Two of a Kind:

Willow and Warren walked out of the thick forest together. The devilish lights that Willow had helped to release were hovering around them. But she was no longer frightened of them. They were calling to her. Willing her to help release them further, so that they too could become substantial beings again, just as Warren had. He turned to her and smiled.

“Do you hear them calling to you? You still get to be the hero, you know. You can save them all.” He told her.

“I know. I feel so free…Liberated. I didn’t know it could be like this.” She said, as she examined her hands. They almost didn’t feel attached to her body anymore. Nothing felt real, it was as if she were floating.

“You and me, Baby. It’s gonna be great. I had it all wrong before. The Trio? What the hell was I thinking? Nah, a duo. A twosome. That’s where it’s at.” He said nodding his head.

“Two of a kind.” She said distractedly.

She was more interested in her new sense of power than she was in listening to him ramble on. It wasn’t as if she wanted to be with him. She could care less. She only wanted what he was offering her. The power, the invincibility. She had achieved a level so high with him, that she could never go back. And there was no more of that pesky humanity lurking underneath the surface like last time. She had ascended into a higher being. Or, maybe she had descended? It didn’t really matter. All she knew was that this was what she had been searching for. She would never give it up.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy, Spike and Dawn had headed back to the Summer’s home that evening after the quake. They hadn’t seen any evidence of anything strange, other than the usual Sunnydale population. They were still reeling from everything they had learned today. They were a family. Linked by souls and blood. Unbreakable. Spike had to wonder if it could have been him that jumped off that tower that fateful night. If his blood was the same as Dawn’s too, then maybe he could have saved them all? Buffy never would have died and Willow never would have started this mess.

But it was no use wondering over that now. It had all happened, and despite the problems that were plaguing them now, he knew everything had to happen this way for a reason. Likely, he never would have sought his soul, and he wouldn’t be human now. Buffy and he may never have gotten together. He could have somehow died that night, and never gotten this second chance. He supposed you had to take the good with the bad.

They walked inside and sat down in the living room. No one had said a word on the journey home. They were too caught up in their own thoughts. Finally, Buffy spoke.

“Are you guys hungry? We never ate today.” She pointed out, trying to find something simple to talk about.

“I’m not really hungry. I think I just wanna lay down.” Dawn said as she stood up and headed for the stairs.

“Are you okay, Dawn?” Buffy asked concerned.

“I’m fine. Really. I-I’m just a little tired.” She said managing a small smile, to put Buffy at ease.

Spike and Buffy watched as she headed up the stairs. They looked at each other uncomfortably.

“This must be so hard for her.” Buffy whispered.

“It’s hard for us all, I imagine.” He responded.

“I can’t believe she’s mine. Ours…I mean, I always knew deep down that she was part of me…But…” Buffy said shaking her head.

“I know. Kinda makes all that nonsense about protection last night, seem a moot point. We’re already parents.” He said, still in awe.

“Whoa…When you say it like that, it’s just too freaky. I mean, wow.” She said, uncomfortably.

“I do love her, you know. Always have.” He told Buffy softly.

“What?” She asked with a slightly worried expression on her face.

“Not like that. I just mean, I care for the Little Bit. She’s special. I always knew that. Even before I knew she was mine.” He explained.

“Oh. Yeah, I-I think she always liked you too. Although, she did sort of have a crush on you before…and now that’s just incredibly barf-worthy. Not that it didn’t creep me out before…” She said with a small shudder.

“Hey… What’s so creepy about that?”

“Other than the fact that she’s practically your child?” She said incredulously.

“No, I mean, before. Why did that creep you out before? You think I’m that hideous?” He asked with a bruised ego.

“Then I did, yeah. I mean, you were like a hundred, and a vampire and evil. And she was 14. Blech.” She said, making a face.

“Well, yeah. Alright. You have a point.” He agreed, not entirely sure why he was talking about this in the first place. He supposed he was just nervous.

“Do you think she’s alright? She seemed a little quiet. She must be scared. I-I mean all this end of the world stuff, plus learning about us…She may be putting on a brave face, but she’s still just a kid.” Buffy said worriedly.

“Maybe I should go talk to her?” Spike offered.

“Yeah…I guess. I-I think I’m gonna go in the kitchen and see if there’s something to snack on. When I get stressed out, sometimes ice cream helps.” She said absently as she walked towards the kitchen.

Spike turned and walked up the stairs. He came to Dawn’s room and knocked quietly on the door.

“Yeah?” A small voice answered him.

“It’s me, Dawn. Can I come in?” Spike asked.

“Sure.”

He opened the door and went inside. He found Dawn lying on her bed looking at a picture of Joyce. She put it down when he sat next to her. He looked down at it and sighed softly.

“She’s still your mum, you realize.” He said quietly.

“Not really.” Dawn shook her head.

“Yeah, really. She loved you as if you were her own. You know that. When she found out you weren’t hers, she still loved you. She was a good mum.” He assured her.

“But she’s not my mom. I don’t even have a mom. Not really. Either that, or my sister and her former vampire lover are my parents. Might as well book me on Jerry Springer.” She said sarcastically.

“Dawn, I know this is awkward--.”

“Awkward? It’s way more than that. It’s…It’s…I don’t know what it is.” She said sadly.

“Look, nothing’s changed. It’s not like I expect you call me ‘Daddy’ for god’s sake. But I just want you to know that I care for you. Always have. Just like Buffy does.” He explained to her sincerely.

She laughed a little and looked up at him.

“Daddy, huh? I don’t know…It is kinda funny.”

“Please don’t.” He shook his head with a grin.

She sighed and looked at him.

“Look, I’m just a little freaked, that’s all. I mean, so much has happened these last few weeks. I-I don’t even know what to think. I’ve been trying to be really strong and act like nothing’s different. But it is. And I’m scared.” She admitted softly.

He reached over and touched her shoulder gently.

“I know.”

“Please don’t tell Buffy I said that. If she knew how scared I was, she’d just get worried. And I don’t want her to worry.” Dawn pleaded with him.

“I won’t tell her. But I think she already knows.”

“How does she do this? I mean, she’s been saving the world since before she was my age. And she never got scared.”

“I’m sure she did. Plenty of times.” Spike told her.

“She never showed it.”

“I suspect she didn’t want to worry you either.”

“Yeah, I guess…You know what else? I’m starting to see why she got expelled from school all those times. I have this algebra test on Monday, and I’m so not ready for it. I-I’m not sure Mr. Williams will accept the excuse that I had to stop an apocalypse, so I couldn’t study.”

“Well, I can’t help you there. You’ll have to ask Buffy how she managed to graduate.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t even worry about the stupid test? Who knows if the world will still be here by then anyway.” She said morbidly.

“Don’t talk like that. It will.”

“You’re just lying to make me feel better.”

“No. I’m lying to make us all feel better.” He smirked. Then he shook his head. “The truth is, I’m a bit frightened myself.” He admitted.

Dawn stared at him, surprised he would admit that. And also a little unnerved that someone as tough as Spike would be frightened.

“You are?”

“And don’t you ever, ever tell Buffy I said that. I don’t want her to think I’m a prancing little poof of a coward.” He said seriously.

“Why would you be scared anyway? I mean, fighting baddies isn’t exactly new territory for you.” She asked.

“I know. It’s not the battle I’m worried about. I can handle that. I enjoy a good brawl. It’s the fact that I don’t wanna lose. Before, I never had anything to lose. If I died, it didn’t really matter. I was dead already anyway. But now, I have something to live for. Something to save. The last time I fought for something I truly believed in, I lost. I failed. And because of that, Buffy died, and you nearly did. I can’t have it happen again.” He said seriously.

She was silent for a moment as she understood his fears. He was worried he’d fail them again. Only Dawn had never seen him as a failure. He had tried his hardest that night to save her. She didn’t blame him when wasn’t able to. But clearly Spike blamed himself.

“We’ll be fine. I think this time we’ll win.” She said softly, trying to convince them both.

“You bet we will.” He said finding his confidence again.

She leaned over and hugged him. It was the first time she had openly showed her affection for him. It moved him. He hadn’t expected any of this. He had felt deep in his heart that Dawn and Buffy were his family. But now it was confirmed. These girls were his life. His everything. He had to keep them safe.

Finally she pulled away and looked at him with a small grin.

“So you and Buffy are back together? For real?” She asked him curiously, changing the subject.

“Yeah. I mean, I think so.” He said a little unsure.

“I knew she would forgive you.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I mean, she was really mad…But mostly, I think she was just hurt. I knew it couldn’t be as bad as what Xander told me, or else she wouldn’t have missed you like she did.” Dawn told him.

“Xander told you what happened?” He asked unhappily.

“Yeah. Sort of. I mean, Buffy told me a little more, but she didn’t want to talk about it. She called it a ‘misunderstanding’, which was a lot nicer than what Xander called it.”

“Well, I’m not gonna lie to you, Dawn. I made a huge error in judgment. I really screwed things up. I never expected Buffy to even look at me again. But I love her so much…I’d never willingly try and hurt her. Never again.” He said pushing back his emotions. He hated even thinking of it, much less discussing it with Dawn.

“I know you wouldn’t. She does too.” Dawn reassured him.

They sat in silence for a moment as Spike tried to erase the memory from his mind again. It was something that would haunt him forever. But he was trying to move past it. She smiled slyly at him and he noticed her look.

“What?” He asked.

“Nothing. It’s just…Well, you mentioned a problem you and Buffy had. Last night?” She said hesitantly.

“Which problem? The dead woman?”

“No, the other one. The ‘necessary precautions’ one.”

“Oh. Yeah. What of it?” He asked uncomfortably.

“Well…I might be able to help you.” She said awkwardly.

“What?”

She got up and went to her dresser drawer. She rifled through it and pulled out a small handful of condoms. She handed them over to him. He looked mortified and quickly stood up to face her.

“What are these? What the hell do you have these things for?” He asked frantically.

“Relax. It’s not like I use them. They hand them out at school. They make us take them. It’s not like I’ve even had a date since the last boy I liked turned out to be dead. Which means, I wouldn’t have needed them anyway…” She explained.

“I can’t believe this. They make you take these wretched things?” He asked shaking his head.

“They’re not wretched, they’re safe. They want us to be careful.”

“Careful? You’re too young to even be thinking of this.” He protested.

“Is this some kind of weird fatherly thing? Do you know how old Buffy was when she and Angel--.”

“Yes, I remember. Quite well, thank you very much.”

“Look, I’m not using them. If I was, why would I give them to you? If you don’t want them--.”

“I want them.” He said quickly, shoving them in his pockets.

“Good. Now, go and ‘entertain’ my sister. I’m just gonna be in here, with my headphones on, completely oblivious to anything around me.” She said with a little smirk.

He smiled at the thought of her suggestion.

“You really think I should? Now? It’s only eight o’clock.”

“So?”

“Good point.” He said, rushing to the door. Then he stopped and looked back at her. “Are you sure about this? You’re not, you know, ‘wigged’ as Buffy says?” He asked.

“I’m cool. I want you guys to be happy. We might not have a lot of time left.” She added softly.

Her words disturbed him. Mostly because she was right and he hated to admit it. He nodded his head and walked out the door, closing it behind him. He made his way down the stairs, eager to get Buffy alone again. Hopefully this time they wouldn’t have a ghostly voyeur watching them.

He walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Xander and Buffy sitting at the table together. They looked up when he walked into the room.

“What are you doing here?” Spike asked, displeased at his presence.

“The earthquake. We all felt it. I was at work when it happened.” Xander explained.

“He was just wondering if anything apocalypse-y was going on.” Buffy finished for him.

“Oh, well, not as far as we can tell. Yet.” Spike said, as he sat in a chair next to Buffy.

“I heard on the news that there were earthquakes all over the place. Not just here. There were at least a dozen of them, around the globe. They’re calling it an unnatural phenomenon.” Xander told them.

“Unnatural, alright. Bloody hell. This is no phenomenon. Something’s happening, and here we are just sitting around.” Spike said bitterly.

“You heard what Giles said. We don’t have anything to fight yet. We don’t even know what we’re doing.” Buffy reminded him.

“Spike’s right.” Xander chimed in.

Buffy and Spike both looked at him, startled that he’d agree with anything he had to say. Xander sighed.

“Look, I’m just saying he’s right. We should be doing something before this gets out of hand.”

“What should we do? Fly around the globe and inspect all the quake damage?” Buffy asked sarcastically.

“I don’t know. But there must be something.” Xander sagged in his chair.

“We’ll deal with this. When the time comes…But now, we have to wait. I don’t like it any better than either of you. But until we have a clear picture of what we’re fighting, our hands are tied.” She told them.

They all absorbed what Buffy was saying and lowered their heads. Buffy looked at Spike.

“How’s Dawn?” She quietly shifted the subject.

“She’s alright. A little confused, but she’s fine. We had a good talk.” He told her.

“Look, I need to get home. But call me if anything happens, okay?” Xander said as he stood up from the table.

“I will. I’m supposed to work tomorrow afternoon, but after that, I’m probably going to the Magic Box.” She told him.

“Okay. See you later.”

Xander walked out the back door and Spike visibly relaxed. He was happy to have the intrusion out of the way. He leaned over to Buffy and put his arm around her shoulders. He could feel how tense she was. He stood up and positioned himself behind her. He began rubbing the knots out of her shoulders. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“Mmmm…That’s nice.” She cooed to him.

“You like that? I also do other parts of the body.” He said suggestively.

She grinned up at him.

“That sounds naughty.” She said seductively. Then she frowned. “Which means, we can’t do that.”

“Ah, but we can.” He whispered into her ear.

She turned around and looked at him curiously.

“What?”

“I’ve got it covered. So, you wanna go upstairs?” He asked hopefully.

“You’ve got it covered? Since when?”

“Since Dawn--.” He started, but then thought better of it. Buffy would probably react even more strongly than he did at the image of Dawn keeping birth control in her bedroom.

“Since Dawn what?” She prodded him.

“Uh, since Dawn told me where to get what we needed. You know, I didn’t realize they sold such things at the gas station.” He lied.

“You asked Dawn where to buy birth control? Are you nuts? And why would she know where to get it?” Buffy asked hurriedly.

Apparently, his lie bothered Buffy as much as the truth would have.

“Uh, I didn’t ask. She just told me. And you know kids these days…”

“When did you have time to go to the gas station?” She questioned him.

Before he could come up with a suitable excuse, the phone rang, giving him a slight reprieve. Buffy got up to answer it.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Buffy. We’ve got a problem.” Giles said unhappily into the phone.

“What is it? What happened?”

“It’s Willow. She’s gone missing.”

“What? How?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t know. It seems that they experienced an earthquake at the retreat as well. When the other witches awoke from their beds, and went to check on Willow, she was gone. They haven’t been able to find her.” Giles explained.

“Oh my god…”

Spike stood up and walked over to Buffy. He questioned her with his eyes.

“What’s going on?” He asked her curiously.

“It’s Willow. She’s gone.” She told him quickly. The she directed the conversation back into the phone. “Do you think something happened to her? Did she take her stuff?”

“No, she didn’t take any of her belongings. But there were a few things missing from the retreat, Buffy. Magical items.” He added with disappointment.

“Magical items?”

“Yes, it seems that they have been experiencing the same sort of red lights that Spike and Xander saw the other evening. It appeared to be a routine haunting at first. And now they believe that Willow may have tried to do a spell to fix the problem.” Giles told her.

“Fix it? I thought she couldn’t do magic anymore? Why would she try and fix it?”

“They lifted her binding spell recently. She had appeared to be ready for it. But now they fear they were mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

“Buffy, I don’t know how to say this…But Willow continued to do magicks that effectively broke down the barriers between worlds even further. She attempted to contact Tara. And it started another chain of events.” He said sadly.

“She’s the one doing this? Still?” Buffy asked, feeling disappointed and angry with her former best friend.

“She didn’t know. And frankly, neither did the other witches who were looking after her. They had no idea the magnitude of her magicks.”

“So what happened to her? Do you think she got hurt in the earthquake?”

“Buffy, I fear that it was Willow herself who caused the quakes with her magic. Inadvertently, no doubt. ” Giles told her.

“Do you think she’s okay? I mean, if she was trying to fix things…She was trying to do something good, right?”

“I believe so. But there’s something else.” Giles added.

“What?”

“It’s Warren. It seems he has been visiting Willow. Tormenting her, if you will. She may have been distraught enough to do something drastic just to rid herself of him.”

“Warren? But he’s dead. Really, really dead. I watched him die.”

“Yes. But that doesn’t mean anything anymore. Not with everything else that’s been happening. The spirits of Hell are breaking free. Crossing dimensional walls. Soon they’ll all be free.” Giles said gravely.

“What about the good people? The ones in Heaven? I-I mean, we saw that lady, but that’s it. Where are they?”

“That’s because the beings in Hell want to escape. Those who are at peace, are trying all they can to preserve it. But soon they won’t have a choice.”

“So what do we do? I’m starting to agree with Spike here. We can’t just sit around and do nothing.” She said seriously.

“Buffy, I’m working on it. I promise you.” He assured her.

“Work faster, Giles. Please.”

“I will. I shall keep you informed if I hear anything else about Willow and her whereabouts.”

Buffy hung up the phone and looked at Spike unhappily.

“Willow’s missing and Giles thinks she started the earthquakes.” She told him.

“What? How?”

“I don’t know. They think she was trying to fix things. But I don’t think it worked. And now, no one can find her.” Buffy whispered sadly.

“I didn’t think she was doing magic anymore.”

“She wasn’t, but they lifted her binding spell.”

“Why? Are they out of their bleedin’ minds? This is the girl who just tried to end the world a few months ago. And they lifted the spell?” Spike asked angrily.

“They thought she was better. They trusted her.” Buffy explained softly.

“Yeah, well, they were wrong.”

“She was trying to help. She was trying to fix everything. This isn’t the same as before. She was doing something good.” Buffy protested.

“You really believe that? You think she was all cured and using fluffy little magic tricks like David Copperfield and she ‘accidentally’ brought about a series of earthquakes heralding the end of the world?” He asked incredulously.

“That’s not what she was trying to do.”

“You don’t know that. And besides, even if that is true, does it really matter what her intentions were when they outcome is the same?” He asked.

“Right now, I’m just worried about her. Something terrible could have happened. I just want them to find her.”

“They’ll find her when she wants to be found.” He said seriously.

“You really don’t believe she was trying to be good, do you?” She asked.

“Do you?” He asked pointedly.

She looked at him for a moment and sighed.

“I don’t know.” She said quietly.

They stood there in the kitchen trying to comprehend what to do next. All of the waiting was getting to both of them. They were more of the action type. They liked it when you knew who your enemies were, and you killed them. End of story. Now, they didn’t even know who exactly they were supposed to be fighting. And Willow was a wild card. Was she an enemy or friend? Was all of this a good attempt gone wrong? Or was there something far more sinister to it? Buffy had no idea what to believe.

If you asked her a year ago if Willow would be capable of something like this, she would have laughed. But Buffy had seen her fury first hand. At this point, Willow was capable of anything.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow and Warren had gone away from the retreat and stood in the middle of a small village. It was nearly daybreak and the sky was beginning to lighten. He looked over at her.

“We need a place to stay.” He announced.

“What?”

“We need a headquarters, you know? Someplace to kick back and relax until the time is right. Now that I’m not trapped between worlds, I’m ready to live again. In style, preferably.” He explained.

“Fine. Which one of these houses do you like?” She asked, pointing to the residences that were on either side of him.

“Nah, these are no good. I want something bigger. Something back there.” He said, pointing to a thick patch of trees that was set back from the main village.

“There isn’t a house there.” She pointed out to him.

“So we’ll put one up.” He smiled.

“What? Are you Amish or something? How can you just ‘put up’ a house?”

“I’ll show you.” He said, taking her hand. “Now concentrate. Just think ‘there’s no place like home’.” He urged her.

She stared down at their intertwined fingers and tried to concentrate on what he was saying. She could feel an energy crackling between them, and it could only be described as burning electricity. Her whole body began to glow a bright red, as did his. He raised their arms together, and as he did, an entire dwelling emerged from the earth. The village shook, and they could hear commotion around them as people emerged from their homes to see what was happening. All they saw was a red glow in the middle of the darkened street. And then it was gone.

Willow and Warren were now inside their new home. She looked around at the furnishings. It was a mixture of her tastes and what she assumed to be his. She looked at him perplexed.

“What is all this stuff? How did you do this?” She asked in awe.

“We did this. Whatever you perceive home to be like, that’s what you get. Pretty cool huh?” He said as he plopped himself down on the posh sofa.

“Won’t people be suspicious that a house just popped up out of the ground?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah. They can’t see it. It’s cloaked.” He shrugged.

She had to smile at that. This was something she had never thought to achieve before. She sat down in a chair across from him.

“Why don’t you come over here, Baby. The couch is big enough for both of us.” He told her suggestively.

“You must be crazy to think that I’d touch you.” She said calmly.

“Hey now. Be nice. I just shared something real special with you here. A little thanks would be nice.” He said seriously.

“I’m not thanking you. You owed it to me. You destroyed Tara, and you destroyed my life. And now you want my thanks?” She asked.

“I just gave you your life back. I gave you immortality here. I made you invincible, and you’re not even gonna give me anything?” He asked incredulously.

“What would I give you? You expect me to sleep with you? Is that it?” She asked with disgust.

“I expect you to love me for this. I gave you what you wanted. What no one else could give you.” He said, standing up to face her.

She only laughed at him.

“You’re insane.”

“Yeah, well, kinda already knew that, Sweetheart. I’m a fucking demon from Hell now. Sane doesn’t really play into this much.” He said exasperated at her unwillingness to oblige his wishes.

“Poor Warren. All you ever wanted was someone to love you, isn’t that right? Well, I’m not your robot girlfriend. And just because you chose to give me this gift, doesn’t mean I owe you anything. So back off.” She said in threatening voice.

“You better change your tune. I don’t like the way you’re talking to me.” He said angrily.

“Too bad. You know what? It’s been real fun. But I don’t need you anymore.” She said, getting up to leave.

He rushed over to her and grabbed her arms to stop her. He gripped her tightly and she glared at him.

“Let me go.” She growled.

“Nu-uh. You need to listen to me. You can’t leave.” He urged her.

“Yes, I can. You already gave me the power. Why would I stick around? Oh, I guess maybe you didn’t think that far in advance.” She mocked him.

He leaned into her and she could feel his breath on her face.

“Wrong again. You leave, the power leaves. I didn’t give you anything. I’m sharing it with you. When you kissed me? Part of me, went into you and vice versa. The power only works this way if we’re together. Maybe you didn’t read the fine print.” He said evilly.

She glared at him and tried to comprehend what he was saying. He released her arms and she stumbled backwards a bit. She steadied herself on the arm of the couch.

“What are you saying?” She asked.

“I’m saying that you and me are joined now. I’ve got your power, and you’ve got mine. It’s a little trick I picked up in Hell. It’s called the Incorria Agiato. Course, they claimed it could only be done with people who share a blood bond, but I worked around it.” He explained.

“What? How?”

“See, when you called on your little girlfriend, I intercepted the call. You may have wanted her, but you were thinking of me.”

“I was not. I would never think about you.” She said firmly.

“Yeah, you were. You were thinking about what you did to me, because of her. You weren’t focused, Baby. So I took advantage of that. You called me out of Hell, and that’s a bond that can’t be broken. It’s not blood, but it’s good enough.” He told her.

“So you planned this? How did you know I’d even want this?”

“I didn’t. But, it didn’t really matter. I knew you were into some seriously powerful shit back here on earth. Who better to join forces with? They made me a demon, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. And you were my ticket outta there.”

“But how did you become like this? Why aren’t you still a ghost?” She asked confused.

“Because, you made it so. You kept calling and little by little I was pulled out. That last thing you did? You requested the opening of the gates. That’s all it took. You’d already given me form, and I just slipped out. Just like that. Back on earth like I never left. But now the others want it too. They want you to finish what you started.”

She leaned against the couch and tried to comprehend what he was saying. Everything she felt right now was clouded. The power surge she felt earlier was beginning to wane, and small bits of the old Willow were threatening to surface. But she pushed them back and looked at him wearily.

“You’re draining already. That house spell must have been a little much for your first time out. You want a recharge?” He asked, moving closer to her and caressing her arm.

She wanted to recoil from his touch, but the demonic energy between them was too strong. She turned to him and grabbed his face. She planted her lips on his and kissed him roughly. The energy crackled between them as the batteries in their deadly union were recharged. When she was satisfied, she tossed him back away from her, and he landed on the floor with a thud.

“Thanks, Baby.” She said with a wicked grin.

Then she turned on her heel and headed up the stairs to find some privacy. She may not like him, but she’d have to live with him. At least for now.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy had suggested to Spike that they do a routine patrol that night. After talking with Giles about what had happened, and knowing the earthquake was no routine trembling, she felt the need to make sure they weren’t missing anything. He had to agree with her, even though he was disappointed that their romantic evening would have to be put on hold. Again.

They told Dawn they were leaving and she had wanted to come with them. She was still a little freaked out to be left alone in the house after the spooky woman that appeared last night. But in the end, they’d all agreed that it was probably safer for her at home. And someone should be there in case Giles had any news to share.

They walked along the edge of the cemetery looking for anything out of the ordinary. They both would have settled for a simple vampire, but that wasn’t what they saw.

“What is that? Are those vamps?” Buffy asked, squinting her eyes trying to focus on the shapes in the distance.

“I don’t know. There are an awful lot of them.” He said staring at them.

There were about twenty people walking around the far corner of the cemetery, seemingly aimless. Spike could hear the familiar hum that he had witnessed the other night on the street. And as he looked closer, each and every one of the people had a faint red glow emanating off of them. Spike stepped back and took Buffy’s hand.

“They aren’t vamps, they’re spirits. Evil spirits, no doubt. They’re gaining form somehow.” He explained with a whisper.

She was unnerved but tried not to show it. She looked at Spike and questioned him with a small voice.

“Can we fight them? I mean, we were looking for something to kill…This might be a good start.”

“How can we kill something that’s already dead?” He pointed out.

“I-I don’t know. I didn’t think that far in advance I just saw a bunch of baddies and that’s what I usually do. You know, kill em.” She said, making a stabbing motion with the stake in her hand.

“Well, I don’t think that stake is gonna do the trick.” He told her. Then he turned his attention back to the spirits. He shook his head. “They don’t seem to be doing anything. It’s like they’re stuck.” He observed.

“I know. Do you think these people are buried here?” She asked curiously.

“Not sure, but I’d venture that’s a safe bet. I’m thinking that whatever Willow did, it opened the gates just a little bit more. They came out, but it wasn’t enough. They’re still trapped between both worlds.”

“So, can’t we just like, shove em back in?”

“I don’t think we can do anything until they get un-stuck. Remember when you first came back and you told me you had to fight that ghosty thing in your room? It’s the same concept. You can’t kill it until it has solid form.” He explained.

“Damn.” She muttered.

He took her hand and attempted to lead her away from the cemetery.

“Where are we going? We can’t just leave these things here.” She told him.

“They aren’t going anywhere. They can’t.”

“But still…What if someone sees them?” She asked.

He looked back over to the cemetery and shook his head.

“I don’t think that will be a problem.” He told her.

“Why not?” She asked confused, as she turned around to look herself.

There was nothing there. The cemetery was still and empty, except the for the plethora of grave markers.

“Okay, I’ve dealt with a lot of creepy stuff before, but this is just worst. I don’t like things I can’t fight. It gives me a serious case of the wiggins.”

“Me too. Let’s get out of here. There’s nothing we can do.” He said, taking her hand again, and heading back to the house.

They made their way up the steps and went inside. All of the lights in the house were on and Buffy called upstairs to Dawn.

“We’re home, Dawnie. Is everything okay?”

Dawn came running down the stairs, relieved that she was no longer alone in the house.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” She said to them quickly.

“Did something happen? Are you okay?” Buffy asked with concern.

“I’m fine. I just don’t like being here anymore. I-I kept thinking someone was watching me.” She explained.

“Well, I see you’ve turned on every light in the house. Did that help?” Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I just didn’t want something jumping out at me. You can turn them off if you want.”

Buffy went around and switched off some of the lights, not eager to plunge the house into total darkness herself.

“You know, I like vampires a whole lot better. At least they can’t come in without an invitation.” Dawn pointed out.

“That’s true. But still, I think we’re safe for now. That woman wasn’t trying to hurt us.” Buffy explained to her trying to calm her nerves.

“Yeah, I know. But still, it gives me the chills. Did you guys see anything out there?” Dawn wondered.

“More ghosts.” Buffy sighed.

“More? Where?”

“In the cemetery, but they seemed to be trapped there.” Spike told her.

“What did you guys do?” Dawn asked.

“Nothing. They just went poof.” Buffy sighed.

“Poof? You mean, they disappeared?”

Buffy nodded and sat herself down on the couch. She was tired and her head was spinning. There was an overabundance of thoughts and fears running through her head right now. And none of it was comforting. She really just wanted to go to sleep and pretend none of these things were happening. But as it always seemed to be, that wasn’t possible. She looked at Dawn.

“Dawn, maybe you should try and get some sleep? It’s getting really late.”

“Yeah, I guess. I-I’m not sure I can sleep though. Why don’t we all watch a movie or something? You know, till we fall asleep?” Dawn offered, not wanting to be alone right now.

“Sure.” Buffy smiled at her.

Spike wanted to protest. He was still thinking about the items he held in his pockets, and what he wanted to do with them. But apparently, now wasn’t a good time. And he supposed he could wait just a little bit longer.

“What should we watch? The rental places are all closed by now.” Spike asked her.

“We can just see what’s on TV.” Dawn said, as she happily plopped herself down on the couch with the remote.

Buffy took off her jacket and her shoes and got herself comfortable next to Dawn. Spike sat down next to Buffy. Dawn started flipping through the channels.

“Okay, Amityville Horror? I don’t think so. Already living that.” Dawn muttered as she continued flipping.

“See what’s on HBO.” Buffy urged her.

“Uh, Nightmare On Elm Street. I’m thinking a big no to that one.” Dawn said, changing the channel quickly.

“Is there anything non violent on?” Buffy wondered.

“Um, we have the Muppets Take Manhattan?” Dawn said with a raised eyebrow.

“Something more violent than that, please.” Spike chimed in making a face.

“I don’t know. Miss Piggy throws a mean punch. Gotta appreciate that.” Buffy grinned jokingly.

“She kinda reminds me of you.” Spike joked.

Buffy smacked his arm and shoved him away from her.

“How rude! I remind you of a pig?” She asked incredulously, and with hurt feelings.

“I just meant the way she’s always smacking that poor frog around. Kinda like what you did just now.” He pointed out, as he rubbed his arm with a small smile.

“Oh, sorry.” She said sheepishly. Then she gave him a look. “But you have to admit, comparing your girlfriend to Miss Piggy? Not gonna win you any points.” She told him.

He just looked at her and smiled.

“My girlfriend?” He asked.

Buffy looked surprised for a moment. She wasn’t fully aware that she had actually said that to him. It had just slipped out.

“Yeah.” She admitted casually, as if it wasn’t a huge step for her in admitting her feelings.

He grinned at her and felt like shouting at the top of his lungs that Buffy Summers had called herself his girlfriend. Not a huge leap for most people. Especially ones who had been sleeping together for months. But for them, it was feat. She admitted that they were having a relationship. One that was real and not a fantasy in his fevered brain. It wasn’t something she was hiding or denying. And now she acted like it was just a fact. As if it had always been that way.

“How about this movie?” Dawn asked curiously. She had tuned them out while they bickered, and kept up her search for the perfect show to watch.

“When Harry Met Sally?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah.” Dawn confirmed.

Buffy shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess. There isn’t any violence or Muppets, so it sounds good.”

They sat back and tried to concentrate on the show. It didn’t take too long before Dawn was fast asleep. And Buffy and Spike weren’t far behind. They all lay slumped on the couch together. Buffy and Dawn were snuggled together and Spike had his arm draped over the top of both of them. Seemingly trying to protect them, even in his sleep. The television kept going, and Spike woke with a start when a particularly loud commercial started blaring.

He looked around and realized where he was. Then he looked down at the two sleeping girls beside him. His girls. It didn’t seem real. He had no idea what he’d done to deserve any of this. Those trials he endured weren’t enough to afford him a gift like this. He had been evil for more than a hundred years. There was nothing he could do to make up for that. He knew that. His new soul deeply ached for all the mistakes he’d made, and mayhem he had caused.

It seemed a lifetime ago. He remembered it all, but it didn’t feel real. It felt like he was remembering a novel he had read, or a movie he had watched. Or maybe even a particularly vivid nightmare. It didn’t feel like his life. But it had been.

He leaned over and planted soft kisses on the side of Buffy’s cheek. She began to stir and turned her head to meet his lips. She wasn’t even fully awake, but she knew he was there. He kissed her lips tenderly, and finally she opened her eyes to see him. She smiled.

“Is the movie over?” She whispered, trying not to wake Dawn.

“Yeah.”

She looked down at Dawn who was sleeping soundly. She tried to maneuver herself away from her, without waking her up. She succeeded and Dawn curled up further into the pillows. Buffy and Spike sat up she stretched to try and work her kinks out. She rubbed her neck.

“Dawn’s not really a very good pillow. My neck is all wonky now.” She complained in a soft voice.

He reached over and attempted to rub her neck again, the same way he had earlier.

“I still owe you that massage, you know?” He whispered to her.

She giggled softly and looked over at the sleeping Dawn.

“We should go upstairs.” She told him.

“Good idea.” He smiled at her happily.

She stood up and started walking towards the stairs. He jumped up to follow her, and ended up stepping in the half empty popcorn bowl that Dawn had left at his feet. He felt the greasy corn crunching between his toes.

“Bloody hell.” He muttered under his breath.

Buffy stifled her giggles and he shook his head. He picked the bowl off of his foot and tried to get the popcorn unstuck from his toes. Dawn continued to sleep, and he was thankful he hadn’t fallen and hit his head. It would be just his luck to be knocked unconscious just as he and Buffy were getting somewhere good. Real smooth, Spike…He thought to himself.

Buffy seemed unfazed by his blunder, and only took his hand and pulled him up the stairs with her. They went into her room and she shut the door behind them. Spike tried to pull her into his arms, but she stopped him.

“Wait.” She told him.

He sighed.

“What is it now? I told you I had everything covered.”

“The lights. I want them on.” She said, moving across the room, and flipping on her bedside lamp.

“Hmm…Alright. Makes it more exciting. I get it.” He said moving behind her. He kissed the back of her neck, and ran his hands down her arms.

“No, actually it makes it less exciting. I-I don’t want any dead people livening up the party this time.”

“Ah, I understand. But I kind of like it better this way.” He whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. He began slowly unbuttoning her shirt.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly. She pulled them down onto her bed and he kissed her neck. His fingers continued releasing her buttons. His kisses traveled down the side of her neck, and across her chest. She closed her eyes tightly and hoped that when she opened them, Spike would be the only other person she saw.

She opened them again, when she felt his tongue tracing a pattern over the swell of her breasts. He caressed her through the fabric of her bra and she moaned softly when his fingertips brushed over her nipples. She shuddered and began unbuttoning his shirt. She got it undone as far as she could reach, and then pulled it down over his shoulders. Her hands caressed the smooth, hard muscle of his chest.

He brought his mouth to hers again, and she could feel his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. She parted them, and met his tongue with her own. It was as if they were trying desperately to taste each other. He was being so gentle. Almost too gentle. She couldn’t take it. She placed her hands on the back of his head and pressed him down to her, crushing his mouth with hers. Her hands clawed at his shirt, and ripped it off of his back completely. He was stunned for a moment, then he realized that some things hadn’t changed.

Buffy was no delicate flower, and neither was he. She clamped her legs around his waist and flipped them over. She straddled him and sat up to face him. She ran her hands down his bare chest and smiled at him. Then she reached up and pulled her blouse all the way off, and unhooked her bra. She discarded both hastily and leaned down to kiss him again. He ran his hands over her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. She shuddered and he grabbed her waist to pull her up further.

He strained his neck to meet her breast with his mouth. He ran his tongue over her hard peak and sucked it into his mouth. His tongue traced circles around it, as he gently nipped at her with his teeth. She pulled back and sat up straight. He was mesmerized by the sight of her. The lamplight shone off her golden hair in such a way that she looked angelic. Her eyes were wild with desire and he watched as her fingers nimbly undid the buttons on his jeans.

“You are so beautiful.” He murmured appreciatively.

She smiled at him as she attempted to free him of his restrictive clothing. She ran her hands down the side of his pants and pulled them off. She felt something lumpy in his pockets. She looked at him curiously, and pulled the contents out. She held in her hands six condoms. She raised her eyebrow at him.

“Wow…Six? That’s a lot even for us.” She said with a small smirk.

He grinned at her.

“Well, I was trying to plan ahead. But who knows…” He said with a smoldering look as he grabbed her arms and pulled her down to him again. The items in her hands scattered on the bed, and he rolled them over.

He pinned her arms above her head and kissed her neck hungrily. He nibbled at the sensitive flesh between her neck and shoulder, He released her arms as his hands worked to pull down her sweat pants. He kissed his way down her body, stopping only to tease her nipples again with his tongue. He pulled her pants all the way off, and admired how perfect her body was. Clothed only in a pair of pink satin panties, she looked like a goddess to him. It was true that this wasn’t their first time together, but it felt new to him.

He dipped his head down and kissed her through her panties and he gently worked them down off her hips. He tossed them aside and she parted her legs slightly for him. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. Badly. He pressed her legs apart and kissed her inner thigh, running his tongue up her sensitive flesh. Her arousal was intoxicating to him, and he met her sweetness with his tongue.

He licked across her burning flesh and she cried out softly. She knew they needed to keep things quiet , since Dawn was in the house. But Buffy was having a hard time, as she felt his tongue press into her heat.

“Oh god…Oh Spike…” She murmured, as she clutched his head to press him further into her.

He was drowning in her, literally. And he had forgotten that he needed to breath now. He pulled his head back slightly and looked up at her. He expected her eyes to be closed, but she was watching him. She was watching him as he made love to her with his tongue. He ran his hand up her inner thigh until he reached her core. He caressed her softly with his fingers, then he dipped down to take her sensitive nub into his mouth again. He slipped two fingers inside of her, as he gently sucked on her flesh.

She moaned loudly and she pressed her legs to the side of his head. She clutched at the bedspread as he consumed her.

“Don’t stop…” She whispered frantically.

He never wanted to stop. He felt like he could stay this way forever. He sucked her harder as his fingers continued to press inside her. He felt her body tense around him, and he was afraid the strength of her thighs would pop his head right off his shoulders. But he couldn’t muster up the will to care. To die like this would be perfect. She arched her back, and he felt as her body began to shudder. He looked up at her and watched as she rode the wave of her ecstasy. Her legs went limp around him and slowly made his way back up the length of her body. Her eyes were opened and she was out of breath.

He kissed her lips and then placed small kisses along the side of her face.

“I love you, Buffy. I never want to lose you again.” He whispered to her.

She looked at him and felt her heart beating wildly. It wasn’t solely because of the orgasm she had just had, it was because of her feelings. She loved him too, and she needed to tell him that. She ran her hands down his back and pressed him down to her. She wanted to feel his skin against hers.

“I love you too.” She whispered almost inaudibly.

He lifted his head to make sure he had heard her correctly, and she smiled at him.

“Yes, you heard me right.” She assured him, as if she had read his thoughts.

He grinned at her.

“Maybe you should say it again, just so I can be sure.”

She held his shoulders and flipped him onto his back again. She held his arms above his head and smiled down at him.

“Don’t push it.” She joked with him.

He grinned at her. He knew what she felt, and as much as he wanted to hear it again, hearing it once was more than he felt he deserved. She kissed him again and she could feel his erection pressing against her inner thigh. She wanted him inside of her. She needed him now. Blindly, she reached out and felt around on the bed. She was trying to find the discarded condoms she had fished out of his pocket.

She located one, and pulled away from his kiss. She sat up and held it out to him.

“You need to put this on.” She said softly.

He looked at the packet and cringed inwardly. He had never in his existence, used anything like this. He wasn’t fancying wrapping his package up in latex, before he gave it to her. He was secretly hoping she wouldn’t make him wear it after all.

“Are you really sure I have to use that?” He asked her.

“Yes.”

“But, won’t it pinch or something?” He complained.

“Men wear them all the time. It’s a thing. You get used to it. I guess anyway.” She said awkwardly.

“And there’s no way around it?”

“Not unless you wanna be changing diapers nine months from now.” She said plainly.

He grabbed the packet out her hand and nodded his head.

“Good point.”

He put it on, and had to admit he felt ridiculous. But when he looked at Buffy, she didn’t seem to mind at all. She straddled him again, and met his lips with hers. He caressed her breasts again and his hands traveled down to her bottom. He grasped it tightly and lifted her up. She positioned herself above him, and lowered herself down onto him.

They both gasped as his length slid into her. Spike had to admit, it didn’t seem to feel much different. And all he could think was that he was inside her again. And this time she loved him. It wasn’t a game, or something she was ashamed of. They were truly making love for the first time. He looked up at her as she rode him slowly. Her body making rhythmic movements with his own. She gripped his thighs for support and tossed her head back and moaned softly.

“You feel so good…I never stopped thinking about you.” He whispered.

“I never stopped thinking about you either.” She admitted breathlessly.

He gripped her wrists and pulled her down into a kiss. He held her tightly and rolled them over, so that he was on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed him deeper. He sucked at the sweet flesh behind her ear, as his thrusts became deeper and harder. His heart was racing and his body was glistening with sweat. He continued his rhythm and her breath quickened.

“Tell me again. I wanna hear it again.” He urged her as they both neared their climax.

She tried to speak but the only thing that escaped her lips was an unintelligible whimper. She started gasping for air as her body tensed and tingled. Their eyes locked as he continued pressing into her. He saw what she felt for him behind those eyes. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time. Seeing the man that had always been inside the monster. The man she had wanted to deny.

“I…oh…I love you, Spike.” She panted, finally able to form the words he wanted to hear.

With her admission, he groaned loudly and quickly found his release. She clutched at him as her body shuddered around him. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, as he gave one final thrust before collapsing on top of her. He was completely spent. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to move ever again. They were both breathing in short gasps, and she lifted his head up so she could look him in the eyes. They said nothing to each other. They didn’t need to. They already knew what the other was thinking.

He rolled off of her and realized that he needed to get rid of the dreadful thing still attached to his body. She noticed what he was looking at and handed him a box of tissues. He took it and removed the condom, and tossed it into her bedside trash. The quicker he got rid of it, the better. She pulled the covers down on the already rumpled bed, and climbed inside. He climbed in next to her and she snuggled herself under his arm. She sighed.

“Nothing happened.” She told him.

“What?” He asked confused. He suddenly feared she was going to try and play her old games again and pretend nothing happened between them.

“I just mean, no creepy things were watching us this time.” She clarified.

“Oh.” He chuckled with relief. “Yeah, but I’m thinking we might not have noticed even if they were.” He pointed out with a smirk.

“Well, that’s true.” She smiled.

“I don’t care if the whole world was watching.” He told her.

She looked up at him and frowned.

“I do. I don’t think I’m ready for an audience yet.” She said jokingly.

“You don’t wanna show off your talents?” He teased her.

“Only for you.” She smiled at him.

He pulled her on top of him and kissed her.

“You better only show them to me.” He said possessively.

“Oh, I don’t think you have to worry.” She said with a grin.

She laid her head down on his shoulder and sighed happily. She was content for the first time that she could remember in years. She knew that horrible things were happening around them, and that her best friend might be trying to end the world again. And basically her life was in total chaos as usual. But for tonight, in this room, in his arms, she was happy. She was allowing herself to feel again and it was wonderful.

“You know, I never imagined we’d end up like this.” He said softly.

“You didn’t? You always seemed pretty confident that we would.” She pointed out.

“I was lying to myself. I mean, I wanted this to happen. But I never really thought it would. Especially not after what I did.” He admitted quietly.

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and he wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. It was probably best not to bring painful memories up at a time like this, but he felt he needed to say it. Finally she spoke.

“You know, I did love you. Even before…I-I just couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want to accept it myself. But I think you need to know it.” She confessed to him.

“You did?”

“I did. And even though what happened between us that night was awful and scary and not something I even wanna think about, you were sorta right. The things you said were true. But then it all just got so crazy…” She trailed off quietly.

“I never should have tried to force you to admit to anything. It doesn’t matter if I was right. What I did was wrong. I know that now and I knew it then…Afterwards anyway.” He explained.

“Yeah, it was wrong. But I was wrong too. I just want you to promise me that we won’t ever be like that again.” She said seriously.

“Never. I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you either.”

“So then we won’t.” He said softly.

She kissed his cheek and lay her head down on his chest. She listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat. It was still amazing to her that he was alive now. Living and breathing just like everyone else. It still didn’t seem real to her. And now she knew they had a deeper connection than she could have ever imagined. She and Spike had helped to create Dawn. Unbeknownst to them, their lives had been melded together forever. They had a bond that no one could touch, and they always had. Somehow, somewhere all of this had been planned from the beginning. She couldn’t even comprehend it.

“I know I can’t change the past.” He said, breaking her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him. “But I can give you tomorrow. And every day after that, until I die. I swear to you that you’re the only one I’ll ever love.” He told her sincerely.

She was touched deeply by his promise and she felt tears welling in her eyes. No one had ever said anything so beautiful or heartfelt to her. His love was real and true, and she knew it. He had seen her at her worst, and her best, and everything in between. And he still loved her. He had changed his entire existence just for her. She didn’t know what to say to him, so she just kissed him softly. He held her tightly. This was one promise he knew he’d be able to keep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn lay sleeping on the couch, and suddenly she woke with a start. She tried to focus her eyes on her surroundings. The room was still dark, and the TV glowed faintly in the corner. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Buffy and Spike had left her. She smiled a little to herself, knowing what they must be up to. Then she rolled over and tried to snuggle back down into the cushions. As she did, her eyes caught a glimpse of something. She felt her heartbeat quicken and she was almost too afraid to look up. But she had to.

She glanced up and saw a faint blue glow near the foot of the couch. As her eyes focused in the dark, the figure started to look familiar. It looked like her mother. It was very faint, but Dawn felt tears spring to her eyes. She sat up on the couch.

“Mom?” She whispered softly.

But the figure faded away into mist before Dawn could be sure she had seen things correctly. Just then, she heard a noise. It sounded like a whisper, and she reached over for the remote. She flipped the television off and listened. The sound of her own thumping heart was ringing in her ears, making it more difficult to hear the whispering. She stood up from the couch and began walking slowly to where the sound was coming from. She glanced at the clock quickly, and noted that it was 5:00am. The sun would be up soon and the dark shadows that fell over the house would soon be gone. She was relieved.

She followed the voice up the stairs. As she got closer she could make out what the whisper was saying.

“Dawn…” The faintest of whispers buzzed around her ears. Someone was calling her, and she couldn’t tell if it was her mother’s voice or not.

“Mommy?” She asked in a small, childlike whisper.

The murmuring got louder as she headed down the hall towards her mothers room. She paused in front of Buffy’s door, and considered waking her up to investigate. But she decided against it. The voice was calling her, not Buffy. She took a deep breath, and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. She continued on down the hallway until she reached the master bedroom. She slowly pushed the door open all the way and stepped inside.

“Mom? Is that you?” She asked softly, as she peered around the darkened room.

All at once a figure appeared out of thin air at the foot of the bed. Dawn watched in fright and amazement as the shape took a recognizable form. She wiped a tear out of her eye, and stared in awe.

“Tara?” She asked softly.

“Dawnie. You have to help her.” Tara told her urgently.

“What? Who? I-is it really you?” She asked with wonderment.

“It’s me. I don’t have much time. You need to stop Willow before it’s too late.” She warmed her.

“Willow? Y-you know where she is? They said they couldn’t find her.” Dawn explained.

“They won’t. But you can. You need to help her.”

“Me? I-I don’t know how. Is she alright? Is she hurt?” Dawn asked hurriedly.

“She’s in trouble. And soon, I don’t think anything can save her.” Tara said gravely.

“B-but how can I find her?”

Tara’s image started to fade away and Dawn started crying. She attempted to reach out to Tara but her fingers slipped through the mist.

“Tara, please. Tell me how I can find her.” Dawn pleaded as the image dissipated.

Dawn hung her head down and couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“You have the sight. You just need to use it…” Tara’s voice whispered in her ear.

Dawn turned around quickly and saw nothing. Tara was gone and Dawn had no idea what she was talking about. The sight? She didn’t even know what that meant. Tara was pleading for her help, and all Dawn could do is weep. She wiped at her eyes and turned on her heel. She ran down the hall to Buffy’s room and threw the door open.

“Buffy!” She shouted hysterically.

Buffy and Spike both shot up in bed, frightened out of their slumber. Buffy clutched the covers to her chest.

“Dawn? What is it? What happened?”

“It’s Tara. I-I saw Tara.” She said with tears in her eyes.

“Tara? When? Where?” Buffy questioned her.

“In mom’s…In Tara’s old room. Where she died.” Dawn whispered softly.

“Are you alright?” Spike asked with concern.

“I’m fine.”

“What did she say? Anything?” Buffy asked.

“She said Willow was in trouble and that I was the only one who could find her. But I-I don’t know what she’s talking about. She said I had ‘the sight’, whatever that means.” Dawn explained as she began to calm herself down.

“The sight?” Buffy repeated.

“The second sight. Psychic visions.” Spike offered.

“B-but I don’t have psychic visions.” Dawn pointed out.

“Maybe you just don’t know how to tap into that yet. There’s a lot we don’t know.” Spike pointed out.

“But if this is the only way to find her and help her, then what am I gonna do? How do I learn how to tap into it?” She asked Spike.

“You just need to concentrate. Drusilla had the sight and things just came to her.” He explained.

“Yeah, well nothing’s ‘just coming to me’. What if Willow is counting on me to save her, and I can’t do it?” Dawn asked unhappily.

“We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry. We’ll find her. At least now we know she’s in trouble. I knew she couldn’t have caused this mess on purpose.” Buffy added softly.

She feared for Willow’s safety, but more than that she had feared for her sanity again. Now, it seemed that she was the one in danger, and not the one causing it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow lay on her new bed and stared into her closet. It seemed her imagination didn’t conjure up a suitable wardrobe. She twirled her fingers around, and one by one, a different parade of outfits hovered before her.

“Too drab…” She complained at the sight of a brown skirt with a tan top.

“Too frilly. What the hell was I thinking with that one? That’s something the old Willow would wear.” She said, looking at a purple sweater with a ruffled pink top underneath. She waved her hands and the outfit exploded in a ball of flame and disintegrated.

With another wave of her hand, a black skirt with a blood red tank top emerged from the closet. She sat up and smiled.

“Now that’s more like it.” She snapped her fingers and magically the outfit appeared on her. She looked down at it and smiled.

“Very nice. Sexy.” Warren said, as he stood in her doorway.

“Go away.” She told him, not bothering to look at him.

“That tank top really shows off your assets, if you know what I mean.” He continued, as he ogled her.

“If you want to keep your assets, I suggest you stop staring at mine.” She said calmly, as she snapped her fingers again, and a short black leather jacket appeared in front of her. She pulled it on to deter him from staring at her breasts.

He sighed.

“You know, leave it to a woman to use an incredibly powerful gift just to stand around and play dress up all day.” He told her, shaking his head.

“Oh, as opposed to you sitting around on that stupid couch playing video games? That’s real industrious.” She mocked him.

“Hey, that game didn’t even come out until after I died. So excuse me if I was a little excited. I never thought I’d get to play it.” He said defensively.

“Whatever.”

“Besides, it’s practice. Research. So technically, I was being industrious.”

“Research? Death Rangers is research?” She asked incredulously.

“Uh, hello? We are the Death Rangers, Baby. These guys are demons in search of world domination.” He explained.

“Fine. So did you learn anything?” She asked pointedly.

“Well, not exactly. I mean, I ended up getting killed. Again. Before I could finish my plan.” He admitted.

“Nice. So you even suck at pretend evil?”

“I don’t suck. You seemed to think I was pretty evil before.” He pointed out.

“You were pathetic, is what you were. You failed at everything else, so you used a gun to solve your problems. And you even sucked at that. You couldn’t even aim good.” She told him with bitterness in her voice.

“I aimed pretty well, I think. Two birds with one stone.” He said with a smirk.

She reached out and wrapped her hands around his throat. She lifted him up.

“Don’t ever make light of what you did to Tara.” She warned him angrily.

“Fine. Sorry. Put me down.” He told her quickly.

She dropped him to the floor and he stood up to face her.

“You have to admit though, I almost killed the Slayer. That’s pretty impressive.” He told her proudly.

“Almost isn’t good enough, is it?” She told him seriously.

“Nah, you’re right. I still don’t understand why she didn’t die. I know Slayer’s heal fast and all that, but I got her good.” He said shaking his head.

“I saved her.” Willow told him calmly.

“You what? You saved her?”

“I didn’t want her to die again. Which is really stupid, now that I think about it. I sacrificed everything to bring her back into this world the first time, and she wasn’t even grateful. She was mad. I should have just let her die. ” Willow said plainly.

“You should have.”

“Later of course, I did try to kill her myself. Maybe I just didn’t want you to hold the title of killing the Slayer?” She added with a small smirk.

“See, that’s my girl. Now you’re getting into this.” He smiled broadly. “You know she’s gonna come after us, right? This apocalypse shit is her specialty.” He reminded her.

“Of course she is. But we both know that she can’t stop us.” She said wickedly.

“That’s right. No one can.” He said as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She allowed him to touch her, only because the power he radiated intoxicated her. Every time they touched the energy passed between them. And with every touch, more of Willow’s conscience faded. The dark power that they shared was stronger than anything she’d ever known. He leaned into her ear and kissed it softly. Red sparks emanated from his lips. He whispered to her.

“They won’t even know what hit them. When we show up, it’s gonna be a whole new game. And this time, we’re not losing.” He told her.

“I hate losing.” She admitted, as leaned back into him. The pull of their bond was strengthening and she found herself not wanting break their contact.

“No one in this world has ever been more powerful than us. We’re it. The Slayer and her buddies won’t stand a chance. Not this time.” He assured her, as he kissed her cheek.

“When do we start? I wanna do it now.” She murmured as he kept feeding her power with his soft kisses along her neck.

“Soon. We need to wait for the new moon. Then we’ll take a little trip back to the Hellmouth. Say hi to a few old enemies, cause a little mayhem, and bam! The world is ours.” He told her excitedly.

“Hmm…I like the sound of that.”

He turned her around and pulled her to him. Sparks crackled where their bodies touched. She couldn’t think about who he was right now, or the fact that she hated him. All she could think of was the incredible surge his power gave her. She gazed into his blackened eyes.

“When we free them all from Hell, they’ll make me their king.” He told her happily.

“Do I get to be queen?” She asked, mesmerized by his gaze.

“You bet you do, Sweetheart. You and me.”

He kissed her roughly and instead of tossing him away from her this time, she let him kiss her. The energy swirled and crackled around them, solidifying what they shared. She pulled back from him and stared at him through her hazy blackened eyes.

“We’re perfect together.” He told her.

“We’re two of a kind.” She whispered back.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Everyone sat around the Magic Box trying to discern what the their next step should be. Willow was apparently in trouble, and somehow Dawn held the answer to finding her. Xander paced back and forth having just learned the latest news. Giles had called and told him Willow was missing, which had alarmed him enough. But now, learning that she was in danger, he was becoming frantic.

“We need to find her. Whatever Tara was talking about, it doesn’t sound good. You think somehow her magic screwed things up and she got trapped in another dimension? Maybe that’s why Dawn is the only one who can save her?” Xander offered them.

“That’s certainly possible.” Giles said, scratching his head.

“But she mentioned something about the sight. Doesn’t that mean I’m supposed to see something?” Dawn asked curiously.

“That’s true. Perhaps we should try out some meditations? Maybe if we can get you to focus, something will appear to you?” Giles told her.

“Fine. I-I just don’t want to let Willow down. She’s been through enough. We all have.” Dawn said quietly.

She still held some ill feelings towards Willow for what she put everyone through. But she also knew Willow hadn’t been in her right mind. She wanted her to get better so that things could be like they were before. And if she was scared or in trouble, Dawn didn’t want to leave her there. Wherever there was.

“Let me just get a few things.” Giles said, as he headed for the back room. He turned to Anya. “Where did you put the enchanted thinking crystal?” He asked her.

“It’s in that little black box on the shelf in your office.”

“I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the back of the store and Anya followed him.

“I’m gonna go get a drink of water.” Dawn said, getting up from the table and heading to the training room where they kept a small refrigerator.

Everyone else turned to each other. They all shared the same look. They were weary, unnerved, and more than a little confused.

“I don’t think I could take it if something happened to Willow again.” Xander admitted softly.

“I know.” Buffy agreed as she touched his arm affectionately.

“It’s just, she was getting better. I got a letter from her a few weeks ago. She said she was feeling good. I thought she’d be home soon, and we could start over. I was so ready to pretend that none of that other stuff ever happened. If something happened to her now, just when things were getting good…” Xander trailed off.

“We’ll find her. She’ll be okay.” Buffy reassured him.

Spike looked at both of them and shook his head. Xander noticed his expression.

“What is it?” Xander asked him.

Spike looked at him and sighed.

“You two really believe that Willow is the victim here? We already know it was her that started this whole apocalypse in the first place.” He said incredulously.

“By accident. She didn’t mean to break down dimensional walls with the resurrection spell.” Xander pointed out.

“Oh, so that makes it okay, I suppose.” Spike said sarcastically.

“Shut up!” Xander said, getting into Spike face.

Buffy stood up and moved between them.

“Stop it. This isn’t the time.” Then she turned to Spike. “You’re not helping.” She scolded him.

“I’m just pointing out a simple fact. Willow is not an innocent here. Are you all forgetting that she tried to kill you not four months ago?” He said seriously.

“We’re not forgetting anything. But Willow was trying to get better. We can’t just shut her out now. Not when she needs us the most.” Buffy told him.

“But you’re missing the big picture here. Willow has tasted power. Real power. Just because she came to her senses and tried to get better, doesn’t mean the thirst isn’t still there. Trust me, I know this.” He tried to explain.

“You don’t think people can change? Look at you.” Xander said.

“That’s different.” Spike protested.

“Why? Because it’s you?” Xander asked heatedly.

“I never had power like Willow did. Besides it took me years to change. And even then, it wasn’t enough. I had to become a different bloody person just so the lot of you would give me a chance. And you think after four months, and a teary eyed ‘I’m sorry for trying to kill you’ is all it takes to cure Willow? You’re living in bloody fantasy land.” Spike said intensely.

No one knew what to say to that. He had a point that none of them wanted to face. Xander and Buffy both were holding on to the hope that Willow was the innocent in all this. They wanted to believe that Tara’s warning was meant to save Willow from harm. Not to save her from causing it.

Just then, Giles and Anya came back into the room. Giles was carrying a small black box containing the meditation crystal. He looked around at everyone’s intense faces.

“Is everything alright?” He asked them curiously.

“Did you get the stuff?” Xander asked anxiously, avoiding the question. He just wanted to ignore Spike’s words and find Willow.

“Yes. Where’s Dawn?”

“I’m here. I was just getting some water.” She said as she walked back into the room holding a bottle of water.

“Good. Perhaps we should go into the training room for some privacy? You’ll need to be totally relaxed.” Giles suggested.

“I-I want to stay here. I mean, if I see something, everyone should hear it, right?” Dawn said as she took a deep breath and sat down at the table again.

“If you think you can concentrate with everyone in the room.” Giles told her.

“Yeah, It’s okay.”

“Well then, I’ll sit across from you. And everyone else can stand over there. I’d like Dawn to be able to focus on the crystal without any distractions.” Giles directed everyone to the side of the room.

He opened the box and pulled the crystal out. He placed it in the middle of the table and Dawn stared at it. It was a large piece of clear quartz that had a slightly purple tint to it.

“Now, place your hands onto the crystal and concentrate all your energies into it. You’ll need to focus deeply on the image of Willow in your mind.” He instructed her.

Dawn reached out and placed her hands on the cool stone and she felt a bolt of energy shoot up her arm. She was tempted to pull back abruptly, but she didn’t. Her vision started to cloud over, and Giles’ voice became an echo in her ears.

“And then you should breath deeply. Focus is the key. Nothing may come to you for quite some time, but--.”

“I see her.” Dawn said quickly.

“What?” Giles asked perplexed that the images came so easily to her.

“I-I see her.” Dawn repeated.

The images in her mind were blurry, but they were coming into focus. The energy that coursed through Dawn had instantaneously activated the power of the crystal, just as it had the prophecy book. She had no control over what was happening to her.

“She’s in a house…I see a closet.” Dawn said, squinting her eyes as if that would help her vision.

“She's locked in a closet? Is she hurt? Does she need us? Where is she?” Xander asked hurriedly.

Giles held up his hand to silence him. He didn’t want Dawn to lose her concentration.

“She’s crying…Wait, no. She’s…she’s laughing?” Dawn said confused.

“Laughing?” Buffy and Xander asked in unison.

“She’s talking to someone…” Dawn continued.

“Who is it?” Xander prodded her.

“I can’t see…”

“It’s alright, Dawn. Just keep your focus.” Giles said calmly.

Dawn sat silently for a few moments, trying to absorb what her mind was witnessing. She could hear the voices of the others, but they seemed far away. She sensed a great evil all around her.

“It’s dark where she is.” Dawn told them.

“Dark? You mean it’s nighttime?” Giles asked.

“No, it’s…dark…like a dark cloud. No one can find them.” She said relaying her impressions.

“Is she still in England?” Xander asked.

Dawn nodded her head.

“I-I think so. But they’re hiding. Magic…It’s magic. The place is filled with it.”

“Who's there with her?” Buffy asked again.

Dawn was silent as she continued watching. She gasped when she finally saw the identity of Willow’s companion.

“It’s Warren.” Dawn said with surprise.

“What? Warren?” Xander asked anxiously.

“Oh my god is he hurting her?” Buffy asked with concern.

“He’s walking towards her…He just grabbed her wrists…”

“I don’t like this at all.” Xander said emotionally. “We’ve got to help her. Giles, can't we do something?”

“He’s saying something to her…and now…Oh! Oh boy…That’s unexpected.” Dawn exclaimed with surprise.

“What? What happened? Is he hurting her?” Xander urged her to continue.

“He’s kissing her.”

“I’m going to kill him! Again.” Xander said angrily.

“A-and she’s kissing him back.”

“Huh?” Buffy said making a face.

“They’re totally kissing.” Dawn said, almost embarrassed to be witnessing this scene in her brain.

“That can’t be right. For starters, he’s dead. And second, he’s a loser. And--you know what? There’s a really long list here.” Xander said shaking his head in disbelief.

“Dawn are you sure he’s not hurting her? Or forcing her?” Buffy inquired.

Dawn was silent as she concentrated on what she was seeing. Willow and Warren were kissing passionately, as red sparks jumped around them. Slowly they stopped and both of them turned their heads in Dawn’s direction. They were standing cheek to cheek and their eyes bored a hole into Dawn’s vision. It seemed as if they were looking straight at her. Dawn felt her heart thumping loudly and she couldn’t speak to tell the others what she was seeing.

“It’s not nice to stare.” Willow said clearly to Dawn.

Dawn tensed, and she watched as Willow and Warren raised their arms, with their fingers intertwined. A bolt of red energy shot from their fingers and headed straight at Dawn. Dawn rocketed backwards and flew out of the chair. She crashed into the counter and the glass shattered. The vision was gone and she lay in a heap on the floor, with broken glass on top of her.

“Oh my god! Dawn!” Buffy shouted as she ran over to her.

Spike followed quickly and they both rushed to her side.

“Are you okay? What was that?” Spike asked her, as he brushed the glass off her shoulders.

“I-I’m okay.” Dawn said nervously.

She could feel blood trickling down her spine from a cut that had opened up on her shoulder.

“You’re bleeding. Oh my god…” Buffy said frantically, as her fingers became tinged with Dawn’s blood.

“It’s just a scratch.” Dawn said bravely.

“What the bleedin’ hell happened? Giles, you didn’t say this was dangerous.” Spike said angrily.

“I have no idea what just transpired. Dawn what exactly happened?” Giles asked with concern.

“They saw me. I-I don’t know how, but they knew I was watching them.” Dawn tried to explain as she slowly tried to get to her feet with Buffy and Spike’s help.

“Saw you? That’s not possible.” Giles said shaking his head.

“They did. They turned and looked right at me. Then Willow said it wasn’t nice to stare. Then poof. I-I don’t remember what happened after that.” Dawn explained.

“They sensed an intruder.” Anya chimed in.

“What?” Giles asked her.

“They could tell someone was tapping into their energies. Spying. They could see you, just as you were seeing them. It’s pretty advanced. I haven’t seen a level of power like that in several hundred years.” Anya continued.

“You’re trying to say that Willow is in on this? That she’s somehow working with Warren?” Xander asked in total disbelief.

“What does it sound like to you, genius?” Spike asked sarcastically.

“Willow would never do that. He must be doing something to her. Or, you saw things wrong.” He pointed at Dawn.

“I saw everything clearly, Xander. She was no prisoner. She wanted to be there.” Dawn told him.

“Did she look all scary again? With the black hair and all that?” Anya asked curiously.

Dawn shook her head.

“No. Her hair was the same…maybe a little redder. Her eyes were all spooky again though.”

Everyone stared down at their feet, trying to comprehend what Dawn was telling them. Willow was in trouble alright, but not the kind of trouble they were expecting.

“What does this mean?” Dawn asked quietly.

“It means, we know who were fighting.” Spike told her.

“No it doesn’t. We just need to find her, and talk some sense into her again.” Xander protested.

“You really think all she needs is a stern ‘talking to’? Did you see what she just did to Dawn?” Spike asked heatedly, his over protectiveness of Dawn coming to the surface.

“She needs us to help her. Dawn, tell us where she was.” Xander said quickly.

“I-I don’t know. I mean, I saw her, but I don’t know where she was. I guess I wasn’t that much help after all.” She said, disappointed that she wasn’t able to save the day this time.

“You did fine, Dawn.” Spike assured her.

“Yeah, you did great.” Buffy said, touching her arm softly.

“But we still don’t know where she is, or what she’s going to do.” Dawn reminded them.

“She’ll show up. I’m sure of that.” Spike told them all.

“But by then it’ll be too late.” Xander said sadly.

“It’s already too late.” Spike said seriously.

Everyone took his words to heart. They were fighting Willow again. And this time she wasn’t alone. And they all feared that they wouldn’t be able to stop her this time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow paced around her bedroom and looked over at Warren. He was lying on her bed, watching her anxious movements.

“Baby, sit down. You’re wearing a hole in the carpet here.” He told her.

“They were watching us. Can you believe how rude that was?” She asked angrily.

“So what? It was just the Slayer’s kid sis. Big deal.” He said with a shrug.

“But how could she have seen us? Since when does she have psychic powers?” Willow asked.

“Beats me. But she’s just a dumb kid. Who cares? She doesn’t know where we are or what we’re doing. And even if she did, what could she do? Run and tell the Slayer? Let her.” He said unconcerned.

“Maybe we should pay them a visit of our own?” She wondered aloud.

“We will, Sweetie. But not yet. We don’t wanna show our hand too soon.” He reminded her.

“I’m getting bored with all this waiting, Warren.” She complained.

“We only have a little while longer. If we act too soon, we’ll lose it all. And remember how we don’t like to lose. Bitchy the Vampire Slayer has bested us both before. It isn’t gonna happen again.” He said firmly.

She understood his words and nodded her head. He was right when he said that they couldn’t act too soon. The last thing she wanted was for them to get the best of her again. This time she didn’t need to steal any tainted power from Giles or anyone else. Warren had enough to keep her going forever. She smiled at him coyly and walked over to the bed where he was lying.

She ran her hand along the sheets and looked at him.

"I'm still bored." She said with a pout.

He smirked at her.

"So what do you want me to do about it?" He asked suggestively.

She climbed onto the bed and straddled his legs. She ran her hands down his arms and pinned them above his head. She smirked down at him.

"Entertain me." She said, as she bent down and gave him a fiery kiss.

As they kissed, the bed started to shake. The power they emanated was fueling their passion. He grabbed her wrists and flipped them over, so that he was in the power position. He looked down at her and smiled.

"I thought you would never sleep with me." He told her.

"We're not sleeping." She answered with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

He kissed her again. Neither one of them had ever felt anything like what they were experiencing now. If a kiss could feel this good, they could only imagine what other things would be like. He kissed his way down the side of her neck and pulled open her jacket. He bent his head and kissed the top of her breasts where they were peeking out of her tank top. She grabbed his head and lifted it up.

She stared at him through her charcoal colored eyes. For an instant it seemed as if she was going to stop the whole thing. Maybe she had come to her senses? But she only sighed and kissed his lips again roughly.

He reached down and started unzipping his pants and she grabbed his wrist to stop him. He looked at her confused.

"What?" He asked, breathlessly.

"I said I wanted you to entertain me." She said firmly.

"That's what I'm doing. If you let go of my wrist, we can get this party started." He said hurriedly. The bulge in his pants was almost painful.

"Nah-uh. That's not how this works." She said wagging her finger at him.

He stared at her completely clueless and more than a little frustrated with her teasing. Then he understood her meaning. She wanted pleasure. She didn't care about his pleasure.

"You mean, you want me to--." He began.

"You know what I like." She said suggestively.

He smirked at her and ran his hand up her leg, and underneath her skirt. He reached up and removed her panties and tossed them aside.

"Is this what you want?" He asked, as he began caressing between her legs.

"Hmm...That's a nice start. But you'll have to do better." She told him.

"I see...You want something a little more... familiar? Something that your little girlfriend did to you?" He asked, as pushed her skirt up and bent to kiss her thigh.

She moaned softly.

"Do it." She commanded him.

"Why should I?" He asked, teasing her with his fingers.

"Because I can still kill you." She told him.

He laughed and looked up at her.

"Go ahead." He challenged her.

"Not until you're done." She said with a small smirk.

He dipped his head down flicked his tongue across her throbbing flesh. She cried out at the feel of his tongue on her. It was a pleasurable feeling no matter what the situation. But coupled with the radiation of his touch, she was already in ecstasy, and nothing had even happened yet. He licked across her sensitive flesh, as his hands pushed her legs farther apart. He reached up and pushed her skirt further up and out of his way. He looked up at her.

"So this is what you like, huh? Is this good?" He asked, sucking her into his mouth.

She moaned loudly.

"Keep going." She urged him.

"You know I don't do this for just anyone. That's how special you are." He told her seriously.

"Just shut up and keep going." She said, trying to block his voice out of her head.

"Maybe you should be a little nicer to me, what with my face between your legs and all that." He said bitterly.

"At least then I don't have to look at it." She told him icily.

"Ouch, that hurts, Princess." He said shaking his head.

"It'll hurt a lot more if you don't finish what you started." She said seriously as she grabbed his head and pressed him down to her again.

She closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on the sheer bliss of his touch. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could pretend he was someone else. But the energy that burned between them was enough that she didn't really care who he was. He continued teasing her with his tongue as his fingers slipped inside of her.

He didn't really know what he was doing either. She was the bitch who had killed him, and here he was with his face between her legs, taking orders from her. He already knew he was insane, but this just proved it. He figured it didn't really matter. Any hot chick that wanted him was good enough.

She could feel her pleasure building and she gripped the sheets tightly. All at once she exploded and couldn't contain herself.

"Oh...Yes!" She screamed out, as sparks literally flew around her. It was the most powerful climax she had ever had. She didn't even have words to describe what she was feeling.

He lifted his head and looked up at her. She was panting and small sparks crackled at her fingertips. He crawled up the length of her body and gazed down at her.

"Was that entertaining enough for you?" He asked with a smug look on his face. He was pleased at himself for making her scream so easily.

She was so out of breath, she couldn't answer him. She just stared at him with heavy eyelids. He kissed her hungrily, and she could still taste herself on his tongue. He pulled away from her, and straddled her legs. He reached down again and unzipped his pants all the way. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked him

"What does it look like? It's your turn, Baby." He said reaching into his pants.

She sat up quickly and shoved him off of her. He fell back onto the bed, and nearly landed on the floor.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He asked angrily.

"I'm not doing that to you." She said firmly.

"What? Excuse me? I just did you a really nice favor, and you're not gonna return it?" He asked incredulously.

"In case you've forgotten, I don't return favors."

He reached over and grabbed her arms. He growled at her, and his eyes danced with flecks of red energy.

"You better start returning them." He said heatedly.

She stayed completely calm and looked up at him.

"I'm not putting that thing in my mouth."

"Oh really?" He asked gripping her arms tighter.

"Really." She said evilly, as she gripped his waist with her legs and flipped him onto his back. His head smacked the headboard and it amused her. She reached down into his pants and grabbed him tightly. He groaned loudly and smirked at her. He knew she'd come around.

"Be careful there, Sweetie." He said, as her grip tightened around him.

She ignored him and stroked him roughly with her hand. His eyes rolled back at her powerful touch. He was getting a taste of the immense pleasure she had just experienced.

"We only do what I like. And you know what I like?" She asked him curiously.

"What's that?" He croaked out.

"I like being in control. And I'm not putting that thing in my mouth. Do you understand?" She asked as her grip tightened again.

He squeaked out a small acknowledgement and nodded his head.

"Good." She smiled, as she lifted herself above him, and guided him inside her waiting heat.

He moaned loudly and she cried out. The intimacy of their connection was almost more than either one of them could bear. She looked down at him with greedy eyes.

"I thought you weren't gonna do this?" He asked breathlessly.

"I just said I wasn't putting it in my mouth. I didn't say anything about other parts of the body." She said with a smirk.

They were both flying. Every thrust and every little bit of friction between them set them on fire. Willow actually feared she might pass out. The entire room seemed to be spinning and it took her a moment to realize it actually was. Literally, their coupling sent the room spinning around them. All at once they both erupted in a shower of sparks, and Willow collapsed on top of him. Both of their eyes were glazed over in a fog of dark energy.

He reached out and stroked her hair gently. She didn't look up at him and tried to catch her breath.

"Have you ever been with a man before?" He asked her curiously.

She looked up this time and glared at him.

"Why? Did I seem like I didn't know what I was doing?" She asked defensively.

"Nah, no way. You were...Amazing. It's just you know, the whole gay thing. What was that all about?" He asked her.

"I don't know." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"But you have been with a guy before? Or was I your first?" He asked intrigued by the thought.

"Don't flatter yourself. You weren't the first. I had a boyfriend before." She said, rolling off of him, and straightening her hiked up skirt.

"And the plot thickens...Why the girl on girl action then? Not that I don't appreciate that. I mean, if you wanna find someone to come join us--."

She cut him off.

"Shut up."

"What? I'm just saying, I'm open minded."

"You're an idiot." She said turning away from him.

"Fine. That's cool. You don't wanna share. I don't wanna share either." He said, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him possessively.

"You men are all alike. What's with the lesbian fantasy, anyway?" She asked him with annoyance.

"I don't know. Two hot chicks...digging each other...What's not to love?"

"You know they're not secretly wishing you were joining them."

"Ah, but in my mind they are." He smiled.

They were quiet for a minute and Willow actually found herself comfortable in his arms. It was sickening to her, but she felt like she belonged there with him. The power, the pleasure; it was all melding together in her brain. Who he was had little importance. It was the feeling she wanted to hold onto.

"So seriously, you actually were in love with that Tara chick?" Warren asked her.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know. I'm sure she was okay and all that."

"Yeah, until you killed her." Willow pointed out bitterly.

"Well, that's besides the point. I just mean, why the switching teams?"

Willow was getting ready to tell him to shut up, but she found herself wondering the same thing. She thought for a moment and sighed.

"I don't know. I liked how Tara made me feel. She made me feel important and special. When we first met, she was like fawning over how cool I was, and how powerful I was with my magic. It was like having a little groupie or something." Willow remembered her early days with Tara.

"So naturally you fell for her." He said logically.

"Of course. I mean, who wouldn't like someone telling them how completely awesome they were all the time?"

"I know I'd like that."

"And everything was great for a long time. But then she went from being 'Oh Willow, you're so powerful and smart' to 'Oh, Willow, you shouldn't be doing so much magic. It's wrong'." Willow said, mocking Tara's complaints.

Warren shook his head.

"She didn't understand, did she?"

"No. She so totally didn't." Willow agreed.

"So what did you do? Cut her loose?" He asked.

"No. I tried to fix things. I did a spell so she'd forget that she was pissed at me."

"Oh, that's a good idea. Did it work?" He asked with interest.

"Yeah. Sorta. But then she found out, and she dumped me. Can you believe it? She dumped me!" Willow said in disbelief.

"The bitch." He said sympathetically.

"I mean, I was getting to be amazing with my magic, and she was stifling me. She didn't want me to grow."

"I know what you mean. Some people just don't get it."

"No, they don't. And my so-called friends were just as bad." She remembered with irritation.

"Mine too. I mean, we had this plan. But when I started getting serious about it, they pussied out. They couldn't handle it." He told her.

"I think they're all just jealous."

"Yeah, jealous cause we had a vision and they couldn't see it." He elaborated.

"Exactly." She agreed.

"We'll make them see it now, won't we?" He asked, as he ran his hand up her arm affectionately.

"They won't be able to forget it." She said, smiling to herself wickedly.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Buffy and Spike tended to Dawn’s shoulder as they sat in the training room. Buffy was dabbing some antiseptic onto the deep gash.

“Ouch! That hurts.” Dawn complained with a wince.

“I’m sorry. I just need to get it clean.” Buffy apologized.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Spike asked, as he tried to examine her back through her torn shirt.

“I don’t think so.”

“Dawnie, what exactly was going on there with Willow?” Buffy asked softly.

Buffy thought maybe now that the three of them were alone, Dawn might feel more comfortable opening up about what happened.

“I don’t really know. They were just talking mostly. But I couldn’t hear them. Not until Willow told me to stop staring.” Dawn told them.

“And they were kissing? Did he look like a ghost?” Buffy asked.

“No, he looked normal. I mean, he wasn’t all transparent or anything. Not like Tara was. His eyes were black too though.”

“They were?”

“Uh-huh. And there was something else. Sparks. There were serious sparks flying around when they were kissing.” Dawn told them.

“Sparks? Willow had sparkage with Warren? I-I have to say I didn’t see that coming.” Buffy shook her head.

“I mean actual sparks. Not like ‘oh my god, they’re so perfect together’. There were red sparks zapping around them.” Dawn clarified herself.

“Energy.” Spike said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Buffy asked him.

“However it is he got back to this world, he came back with some kind of power. And power feeds power. The two of them together is electric. Literally.” He explained.

“But why would Willow do anything with Warren? She hates him. Big time hate. She skinned him alive, Spike. It doesn’t make any sense.” Buffy shook her head.

“Well, it’s been known to happen. Enemies falling in love…Stranger things and all that.” He said softly, thinking about the two of them.

Buffy knew what he was talking about and she saw his point. The two of them had spent years hating each other and trying to kill each other. But this didn’t seem the same.

“That’s different. And whatever this is with them, I don't think it has anything to do with love.” She shook her head.

“Maybe. But obviously she has her reasons. And I reckon we’ll find them out soon enough.” He sighed.

"I still can't believe that she's doing this. Again." Dawn said sadly.

"We don't really know what it is she's doing." Buffy told her softly.

"Whatever it is, it's bad. And it's huge. You didn't feel what I felt when I was watching them. I could sense the evil all around. It was nothing like I'd ever felt before." Dawn tried to explain.

"What do you mean? You could feel them?" Spike inquired.

"Yeah, it was like I sensed this strange force, or connection between them. Surrounding them. Whenever they touched, it got stronger." She told him.

"A connection?" Buffy asked.

"Uh-huh. It was scary."

"That's it. That's what we need to do." Buffy said suddenly.

"What?" Spike and Dawn both asked.

"The connection. Somehow his power is feeding her. We need to get her away from him. He must be corrupting her somehow." She explained.

"But we don't know where she is." Dawn pointed out.

"And I don't think she's planning on leaving any time soon." Spike told her.

"Damn it! There must be a locator spell or something Anya can do. Or she could use her demony powers or something." Buffy said, as she got up and started pacing.

"I wish I could help, but I can't." Anya said from the doorway. She had walked in just as Buffy was speaking about her.

"What?" Buffy asked, turning to her.

"I-I wish I could help. But I can only sense vengeance. This isn't vengeance. This is something else entirely." She explained.

"Well, there still must be a spell you can do. Find out where they're hiding."

"I can try. But if they are as powerful as I think they are? A simple spell isn't going to find them. They’re probably behind a barrier of some kind. I'm surprised Dawn was even able to break through it." Anya said, shaking her head.

"I need to try again." Dawn said softly.

"What? No. I don't want you getting hurt." Buffy said seriously.

"But how else can we find her and get her away from him?"

"We'll think of something. I'm with Buffy on this. We can't have you getting zapped again." Spike told her seriously.

"Tara said I was the only one who could do this."

"And you did. You saw. But honestly Dawnie, I think Spike was right before. We're too late."

Dawn hung her head down and wished Buffy was wrong. She was terrified at the thought of facing Willow again. Especially because she feared in her heart that this time no one would be able to talk her down. Not even Xander.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later that evening, Buffy and Spike were sitting on her back porch together. They were holding hands, as they stared up into the night sky.

"We always seem to end up here, don't we?" She asked him with a small smile.

"Seems like. At least when everything is going wrong, anyway." He pointed out.

"I really just don't know what to think anymore. I really thought Willow had learned her lesson this time. I mean, you should have seen how destroyed she was after she came to her senses."

"Yeah, I'm sure she was. But power like that doesn't just fade. It only lays dormant. She spent months trying to stay away from magic, but it was never gone from her mind. And one thing went wrong in her life, and she snapped." He told her.

"Yeah, well it was a pretty big thing that went wrong. It's not like she stubbed her toe on a table and decided to wrack vengeance on the furniture manufacturer." Buffy remarked.

"I know that. I'm not saying her motives weren't understandable. At first, anyway. But all that other stuff you told me about. Ending the world? Trying kill you and everyone else? What was the reason behind that? Nothing other than the simple fact that the power consumed her."

Buffy was silent for a moment and then she looked down at her feet.

"I know. You're right. But I still want to believe that Willow is in there somewhere. And maybe I can save her." Buffy said softly.

"You can't save everyone."

"I have to try."

"But can you forgive her? If she really does bring about the apocalypse, could you forgive her? That is, assuming we aren't all dead at that point." He asked her.

"I don't know. I mean, I forgave her last time." Buffy shook her head sadly.

"Maybe you shouldn't have." He said quietly.

She looked at him curiously.

"What?"

"How can you forgive something like that? God...How can you forgive me for all the things I've done? There are some things that sorry just doesn't cover, Buffy. She doesn't deserve your forgiveness, and neither do I." He said, feeling bitterness towards himself, more than Willow.

He stood up and walked to the edge of the step. He leaned against the wood pillar and fished in his pocket for a cigarette. He pulled one out and lit it up. She stared at him, unsure of what she should say next.

"Spike, I thought we were past all that?" She told him softly.

"How can we be? How can you be?" He wondered.

"I told you that what happened that night was both our faults. I made a mess of things, and you finished it off." She explained.

"No, I'm not even talking about that. I'm talking about all of the other things I did. The things that I did as a vampire. The killing..." He trailed off, feeling the emotion catching in his throat.

He normally forced himself not to think about his past. He didn't see the use in torturing himself over things he didn't have control over at the time. But at times like this, the guilt crept in and got the better of him.

"But you're different now." She whispered.

"Yeah, I'm all changed." He said bitterly. "I mean, this morning I was spouting off about how Willow couldn't possibly be changed. Xander was right. Who am I to bloody talk?" He asked angry with himself for being a hypocrite.

"Spike, don't--."

"And the worst part is, you believed her. Just like you believe me." He told her, as he exhaled a swirl of cigarette smoke into the night air.

"What are you trying to say? I shouldn't believe you either?" She asked.

"I'm just saying, I went and got myself a soul. Got turned human, even. And I thought it would be like a magic wand. Suddenly, I would be this good person. Good enough for you. But Willow has a soul too, and look at her. I'm not cured, Buffy. I can still hurt you." He said sadly.

She listened to his words and could see fear and sadness in his eyes. She stood up and walked over to him. She touched his arm gently.

"Do you want to hurt me?" She asked quietly.

"Of course not. You know that." He assured her.

"Having a soul doesn't make someone perfect. I totally get that now. And you're right. You're not cured. There is no such thing. But do you want me to forgive you?" She asked seriously.

"I don't deserve--."

"I didn't ask if you deserved it. I asked if you wanted it." She interrupted him.

"You know I do."

"Then I forgive you." She said softly, as she kissed his cheek. "I have to. And you have to forgive yourself, or you'll never be able to move on."

Buffy had learned a lot about forgiveness in the last year. She had needed to learn to forgive herself for her wrong-doings, just as she was forgiving him. Each and every one of them had made enormous mistakes in the last year. Buffy had treated Spike and everyone else like crap, Xander left his bride at the altar, Dawn was a klepto, Willow killed someone and tried to end the world. Without forgiveness, there could be nothing left.

Spike was silent and Buffy touched his cheek with her fingertips.

"You forgive me don't you?" She asked softly.

"I do." He admitted to her.

"Then we move on. I mean it this time. We've got a huge battle coming up and I can't have you turning all tortured and broody on me right now." She scolded him with a small smile.

"I'm turning into the bloody brooding poofster, aren't I?" He asked with a cringe.

"Just a little." She admitted.

"Can't have that, now can we?" He asked.

"No. And just because you've got your own huge list of wrong-doings, doesn't mean what you said about Willow isn't true." She pointed out.

"It's hard to believe she's the same girl. She was so insecure and innocent when we first met." He remembered.

"Tell me about it. I-I mean, she was the last person I ever would have thought would do something like this. It was hard to believe a few months ago, and it's even harder now."

"It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"

"I'm just so afraid we've really lost her this time. What are we going to do if we can't get her away from Warren?" She wondered sadly.

He tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. He put his arm around Buffy and held her tightly.

"I have no idea, Pet." He whispered softly into her hair.

He knew that all of this must be tearing her up inside. Her best friend had become her enemy once again. And her former enemy was the one trying to comfort her. It was all ridiculous, he realized. But it was their lives. He never imagined any of this a few months ago. He had wandered around, unsure if he could ever face her again. And now here they were. She forgave him, and she loved him. And now, the world was going to end before they even had a chance to be together.

She moved and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him softly, and he entwined his fingers in her hair. She felt a burning need to be with him right now. Everything was so messed up, and he was the only thing in her life that felt right. She realized now that it had been that way for a long time. Last year, she had only felt alive when she was with him. And it was still that way. But now, she only felt happy with him. It was as if she could forget everything for a time with the touch of his lips.

"Let's go inside." She whispered between their kisses.

He took her hand, and they made their way into the house. They walked up the stairs slowly, and paused in front of Dawn's room. She had said she was tired, and went to bed early. They had been concerned for her, but they decided to just let her be. They assumed she would be asleep by now, and didn't want to bother her.

They crept into Buffy's room, and shut the door behind them. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck softly.

"I love you..." He murmured into her ear.

She tilted her head back and captured his mouth in a kiss. His tongue tangled with hers and he ran his hands up her belly. He reached her breasts and caressed them slowly through her shirt. She felt the fire growing between her legs, and she turned around to face him. She started peeling his jacket off, and he peeled hers off. They both tossed the unwanted items across the room, and their lips met again.

She pushed him backwards against her dresser and some of the items on it went crashing to the floor. They kissed hungrily as their hands worked to rid each other of the restrictive clothing. She yanked his shirt open and began kissing across his smooth chest. Her tongue teased his nipples and he squeezed his eyes shut and moaned softly.

He grabbed her bottom and lifted her up. He turned them quickly and with one hand he cleared the remaining items from the surface of the dresser. He pushed her back onto it so that she was sitting on top, with him standing between her legs. He reached down and pulled open her blouse quickly. He lifted one of her breasts out of her bra, and quickly bent his head to take her hard nipple into his mouth.

"Oh god, Spike." She gasped out, as she felt his teeth nip at her sensitive flesh.

He pulled her bra off all the way and tossed it aside. He kissed down her stomach until he reached the top of her long skirt. He got down on his knees and lifted her skirt up. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She moaned softly when she felt his hands caressing her inner thighs, as he hiked her skirt up. He grabbed the bunched up fabric and with one quick yank, he freed her from the garment. He tossed it aside and ran his hand over her mound through the fabric of her panties.

He reached up and pulled them off as well, and he was now face to face with his paradise. He ran his hand over her soft curls and she parted her legs fully for him. He dipped his fingers into her wetness and began caressing her softly. She shuddered and tossed her head back. He pressed his tongue inside of her and ran his thumb over her sensitive flesh.

"You taste so good..." He whispered as he sucked her into his mouth.

She cried out softly and tried to brace herself on the edge of the dresser. She leaned backwards into the mirror and closed her eyes. He flicked his tongue across her clit as he sucked on it gently. He looked up at her and saw that her eyes were closed this time.

"Look at me." He told her softly.

She opened her eyes and looked down at him breathlessly.

"I like it when you watch." He said seductive smirk.

She smiled and obeyed his wishes. He stared up at her over her mound and he continued to pleasure her with his tongue. Their eyes remained locked on each other, and she tried hard to resist shutting her eyes in ecstasy.

She felt her body tensing and she gripped the dresser tightly.

"Oh, Spike! Oh god..." She whimpered softly, as she felt herself began to quake.

He body shuddered with release but she never broke their gaze. He kissed his way up her stomach again and licked over each of her nipples. She shuddered and gasped, her body still reeling from her orgasm. His lips met hers again and she kissed him hungrily. She wrapped herself around him.

"I need you...Now." She told him as her fingers began fumbling for his zipper.

He helped her to free him, and she pushed his pants down over his hips. He stepped back and removed them all the way. She fumbled in the top dresser drawer and pulled out the now familiar packet. She gave it to him and he hurried to ready himself.

"I am so getting on the pill as soon as this mess is over." She muttered as she helped him put the condom on.

They moved quickly, neither one wanting to wait another second. Once everything was in place, he grabbed her arms and lifted her back onto the dresser. He grabbed her thigh and pushed it back to open her further. He thrust himself into her deeply and she cried out. He moved inside her and the entire dresser rocked against the wall. Dawn better be a sound sleeper, they both thought.

She gripped his arms to steady herself and wrapped one leg around his waist. He pumped into her deep and hard, as he stared into her eyes. He glanced over her shoulder and realized for the first time that he could see himself. He could see himself making love to her. He smiled, and leaned down into her ear.

"Look in the mirror." He whispered.

She turned her head slightly so that she could see what he was talking about. She watched their reflection as he kissed her neck and their bodies moved in rhythm with each other. They looked perfect together. She really saw that now. Two people who had been so wrong for each other, had turned out to be so right. She closed her eyes and turned towards him again.

"We were meant to be together..." He whispered as he kissed her ear.

His thrusts began to quicken and he could feel himself reaching that edge. She dug her nails into his arms and started panting for air. She cried out softly as her walls tightened around him. The power of her climax sent him spinning over the edge. He groaned loudly and buried his face into her hair.

They stayed like that for a moment as they tried to catch their breath. Finally Spike pulled away from her and discarded the condom into the trash again. He shook his head at the necessity of it, and went back over to her.

She stood up off the dresser and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her softly and turned her around. She faced the mirror, and he stood behind her. She gazed at the reflection of their nude bodies. His hands splayed across her belly, and he kissed her shoulder.

"We look beautiful together." He told her softly.

"My hair is all messy." She said with a small smile.

He grinned at her and shook his head.

"We'd have beautiful children." He told her quietly.

She turned around and faced him with a worried face.

"What?"

"I just mean...you know, someday. Not now." He said noticing the panicked look on her face.

"I-I thought you were freaked at the idea of children."

"No...I mean, I used to want them. You know, before I became a vampire."

"But--really?" She asked thrown off by his admission.

"Yeah, really. I mean, back then it was expected. You got married and you had a family." He explained.

"Oh."

He looked at her curiously.

"You mean you've never thought of it?" He asked.

"No. I mean, sure, I've thought about it. Then reality hits. Thinking about it is one thing, but doing it is a whole other ballgame. I-It's not even a ballgame. It's not even the same sport." She stammered nervously.

"Alright. No children. I get it. I mean, I suppose I've got all the family I'll ever need anyway." He added softly with a smile.

"Yeah, we've got Dawn." She agreed.

"That's right." He grinned.

"And you know, having a child isn't really all it's cracked up to be. I mean, sure babies are cute and all...But then they grow up and before you know it, they're breaking through dimensional walls, deciphering ancient texts with their minds...It's really very stressful." She sighed as she smiled at him.

He laughed and pressed her nude body against his. He relished the contact of their warm skin. He looked down into her eyes.

"You're all I'll ever need. I just thought maybe you wanted a family." He told her sincerely.

He knew one of the reasons Angel had left her all those years ago was because he wanted her to have the things he couldn't give her as a vampire. Things like a being her husband, giving her children, walking on the beach in broad daylight. He just wanted her to know that whatever she wanted, he would give it to her.

"I do want a family. And I have one. Remember?" She smiled.

"I remember." He kissed her softly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn had heard the commotion coming from Buffy's room. She rolled her eyes and wondered if they really thought she couldn't hear all the noise they were making. But she decided that now would be as good a time as any to do what she needed to do. They were obviously occupied, so she was free to carry out her task.

She went to her closet and pulled the small black box off the shelf. She opened it and took out the crystal that Giles had introduced her to. She told herself she was merely borrowing it, so it wasn't stealing this time. She felt she had to do something to find Willow. Tara had been counting on her, and Dawn wanted to come through. If there was something she could do to stop Willow from continuing this madness, she had to try. Even if it was dangerous.

She placed the crystal on her bed and sat down. She placed her hands on it, the same way she had done before and concentrated. Instantly, she saw the images forming in her mind. She saw Willow sitting on a sofa flipping through a magazine. As her vision shifted she spied Warren sitting on the floor playing a video game of some sort. It was an innocent looking scene, Dawn thought to herself. They certainly didn't look like two people who were getting ready to end the world.

She tried to discern where exactly they were. The energies in the room were so strong, but she couldn't sense the location. Anya was right. There was a barrier there, Dawn realized. She watched as Willow looked up from her magazine. Dawn was afraid that she sensed her again, and she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

She's back again. Willow told Warren telepathically.

Yeah, I know. He answered her.

What do you wanna do? She asked.

Ignore her.

No...I wanna have a little fun. She told him, as a small smile played over her lips.

She got up from the sofa and went over to Warren. She went behind him, and bent down to take the video game controls from his hands. He dropped them and she pulled him up. Their fingers intertwined and they turned towards Dawn.

Dawn gasped as she realized that they had sensed her. They were looking at her now, and Dawn tried to let go of the crystal to sever the connection but she couldn't.

"Willow don't!" Dawn pleaded, unsure if they could hear her or not.

"Why Dawnie? Are you scared? Are you gonna cry?" Willow mocked her.

Dawn's eyes grew wide at Willow's comments. Suddenly, a wall of energy poured from Willow and Warren's fingertips. It enveloped Dawn and she was paralyzed. The energy wrapped around Dawn and all at once, she was sucked through a portal and landed with a thud at their feet.

They had physically pulled Dawn out of her bedroom and into their world. The vision had become a reality. Dawn stared up at the two of them with fear. She pushed back her emotions and slowly stood to her feet.

"Willow don't do this." Dawn pleaded with her.

"Ah, Dawnie, that's so sweet that you're concerned. But really, I'm okay." Willow said with fake sweetness in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm taking good care of her." Warren said, as he kissed the side of Willow's neck.

Dawn saw the sparks dancing around his lips and she shuddered at the sight of the two of them.

"You need to get away from him, Willow." Dawn urged her.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because, h-he's doing something to you."

Willow turned and looked into Warren's eyes. They danced with flecks of red energy. She smiled at him and then looked over at Dawn again.

"He's doing something alright. He's made me the most powerful person in the world." She told her.

"In all the worlds, Baby. Not just this one." He clarified.

"So you see, why would I want to give that up?" Willow asked Dawn.

"Y-you used to be a good person, Willow. You used to be one of us." Dawn whispered sadly.

"One of us? Since when are you part of anything?" Willow laughed.

"There's a lot you don't know." Dawn said confidently.

"Hmm...Maybe. I mean, these little psychic journey's of yours are interesting. It's a neat little party trick, huh?" Willow asked.

"You need to come back with me. You don't belong here. You're not like him. You're one of the good guys, Willow." Dawn pleaded with her.

Willow walked towards Dawn and laughed sinisterly.

"Well, you know what they say. I'd rather laugh with the sinners, than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun." Willow said evilly.

"W-who says that?" Dawn asked.

Willow's evil posturing was interrupted by Dawn's stupid question. She was supposed to quake with fear at her words, not question them.

"It's a song, Dawnie." Willow said with a sigh.

"I-I've never heard it." Dawn said, trying to distract her.

"Only The Good Die Young?" Warren asked Willow.

"Yes." Willow exclaimed with exasperation.

"Well, that's not true. I mean look at you. You died young and you're hardly good." Dawn told Warren with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, but that doesn't count. I'm back now, so it doesn't matter." Warren explained.

"Sounds like a stupid song." Dawn said crossing her arms.

"Would you just shut up about the fucking song? That's not the point. The point is, I'm done being Buffy's little sidekick. I've got bigger things planned here." Willow exclaimed with irritation.

Dawn stared at her and it was like looking a different person.

"What exactly do you have planned?" Dawn asked, pretending she didn't already know.

"Like we'd tell you." Warren answered.

"You ask to many questions, Dawn. And I'm bored now. This wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be." Willow pouted to Warren.

"Should we just kill her?" He asked.

Dawn felt her knees weakening, and she thought she might throw up. She had made a huge mistake trying to contact Willow again, and she knew it.

"No. I don't want to kill her." Willow said seriously as she circled Dawn like a predator. "She'd miss our big day. And you don't wanna miss that, do you Dawnie?" Willow asked, as she ran her finger along Dawn's shoulder blades.

Dawn shuddered and winced when Willow's burning touch hit her open shoulder wound. She tried to be strong and turned to look at Willow.

"No. I wouldn't want to miss that." Dawn said calmly, giving Willow a hard look.

Willow laughed and smiled at Dawn.

"Then you better get back now." She said, as she walked over to Warren again.

"And tell the Slayer that she won't be laughing at me this time. She ain't see nothing yet." Warren said sinisterly.

Dawn stared at them as they took each other's hands and they began to glow.

"Goodbye." Willow said with a wicked grin.

They tossed the wall of energy back at Dawn and she went hurtling back through the portal they created. She crashed into her dresser and cried out softly as the cut on her shoulder opened up again. She also wept softly for Willow's fate, and her own failure at saving her.

Her bedroom door flew open and she jumped nervously. Buffy and Spike rushed in, having heard the racket caused by her collision with the dresser. They saw Dawn sitting on the floor crying softly.

"Oh my god...Dawn, what happened? Was it a ghost? Are you okay?" Buffy asked frantically.

Dawn just looked up at her through her tears and couldn't form words.

"Dawn, talk to me. What happened?" Buffy urged her.

Spike looked over at Dawn's bed and saw the crystal lying there. He frowned and picked it up. He held it up to her.

"You went back, didn't you?" He asked Dawn unhappily.

Buffy saw what he was holding and she faced Dawn with a stern look.

"You stole the crystal?" She asked irritated.

"I-I didn't steal it. I was just borrowing it." Dawn said softly, as she wiped her eyes.

"That was a stupid thing to do." Spike said angrily, his concern for her ruling his emotions.

"I-I just wanted to help her. I wanted to see if I could get her out of there." Dawn explained quietly.

"You could have been hurt, or worse. Dawn, promise me you won't do it again." Buffy said firmly.

"I won't. It doesn't matter anyway. You guys were right. It's too late." Dawn admitted as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"What happened?" Spike asked her.

"I saw them again, but this time they pulled me in with them. I-I was with them, literally."

"Did they hurt you?" Buffy asked as she noticed a small amount of blood seeping through Dawn's shirt.

"No. That's from before. I hit it again on the dresser." Dawn told her.

"Did they say anything?" Buffy asked.

"Just that they didn't want me to miss their big day. And that this time you wouldn't be laughing." Dawn said softly.

Buffy absorbed her words and shook her head sadly.

"We wouldn't want them to miss our big day either." Buffy said with resolve.

Spike and Buffy looked at each other. This was not going to be easy. And they both knew that it might not be possible to save Willow this time. Their job was to protect the world. And sadly, they both realized that Willow had chosen her side, and now she was their enemy. Buffy knew that she couldn't let her emotions and her former affection for her friend get in the way of what they had to do. And in the end, she knew none of them would be laughing.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

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