffy tilted her head backwards as Spike vamped out, and with a roar, he was rushing the vampires holding her down, and her eyes widened as she witnessed the savagery of his attack.

Sharkey's beady, black eyes went wider then usual as Spike literally tore apart his muscle, and he started to back up. No way in hell were kittens worth losing his fishy parts over.

Buffy got back to her feet unsteadily as she looked around at the bits and pieces of wriggling vampire parts, and jumped when a hand clamped down on her foot and shook it off in digust.

Spike was kneeling low to the growl, yellow eyes flitting back and forth as he looked for any farther threats to either him or his Slayer, and his eyes settled on Sharky.

"Oh...shit..." Sharky whirled and tried to make his chubby little legs move, but he screeched as he went down, an enraged vampire clinging to his back.

Spike's fangs tore into the side of his face, ripping away a strip of flesh with a snarl, and proceeded to give the loan shark the same treatment he had given the vampires, ripping off body parts and flinging them apart, all the while, Sharkey's screams deafened Buffy till Spike's head darted down and it was silenced with the accompaniment sound of teeth sinking into muscle.

Buffy's hand covered her mouth as she felt a bit sickly, surrounded by the carnage the demon before her had wrought with his own, bloodied hands. William the Bloody...somehow, at that moment, the name seemed much more fitting then Spike. It seemed to include the man and demon trapped within his body.

He rose slowly from Sharky's ravaged body, blood dripping from his face, the fluid given a black, thick cast by the lack of light from the crescent moon.

Ambers eyes flashed as he turned to her, and Buffy felt her hand go for her stake involuntarily, and he drew back a few steps at the movement towards a weapon.

Then, to her surprise, instead of his human mask dropping into place like she was so used too, he instead went to his hands and knees, whimpering plaintively.

Buffy frowned in confusion as he slowly crawled towards her, his head slightly bowed, but his eyes always on her face, wondering what he was doing. Then it hit her with a jolt. He was making a show of being submissive. Like a wolf...trying to make peace with the Alpha of the pack.

Her hand slowly slid away from the stake tucked into the waistband of her tight, leather pants, but still, he crawled towards her till he was sitting at her feet, rocking back on his heels to tilt his head towards her.

She was still struck by the image of a submissive wolf that she almost didn't notice her hand reaching out to stroke his hair, and then along his facial ridges, and he closed his eyes, leaning into her touch, a sudden purr ripping itself from his chest.

What in the hell is going on around here?!

#####

"Wi-Willow?" Tara peeked her head into the Summers' home, "Dawn?"

No one answered her, and Tara frowned a bit before remembering that Buffy had mentioned that Dawn was staying at a friend's house for the night, and she stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her.

She made her way up the stairs silently, ears straining for the tinist of sounds as she let herself into what had once been Joyce's room, but had become her and Willow's after Buffy had died.

Some of her stuff was still lying about, and Tara absently picked up a shirt Willow had dropped on the floor and folded it slowly as she looked about, her heart feeling about ready to break.

She swallowed it, however, and it slithered down her throat like a hot, slimy stone, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. After a few moments, she was composed, and she opened her eyes to look around, trying to discern what seemed different or new in the bedroom.

She immediately noticed a slender, perfect crow's feather on the bedroom bureau, and she picked it up, mentally running through her mind the spells that such a thing was needed for. Crow's feather...black for discontent...

She was trying to breed ill will or discontent...towards Spike? Or to make him feel it?

No one was discontent with him at the moment, save Willow, and he didn't seem particular angry or resentful of anyone. What else would it be used for?

She tensed when she heard a door open downstairs, and she glanced around, eyes going wide when she realized there was no way to escape undetected, and she bolted for the closet, and closed the door behind her, still clutching the crow's feather to her chest, praying to the great Goddess that she wouldn't be found as she heard Willow moving up the stairs.

#####

"Spike...come on...cut it out!" Buffy was currently lying on her back, a slightly amorous vampire pinning her to the ground as he purred loudly and licked her face energetically. One second, he had been getting petted like an overgrown puppy...and then he had jumped her. He was just lucky she had dropped her stake or she would have staked him on reflex alone.

She tried shoving at his shoulders to dislodge him, but it was no good, and she sputtered as his tongue dived into her mouth when she opened it to yell at him again, and then he was kissing her hungrily, devouring her mouth with his.

A scant few seconds later, instead of pushing him away, she was pulling him towards her, wrapping her arms around his neck, their lips battling for dominion.

He growled against her mouth, and Buffy shuddered at the sound, hips arching upwards into his of their own volition. Spike pulled her legs apart, and he settled himself in between them as she broke the kiss, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

She gasped as he ground himself against her, and then his mouth was on hers again, as his hands roamed roughly over her body.

With a possessive snarl, he tore her blouse down the middle, wanting to be rid of the offending fabric, and Buffy's eyes widened slightly as she tore her mouth from his, "SPIKE! That was BRAND NEW!"

He winced at the tone of her voice, and his golden eyes met hers, and he had the common sense to at least look a little apologetic as he sat up and tugged at his tie.

Buffy sat up, blouse forgotten as she smashed her lips against his, unbuttoning his shirt partly, slipping her hands inside it and scraping her nails down his taut abdomen, smiling when she felt his muscles roll at her touch even as another growl rolled over his tongue.

Oh God...she thought, feeling the sound to the very tips of her toes as his tongue vibrated against hers, and she pulled at his shirt, spraying buttons all over the place, then shoved his suspenders down his arms. She really wished that he hadn't went through the trouble of putting on a suit. In his normal clothes, he should have been, by all rights, naked by now.

Well...I'm halfway there...she started to kiss his chest, delighting in the animalistic sounds he made as she fastened her mouth over one of his flat, dusky nipples, nipping it roughly.

His hands slid down over her back as he pulled her lips back up to his mouth, and they slipped inside the back of her pants, cupping her ass as he ground his erection against her leather covered mound, and Buffy moaned.

He surged against her at the sound, then moved his lips down to her lace-covered chest, unclasping the front of her bra and diving down to tease her with his teeth, tongue and lips.

He removed his hands from the back of her pants as he started to undo the button holding them, and he started to slide them down her hips as she gasped out his name, hands threading through his hair to hold her against her tit as he nipped and suckled at her.

One of his fangs accidently sliced into her skin, and he started to pull away, but Buffy held his head firmly, not letting him escape, and he let another growl loose from his lips before fastening them over the cut, lapping at the blood that pooled from it.

"Need...you...now..." Buffy panted out, nearly undone by his teasing and the feel of his mouth drawing her blood into him, eyes slamming shut as she arched her hips towards him in invitation.

She unbuckled his belt, then his pants, and slid her small hand inside, smirking when she encountered only bare skin. Despite of all of 'William's' politeness...he still ran around commando, apparently.

Spike bucked against her hand in surprise when he felt her small, warm fingers caressing him teasingly, and he lifted his head, amber eyes flashing as he let out a low, rumbling growl that seemed to reverberate in the air.

Buffy met his gaze, smiling mischieviously as she slowly stroked his hard length, "What are you waiting for? Engraved invitation?"

He snarled as he lunged at her, and Buffy threw her head back, unable to keep a gasp from escaping as he slammed into her fully, and her hands clamped onto his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh, breaking the skin as she keened loudly.

She wasn't even allowed to adjust to the new sensation of him buried deep inside her before he was withdrawing to slam into her again and again, and Buffy thrashed against him as he stretched her fully.

His hands gripped her hips, holding her tightly against him, and his eyes were fairly glowing with lust and desire as he took her in such possessive abandon that it was verging on pain, reminding her that it was a demon that she invited between her legs.

Buffy clutched at him, nearly sobbing with the pain and pleasure as he grunted and growled, her body jarring with every impact of his, and she felt his fangs slice into her lips as he kissed her, her blood flowing into his mouth once more, and it only seemed to charge him even more.

Aphrodisiac...she thought dazedly as she moaned his name wantonly, he called Slayer blood an aphrodisiac...

That thought was barely formed before she found herself screaming, arching her body towards him as the most intense orgasm of her relatively young life slammed into her like a fast-moving train.

It swept her away, her entire body tensing, her inner muscles clamping down on Spike so hard that he was forced to still, and his golden eyes rolled back in his head at the sensation before he snarled and sank his fangs into her bared throat.

"Ohh...GOOODDDDDD!" Buffy pulled Spike against her, holding him tightly as she came again, not even having time to recover from her first orgasm, the feel of his fangs in her flesh too much too bare, and she felt like everything inside her body was tensed to explode. She buried her face in his throat as she sobbed with pleasure, calling his name loudly out into the night.

He pulled his fangs from her neck, roaring as he slammed into her a few more times, and then his cold seed filled her womb, and he slumped against her, lips finding her throat and his tongue slowly ran along the newest addition to her collection of bite-marks, finally forcing out the one, if only slightly coherent, word he had spoken since he had vamped out, the word roughened by the sound of his growl, "Mine."

"Yours," Buffy agreed dazedly, still trying to come down from her high, and she felt Spike's chest start to vibrate against hers as he purred in satisfaction, "Definitely yours..."

#####

Willow sighed as she moved about her bedroom, boredly straightening up as she waited for Buffy to return home, wondering what was taking so long. She had enough time to have staked Spike twice over already.

Once or twice, she almost called the Magic Box, but stopped herself just in time, wondering, exactly, what she was going to say to Buffy to figure out whether or not her spell had worked or not. Somehow, 'Hey! It's Willow! Did you stake Spike yet?' didn't seem to be quite the right opener for a conversation.

What am I doing just sitting around and wondering about anything for? She thought, rolling her eyes at herself. She was a powerful witch, for Goddess sakes...there was no reason for her to be question what had happened when it would take...like...five seconds to figure it out for herself.

Willow opened up her bureau drawer, pulling out a black, crystal orb, the same one she had used to spy on Spike and Buffy the other night, and started to reach for her feathers, then frowned when she saw they weren't on the dresser. She could have sworn she had left them there. She glanced around, then found her dove's feather on the floor and picked it up, and started to search for her crow's feather.

Willow shook her head, then went to the trunk at the foot of her bed, and rifled through it, swearing when she saw she didn't have another crow's feather. Great...now she would have to go to the Magic Shoppe the next day and deal with Anya. Always a load of fun.

Should just spell her mouth shut...Willow grinned, knowing that Anya would completely flip out, then scowled, realizing Buffy and Xander probably would too. Goddess...they had the worst taste in companions then anyone she had ever met. They both seemed to have demon magnets firmly strapped to their asses, since that seemed about the only things they attracted nowadays.

Willow sighed as she set the black orb back in her drawer, shaking her head slightly. Guess she would have to settle this the old fashioned way and go see if anyone had seen Spike recently...hopefully, in convienant ashtray size.

She grabbed her jacket off the bed, then frowned when she noticed the folded shirt on the bed, then shook her head again before heading out to go track down her friends at the magic shoppe.

Tara was postive that Willow had to have heard her heartbeating, it sounded so loud to her own ears as her blood rushed in her veins as she hid from the girl she loved more then life itself.

It saddened her more then anything, but she frowned, pushing those feelings aside as she watched Willow go towards the dresser, eyes widening when she lifted out a black orb of crystal.

Wizard Glass...she thought, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly.

Wizard Glass was notorious in the realm of magick, the crystal orb controlled by the black forces that first created them, and the blackest of magick could make it function, the orb mostly used for spying on people and casting dark, dangerous spells. It was also notorious for being incredibly fickle, and it would take the literal meaning behind a spell, so every word said in front of it must be chosen carefully, or the spell would go wrong.

Tara shuddered, unable to control the reaction. She had been worried for some time that Willow was messing with the darker forces of magick, delving outside the realms and laws upheld by all Wiccans into something completely different...but this was far more advanced and dark then she had ever suspected Willow of getting into...and right under her own nose, no less.

She sighed in relief as Willow returned the orb to it's place in her dresser, and left the room, and she waited ten minutes before the door downstairs slammed, signaling Willow's exit, and she slowly crept out of the closet, heart pounding.

Tara looked towards the dresser, her thoroughly chewed lip ragged and nearly bleeding from the abuse she was leveling on it. She considered taking the Wizard Glass...but she was more afraid of it then she would care to admit, and instead, left it alone, making her way downstairs. She had to get to the Magick Shoppe and warn the others before Willow did something really dangerous...especially when she realized that the spell she had cast on Spike had gone wrong.

Oh Willow...honey...how could you?

Buffy frowned as Spike stirred beside her, and groaned softly, burrowing her face against his chest, "Ugh...not again...I'm so sore I can't move."

Spike chuckled softly, and she lifted her head to see that his human mask had descended, and he smiled down at her tenderely, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, and then he sighed deeply, lying back down on the grass, somewhat embaressed he was too sore to move as well.

"Utoh..." Buffy forced herself to roll partially on top of him and she crossed her arms, lying them across Spike's chest, "Mr. Victorian Era--no-kissing -till-we're-engaged-for-twenty-or- so-years is back..."

"Amusing," He said, his voice lacking any sort of tone that would show that he indeed found it amusing, "Bloody hell...all my convictions...morals...thrown right out the window when he makes an appearence."

Buffy ran her fingers through his hair, trying to sooth him, "Spike...it's all right...I don't mind."

"But...but...I was like...an animal..."

Buffy giggled, then flushed when he looked at her sharply, "Sorry...but...yeah...you were...kinda..."

He groaned, throwing his arm over his face, "I am so sorry."

"Don't be."

Spike lifted his head, "Don't be?! Just that simple, is it?! I took you in a graveyard, for goodness sakes! Where's the hearts? The flowers? The poetry? There's no poetry!"

"Oh...I don't know...what rhymes with graveyard?"

Spike dropped his arm over his head again, "Oh Lord..." He tensed when he felt her lips kissing his chest, and a pleasant shudder ran through him at her touch. "I wanted it to be special."

"Oh, it was definitatly special," Buffy smiled as he peered at her curiously from beneath his arm, "It was pure...unbridled...passion."

"Unbridled passion?" He repeated, slowly lifting his arm from his face as she straddled his body, and he couldn't bite back a moan before it escaped from his lips, "I...do like the sound of that..."

"Hmmm..." Buffy ran her hands along his chest, sitting up a bit, and his eyes were arrested by the sight of her golden, pert breasts, tipped with dusky pink nipples.

"Gods...you are perfect in everyway, Buffy...you know that...right?" He asked huskily, "So...beautiful..."

Buffy smiled, leaning over him to brush her lips against his, then clambered to her feet, leaving him to stare up at her, eyes wide. Ha...see how you like that..."Come on, Romeo...we got to see if Tara found anything, and then we can head home...and then we can see what to do about your precious hearts and flowers."

Spike grinned as he jumped to his feet, grabbing up his clothes. He pulled his pants on, and reached for his shirt and shrugged it on as he watched Buffy hunt for a lost boot, her naked ass wriggling at him enticingly, and he felt his demon half ripple beneath the surface, eager to be let loose so that he could take her one more time.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and forcing it away from him. He had control...he was in control...he frowned, opening his eyes as he looked down at his shirt. All the buttons were gone.

He glanced towards Buffy, who was holding up the scraps of cloth that were once her new blouse, "What a pair we make...shirtless and completely disheveled," He said in a dry voice, "You think anyone will notice?"

"Oh...hell..." Buffy took the jacket he held out to her, and pulled it on, covering up her partial nudity, "I hear enough about the Anya-Xander sexcapades. They can see what I've been up to for once."

Spike chuckled, shaking his head as he grabbed his shoes and slipped them on, then hesistated briefly before slipping an arm around Buffy's waist. They had already done the unthinkable...he didn't think a little innocent contact like that would hurt now.

"Xander is not going to be happy," He said, then reached out, tracing the mark on her throat, "In fact...he'll probably stake me."

"He'll have to get through me first," Buffy said, smiling up at Spike before standing on her tiptoes and planting a chaste, but firm kiss on his lips. "Let's go face the firing squad."

Tara was breathless by the time she had reached the Magic Box, having cut through yards and the park to get there before Willow arrived. She was relieved to see she was in time, since Anya was closing up for the night, about ready to go home, and she flew inside the door and slammed it shut behind her, panting for breath.

"Tara!" Xander jumped to his feet, his eyes slightly wide, "What's wrong?"

"Wi-Willow..." Tara shook her head, looking towards Anya, "She has a Wizard Glass...how in the world did she get a Wizard Glass?"

Anya shook her head, frowning slightly, "Nothing we have ever carried...they're almost impossible to find. You're really sure that Willow has one?"

Tara nodded, "I saw it..."

"Um...not to be the totally clueless one around here...but what is a Wizard Glass?" Xander asked, "And what's the big deal?"

"It's heavy black magic," Anya explained, shaking her head, "She shouldn't have it. Even the most experienced witches and warlocks haven't mastered Wizard Glasses all that well..."

"I know...but that's the least of our worries," Tara sighed, "She obviously used it in some capacity with Spike...but I'm not entirely sure how...or what she was intending to do..." Crow's feather...discontent...ill will...

Something about that particular ingrediant for spells was really bothering her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was exactly. "What kind of spell would require a Wizard Glass and a crow's feather?"

Anya frowned in thought, then brightened, "Oh! OH! I knew this sorcerer once...he had a Wizard Glass...and he used a crow's feather for something!"

"What for?" Tara asked, and Anya's face fell.

"Uh...I know this...just...give me a moment...it was really a long time ago," Anya frowned slightly, trying to think, "Damn...what was it?"

"Anya...honey...I know you've been around for awhile...but time is kind of important, I'm thinking. We don't know how long it'll take for Willow to figure out that the spell didn't work."

"Well...the crow's feather was used for...spying on people, but there was something else too...damn it..." Anya finally shook her head in defeat. "The only other spell I could remember involved a crow and dove's feather..."

"I think I saw Willow pick up something white...it could've been a dove's feather...what kind of spell were they used for?"

"Well...a...polarity spell...but that doesn't make sense. I'm not even sure if it would work on a vampire anyway, since they don't have many aspects..."

"What's a polarity spell?"

"It's like...seperating opposites," Tara explained, "Works on the Ying Yang concept. Two sides..." Tara frowned, "But...I think Anya's right...it may not have worked on a normal vampire...but Spike's anything but normal..."

"Second that."

"She means normal by vampire standards, sweetie," Anya corrected him, "Spike's...a bit more human then most vampires."

"Spike's not any human! And besides, you already said the spell wouldn't work on vampires."

"On most vampires," Tara sighed, "A polarity spell would explain his strange behavior...extremely human on one side of the coin..."

Anya and Tara's eyes widened at the same time, and they looked at each other sharply, "Which would make him extremely demonic on the other side," Anya finished for her. "We gotta find Buffy before he vamps out...and goes beasty on her..."

Xander looked towards the door as the bell jangled, and Spike and Buffy walked in, and his eyes widened, "Oh. My. God."

Tara followed his gaze, eyebrows shooting up when she saw Buffy wearing Spike's suit jacket, and from the looks of things, not very much underneath that, and Spike's shirt was completely unbuttoned, showing off his well defined chest and abs.

"Hey guys, find anything?"

"Um...Buffy...why are you partly naked?" Xander asked in confusion, "And why is Spike partially naked?"

"We think Willow did a polarity spell...which means...Spike...under no circumstances can you vamp out..."

"I think we're a little late," Anya said, noticing the bite mark on Buffy's throat, and Buffy flushed a deep red as Spike ducked his head bashfully. "He went beasty...but in a good way, apparently."

"WHAT?!" Xander jumped to his feet, and Buffy stepped in front of Spike, "His chip isn't working!"

"It's working, Xander..."

"Then how did he bite you?"

"Um..." Buffy chewed on her bottom lip, looking upwards at the ceiling, and Spike buried his face in her hair, embarressed. "There was no intent to harm..."

"He bit you! That was harming!"

"He wasn't trying to drain me..." Buffy sighed, then met Xander's gaze, "And...I kinda...wasn't...impartial to it..."

"What does that mean?!"

"She wanted to be bitten, honey. Get over it. We got Willow to worry about still."

"I...I..." Xander stuttered, then closed his eyes, "I'm going to do a Giles and pretend the last five minutes never happened."

Anya patted his shoulder, "On the bright side...it's been a really long time since Buffy's looked so well laid."

Xander wailed, and Buffy had to bite her lower lip to keep from bursting out laughing as Spike groaned loudly, before clearing his throat, "Uh...Could we please go back to the spell? I'm starting to believe there is one...because...my demon has never been so out of control. Buffy and I were just lucky that all of me is so madly in love with her."

Buffy smiled up at him, making an 'aw' sound, "Spike...that is so sweet..."

He grinned goofily as she snuggled up against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head lovingly.

Anya smiled brightly at Buffy before glancing back at Tara, "To break the spell, we have to destroy the Wizard Glass...it's the only way...it breaks all her spells used with it, however...she didn't use it in Buffy's resurrection, did she?"

"Um...not...that I know of..." Tara's face fell, "But there was a lot about that spell she didn't warn me or tell me about...I can't be sure."

Spike's grip tightened on Buffy, "No. Not till we're sure. I rather stay like this forever then lose her again. I...just cannot do that again..."

"We won't, don't worry...not till we're sure," Tara assured him, "But I don't know how we're going to find out. I doubt Willow's going to just tell us...and we can't point-blank ask..."

"We can track the spells used with the Wizard Glass," Anya told her, "But...uh...we're going to need it to do that."

"And our resident B and E expert is currently channeling Dudley Do-Right," Xander provided, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"You know...I do live in the same house as her, people. I have a key and everything. It's not going to take rocket science to get it. She doesn't even lock her door, and I doubt it's very much protected, considering she thinks no one knows about it."

"Um...whatever Willow was trying to do, I don't think it was supposed to be a simple polarity spell...she messed something up...maybe said the wrong spell, or the words she used were misinterpreted," Tara said, "I think...I think she was trying to turn Spike against Buffy...so that she would be forced to stake him..."

All the blood drained from Buffy's face, and she looked up at Spike, then shook her head, "It can't be that...maybe...break us up...but not...to get me to kill him...she had to know that it would...I would rather die then do that..."

"I don't think Wills is driving with a full tank of gas," Xander said sadly, then shook his head, "Can we get the Glass tonight?"

Tara shook her head, "We shouldn't, I'm tired...I've been researching all day...and a tracer spell on a Wizard Glass...I can't do it tonight. I need to rest up a bit first."

"You do that..." Buffy sighed, "In the meantime...I have to convince Willow that Spike is a pile of dust, right?"

"He can stay with us tonight, just in case she checks his crypt with the Glass," Anya said, and Xander looked at her sharply.

"Hey! Deadboy isn't invited into my place for a reason!"

"Stuff it, Xander, it's our place," Anya corrected, glaring at him, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"I...I don't want to intrude."

"You're not, and if Xander wants to ever see me naked again, he won't think so either."

"You know," Xander sulked sullenly, "You're way more fun when you're singing songs about midgets."

"And you would have made a beautiful demon bride. Now, hush," Xander effectively silenced, Anya looked towards Tara, "When do you want to do the spell?"

"I have my cell...once Buffy gets the Glass, we can meet here."

"All right, it's a plan," Buffy looked up at Spike, then grabbed him by the head and jerked his face to hers, smashing her lips against his. There was the muffled sound of his protest, but it melted away as her tongue forced it's way past his teeth, and tangled with his.

She broke the kiss after a few minutes, needing to breath and Spike stared down at her dazedly, a glazed look in his eyes, and she winked at him wickedly, "Just for luck," She said before pulling his jacket around her more firmly, "See you guys tomorrow."

Xander shook his head as Spike looked after her, obviously still in a fugue state from her kiss, and took the vampire's arm, "Come on, lover boy. Looks like you have dibs on a cold shower."

Tara shook her head as she gathered her things, then followed the others outside, already going through her mental list of spells that she would need the next day.

None of them noticed the petite redhead standing in the shadows by the doors to Buffy's gym, her eyes obsiden black and her entire frame tensed with rage. They had betrayed her! Everyone of her supposed friends...in favor of a soulless creature that was supposed to be their enemy!

She closed her eyes and drew in a shuddering breath before quickly grabbing some supplies. She then waved her hand, muttering a few power words, and she instantly teleported herself back to her bedroom in the Summers' home.

She immediately headed to her dresser, scowling as she removed her precious Wizard Glass, then replaced it with an small, crystal ball she always kept handy. She carefully hid her glass away, and waited for Buffy to return home.

#####

Spike sighed almost happily as he stood in the shower, allowing the hot water to sluice away the blood and dirt from the fight with Sharkey's boys, as well as the grime of other...activities.

A pleasant shudder ran through him as the memories assailed him, but he shook them away stubbornly. He was a proper gentleman, and a gentleman simply did not entertain such...impure thoughts about a lady...even if his recent actions had been deciedly impure as of late. However, he completely blamed that on his more uncouth, unrefined side.

He frowned slightly as that led to thoughts of Willow, and he shook his head almost sadly. He was really quite fond of the girl...but she had been strangely out of control as of late. He blamed it on her magic, of course. He knew from watching countless others succomb to the desires and temptations that magic produced. It was consuming...he really should have said something sooner. However, it had seemed harmless enough...and he had a really hard time believing that Willow would fall victim to the powers of magic...she seemed so sweet and innocent to him.

However, the moment he had found out Buffy was back and who was responsible for it...he should have spoken up. The resurrection of the dead was something that even the sorcerers he had known were more then loathe to even attempt...and they were far stronger then Willow and had been practicing for much longer.

It was disturbing, now that he thought about it...the level her powers had grown too in such a short amount of time. She had accumlated an incredible amount of magical skill for her very young age...barely twenty-one and already, she was resurrecting the dead. If it went one for much longer, she'd become too powerful too fast, and it would corrupt and warp her even more then it was doing now.

He shut off the water, running a hand through his hair, and he frowned in contemplation.

Something had to be done...more so then what was planned. Even if they destoryed the Wizard Glass...what then? She'd just have to find something else...and he had faith in Tara, but he just couldn't believe that she'd be able to face off against Willow and come out unscathed. She was such a sweet girl, and he knew she had a level head on her shoulders when it came to magic, and he didn't want her to be harmed on his account.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled his body and hair dry, the ungelled locks already starting to curl of their own volition. He pulled on the clothes that Xander had lent him for bed, then walked out into the hallway, heading to the spare room, ignoring the sounds coming from Anya and Xander's room, ducking his head a bit in embarresement.

He was relieved to see there was a phone in there, and he picked it up, dialing a number from memory, then smiled a bit as a slightly grumpy sounding man answered, "This better be damn good, William."

Spike rolled his eyes, wondering how long the sorcerer had known he was going to call, "I need a binding spell, Sornan..."

"Can this wait?" Spike frowned as he heard the sound of a giggling woman on the other end of the line. "I'm kind of busy..."

"Well, I suppose if I'm not dead by tomorrow, I can call back..."

"Always the drama queen," Spike heard the sound of rustling sheets and hushed whispers, "Fine...I can be there sometime tomorrow. Mind if I bring my apprentice with me?"

"Is that who I heard?"

There was silence on the other line, and then Sornan cleared his throat, "Well...uh...see you tomorrow. Bye."

Spike shook his head as the warlock hung up on him and returned the phone to it's cradle, mentally reminding himself to leave a few bucks on the table for Anya and Xander to pay for the long distance call, a thoughtful gesture that would have been horribly foreign to him just a day before.

He climbed beneath the covers, and crossed his arms beneath his head as he contemplated the ceiling contently, feeling much better for having contacted his sorcerer friend. He allowed himself to be pulled into much more pleasant thoughts, mostly of his lady-love, and he grinned to himself, closing his eyes, and he drifted off to sleep with Buffy foremost on his mind.

#####

Buffy grimaced as she climbed in through her window instead of using the door, not wanting Willow to catch her sneaking in so late, half-naked, save for Spike's suit jacket, and an obvious bite mark on her throat.

Buffy sighed as she tossed Spike's journal on her bed, then pulled a turtle-neck out of her closet, and pulled it on before checking her appearence in her vanity, eyes widening when she saw herself. Her hair was a mess, leaves, grass and even a little twig tangled in it, and she even had grass-stains on her face, but that could have been from her fight. However, she now had a hunch about why Xander had threw a fit when he saw her.

Buffy shook her head with a small smile as she ran a comb through her hair, taking a moment to appreciate the memories of her and Spike's impromptu and somewhat violent coupling.

She then had to toss those memories aside as she stared at herself in the mirror, then pinched her arms and legs till they had to be black and blue, but it had the desired effect as tears stung her eyelids, and she took a deep breath, preparing herself to win the Oscar for best actress.

God...and I am such a horrible liar...

Buffy shook her head as she took a deep breath, and then climbed out her window once more to go around to the front door.

She paused, then rubbed at her eyes furiously till they were red and puffy, then opened the door with her key, letting out a loud, choked sob, eyes on the ground.

It had the desired effect as Willow came to the head of the stairs, her eyes wide, "Buffy? What's wrong?"

"It's...Spi-Spike..." She shook her head a bit, head still ducked as she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them as if cold, "He...He's turned on us, Wills...if it weren't for the chip...he would have killed me tonight..."

"Oh God, Buffy," Willow came down the stairs and hugged the Slayer tightly, "What happened? Why did he do it?"

"I don-don't know...last night...we were still friends...but...it was horrible, Wills...he...he just...tore into me. He hated me so much..." Buffy let out another sob for good measure, unaware that Willow sneered before she pulled away, and then all Buffy saw was a sweetly, sympathetic face that chilled her to the bone.

"Would you like some tea...and then we can talk?"

Buffy sniffled, then shook her head, "I...think I just wanna head to bed," Buffy replied, hoping that Willow was sufficiently convinced that Spike was out of the picture. She was really hoping so, since she didn't think she could keep up this act for long without some serious lashing out violently. "Tomorrow, though...could you go and get me some major junk food? I'm going to need to veg on the couch and wait for everything to go away."

Willow nodded, smiling at Buffy in all sweetness, "You bet...we'll do it together. We need some bonding time, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Buffy smiled wanly, "It'll be fun."

#####

Willow waited till she was sure Buffy was asleep, all snug in bed, before taking out her Wizard Glass, and her new crow's feather, and she ran it along the glass, eyes turning black as she murmured a spell softly.

She closed her eyes with a tiny gasp as she felt the Glass drawing out some of her energy to power it, and then looked down as the glass turned crystal clear, and she was staring down at Spike, sleeping soundly in Xander's apartment.

"Open your eyes," She commanded softly, then watched as Spike's eyes flew open, "Sit up."

He did as she bid him from all the way across town, his concious self completely unaware of her manipulations. She smiled cruelly as she glanced towards her window as the sun started to raise. "Now, stand, and go to the front door...be quiet. You don't want to wake up Anya and Xander."

She watched as Spike moved quietly through the apartment, and opened the door that led out to the hall, and paused, waiting for further orders.

"Go down the stairs to the door that leads outside," She said, pratically wriggling in anticipation as Spike obeyed, and he waited in front of the door.

Willow looked towards the window, and waited ten minutes for the sun to fully come up, "Go outside and stay there."

#####

Anya shot straight in bed when she heard screaming, then smacked Xander in the head, and he opened his eyes, and then went rigid, "Jesus H. Christ! What in the hell...?"

"Oh God," Anya leapt out of bed, dressed only in a short, filmy lace and silk night-gown, pulling on a robe, "Get up! It's Spike!"

"Shit!" Xander rolled out of bed, hurriedly rushing after his fiancee, nearly wincing when he saw the open front door, and Anya raced out and down the stairs.

Outside, she could see Spike lying on the walk, clothes and skin on fire, and she nearly screamed as she ripped off her robe and started to bat out the flames as she shouted at Xander to drag him back inside.

Xander grabbed Spike's flailing legs, and started to do that, but when he tried to take him back over the threshold, Spike grabbed it, and wouldn't allow Xander to take him in any further.

Anya straightened, then muttered a soft apology before kicking one of Spike's hands with enough force to snap some of his fingers, and Spike let go with a snarl, cradling his hand to his chest.

Xander finished dragging him inside and Anya managed to put out the rest of the flames, the smell of burnt flesh and clothing making him want to retch, but the vampire's appearence was even worse.

Nearly all of his visible skin was charred and blackened, and the vampire groaned pitifully as he mercifully passed out.

"Come on, we have to get him upstairs," Anya said, grabbing Spike's arms, and Xander got the legs, and together, the two mortals barely just managed to get him back up the stairs and onto the couch in their apartment.

"Quick...I need scissors and a first-aid kit!" Anya snapped at her boyfriend, not out of anger, but anxiousness for the vampire, and Xander hurried to get it for her, face creased in worry.

Anya took the supplies from him, then started to cut Spike's clothes off of his body, being extremely careful not to touch his already abused flesh. She slowly began to peel his clothes away from his body, closing her eyes as his skin started to come away with it.

Anya opened her eyes again, reaching out to touch his severely burned face, tears springing to her eyes. Another minute outside, and he would have been dust.

She finished removing his cloths, sickened to see that most of his skin seemed to have come off with them, despite her best efforts, and she looked up at Xander. "He needs blood...human, and lots of it..."

"What? How in the hell am I supposed too...?"

"Willy's carries it...just...threaten to beat him up or something. Please, Xander...animal blood won't help him that much...you have to get it."

Xander glanced at Spike, then nodded, swallowing any protest he had about that sort of errand. At least Willy's stuff fell off the back of a truck bound for the blood-bank, "Okay, I'm going...how much do you think he'll need?"

"Buy at least ten packets...now, go!"

Xander jumped at his fiancee's bidding, and scrambled out the door, and Anya turned back to Spike, breathing shallowly because of the smell, then got up and went to the phone to call Tara, and then Buffy. They both needed to know that Willow was apparently not buying Buffy's story any.

She hung up with Tara after the Wiccan promised to come right away, healing spells in hand, and she called Buffy next, closing her eyes as she prayed for her to pick up instead of Willow, and breathed a sigh of relief when Buffy's voice greeted her, "Summers' residence...Buffy here."

"Buffy...you have to come now...it's Spike...Willow did something to him...for some reason, he went outside and he's really badly burned. You have to get the Glass now, whether Willow's in the house or not, before she tries something else."

"Okay...I'm on my way right now," Buffy assured her, "Should I bring anything?"

"Maybe more bandages...cause I don't think I have enough."

"Right...not a problem...be there in about fifteen minutes, all right?"

Anya closed her eyes gratefully, "All right...I'll do what I can for Spike till you get here."

"Thanks, bye!"

Anya hung up the phone, then grabbed a large bowl and filled it with cold water before returning to Spike's side, wincing as she looked down into his burned face, hands clenching around the bowl.

Inwardly, she was praying for five minutes, alone, in a room with Willow, just to remind the witch why she was made a vengeance demon in the first place. No one messed with Anyanka or her loved ones, however few they were...and she very much considered Spike one of her loved ones. She began to gently bathe his overly heated skin with the cool water, softly speaking words of comfort to him, assuring him that Buffy was coming, just in case he could hear her.

#####

Willow hung up the phone, a smirk on her face as she glanced out the hall, towards Buffy's room, where the Slayer was still peacefully sleeping.

All it had taken was a tiny little glamour spell to disguise her voice, and the right amount of concern inserted into her tone, and Anya had bought it, hook, line and sinker.

She picked up her purse, and slipped her Wizard Glass inside it, patting it with a smile as she quietly sneaked past Buffy's room, whispering a tiny spell to keep the Slayer sleeping for the duration of the day. Just a little security to make sure Buffy didn't get involved and ruin everything at the last minute.

She had to admit that Spike was turning out to be a lot more bother then he was supposed to be, somehow having the luck of the Gods as he kept surviving her attempts to get rid of him. It was time to be a bit more direct, apparently.

She blamed Spike for it all, of course. When Buffy had come back and had started spending all the time with him, he had somehow managed to corrupt her thinking...twist her around so that she thought Willow, her bestest-best friend in the world was the evil one, not him.

Sure, he had his uses, but once she had brought Buffy back to live, they didn't need him anymore...certainly not for patrolling or slaying or looking after Dawn. Now they had Buffy back, and she could do all that now. Spike was no longer a necissity.

Of course, Buffy seemed to have an unhealthy attachement to the blood-sucker, but once he was gone, she was sure that whatever she was feeling would disappear. She couldn't possibly have feelings for him that deep. She was just confused and vulnerable...and Spike had more then taken advantage of the fact.

She really have should have taken care of him as soon as Buffy came back, to keep his little obsession with the Slayer from getting entirely out of hand, but it wasn't too late to correct her little oversight.

She went into the bathroom, and held up the black, crystal orb as she stood in front of the mirror, "Hetat...morat corlak. Conceal."

The Wizard Glass went crystal clear briefly, and when Willow lifted her head, she was staring at reflection of Buffy, a dead on reproduction, save that her eyes remained green instead of the smokey hazel that Buffy sported.

Willow/Buffy's lips turned up in a sneer before she turned and went inside Buffy's room, picking up the Slayer's favorite stake from her bedside table and slipped it into the back of her skirt. She straightened, glancing at the Slayer who was still deep within her spell-induced sleep.

She reached down and brushed a strand of hair out of Buffy's face before kissing her forehead tenderly, even while her eyes glinted cruelly, "Don't worry...I'm going to make everything better."

#####

Don't worry...I'm going to make everything better...

Buffy frowned as her own voice invaded her dreams, and she opened her eyes, staring up at a strange ceiling she didn't recoginize. Silky, dark blue sheets slipped along her skin smoothly as she sat up, looking about the unfamiliar, candle-lit room, and she slid out of the large, four-poster bed, barefeet coming to rest on a cool, hardwood floor.

She was dressed in a long, gauzy white night gown that was a little too Fay Wrayesque for her tastes, and she frowned as she looked around the strange room. Heavy, oak furniture was placed around, and curious, Buffy went towards the dresser, and frowned as she picked up a old fashioned straight razor from an old shaving kit, the blade tainted with bits of coarse, dark blond hairs.

She heard the sound of rustling sheets behind her, and she whirled, holding the razor like a weapon, and she caught a flash of pale skin out of the corner of her eye, but then there was nothing by the time she turned fully around.

The large glass doors that led to a veranda suddenly flew open, and she shuddered as a cold wind blasted into her.

She slammed them closed again, then paused when she heard a low, muttering sound coming from below her, and she glanced around briefly before going towards the heavy, wooden door of the bedroom.

She opened the door out into a lushly carpeted hall, and she went down it, heading towards some stairs near the end, passing a few portraits on the way. She spared a few glances at them, noting some sense of familiarity about the faces, but nothing more then a bit of passing deja-vu.

The mutterings got louder as she headed towards the stairs, and as she looked down, the muttering become louder, and she could hear bits and pieces of conversations going on down below.

She started to walk down the stairs, looking around at the people filling the parlour, all of them dressed in old-fashioned suits and dresses, and none of them seemed to notice the Slayer as she walked among them, a confused look on her face.

"Did you hear?" She heard a woman with an irritating, shrill voice and she glanced towards her, frowning slightly. "They call him William the Bloody because of his bloody awful poetry!"

"Spike..." Buffy muttered softly, eyes sliding among the company, trying to find a familiar face in a sea of strangers. She caught sight of someone ducking his head and disappearing into a parlour off to the side, and she pushed and shoved at people, trying to get through.

She went into the parlour she had seen him disappear into, and as she entered, a man stood up from the small, over-stuffed couch, turning towards her, lamplight glinting off his glasses. "Spike?"

"That'll be me, techinically, pet," a voice answered from the shadows to her side, and she glanced to her right. White, blond, spiked hair shone as he leaned forward, cigarette dangling from between smirking lips. He was dressed in a tight, leather vest that clung to his body, exposing his strong shoulders and arms, legs clad in tight, sliced up black jeans. Multiple piercings in his ears and eyebrows glittered as he cocked his head slightly, and William gave him a disgusted look.

"Do be silent for once. I'm tired of all your harping."

"Shut up, you sniveling, little prat," Spike sneered at him as he leaned back in his seat, eyes running over Buffy hungrily and possessively, and he pressed his tongue against his lower teeth. Buffy felt a shudder run through her body, a bit distrubed to find that it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"Ignore him. He's uncouth," William said in evident displeasure, giving his blonder, bolder, identical counterpart a warning look, "And knows not how to treat a lady."

"I know how to treat a lady," Spike's eyes glittered wickedly as he dropped his cigarrette on the carpet and ground it with his heavy boot, and his tongue flicked out over his lips.

Buffy felt a bit heated under the sexual undertones in the leer 'Spike' was giving her, "Why am I here?"

There was the flare of a match, and Spike scowled as he lit another smoke, "Well, isn't that the bloody question of the hour?"

"We're not sure, exactly, why we're even here," William told Buffy quietly, "It's never happened to us before. We were always one, since the turning. One entity, one body."

"Cut the cryptic bullshit," Spike growled, impatiently drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "Don't pretend to know more then you do. It's soddin' irritating. Peaches did the same thing..."

William looked towards Spike, then let out a sound of disgust, "Will you ever shut up?!"

"Shut up, boy...you know about as much as I do...we're stuck in this ridiculous place 'cause the Slayer's little witch bitch fucked with us. Only one of us could have control of our host...and now, for some bloody reason, neither of us have control."

"Don't call him a host!" Buffy snapped, "He's...not just some shell."

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart," Spike smirked at her, "A very useful, and ofttimes fun host..." He smirked at her, eyes running hotly up and down her body, reminding her exactly of what fun had been had of late.

"We are what makes your Spike...Spike," William told her, "I am what he once was, and that lump of filth mucking up my parlour is what he had become."

Spike snarled as he shot to his feet, moving towards William with deadly intent, but Buffy jumped in front of him, and he stopped short, glaring at the man over the Slayer's head, "Watch your mouth, boy, or I will rip that precious silver tongue of yours out of your goddamn head!"

Buffy placed her hand on his chest and shoved him back into his chair, "Sit down and shut up!" She snapped at him, eyes flaring in anger, and Spike cocked his head slightly as he contemplated her.

"Gods...you are beautiful when you're pissed."

She glared at him, and William scowled in his direction, "He is such a nuisance. I wish myself rid of him."

"Get over it, you prat," Spike growled, "Face it, boy...we're one and the same," His eyes met Buffy's, "Can't have one without the other...and you wouldn't be able to keep the Slayer without me. Lady needs a little monster in her man."

Buffy's eyes narrowed and she lifted her hand to strike him as she stepped towards him, but Spike only threw his head back and laughed at her expense, "Never could take the truth, could you?"

"Stop it," William hissed at him angrily, "Just...stop being you!"

"Not a bloody chance," Spike's dark eyes met Buffy's as he stood, "You can't just have one, can you, Slayer? You need the bloody awful poet...with...all his soddin' poetry and whiny tenderness..." William crossed his arms over his chest, insulted, "And you need the predator," Spike cocked his head, stepping towards Buffy and reached out, tracing a single finger down her throat, and her breath caught in her chest at his touch. "With all my...carnal pleasures of the flesh..."

Buffy opened her mouth to deny it, to protest that she didn't need that at all, but found the words wouldn't come to her tongue, and Spike smirked at her, "Sorry, pet...there's no denials here. You can't lie to yourself in your own dreams."

"Be still!" William snapped in annoyance, "And leave her be; how you can think that anyone would want you is beyond me."

"At least I'm not soft," Spike replied pointedly, and Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"And you weren't the one purring and getting petted like a big ole kitty?" She asked innocently, but Spike only smirked.

"Luv, you can pet me anytime you want."

Buffy blushed slightly, then shook her head as she glanced towards William, "How do we get out of here?"

"We don't," Spike replied, "We wait. Till we're rejoined...or we die. The dying is probably most likely at this point. We're stuck here, instead of defending our body...just making it way easy for Red to finish me an' him off."

"And what about me?"

William and Spike exchanged a look, neither of them answering her. They had no idea why she was there in the first place, unless Willow had done some sort of spell to seperate her from her body.

"I think...it's best we wait and pray that the others destroy the Wizard Glass and release us," William finally said, "It's all we can do."

Spike snorted as he sat down again, "I fucking hate waiting."

Buffy couldn't help but agree as she sighed, sitting down on the far end of the couch, looking between the two dopplegangers, whom, when paired together, formed the man that she loved.

#####

"Goddess...I've never seen the likes of this," Tara muttered softly as she knelt at Spike's side, mixing together some herbs to attempt a healing spell she wasn't entirely sure would work.

Anya was sitting beside her, holding the unconcious vampire's hand, her hands covered in blood, but not his. She had attempted to feed the vampire, forcing the blood behind his clenched teeth, but she hadn't been able to coax him to swallow it.

"I...did this to a man once," Anya confided, her voice quiet, so unlike her usual overly boisterous tone. "His...wife wished that he would feel what it was like to be burned like she was...and I did this to him...and now..."

"When you see someone you love like this...it makes you realize what you did to him?"

Anya nodded, looking down at Spike's torched hand as she gently stroked it, "Everyday...before I was forced to become mortal...I killed people...dozens...in one day...even Spike at his worst couldn't have done something like that everyday...and he did it for survival...I did it because it was my job..."

Tara didn't answer her, remaining silent as the ex-demon unburdened herself. "I never regretted it...not even now...but...Xander resents Spike because of what he is and what he did...he keeps on reminding Buffy that Spike is soulless. Does that mean I don't have one? Since I don't regret what I did? Don't feel bad about the people I killed because of what they wished for or wished upon someone else? And if that's true...how come Buffy isn't allowed to love Spike because of that, but he's allowed to love me?"

"Anya," Tara smiled at the ex-demon gently, "I'm sure you have a soul...and you really are a good person, even if you weren't a good demon. You love Xander more then anything in the world...and you care enough about everyone to fight when you're needed...and to nurse when it's needed."

Anya smiled faintly, but felt much better under Tara's assurance, then looked up as Xander came out of the kitchen with a bowl of warm water for Tara, "When's Buffy getting here? We called her nearly half an hour ago. She should have been here."

"She's coming," Xander assured his fiancee, kissing the top of her head as he looked down at Spike, wincing a bit, "Could you get him to eat?"

"No," Anya shook her head, "If he doesn't eat soon, he won't heal."

Tara finished her herbs, and took the warm water from Xander, and mixed them together in the water. She soaked a rag in the water, then began to bath Spike's charred flesh with it. "Nin'insina...Goddess...I beseech thee...heal this man's wounds, sooth his flesh and bind it once more. Nin'insina, heed your child's plea..." Tara frowned as nothing happened, then bowed her head slightly.

"Whatever spells Willow has leveled on him...I can't bypass them. She's prevented his healing."

"Son of a bitch," Xander scowled, "Buffy better have that glass-thingy with her, or Deadboy Jr.'s completely screwed."

Tara looked up in relief when there was a knock on the door, and Anya jumped to her feet to answer it, but she took a bit of precaution, and looked out the peephole to see Buffy standing on the other side of the door.

"It's Buffy," She announced, much to Tara and Xander's relief, and she admitted the Slayer in, a sympathetic look on her face, "He's on the couch."

"Thanks," Buffy brushed past Anya a bit brusquely, then drew up short when Tara stood, a strange flash of emotions passing over her face briefly before she shoved them aside.

Tara frowned slightly, but then Buffy moved towards Spike's side, hand flying to her mouth when she saw the vampire, "Oh God...what happened to him?!"

"He walked outside," Anya told her as she closed the door, "It was...really weird. We tried to pull him inside and he fought us...I had to break one of his hands to get him to let go of the doorframe. Another few seconds, and he would've been beyond any help."

Buffy reached out and stroked Spike's hair, which was stiff, brittle and black, "Why...why did he do this?"

"We're...not sure, but the most likely explanation is that Willow commanded him to do it with the Glass," Tara told her softly, "We're lucky that he was here and not at his crypt, or no one would've been able to stop him."

"Thank Goddess," Buffy said softly, and Tara frowned slightly at her wording, and Buffy looked up at the others, "Can...can I have a few minutes alone with him? Please?"

"Sure," Xander said, taking Anya's arm, "We'll be upstairs...take as long as you need."

Anya looked at Xander, surprised, but pleasantly so, but Tara hesistated, "Are you sure? I would like to try another healing spell..."

"Just a few minutes, I promise," Buffy pleaded, and Xander reached out and touched Tara's shoulder, "We won't be far, Buff. Call if you need anything."

Tara gave in, but the feeling that something was off was stuck firmly in her breast. "A few minutes," She reminded Buffy, then followed Anya and Xander up the stairs, her eyes on Buffy, a frown marring her face.

Buffy waited till everyone was out of sight, then knelt down next to Spike, removing the stake from the back of her skirt as she leaned over him, whispering in his ear, "Should have stayed away, Spike. Wish you could see me, though...wonder what it'll feel like to know that the face of the woman you love is about to kill you."

#####

"Buffy?" Dawn called as she came inside, dropping her backpack on the floor by the door, "Willow? I'm home!"

No one answered her, and Dawn shook her head as she went to the phone and called up the Magic Box. She frowned when the answering machine picked up. She had never in her life gotten the answering machine there. Anya was too in love with money to ever let the phone just ring, or to close the shop.

Dawn felt a shudder run through her body, feeling slightly ill. Something was definitatly up.

"Buffy! Willow?! Is anyone here?!" She called as she went up the stairs, then sighed in relief when she peeked inside Buffy's room and saw the Slayer sleeping deeply, and went up to her, attempting to shake her awake. She started to feel panicked when Buffy still slept on, then reached for the phone on Buffy's bedside table and picked it up, this time calling Anya and Xander's apartment.

#####

Tara paced back and forth in Xander and Anya's bedroom, trying to identify whatever was bothering her. For some reason, she had a feeling in the back of her mind, that something was off about Buffy. She couldn't put her finger on it, though, and she knew she was probably overreacting about it. Buffy seemed concerned and shocked by Spike's appeareance...and of course, it was completely normal for the Slayer to want to be alone with her boyfriend.

So...what was bothering her?

She jumped the phone rang, and Anya reached over to her bedside table to pick it up, "Hello? Hey, Dawn...wait...what?" The ex-demon frowned as she tried to make out the slightly hysterical girl's words, and then her eyes went wide as she dropped the phone and leapt to her feet. "Dawn says Buffy won't wake up..."

"What? But...Buffy's her--" Xander could barely finish the sentence before Tara was lunging for the door, and Anya followed her swiftly, the pair pounding down the stairs together.

Tara saw 'Buffy' raising a stake into the air, ready to plunge it into the unconcious vampire's chest and she brought her hands up, "Seperate!"

Buffy went flying back with a shocked gasp, and she struck the wall, hard. All of her concentration broken, the glamour broke, and blond melted into red, and Willow lifted her head, green eyes blazing angrily.

Xander came careening down the stairs, belatedly as always, and his eyes went wide as he watched Willow stand up, a look of pure fury on her face as she picked up her stake again, making a move towards Spike.

Anya immediately hopped in front of the vampire, but Willow lifted up her hand, white electricity licking out over her fingers.

"Wills! No!" Xander rushed Willow and knocked her to the side as a white ball of energy that shot from her hand went wild, hitting the ceiling, and plaster rained down on them as the energy exploded, a hole with blackened edges appearing above them. It made Xander sick to think of what it could have done to Anya if it had struck her instead.

Willow threw Xander off of her, and with a flick of her wrist, Anya went shooting backwards, and the ex-demon struck the side of the kitchen counter, and she gasped as she hit the ground and rolled.

Willow made to move towards Spike again, but Tara waved her hand, "Dinecum!"

Willow let out a wail as Spike suddenly disappeared, and then turned towards Tara, her eyes slowly bleeding into black. "Where is he?!"

"Not here," Tara answered her calmly, though her face was bathed in a nervous sweat.

Xander climbed back to his feet, and attempted to sneak up on Willow from behind, but the witch looked over her shoulder, tilting her head slightly, and Xander yelped as he flew upwards into the air and struck the ceiling, and was pinned there.

"Where is he, bitch?!" Willow fairly snarled, reaching into her purse and lifting out the Wizard Glass, and it floated over her open palm, the crystal black as night. Little flashes of what looked like lightning flickered inside it.

"He's in a safe place, Willow," Tara looked on her lover sadly, "Give me the Glass, Willow...it has to be destroyed...and you have to stop this...before it destroys all that you are..."

"Wrong answer," Willow smiled darkly, muttering something softly, and Tara screamed in pain as black light shot from the Glass and consumed her entire body. "WHERE IS HE, TARA?!"

#####

Buffy felt something in the parlour change, and she lifted her head as Spike and William did the same, the pair's twin faces marked with identical frowns as the walls seemed to shimmer and change.

Spike leapt to his feet, ready for action as William's eyes went wide, and he shrunk back in his seat fearfully.

"Spike..." Buffy breathed as she watched the punk's flesh seem to shimmer in her vision, and he lifted his hands watching as they began to slowly fade away into nothingness.

William looked down at his own hands, inhaling sharply when he saw the same was happening to him, "What is this? Are we finally going back?"

"Don't get your hopes up, you stupid git...this isn't what happened before when I went back."

Buffy looked at her hands, but she was still as solid as can be, and then looked up at the two dopplegangers in shock, "Oh God...it's just you two..."

William looked towards Buffy, letting out a choked whimper while Spike shook his head slightly, dropping his hands as his body continued to fade. Amusement flared up in his eyes as he glanced at Buffy, cocking his head slightly, "It was a nice dance while it lasted, pet."

Buffy's eyes went wide when she caught his meaning, and then he disappeared completely from view, along with William. "No!" She jumped to her feet, tears springing to her eyes as she was left alone in the parlour, "NO! Dammit! Don't you fucking leave me!"

No one answered her, and she closed her eyes as she sank down to the couch, pressing her palms to her eyes as she began to sob. Willow had finally suceeded...it was the only explanation for their disappearence. She had to have finally killed Spike's body, while they were all trapped here, unable to do a thing.

Oh God...my fault...all my goddamn fault...

#####

Dawn sat at Buffy's bedside, watching her sister's slack face nervously. She lay as if death, completely still, save for the slow raise and fall of her chest as she breathed; but her eyelids did not twitch, as they should have as she dreamed, and her entire body was without movement.

She held Buffy's lifeless hand, tears stinging her eyes, but they did not fall. She didn't know exactly what was happening once Anya had dropped the phone and Xander had simply told her to stay put and not leave Buffy's side before hanging up on her.

Dawn looked up as the doorbell rang, and then jumped to her feet, rushing out her sister's bedroom door and down the stairs. She threw the door open, then stared up at a tall man with wire-gray, thinning hair, dressed in an expensive suit. He looked Dawn over, raising an eyebrow, "Buffy Summers?"

"Uh...no...Dawn...Buffy's my sister," Dawn looked confused as the man let out a relieved laugh.

"Thank God...I was starting to think my dear Will was literally robbing the cradle. May I speak with your sister, then?"

"Um...Buffy's...not here."

The man peered at her, and Dawn's eyes widened slightly as his brown-eyes suddenly swirled through with gray and then he shoved past her, going up the stairs, and Dawn let out an alarmed cry.

"Hey! You can't go up there!"

He ignored her as he went into Buffy's room, frowning as he looked down at the sleeping girl, then pressed his hand to her forehead and closing his eyes. Dawn watched as his body jerked once, then twice, and he withdrew his hand from Buffy, smiling as the Slayer's body arched off the bed, and she nearly screamed as her eyes flew open.

"Buffy!" Dawn rushed at her sister and threw her arms around her as Buffy sat up, and Buffy tensed a tiny bit before relaxing, then she looked up at the man.

"Who are you?"

"A friend of your William," The man ducked his head slightly, "My name is Sorlan...he called me last night to perform a binding spell on a friend of yours."

Buffy closed her eyes, her body starting to shake, "He...he called you?" Dawn looked at Buffy in surprise, her voice choked with tears.

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

Buffy drew in a deep breath, then opened her eyes to address Sorlan, "I think...I think he's dead...and Willow...I don't know where Willow is..."

Sorlan closed his eyes, and Buffy and Dawn exhchanged a look as the man said slowly, "I feel...a large surge of power...about two miles from here...to the east."

"Xander's apartment," Buffy said right away, and Dawn nodded.

"I called them...and they sounded kinda panicked about something..."

Sorlan stood, his eyes seeming to become black, "Dress, now."

Buffy nodded, and Sorlan left her and Dawn and Dawn looked towards her sister as she started to get dressed, "What's going on, Buffy? And what does it have to do with Spike and Willow?"

Buffy's shoulders tensed at the vampire's name, then ducked her head slightly as she pulled on a pair of blue jeans, "Willow's...gone kinda wonky, Dawnie...I mean..."

"The whole spell thing? Being completly out of control about it?" Dawn smiled slightly at Buffy's surprised look, "I do live here, Buff...I do see what's going on around here...but what you said...about Spike...?"

"I don't know, Dawny...in my dreams..." Buffy shook her head, "I don't know, Dawn. As soon as this is taken care of, I will tell you everything, I promise..." Buffy sighed as she shrugged on a leather jacket, then looked towards her bedside table, where Spike's journal lay.

Her lower lip trembled slightly as she reached out and brushed her fingertips over the soft leather, then slipped it into the inside pocket of her jacket. Her shoulders straightened and she lifted her head, eyes flashing with barely contained fury.

"Stay here, Dawnie...and if you see Willow...don't talk to her, just get out of the house and go to the Magic Box. Understand me?"

Dawn nodded, not arguing and she watched as Buffy stalked out of her room and down the stairs, then sat down on Buffy's bed to wait.

#####

Tara felt like her entire being was being drawn and quartered, and she drew in a lungful of burning air as it suddenly stopped, and she fell to the ground, gulping in mouthfuls of air, and she slowly lifted her head as Willow stalked towards her.

"Where is he, you little bitch!? Why are you protecting him?!"

"I'm trying to protect you..." Tara said softly, "Willow...look at yourself. You've lost control..."

"I am IN CONTROL!" Willow's voice echoed throughout the apartment, and Xander grunted as he tried to push himself away from the ceiling.

"Wills! Come on! This isn't you!" He shouted down at her, and winced when her black eyes looked up at him, "Spike isn't worth this!"

"You would defend him?! You keep reminding everyone that he's a murderer!"

Xander glanced towards Anya, who was still lying unconcious on the floor, "Yeah...but he's not anymore...you know that! He's one of us now!"

"He's not one of us! He'll never BE one of us!" Willow jerked her head to the side, and Xander closed his eyes as he went careening through the air, crashing into a bookcase he had made, and he hit the ground with a grunt of pain. His eyes widened as the case tilted and he tried to roll before it fell, but it merely crashed into his back, pinning him to the ground.

Tara struggled back to her feet, pain radiating throughout her body, "Willow...please..." She pleaded, weaving on her feet, trying to keep her balance. "You're not like this...honey...I love you...please..."

"If you loved me, then give me the vampire!" Willow snapped, "Bring him back...right NOW!"

"No. I can't do that," Tara squared her shoulders, lifting her head as she lifted her hands, light green energy flickering out of them, "I'm sorry..."

Willow gasped as the energy shot from Tara's palms and wrapped around her, but it didn't have the desired effect as the redhead threw her head back and laughed cruelly as the Wizard Glass darkened even more.

Tara tried to duck from the coming assault, but she didn't move fast enough, and Xander watched helplessly as Tara collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony. "WHERE IS HE?!"

"Not...going...to...tell...you..." Tara panted out in pain, fists clenched so tightly, her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood, "You...have...to...kill...me...first..."

Willow smiled, and then Tara realized she didn't know what real pain was till now.

"I think you'll change your mind in a very short time."

#####

Buffy leaned forward in her seat, as if by force of will alone, she could make Sorlan's car go faster, and the sorcerer looked towards her in concern, "What makes you think William is dead?"

"I...I had a dream, we were in a room together, and he disappeared," She told him the short form version, "That was what he implied, anyway."

"If she kills anyone with her powers, it's my duty to punish her," Sorlan looked towards her, "Even if the one she kills is a vampire. William is a good friend of mine."

Buffy's her face tightened, "If she killed him, you might not have to worry about that once I'm finished with her."

Sorlan nodded, then looked towards her, "You care for him? Truly?"

Buffy glanced towards him, and felt like his eyes were delving deep into her soul, and had the feeling that he knew things that were left unsaid, and couldn't even find the resolve to lie to him. "He's...my life," She said softly, "I just realized it recently...I just finally told him I could love him...and now, because of me...he's probably dead."

"If it's...any consolation, I know that he felt the same exact way," He told her with a small smile, "When I spoke with him, I could feel his emotions in volumes I cannot even describe. I have never seen the like in magnitude, even when he was with that Drusilla creature."

Buffy closed her eyes, trying to keep a reign on her emotions, trying to find that comforting nothingness that had become a part of her life since she had been brought back...but she couldn't find it.

Sorlan watched in understanding as her eyes suddenly flew open, her expressive, hazel eyes filled with surprise. "He's awoken you, and you can't go back from there," He told her, "Not anymore."

Buffy looked towards Sorlan, her face hardening, "Can you make this thing go any faster?"

"Of course," Sorlan smiled as he slammed on the gas, and Buffy pitched back in her seat with a yelp. "You should've been wearing your seatbelt."

#####

Tara gasped as Willow let up on her assault, and she curled into a fetal ball, clutching her knees to her chest as she sobbed in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Xander shouted as Willow approached the downed Wiccan, "DAMN YOU, WILLOW!"

She looked towards him, "Silent."

Xander's eyes went wide as his mouth suddenly fused shut, and he was unable to open it again. He grunted behind his closed lips, then started to shove at the bookcase, trying to get loose.

He heard a low moan, and he looked up, watching as Anya opened her eyes, and she immediately tensed when she saw Tara sobbing, and then slowly got back to her feet, careful not to draw attention to herself.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Tara...where's Spike?"

"Go...to...hell..." Tara managed to get out through her pained sobs, "I'm...not tel--telling..."

Willow knelt beside Tara's head, reaching out to stroke her hair in mock affection, "You know...if I just kill you...Spike will just remain wherever you put him. He won't be coming back, since you're the only one who can bring him back. Why don't you just make it easier on all of us, and let me finish my business with him? I really don't want to kill you."

Tara shuddered, trying to pull her head away from Willow, but the redhead threaded her fingers through Tara's hair and jerked her into a sitting position,ignoring the cry of pain that escaped Tara's lips.

"Give him to me, you little bitch!" Willow pulled hard, and Tara sobbed as she was pulled to her feet by her hair, "I'm not KIDDING!"

Tara didn't think for a minute she was, but she wasn't willing to give up Spike to her, and her gaze met Willow's levelly and then she spat in Willow's face, "Juriak!"

Willow flew away from her to crash into the couch, and Tara collapsed to her knees, and Willow's eyes narrowed as she straightened, "Fine. Good-bye, Tara." She lifted her hands, and then cried out in pain as something stabbed into her side.

She whirled, turning on Anya, who was holding a bloodied knife in her hand, and Willow looked down at the stab wound in her side, blood pouring from it. "Big mistake, bitch!"

Anya dropped low to the ground as a ball of energy exploded outward from Willow's palms, then swept upwards, driving the knife into Willow's abdomen, eyes wide as she stared into Willow's black eyes.

Willow staggered back, and Anya let the hilt of the blade slip from her fingers as she covered her mouth with her hands, and Willow laid her hands on the knife, pulling it out with shaking hands, and she cried out again as she pressed her hands against the wound. "Huria neli...heal..."

Nothing happened, and Willow fell to her knees, unable to understand why it wasn't working, and then looked at the knife Anya had used, her eyes clouding a bit as green bled into black.

Anya backed away from Willow slowly, feeling slightly sick as Willow began to cry, trying numerous healing spells that wouldn't break the enchantment of the knife used to stab her.

Tara looked up as Anya knelt beside her, and she wrapped her arms around the ex-demon, "Are you all right?" Anya asked, eyes still on the desperate Willow, whose spells were interspaced with the sound of pained sobs.

Tara didn't answer her as Willow looked at her, eyes spitting hatred, "He was worth this...? He was worth me?"

Tara closed her eyes as Anya pulled her closer, holding her tightly. Willow stumbled to her feet almost drunkenly, going towards the Wizard Glass that had fallen to the floor when Anya had stabbed her.

Willow collapsed half-way there, and began to crawl instead, leaving a trail of blood behind her, and Tara stood up shakily, approaching the Glass.

Willow looked up, eyes going wide as Tara picked it up, "NO!"

Tara looked at her apologetically, then slammed the Wizard Glass to the floor, shattering it into a million, black shards, and a roar of wind filled the room, whipping her golden blond hair around her face.

Willow rolled onto her back, and let out a shrill, ear-splitting scream as she stared up at the ceiling, and Tara felt as if her insides were being torn apart at the sound.

Suddenly, it cut off, followed by a low, gurgling sound, and Willow's body jerked a few times before she lay still.

Tara fell to her knees, her eyes wide as she stared at Willow's motionless form, and Anya slowly approached the fallen witch, then shook her head when she found no pulse.

"Wills!" Xander finally managed to wriggle out from beneath the bookcase, his power of speech returned to him once Tara had smashed the Wizard Glass.

He ran to his best friend's side as Tara let out a wail of pain, covering her eyes, and Xander felt his stomach heave as he stared down at Willow, feeling as if he was going to pass out.

"Oh God..."

"I'm sorry..." Anya said softly, looking up at Xander, tears in her eyes, "She...she was going to kill Tara...I couldn't..."

Xander slipped to the ground beside her, then pulled his fiancee into his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I know, honey," He told her softly, "I know...it's not your fault...you had too..."

Anya buried her face in Xander's chest, entire body trembling, and Xander glanced towards Tara, who was staring at Willow's body and rocking back and forth.

"Tara...where's Spike?" She looked up at him blankly, "Spike, Tara...you hid him...where is he?"

Tara closed her eyes, trying to focus and then mumbled something beneath her breath.

There was a low groan from the couch, and Xander looked over his shoulder to see Spike's body lying prone on it. He was unconcious, but all signs of his severe burns had disappeared.

Tara shrieked in surprise as the door was suddenly kicked open, and Xander scrambled to his feet, picking up the knife Anya had used to kill Willow, hands shaking as he turned to face this new threat.

Buffy slowly came inside, her eyes wide as she took in the destruction of the apartment, and Xander relaxed, shoulders slumping as he looked on the Slayer, followed by a strange man he didn't recoginze.

"Oh...God..." Buffy breathed when she saw Xander standing over Willow's body with a knife dripping blood onto the floor, Anya sitting beside his legs. Tara was crying in earnest now, entire body shaking with the force of her cries.

"Wha-what happened?" The Slayer asked as she went towards Willow, nearly moaning when she saw the twisted, hateful look on her best friend's face.

"Tara...was protecting Spike," Anya told Buffy when it was evident that Xander and Tara weren't quite capable of it yet, and Xander closed his eyes as she spoke. "Tara sent him somewhere to keep Willow from finishing him off...and then she was going to kill Tara to keep her from bringing him back. I...I stabbed her...I stabbed and killed her..."

Xander gathered his fiancee back into his arms as she began to cry again, looking up at Buffy, "She had too...it was choice between Tara...and Willow..."

"I didn't come fast enough," Sorlan said softly as he looked down at the redhead, shaking his head, "I should have come as soon as William called. I'm very deeply sorry..."

Buffy stroked Willow's hair, her eyes filling with tears, "It was my fault...she's been like this...since...since I came back..." She pressed Willow's eyelids down over wide, unseeing eyes.

"It's not your fault," Xander told her firmly, "It's been happening since you died. The out of control spells...the way she kept using her magic for little, stupid things...we should have all intervened a long time ago..."

Anya kissed Xander's forehead, and Sorlan knelt beside Tara, talking to her softly, a tender, sympathetic look on his face as he tried to sooth the nearly hysterical witch.

"Bloody...effin'...hell..."

Buffy's head shot up as Spike sat up on the couch, looking down at his body in confusion, "Jesus, Mary 'n Joseph...why am I naked?" His nostrils suddenly flared when he caught the scent of blood. Then he had approximately a hundred and five pounds of blond Slayer in his arms.

She was sobbing loudly, clutching at him, and he blinked in surprise, but hugged her to him without question as she buried her face in his throat, her tears burning his skin.

He lifted his head in confusion, then caught sight of the body lying on the ground and tightened his grip on Buffy, eyes slightly wide as he looked towards Xander, "What happened? The last thing I remember...is going to bed last night..."

"Long story," Xander mumbled, shuddering a bit, and Spike turned his attention back to the Slayer as she lifted her head.

"I thought...I lost you," She told him, her smile watery, "When...William and Spike left...I thought it was because you died..."

Spike looked down at her, the confusion evident in his eyes, "Huh? What...are you talking about, Buffy?"

Buffy sighed when she realized he didn't remember that, and laid her head against his bare chest, "I love you," She whispered so that only he could hear, "All of you...demon and man..."

Spike held her even tighter at her confession, and he inhaled the scent of her hair deeply, "Love you too," He muttered in reply, his voice tinged with sorrow as he looked towards Willow's body. "I'm sorry about Red..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears still escaped from beneath her lids. "Me too..." She said softly.

#####

Buffy watched as the shiny, red oak coffin was slowly lowered into the ground, her eyes slightly unfocused. She felt a gentle squeezing of her hand and she looked up at Giles.

The Watcher was looking older then ever as he buried a girl who had been so much like a daughter to him, just as Buffy had been, his grayish-hazel eyes filled with tears.

Buffy lifted her head, staring out across the cemetary at the idling black DeSota, and immediately felt a sense of comfort flood her being.

Tara was standing between Anya and Xander, both of them holding one her hands, and Dawn stood beside Buffy, her head resting against her sister's shoulder. The Rabbi finished his words, and Tara stepped forward, as did several of the other attendants of Willow's final rites.

Tara and the other Wiccans linked hands, wanting to guide their lost sister. "Zemes Mate, mother goddess, guardian of the otherworld, please guide your child, Willow Rosenberg to her final rest. Let her sins be forgiven, for she is our sister, led astray," Tara's voice was strong and steady, though her eyes were filled with unquenchable sorrow.

Willow's parents watched on mistrustfully, still sure that somehow, Willow's chosen religion had led to her death, but they remained silent, due to respect for Tara, who they knew had loved their daughter.

"Zemes Mate, guide her there so that her sisters may be reunited with her when our time comes. So that I may join her. Peace be with her."

The other Wiccans muttered small prayers and protective wards to help Willow on her journey, and then they dropped hands and stepped back from the grave as Sheila Rosenberg picked up a small handful of dirt, and dropped it on the coffin, the sound of the earth hitting the wood hollow and small.

Soon, everyone started to fade away, except for Tara and the rest of the gang. Giles glanced around, then cleared his throat a bit as he looked down at the coffin, "Willow...you were a good friend, a kind and caring person, who deserved so much better in life. I never doubted that you loved your friends beyond compare...and I am sorry that our last words to one another were harsh. I hope that you find the peace and happiness on the other side that you truly deserve."

One by one, the others stepped forward to say a few words, and when Buffy's turn came, she stepped stiffly forward.

"You ruined my life...you tore me out of the only peace and happiness I had known since before I came to Sunnydale..." Buffy looked over her friends as they turned their gazes away from her, and she looked back over the cemetary, back at the black car, then smiled slightly.

"The guide in the desert told me...that I was filled with love...that I loved with all my sould and it was blinding...if you hadn't have brought me back, I wouldn't have been able to see what she meant. She told me I rejected love...and I had been...for the last two years, I've been rejecting it. It took me dying and then being ripped away again to realize that...everything I needed was right in front of me."

Buffy looked down on Willow's coffin, tears flooding her eyes, "It was because of you that I finally found my gift, Wills, it was because of you that I found Spike...if it wasn't for you, I'd still be living in heaven...but without finally knowing my capacity to love. Because of you...I'm living again, Wills...so...thanks."

Giles smiled faintly as he went up to Buffy and wrapped an arm around her, embracing her warmly as he whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you're finally living..." He smiled when she looked up at him in surprise, and she smiled at his blessing.

"Thanks, Giles..." She said softly, kissing his cheek before taking Dawn's hand, and the group went their seperate ways.

Buffy headed towards the DeSota, and she opened the door, waving Dawn in, and squeezing in beside her in the front seat.

Spike smiled at the two girls faintly, then kissed Dawn's head, "How'd it go?" He asked quietly, and Buffy smiled a tiny bit as Dawn snuggled up against Spike's side with a sigh.

"I don't get what happened...why did she flip out?"

"Fact's of magic, Lil Bit," Spike told her gently as he wrapped an arm around her and Buffy, and the Slayer sighed as she leaned against her sister, "It sometimes gets out of hand...takes control...sorry it had to go down like that, if I had called Sorlan sooner..."

"Stop," Buffy reached out and touched his face, forcing him too look up at her, "You did what you could...none of us even suspected she'd go that far...and now it's over. We have to move on...get on...with our lives...and hope that Willow's some where she can find peace..."

"I'm sure she is," Spike replied, lighter then he felt as he started the car, "For all that happened at the end, she was a good person. Just wanted to protect her friends, is all..."

Buffy sighed as she leaned back in the seat, and Spike pulled out, driving them towards the Summers' home, where he was now residing with the Slayer.

He pulled into the driveway, and Dawn grabbed his blanket out of the backseat and handed it to him. He sighed as he pulled it over his head, and then darted out of the car and for the house.

Buffy shook her head slightly as she and Dawn climbed out, and she glanced towards the street as Giles' rental car pulled up, and told Dawn to go ahead in.

Dawn obeyed, and Buffy smiled as she heard her sister bug Spike about making some cocoa, and the vampire good-naturedly told her to make it her damn self, even though they both knew that Spike would do it, protests aside.

Giles climbed out of his car as Buffy walked towards him, the Slayer's arms wrapped around her, and the Watcher smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry...I confronted her before about her magic...but I didn't stick around to follow through on it," He told her, "I shouldn't have left..."

"No," Buffy shook her head as she leaned against the hood of his car, "You have your own life now, Giles...and the Slaying gig was always my thing."

"I should have warned you at least..."

"Maybe...but there was warning signs we all should've picked up on. Besides...I didn't do anything...it was all Anya, Tara and Xander," She shook her head slightly, "It didn't even take a Slayer or a vampire to do it..."

"Anya's taken it hard," Giles said softly, "She's taken on a lot of the blame on herself for Willow's death. Tara and Xander have to keep telling her that there was no other choice..."

"I know...Spike's doing the same," Buffy told him, watching Giles' face closely, "Because Willow targeted him, he thinks he may have been the one to push her over the edge. I shouldn't have let him confront Willow like that...it should have been me and the rest of the gang...it shouldn't have been just him."

"That's possibly the reason why she was so resentful...a crea--person with Spike's past, telling her what she did was wrong, when she think she wasn't in the wrong at all...she resented it and took her anger and frustrations out on Spike."

Buffy sighed as she looked towards the house, "You know he moved in...right?"

"I guessed as much," Giles told her, a small smile on his face, "Do you truly love him, Buffy?"

"Yes...I do," She looked towards him, shaking her head slightly, "I have for a long time...but it didn't click...till that spell Willow did. The polarity one. Seeing his two different sides...and the way they both cared for me...it made me come to terms that...he's both a demon and the man...and I couldn't accept one or the other. I needed his poetry, his tenderness...and his passion, his impatience, and the whole warrior spirit thing. He's my equal, Giles...everything I need...and everything that I love about him."

Giles chuckled, "I can see that," He reached out, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, "I don't think I have seen that amount of emotions in your eyes since you came back. I'm intensely grateful that Spike has seemed to wake it up in you."

Buffy smiled up at him, "What? No, 'Buffy, be careful, he's soulless and could eat you in a second?'"

"Of course, I will say be careful...but not of that. I've...gotten to know Spike in few months...that you were gone. He's...got a very strange sense of humor, but I don't think he'd ever hurt you." Buffy couldn't help but giggle at that, and Giles smiled in her direction. "Just don't be afraid to kick his butt. I rather think it's good for him."

"Oh believe me, he gives me plenty enough causes to kick his butt," Buffy assured her former Watcher, "So...what do you think the Council is going to say about me, 'fornicating' with another vampire?"

"There's no way in hell I'm going to be telling them that," Giles replied with a grin, "But then...the look on Travers' face may be worth any repurcussions."

"Hmm...get polaroids," Buffy pushed herself off the hood of the car, and she reached out, hugging Giles tightly, "Take care, okay? I don't want to go to any funeral for a long time...including mine."

"I'm very glad to hear that," Giles said softly, then released her regretfully, "I'll be sure to visit even when there isn't a dire situation involved."

"Summer?" Buffy asked hopefully, "You got to check on the Magic Shoppe anyway."

"Anya's doing very well by herself," Giles shook his head slightly, "With the money she sends me, I can retire very comfortably in a few years."

Buffy laughed, then hugged him once more before he got into his car, and she waved at him as he drove off, watching as his car disappeared around the corner before going towards her house.

Spike was waiting inside the doorway with a cup of cocoa, and she smiled up at him as she took it and he kissed her forehead, "What the Watcher have to say? Watch out for the big, bad man?"

"Nope..." Buffy smiled at him, "He gave us his blessing...and I think he admitted to liking you...but only a tiny bit."

Spike looked genuinely surprised, "The Watcher likes me?"

"Just a little bit," Buffy reminded him teasingly, wrapping her arms around his middle, careful not to spill her mug on him.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked her softly, and she looked up into his warm, blue eyes, and she cocked her head, thinking for a few moments before answering him.

"It's gonna...take a long time...getting used to losing Willow," She told him quietly, "Maybe longer before everything's really okay again...but...I think I'm going to be."

"Good," Spike kissed her forehead as he wrapped an arm around her waist and started to lead her into the kitchen, where Dawn was waiting for her lunch.

"Y'know...after finding out that shit I wrote was published...I was thinkin'...how 'bout I start on something serious...like a novel? None of that Anne Rice shit, mind you...I'm not tacky enough to start writing vampire novels...but I bet I could some great historical fiction, considering I was there for a lot of major history..."

Buffy smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder, shaking her head slightly at his enthusiasm as he gestured grandly with his hands, sharing with her his ideas for a novel.

"I don't know," She put in, a slightly teasing tone in her voice, "I was thinking you'd be better at the bodice rippers."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Is that all you ever think about?" He asked in mock exasperation, then glanced at her, eyes glinting wickedly, "Well...actually, the idea has merit...what say we go upstairs, and practice...the bodice ripping?"

"No way," She shoved him playfully, "You still have to buy me a new shirt to replace the one you tore!"

"When I'm a big, famous writer, I'll buy you lots of shirts..."

"Oh, ick, you two," Dawn peeked her head out of the kitchen, "Bad enough I even know you people are ripping your clothes off, now I have to hear about it? You have a bedroom for that kind of talk!"

Spike sighed, throwing a puppy-dog look at Dawn, who only rolled her eyes, "You're supposed to be making me a sandwich, not making out with my sister. Now move!"

"Hmmphh...bossy brat," Spike grumbled, but he ruffled Dawn's hair as he went into the kitchen.

Dawn rolled her eyes again, looking at Buffy, "You two are so gross."

"This from the girl who had thought Spike was a major hottie," Buffy said loudly, and Dawn's eyes went wide as Spike looked towards them sharply, dropping the plate he was taking out of the cabinent.

"I never! Don't listen to her, she's such a liar!" Dawn huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Buffy giggled at her expense, and Dawn stuck out her tongue, "You sooo suck!"

"Yeah, but you're stuck with me," Buffy replied with a small smile, then glanced at Spike, "Hey, you're making me a sandwich too, right?"

Spike swore beneath his breath, then rolled his eyes when Buffy gave him a look, "Yeah, sure, why not? I'm just your personal vamp slave," He grumbled as he started to take out another plate.

Buffy smiled as she went up to him, kissing his temple before whispering in his ear, "Yeah, but what I'm going to do to you later makes it all worth it." Spike promptly dropped the plate he was holding again. "And you're so going to replace those too."

The End