This is kinda an experiment. Updates will be erratic and not as often as my
other stories, but I am determined to write this, so it will be completed.
Takes Place after 'Forever', before 'Intervention'. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a little Spell
They'd been taking turns. Sitting with the Summers girls. Giles came often during the day, Xander after work. Tara and Willow visited between and after classes. Anya when she felt the motivation. But with all of her friends around her, Buffy felt suffocated.
Tonight was no different. Giles and Anya were still at the magic shop, but both had plans to come by after closing. Willow and Tara roamed in just after 4:00, and Xander came toting collectible books and props from one of his favorite sci-fi shows to entertain Dawn with after the site crew was done for the day.
Dawn, still unsure of her position as 'The Key' was often too scared to join the others for the frequent visits, although she made a point of needing a glass of water when Xander came by. Then she could at least walk through the family room and see what he was wearing. With Spike not around so much lately, her crush had reverted to its roots. Mainly Buffy's best male friend.
Which is why when he suggested they both watch the marathon on television, she happily accepted. Everyone was too glad to see her out of her room to question why she suddenly was interested in science fiction.
Willow and Tara sat with the closet trekker while he showed of his collection of books filled with specifics of the cult television show and his ability to call upon each fact from memory. A tri-corder, and phaser along with a few magazines were also displayed.
All three ladies listened as he explained the greatness of Star Trek, especially The Next Generation. Dawn listened because it was Xander talking, Tara and Willow because it seemed to be cheering up the youngest Summers. They were soon making plans for the evening. Meals and Glory defense planning were top on the list.
But Buffy felt alone. Even surrounded by people who cared about her. Loved her, even. She knew that no one could understand. Her pain was not just from the loss of her mother, but of the last 5 years. The death of her mother only rekindled the fear and pain of finding one's destiny to be drawn out and mapped without approval.
So here she sat, on the back porch, scared of reality. Not of the midnight monsters, but of the daylight's truth. Adulthood smacked into her face before she had time to prepare, and without a moment to mourn.
There was no harsher truth. Even her calling had been easier to take alone then all of the emotions and stressful thoughts that plagued her now.
So deeply imbedded in her own pain, she didn't hear the back door open, then shut quietly. Her first indication that she was not alone was when Willow's feet stepped down one, then two steps and stopped.
Buffy looked at the Wicca. "Hey Wills."
"Hey." She said solemnly, sat down and looked up following her friend's gaze. "Counting stars?"
"What?" Buffy blinked and looked back at the red head confused. She'd forgotten she was even outside. "Oh. No. Just. I don't know. Thinking."
Willow pursed her thin lips and gave her friend a sympathetic smile as she wrapped one arm around her friend's shoulders. "Tara and I were going to get a few things to bring back and work on. Maybe get some dinner too. You want?"
Buffy shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not real hungry right now."
But Willow knew Buffy had to be hungry. No one had seen her eat all day. "I'll get something for you anyway. If you get hungry, you can always nuke it."
"Sounds fine." Buffy said with almost no emotion at all.
Willow looked again at her friend's deflated features, before giving her a comforting embrace. Buffy leaned into the hug, then pulled back not wanting to break into tears again.
The red head let her friend go, stood and walked to the door.
"Willow?" Buffy's voice broke Wollow's heart when it reached her ears.
"Yeah, Buff?"
The blonde looked past Willow to the house she was now responsible for. "Nothing I guess. Just. thanks."
The worried witch smiled gently back, then opened the door and left her friend to sit alone in silence.
Once inside, Willow looked out the small window in the door, and watched as Buffy's shoulders began to shake.
"How is she?" Willow turned around to see Tara. She had her oversized purse hanging from one shoulder, ready to run the errands.
"Sad."
The blonde gave her a slight smile. "She will be you know? For awhile."
Willow walked with her lover back into the living room where Xander sat watching a Star Trek marathon with Dawn. "I know. I just hate to see it." Willow said and listened to Dawn ask the one hundredth question about the overrated sci-fi show.
"So then isn't hyperspace better than warp. I mean. Han Solo could get from one weird planet to the other in seconds, but these guys," She waved her hand at the television screen, now showing a serious Jean Luc Picard staring down a guy with pointy ears. According to Xander he wasn't a Vulcan. He was a Romulan.
"Sure, if you just want to get there. But they want to be able to stop, have a look around. Do the whole 'meet and greet'. You can't do that in hyperspace. Once the course is set, there's no stopping for burgers at Tau Alpha C."
"Ohhhh." Dawn nodded a little too big. "I get it."
"Speaking of burgers-" Willow interrupted.
"Pizza." Dawn immediately said.
"Or not." Willow's brows pushed together. "I thought you said burgers earlier?"
Dawn looked over at Xander. "Yeah, but Xander wants pizza, and he is our guest."
Xander looked innocently over his shoulder at the two ladies. "I'd like pepperoni."
"Me too!" Dawn quickly agreed.
"Pepperoni it is." Willow nodded before she and Tara walked out into the early night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Bugger." Spike stood in front of the open fridge and tossed the empty blood container across the crypt. Not caring where, or even if it landed.
The last week had been miserable. Was still miserable. He hated waking up mid afternoon with nothing but cold pig's blood to look forward to. It was getting downright depressing, the thoughts that were going through his head not helping.
His mind retraced the events of the last few weeks, dragging him back to the pain and humiliation of his sorry existence.
In truth, he couldn't say it all started just a few weeks ago. It was longer. He'd gone and ruined his entire world by becoming obsessed with her, the slayer. Not just falling for her, although that was one of his more aggravating obstacles of late. No, he'd have to be honest and say just trying to kill the slayer had been the start of it all. Not killing her had itched at his pride and stubbornness enough to make him continue the quest.
What he got out of it in the end was a chip, and right confusing ideas about the enemy he'd sworn to drain.
Matters only got worse once he started fighting alongside her. The few times he had, had changed his status from Master, to traitor. Word traveled fast in the demon world, especially when you were in the hub of demon communities. Directly over the hellmouth.
When it all came down to it, all he had was the slayer and her friends for company. That and Harmony, who quite frankly made a balloon seem intellectual.
Thinking of what few beings he had as company only reminded him of the loss of Joyce. Of any of the tiny circle of people who'd talk to him, he liked her best. And now she was gone. Watching over her and the Bit for Buffy had been one of the few times he knew, absolutely knew, he was doing something Buffy would see as good. Even if the afternoon had been filled with rantings from the younger Summers.
Now though, he didn't even have The Bit's affection. He'd screwed everything up by telling Buffy how he felt.
Ok, he'd screwed it up by chaining her up to do so, although he had a very good reason for the chains. She wouldn't listen otherwise.
"Bloody idiot!" He growled at himself. She may be a slayer, could handle the pain of chains, but she was human. And in general, chaining up a human female to profess one's love was not the best route. And now he couldn't even enter her house.
He spun on the empty refrigerator and slammed the door shut. "Well how was I to know?" He screamed at the closed door. "Not like I've had many dealing with loving humans." And he hated to admit, what little he did have in the way of experience, was not good.
He walked across the floor to his duster lying on the sarcophagus. Then dug a cigarette from the pocket of it, and lit it with the silver lighter he carried on him at all times. He took a long drag and exhaled while studying the burning ember at its tip. "Exactly how does one woo a Slayer?" He said to the burning tobacco. "Invite her to a moonlit dusting?"
He clutched the butt end tightly between his forefinger and thumb. "Probably how she and the poof spent their time." Halted by the thought, he grabbed his duster and slid it on while walking to the exit. Regardless of how he may have wrecked any chance with the slayer, he had no intention of starving to death. Blood needed to be acquired.
By the time he reached the back door to Willy's the evening was in full swing. Demons walked by him paying him little to no notice. Without Buffy and her gang at his side he was just a poor excuse for a demon. With them he was a traitor. Either way, being ignored was preferable to getting the tar beaten out of him So in he strode.
"'Eh, Willy." He called back to the owner. "Some service."
The small man walked behind the bar. "Spike! Didn't think I'd be seeing you around here for a good long while."
Spike cocked his head. "Now why would I avoid you lot. Great place to converse with old mates. Bring a date and whatnot."
"Yeah. Yeah. What do you want Spike?" Willy picked up a cloth absent mindedly, and wiped off the bar in front of Spike.
"Need some blood. A pos. if you have it." He pulled out a small roll of bills, which the barkeep eyed warily.
Willy looked back at the vampire's face. "Just be a minute." And he disappeared through the door leading to his stores of liquids not advertised on the menu.
Spike smirked. At least the almighty dollar he carried had some power even if he did not.
He stayed in his seat, facing the lines of bottles just begging to be drunk from. Although drinking himself into a stupor had its appeal, he wanted to have his faculties together, and figure out a plan to earn back some of the friendship he'd had with Buffy.
Even that thought plagued him. She'd never been his friend. Called on him when she needed him Yeah.
Let him back her up when fighting. Sure, if necessary.
Cried in front of him. Well once.
These were things that made a friend, but he knew, knew as well as he knew he was dead, knew he couldn't even begin to call her a friend. Not while she still only saw the monster he was, and not the person he was trying to be.
"You awake man?"
Spike was brought back from his wondering thoughts to the human standing in front of him. "'Course I'm awake!" He tossed some cash at Willy, and stormed off through the back entrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tara tried to keep hold of the large cardboard box and the brown bag in her hands. Willow was burdened as well with one pizza box balancing precariously on top of another large box, a bag in her hand as well.
"Do you think this stuff will help?" Tara asked as they walked along-side the walk paved parallel to the Avenue they followed.
Willow tried to see where she was going, but nearly tripped on a curb as they crossed the street. "I think so. The spell on Glory was ok, except for the headache. If we could find something to boost it, we might have better control over where we send her, and also avoid the nose bleeds and migraines."
"But we won't try it. Not if it's going to hurt you again." Tara said, more as a decision than a request. She'd expressed under no uncertain terms that she didn't want Willow to do any more transportation spells, but had to admit it was the only thing that had slowed the hell-goddess down so far.
"No-o. One time was plenty for me, thank you." Willow said, just before she screeched and fell face first.
The box of pizza skidded down the sidewalk face up and the larger box fell on its side. The only thing she had managed not to drop was the bag in her hand.
Tara stopped and set her things on the ground. "Willow, are you ok?" She crouched down and helped the red head to stand back up.
"Oh, I'm fine. But I'm afraid the pizza may not have survived." She stood up carefully, doing a mental check that all her body parts were still connected and working properly. Her pale hands went to work brushing off the dirt she'd gotten on her blouse.
Tara fetched the flat pizza box and looked inside. "Strangely enough, it looks ok." She closed it again and carried it to her girl friend. "But I don't think we can get all this stuff back to Buffy's without breaking something."
Willow had to agree. "I don't want to just leave this all here though, and we're too far from campus make two trips."
From ahead they heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to see a familiar vampire.
Tara's face softened when she saw him standing there with a cigarette hanging from his lips and a small brown bag clutched in his left hand. "H- hi Spike."
He gave her a short nod and took his cigarette from his lips. "You birds in need of some help?"
The two girls looked at each other, and shrugged. He couldn't hurt them, and even if he walked all the way back to Buffy's he still couldn't get in. Not with a brand spanking new invite. "Well, we were taking these over to-"
"The Slayer. I know. And no, I don't want an invite. This stuffs for fighting the hell-bitch. Right?" He motioned with his hand at the boxes and bags, now lined up on the sidewalk.
"Have you been.. following us?" Willow said, now a little concerned.
"Might 'ave. But you passed me a few blocks back. Noticed the precarious state those parcels were in. Thought you may be in need of a big strong evil vampire." He tossed his cigarette to the ground and mashed it with the sole of his boot. "Grr." He said flatly. "I'm evil. Need some 'elp or not?"
The girls tried not to smile, but couldn't help it. They knew they needed a hand, and with little else to choose from, decided the vampire was their best solution.
Together they carried the boxes, while Spike was entrusted with the sacred pizza and the bags full of what smelled to him as herbs and roots.
He followed them silently, hoping to catch whatever information he could on Buffy, or any plans they'd come up with to destroy Glory.
He hadn't been able to pick up much around town due to his status as former Big Bad. What little he had heard was already known by The Scoobies.
"Well," Willow continued their earlier conversation. "If I can focus the energy in a particular direction, I may be able to transport her to another dimension. One with no key to get out."
"But Honey, that's extremely powerful energy. Not always focus-able either." Tara countered. "And how will you know what dimension you'll send her to?"
"Ok, so there are kinks. Maybe if we could somehow create a dimension. One made just to hold her." Willow let her sentence run off.
"That's mighty powerful forces you're talkin' about there Red." Spike said quietly.
He hadn't said it quiet enough not to be heard though.
"I know it is, but if it comes down to Glory using Dawn, or me getting the migraine from hell, I'll go with migraine." She said resolutely.
Spike nodded, understanding and said no more as he continued trailing the witch's steps.
Tara however couldn't stop worrying. "I don't like it Willow. You could hurt yourself with allot more than a nose bleed and a headache."
Willow knew why Tara worried. It was a dangerous spell, and would be much more so if she added the additional strain of building a new dimension. "Well, I'll look into it, but we won't try it unless we're desperate, or we know it's not gonna kill me. Ok?" She looked over at her lover with pleading eyes.
The more experience Wicca tried to find a way to tell her lover it would never be safe, but instead she forced a small smile and nodded, then looked ahead to shield Willow from the fear easily seen in her eyes. She hated when Willow did this, not from jealousy of her power, but because of love. Tara didn't want her to get hurt, especially from magics. The outcome was too unpredictable.
Before long, they were standing in front of Buffy's home. Spike walked up the front steps and set the packages on the stoop while Willow opened the door.
Tara gave him another quiet smile. "Thanks Spike. F-for helping, I mean."
"Did someone say Spike!?!" Dawn yelped from inside the house. In mere seconds she was at the door. The teen pushed her hair back behind her ears. "Hi Spike. What are you doing here?"
"That's a real good question." Xander walked up behind Dawn and eyed the spurned vamp. "Cuz last I heard, you weren't invited."
Willow walked past Spike and placed a hand on Xander's arm. "He was helping us." She demonstrated her point by turning and picking up one of the oversized, over filled cardboard boxes.
Xander looked from the box to the vampire. "Oh, well you're still not invited." He said firmly and walked away with a box.
Dawn rolled her eyes, and Tara brought in the pizza along with one of the bags.
"Didn't expect to be. Just saw them tryin to carry more 'an they could, and thought I'd lend a hand. S'for fightin off Glory. And even without the invite, I don't want that bint to get hold of Dawn any more 'an the rest of you!" He spun on his heel and started down the walk, realizing his words had only reached the back of their target's head.
Xander walked the package into the kitchen, never turning.
"Wait! Spike!" Dawn called. Then turned on Xander. "What is terrible huh? He loves Buffy and doesn't want me to die, and you just keep running him off!!" Her crush was overcome and directed back to 'hot' vampires.
Spike had stopped to see what Xander's answer was as the brunette walked back in to the living room. He still avoided eye contact with the peroxide blonde.
Spike didn't have a chance to see Xander's reaction. Instead the vampire found himself tackled to the ground.
Caught off guard, he now laid flat on his back with a stake pressed against his chest. "Owww. Bloody Slayer. Get off!" He tried to push her away, hoping she wouldn't notice that the position she was in was causing areas of his body to stir, that he was sure would get him very good and staked.
"Not real likely. I knew you were sick, but going after Dawn." She'd still been on the back porch when Dawn's screams brought her back to earth. The Slayer quickly ran around to the front of the house and went for the person who's name her sister had screamed.
Spike pulled his head back into the ground and looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. "Jealous are we?"
"What? No!" She shook her head. "I heard Dawn screaming at you. What were you doing?" She still held the wood against his chest.
"I was trying to leave, but you girls seem to be intent on keeping me around." He smirked.
Willow walked out to where the two were, still in a compromising position. "Buffy, he was just trying to help Tara and me carry some stuff. We had it till we got the pizza, then we sort of looked like we were going to fall over. One too many things."
"Well, to be honest, you did fall over, Red." Spike added, hoping that it may sway the slayer to let him live.
"Then Xander got all mad," Dawn said coming out to the yard as well. "So Spike was going to leave, but I." Dawn wasn't sure what she was going to use as an explanation.
"Fine." Buffy gave up and stood, relieved that Spike was avoiding comments about the 'stake' he was apparently hiding in his pocket.
The elder Summers took another quick glance at Spike, still on the ground, then back at her sister. "You're ok?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Dawn said happily. "So can Spike come in?"
"No!" Buffy and Xander both yelled at the same time.
"Already told you, don't want an invite." Spike sat up on the grass and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, now bent from Buffy's attack. "Could use some decent smokes though." He tossed the pack on the grass behind him and stood up.
"Well then, you go get some, and we'll go back inside." Buffy walked to the front door not giving him a backwards glance.
Willow watched Spike watch Buffy leave. Dawn smiled at him, then followed her big sister who stood on the porch waiting.
Willow turned to go in as well.
"Oh, Red. 'Bout that spell. You might want to try Dorson's Theories of Interdimensional Travel, mix in a bit of Quinn's Study of Creations, and you may get a viable spell."
Willow turned around. "You've read Quinn?"
He shrugged. "A bit. Mostly drivel, but some was. interesting."
Willow turned around and saw Buffy and Tara still standing at the door waiting and pleaded with Spike. "Hold on." She said and ran to the waiting women.
So Spike stayed put, and waited. He kept his smirk in check.
Buffy watched as Willow ran up to her and came to a dead stop. "Buffy. I think Spike might be able to help."
"I doubt that."
"No. I'm serious." She turned to Tara. "He's read Quinn before. And suggested Dorson."
"Really?" The dark blonde questioned.
"Yeah. Look, Buffy, I know you're freaked about him. And I totally understand why, but he might be able to help."
Buffy looked over her friend's shoulder at the still figure standing in front of her house and began to shake her head. "Wills, I'm not going to inv-"
"Buffy," Willow furrowed her brow. "It's the best way we've come up with to get rid of Glory." She looked back at Spike, then to her best friend. "It's the only way we have to save Dawn."
Buffy sighed and looked up towards the porch's ceiling blocking her view of the stars. She seriously did not want to have to deal with Spike. Not with everything else. There was just too much. Her mom's death, Glory coming after Dawn, Dawn herself, and just reality.
But he might have a way to stop Glory, or at least a way to help Willow and Tara stop Glory. "I'm going to regret this. I just know it." Buffy said and went into her house.
"What?" Xander shadowed her steps. "You can't be serious."
"Xander, we don't know how much time we have until Glory comes." She said in a whispered voice. "And when it comes down to it," She sighed again. "He'd protect Dawn as much as I would."
Xander shook his head and sat back down in front of the television trying to become entranced. He couldn't argue, but he didn't have to completely agree either.
Dawn, who'd sat in front of the television after re-entering the house, looked back at the door just as Spike came up the steps with Willow.
"Come on in Spike." Buffy said, not very eagerly.
The brunette teen suppressed her squeal of delight and turned back to the TV, now filled with stars and the Enterprise going into warp.
Spike just gave Buffy a nod and followed Willow and Tara back to the kitchen.
Buffy plopped onto the couch and watched along with Xander and her little sister as the crew of the Enterprise spoke of scans and tractor beams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anya walked out of the basement with her clipboard in hand. "You need to order Burba Weed. We're out."
Giles, who stood across the room in front of a row of shelves also holding a clipboard, turned around. "Already? We just had a shipment two weeks ago." He looked over his clipboard and checked his notations. "Yes. There should be at least 5 containers full. Are you sure it's gone?"
Anya set her pen and list down on the counter. "I told you it was." She quickly changed the set of papers on her clipboard. "I don't know why you insist I stay for inventory if you don't believe what I tell you." She quipped and set out for the basement again.
"Because," He flipped a page. "I'm paying you overtime."
Anya's smile perked up again before she stepped downward. "Oh yes. There is that." And she disappeared past the door.
Rupert shook his head and turned back to the selection of books he had. "Hmm. Someone purchased Dorson." He noted the missing book and his intention of ordering another copy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No. It's in the wording. And you may need a bit more Torkus root." Spike explained.
Tara added the root. "How do you know about this. I mean, dimensional stuff?"
"Oh, well Dru had this idea about 40 years or so ago. Something about sending all the flower people to dimensions filled with colors. It was an odd plan to say the least, but we had minions workin' on it anyway."
"And you what. picked it up?" Willow asked as she wrote down a few new words on the pad of paper.
"Na. Can't do the spell any better than the whelp out there could. Just watched over them, made sure they were followin orders. Pitched in a bit to make just the right type of dimension." He turned a page in the worn text in front of him. "Here." He pointed out a paragraph. "This is where we got stuck."
Willow walked around the island. "Oh, a life force." She looked at him. "I guess that would be a problem."
"What?" Tara asked once she'd mixed the root in well.
"Well, to make a dimension, you need a representations of it." He explained. "A picture, or drawing is one. An object or trait that would be common there, and a life force who had the images of the place in their mind, held and retained by the interests of their life force. Or Soul."
Tara squinted, then her eyes got big. "Ohhh. No Soul, so no spell."
"S'bout the long an short of it." He turned the page. "But looks like we have everything here. As long as you have the time it takes to prepare, and are safely out of harms way, you should be able to create the dimension and send her high bitchiness wherever you want. Just remember to be sure she is at the center of the triangle made by the three elements of the spell, otherwise it won't work."
"Got it." The red head picked up the bowl of the premixed ingredients and walked out with Tara and one peroxide blonde vampire coming out after her. "We think we have something."
Buffy sat up on the couch. "Yeah?"
Willow and Tara sat down on the floor, while Spike remained standing behind them looking on, just happy to be among them. "I think so." Tara said.
Buffy got up then sat next to Willow on the floor and peered into the ceramic bowl. "Well it sure smells like a spell." She crinkled her nose at the mixture. "What is it supposed to do?"
Willow unfolded the paper and set it next to the bowl. "Well once we get elements we want in our little universe, all we have to do is read this." She pointed to the paper, "And Glory goes poof."
Xander turned around. "Where are you sending her Wills?"
"That we don't know yet. But it can be anyplace we want."
"I vote tar pit." Dawn said and sat next to Buffy.
Xander got up off the floor then sat on the couch away from the stinking mixture and perused the books of Trek sitting on the floor next to the couch he'd brought for tonight. Looking up spells was fine, but his interest in them stopped once they were figured out.
He knew he was a little bit geeky when it came to science fiction, but knowing in no way it could be real gave him a calmness no horror movie filled with vampires could. He'd even brought over a mock phaser that sat on the side table on the opposite end of the couch.
At the very least, he thought he'd done well when Dawn had laughed at it earlier. He'd made one of the Summers girls smile. Something not seen lately.
"Is it in Latin?" Dawn asked and picked up the paper.
"No. It's in English, but the trick is in the other items to activate it. We need to be precise or it won't work." Willow explained to the interested teen. "We need to decide exactly what we want the realm we send her to be like."
Tara got up. "I'll get the notepad, and we can b-brainstorm.." She went into the kitchen.
Dawn held the paper high. "Then one of us just has to say," She began to read. "Banished to the realm we desire, filled with dreams of a soulful mire, elements drawn in from near, abandon this through a tare."
Just as her last words were spoken Tara came through the door. "Dawnie! No!"
Then time seemed to freeze as the next precious few seconds passed.
Around Spike, Dawn, Buffy and Willow a triangle lined by shadows, formed. Each point taking an element of it's surrounding. One touched the television, the other reached to Xander's mind, caressing his forehead, the other point finding its destination at the mock phaser's position. When all three elements were understood and read by the casting, the shadows raised, hiding the people inside.
The four forms engulfed in the magics could not move or speak, only watch as they were brought into darkness.
When Tara could no longer see the others, she began to move and suddenly noticed the wind whipping around her head. Pictures were blown off the walls and the floor shook. "Willow!!!"
Xander shot up from his seat when movement was again possible. He walked sideways careful to avoid the walls of absent light. "Buffy!! Dawn!!"
The two saw each other and shared a fearful look before the wind came to a halt, and the shadows pulled back into the floor. The ground once again became steady, but their friends no longer sat on its surface.
In the center now was an empty ceramic bowl and a piece of paper, apparently undisturbed.
*************************************** ************************************** So.. this is it guys. My little x-over. Well not IT.. just the beginning, but hey..
Takes Place after 'Forever', before 'Intervention'. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a little Spell
They'd been taking turns. Sitting with the Summers girls. Giles came often during the day, Xander after work. Tara and Willow visited between and after classes. Anya when she felt the motivation. But with all of her friends around her, Buffy felt suffocated.
Tonight was no different. Giles and Anya were still at the magic shop, but both had plans to come by after closing. Willow and Tara roamed in just after 4:00, and Xander came toting collectible books and props from one of his favorite sci-fi shows to entertain Dawn with after the site crew was done for the day.
Dawn, still unsure of her position as 'The Key' was often too scared to join the others for the frequent visits, although she made a point of needing a glass of water when Xander came by. Then she could at least walk through the family room and see what he was wearing. With Spike not around so much lately, her crush had reverted to its roots. Mainly Buffy's best male friend.
Which is why when he suggested they both watch the marathon on television, she happily accepted. Everyone was too glad to see her out of her room to question why she suddenly was interested in science fiction.
Willow and Tara sat with the closet trekker while he showed of his collection of books filled with specifics of the cult television show and his ability to call upon each fact from memory. A tri-corder, and phaser along with a few magazines were also displayed.
All three ladies listened as he explained the greatness of Star Trek, especially The Next Generation. Dawn listened because it was Xander talking, Tara and Willow because it seemed to be cheering up the youngest Summers. They were soon making plans for the evening. Meals and Glory defense planning were top on the list.
But Buffy felt alone. Even surrounded by people who cared about her. Loved her, even. She knew that no one could understand. Her pain was not just from the loss of her mother, but of the last 5 years. The death of her mother only rekindled the fear and pain of finding one's destiny to be drawn out and mapped without approval.
So here she sat, on the back porch, scared of reality. Not of the midnight monsters, but of the daylight's truth. Adulthood smacked into her face before she had time to prepare, and without a moment to mourn.
There was no harsher truth. Even her calling had been easier to take alone then all of the emotions and stressful thoughts that plagued her now.
So deeply imbedded in her own pain, she didn't hear the back door open, then shut quietly. Her first indication that she was not alone was when Willow's feet stepped down one, then two steps and stopped.
Buffy looked at the Wicca. "Hey Wills."
"Hey." She said solemnly, sat down and looked up following her friend's gaze. "Counting stars?"
"What?" Buffy blinked and looked back at the red head confused. She'd forgotten she was even outside. "Oh. No. Just. I don't know. Thinking."
Willow pursed her thin lips and gave her friend a sympathetic smile as she wrapped one arm around her friend's shoulders. "Tara and I were going to get a few things to bring back and work on. Maybe get some dinner too. You want?"
Buffy shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not real hungry right now."
But Willow knew Buffy had to be hungry. No one had seen her eat all day. "I'll get something for you anyway. If you get hungry, you can always nuke it."
"Sounds fine." Buffy said with almost no emotion at all.
Willow looked again at her friend's deflated features, before giving her a comforting embrace. Buffy leaned into the hug, then pulled back not wanting to break into tears again.
The red head let her friend go, stood and walked to the door.
"Willow?" Buffy's voice broke Wollow's heart when it reached her ears.
"Yeah, Buff?"
The blonde looked past Willow to the house she was now responsible for. "Nothing I guess. Just. thanks."
The worried witch smiled gently back, then opened the door and left her friend to sit alone in silence.
Once inside, Willow looked out the small window in the door, and watched as Buffy's shoulders began to shake.
"How is she?" Willow turned around to see Tara. She had her oversized purse hanging from one shoulder, ready to run the errands.
"Sad."
The blonde gave her a slight smile. "She will be you know? For awhile."
Willow walked with her lover back into the living room where Xander sat watching a Star Trek marathon with Dawn. "I know. I just hate to see it." Willow said and listened to Dawn ask the one hundredth question about the overrated sci-fi show.
"So then isn't hyperspace better than warp. I mean. Han Solo could get from one weird planet to the other in seconds, but these guys," She waved her hand at the television screen, now showing a serious Jean Luc Picard staring down a guy with pointy ears. According to Xander he wasn't a Vulcan. He was a Romulan.
"Sure, if you just want to get there. But they want to be able to stop, have a look around. Do the whole 'meet and greet'. You can't do that in hyperspace. Once the course is set, there's no stopping for burgers at Tau Alpha C."
"Ohhhh." Dawn nodded a little too big. "I get it."
"Speaking of burgers-" Willow interrupted.
"Pizza." Dawn immediately said.
"Or not." Willow's brows pushed together. "I thought you said burgers earlier?"
Dawn looked over at Xander. "Yeah, but Xander wants pizza, and he is our guest."
Xander looked innocently over his shoulder at the two ladies. "I'd like pepperoni."
"Me too!" Dawn quickly agreed.
"Pepperoni it is." Willow nodded before she and Tara walked out into the early night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Bugger." Spike stood in front of the open fridge and tossed the empty blood container across the crypt. Not caring where, or even if it landed.
The last week had been miserable. Was still miserable. He hated waking up mid afternoon with nothing but cold pig's blood to look forward to. It was getting downright depressing, the thoughts that were going through his head not helping.
His mind retraced the events of the last few weeks, dragging him back to the pain and humiliation of his sorry existence.
In truth, he couldn't say it all started just a few weeks ago. It was longer. He'd gone and ruined his entire world by becoming obsessed with her, the slayer. Not just falling for her, although that was one of his more aggravating obstacles of late. No, he'd have to be honest and say just trying to kill the slayer had been the start of it all. Not killing her had itched at his pride and stubbornness enough to make him continue the quest.
What he got out of it in the end was a chip, and right confusing ideas about the enemy he'd sworn to drain.
Matters only got worse once he started fighting alongside her. The few times he had, had changed his status from Master, to traitor. Word traveled fast in the demon world, especially when you were in the hub of demon communities. Directly over the hellmouth.
When it all came down to it, all he had was the slayer and her friends for company. That and Harmony, who quite frankly made a balloon seem intellectual.
Thinking of what few beings he had as company only reminded him of the loss of Joyce. Of any of the tiny circle of people who'd talk to him, he liked her best. And now she was gone. Watching over her and the Bit for Buffy had been one of the few times he knew, absolutely knew, he was doing something Buffy would see as good. Even if the afternoon had been filled with rantings from the younger Summers.
Now though, he didn't even have The Bit's affection. He'd screwed everything up by telling Buffy how he felt.
Ok, he'd screwed it up by chaining her up to do so, although he had a very good reason for the chains. She wouldn't listen otherwise.
"Bloody idiot!" He growled at himself. She may be a slayer, could handle the pain of chains, but she was human. And in general, chaining up a human female to profess one's love was not the best route. And now he couldn't even enter her house.
He spun on the empty refrigerator and slammed the door shut. "Well how was I to know?" He screamed at the closed door. "Not like I've had many dealing with loving humans." And he hated to admit, what little he did have in the way of experience, was not good.
He walked across the floor to his duster lying on the sarcophagus. Then dug a cigarette from the pocket of it, and lit it with the silver lighter he carried on him at all times. He took a long drag and exhaled while studying the burning ember at its tip. "Exactly how does one woo a Slayer?" He said to the burning tobacco. "Invite her to a moonlit dusting?"
He clutched the butt end tightly between his forefinger and thumb. "Probably how she and the poof spent their time." Halted by the thought, he grabbed his duster and slid it on while walking to the exit. Regardless of how he may have wrecked any chance with the slayer, he had no intention of starving to death. Blood needed to be acquired.
By the time he reached the back door to Willy's the evening was in full swing. Demons walked by him paying him little to no notice. Without Buffy and her gang at his side he was just a poor excuse for a demon. With them he was a traitor. Either way, being ignored was preferable to getting the tar beaten out of him So in he strode.
"'Eh, Willy." He called back to the owner. "Some service."
The small man walked behind the bar. "Spike! Didn't think I'd be seeing you around here for a good long while."
Spike cocked his head. "Now why would I avoid you lot. Great place to converse with old mates. Bring a date and whatnot."
"Yeah. Yeah. What do you want Spike?" Willy picked up a cloth absent mindedly, and wiped off the bar in front of Spike.
"Need some blood. A pos. if you have it." He pulled out a small roll of bills, which the barkeep eyed warily.
Willy looked back at the vampire's face. "Just be a minute." And he disappeared through the door leading to his stores of liquids not advertised on the menu.
Spike smirked. At least the almighty dollar he carried had some power even if he did not.
He stayed in his seat, facing the lines of bottles just begging to be drunk from. Although drinking himself into a stupor had its appeal, he wanted to have his faculties together, and figure out a plan to earn back some of the friendship he'd had with Buffy.
Even that thought plagued him. She'd never been his friend. Called on him when she needed him Yeah.
Let him back her up when fighting. Sure, if necessary.
Cried in front of him. Well once.
These were things that made a friend, but he knew, knew as well as he knew he was dead, knew he couldn't even begin to call her a friend. Not while she still only saw the monster he was, and not the person he was trying to be.
"You awake man?"
Spike was brought back from his wondering thoughts to the human standing in front of him. "'Course I'm awake!" He tossed some cash at Willy, and stormed off through the back entrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tara tried to keep hold of the large cardboard box and the brown bag in her hands. Willow was burdened as well with one pizza box balancing precariously on top of another large box, a bag in her hand as well.
"Do you think this stuff will help?" Tara asked as they walked along-side the walk paved parallel to the Avenue they followed.
Willow tried to see where she was going, but nearly tripped on a curb as they crossed the street. "I think so. The spell on Glory was ok, except for the headache. If we could find something to boost it, we might have better control over where we send her, and also avoid the nose bleeds and migraines."
"But we won't try it. Not if it's going to hurt you again." Tara said, more as a decision than a request. She'd expressed under no uncertain terms that she didn't want Willow to do any more transportation spells, but had to admit it was the only thing that had slowed the hell-goddess down so far.
"No-o. One time was plenty for me, thank you." Willow said, just before she screeched and fell face first.
The box of pizza skidded down the sidewalk face up and the larger box fell on its side. The only thing she had managed not to drop was the bag in her hand.
Tara stopped and set her things on the ground. "Willow, are you ok?" She crouched down and helped the red head to stand back up.
"Oh, I'm fine. But I'm afraid the pizza may not have survived." She stood up carefully, doing a mental check that all her body parts were still connected and working properly. Her pale hands went to work brushing off the dirt she'd gotten on her blouse.
Tara fetched the flat pizza box and looked inside. "Strangely enough, it looks ok." She closed it again and carried it to her girl friend. "But I don't think we can get all this stuff back to Buffy's without breaking something."
Willow had to agree. "I don't want to just leave this all here though, and we're too far from campus make two trips."
From ahead they heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to see a familiar vampire.
Tara's face softened when she saw him standing there with a cigarette hanging from his lips and a small brown bag clutched in his left hand. "H- hi Spike."
He gave her a short nod and took his cigarette from his lips. "You birds in need of some help?"
The two girls looked at each other, and shrugged. He couldn't hurt them, and even if he walked all the way back to Buffy's he still couldn't get in. Not with a brand spanking new invite. "Well, we were taking these over to-"
"The Slayer. I know. And no, I don't want an invite. This stuffs for fighting the hell-bitch. Right?" He motioned with his hand at the boxes and bags, now lined up on the sidewalk.
"Have you been.. following us?" Willow said, now a little concerned.
"Might 'ave. But you passed me a few blocks back. Noticed the precarious state those parcels were in. Thought you may be in need of a big strong evil vampire." He tossed his cigarette to the ground and mashed it with the sole of his boot. "Grr." He said flatly. "I'm evil. Need some 'elp or not?"
The girls tried not to smile, but couldn't help it. They knew they needed a hand, and with little else to choose from, decided the vampire was their best solution.
Together they carried the boxes, while Spike was entrusted with the sacred pizza and the bags full of what smelled to him as herbs and roots.
He followed them silently, hoping to catch whatever information he could on Buffy, or any plans they'd come up with to destroy Glory.
He hadn't been able to pick up much around town due to his status as former Big Bad. What little he had heard was already known by The Scoobies.
"Well," Willow continued their earlier conversation. "If I can focus the energy in a particular direction, I may be able to transport her to another dimension. One with no key to get out."
"But Honey, that's extremely powerful energy. Not always focus-able either." Tara countered. "And how will you know what dimension you'll send her to?"
"Ok, so there are kinks. Maybe if we could somehow create a dimension. One made just to hold her." Willow let her sentence run off.
"That's mighty powerful forces you're talkin' about there Red." Spike said quietly.
He hadn't said it quiet enough not to be heard though.
"I know it is, but if it comes down to Glory using Dawn, or me getting the migraine from hell, I'll go with migraine." She said resolutely.
Spike nodded, understanding and said no more as he continued trailing the witch's steps.
Tara however couldn't stop worrying. "I don't like it Willow. You could hurt yourself with allot more than a nose bleed and a headache."
Willow knew why Tara worried. It was a dangerous spell, and would be much more so if she added the additional strain of building a new dimension. "Well, I'll look into it, but we won't try it unless we're desperate, or we know it's not gonna kill me. Ok?" She looked over at her lover with pleading eyes.
The more experience Wicca tried to find a way to tell her lover it would never be safe, but instead she forced a small smile and nodded, then looked ahead to shield Willow from the fear easily seen in her eyes. She hated when Willow did this, not from jealousy of her power, but because of love. Tara didn't want her to get hurt, especially from magics. The outcome was too unpredictable.
Before long, they were standing in front of Buffy's home. Spike walked up the front steps and set the packages on the stoop while Willow opened the door.
Tara gave him another quiet smile. "Thanks Spike. F-for helping, I mean."
"Did someone say Spike!?!" Dawn yelped from inside the house. In mere seconds she was at the door. The teen pushed her hair back behind her ears. "Hi Spike. What are you doing here?"
"That's a real good question." Xander walked up behind Dawn and eyed the spurned vamp. "Cuz last I heard, you weren't invited."
Willow walked past Spike and placed a hand on Xander's arm. "He was helping us." She demonstrated her point by turning and picking up one of the oversized, over filled cardboard boxes.
Xander looked from the box to the vampire. "Oh, well you're still not invited." He said firmly and walked away with a box.
Dawn rolled her eyes, and Tara brought in the pizza along with one of the bags.
"Didn't expect to be. Just saw them tryin to carry more 'an they could, and thought I'd lend a hand. S'for fightin off Glory. And even without the invite, I don't want that bint to get hold of Dawn any more 'an the rest of you!" He spun on his heel and started down the walk, realizing his words had only reached the back of their target's head.
Xander walked the package into the kitchen, never turning.
"Wait! Spike!" Dawn called. Then turned on Xander. "What is terrible huh? He loves Buffy and doesn't want me to die, and you just keep running him off!!" Her crush was overcome and directed back to 'hot' vampires.
Spike had stopped to see what Xander's answer was as the brunette walked back in to the living room. He still avoided eye contact with the peroxide blonde.
Spike didn't have a chance to see Xander's reaction. Instead the vampire found himself tackled to the ground.
Caught off guard, he now laid flat on his back with a stake pressed against his chest. "Owww. Bloody Slayer. Get off!" He tried to push her away, hoping she wouldn't notice that the position she was in was causing areas of his body to stir, that he was sure would get him very good and staked.
"Not real likely. I knew you were sick, but going after Dawn." She'd still been on the back porch when Dawn's screams brought her back to earth. The Slayer quickly ran around to the front of the house and went for the person who's name her sister had screamed.
Spike pulled his head back into the ground and looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. "Jealous are we?"
"What? No!" She shook her head. "I heard Dawn screaming at you. What were you doing?" She still held the wood against his chest.
"I was trying to leave, but you girls seem to be intent on keeping me around." He smirked.
Willow walked out to where the two were, still in a compromising position. "Buffy, he was just trying to help Tara and me carry some stuff. We had it till we got the pizza, then we sort of looked like we were going to fall over. One too many things."
"Well, to be honest, you did fall over, Red." Spike added, hoping that it may sway the slayer to let him live.
"Then Xander got all mad," Dawn said coming out to the yard as well. "So Spike was going to leave, but I." Dawn wasn't sure what she was going to use as an explanation.
"Fine." Buffy gave up and stood, relieved that Spike was avoiding comments about the 'stake' he was apparently hiding in his pocket.
The elder Summers took another quick glance at Spike, still on the ground, then back at her sister. "You're ok?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Dawn said happily. "So can Spike come in?"
"No!" Buffy and Xander both yelled at the same time.
"Already told you, don't want an invite." Spike sat up on the grass and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, now bent from Buffy's attack. "Could use some decent smokes though." He tossed the pack on the grass behind him and stood up.
"Well then, you go get some, and we'll go back inside." Buffy walked to the front door not giving him a backwards glance.
Willow watched Spike watch Buffy leave. Dawn smiled at him, then followed her big sister who stood on the porch waiting.
Willow turned to go in as well.
"Oh, Red. 'Bout that spell. You might want to try Dorson's Theories of Interdimensional Travel, mix in a bit of Quinn's Study of Creations, and you may get a viable spell."
Willow turned around. "You've read Quinn?"
He shrugged. "A bit. Mostly drivel, but some was. interesting."
Willow turned around and saw Buffy and Tara still standing at the door waiting and pleaded with Spike. "Hold on." She said and ran to the waiting women.
So Spike stayed put, and waited. He kept his smirk in check.
Buffy watched as Willow ran up to her and came to a dead stop. "Buffy. I think Spike might be able to help."
"I doubt that."
"No. I'm serious." She turned to Tara. "He's read Quinn before. And suggested Dorson."
"Really?" The dark blonde questioned.
"Yeah. Look, Buffy, I know you're freaked about him. And I totally understand why, but he might be able to help."
Buffy looked over her friend's shoulder at the still figure standing in front of her house and began to shake her head. "Wills, I'm not going to inv-"
"Buffy," Willow furrowed her brow. "It's the best way we've come up with to get rid of Glory." She looked back at Spike, then to her best friend. "It's the only way we have to save Dawn."
Buffy sighed and looked up towards the porch's ceiling blocking her view of the stars. She seriously did not want to have to deal with Spike. Not with everything else. There was just too much. Her mom's death, Glory coming after Dawn, Dawn herself, and just reality.
But he might have a way to stop Glory, or at least a way to help Willow and Tara stop Glory. "I'm going to regret this. I just know it." Buffy said and went into her house.
"What?" Xander shadowed her steps. "You can't be serious."
"Xander, we don't know how much time we have until Glory comes." She said in a whispered voice. "And when it comes down to it," She sighed again. "He'd protect Dawn as much as I would."
Xander shook his head and sat back down in front of the television trying to become entranced. He couldn't argue, but he didn't have to completely agree either.
Dawn, who'd sat in front of the television after re-entering the house, looked back at the door just as Spike came up the steps with Willow.
"Come on in Spike." Buffy said, not very eagerly.
The brunette teen suppressed her squeal of delight and turned back to the TV, now filled with stars and the Enterprise going into warp.
Spike just gave Buffy a nod and followed Willow and Tara back to the kitchen.
Buffy plopped onto the couch and watched along with Xander and her little sister as the crew of the Enterprise spoke of scans and tractor beams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anya walked out of the basement with her clipboard in hand. "You need to order Burba Weed. We're out."
Giles, who stood across the room in front of a row of shelves also holding a clipboard, turned around. "Already? We just had a shipment two weeks ago." He looked over his clipboard and checked his notations. "Yes. There should be at least 5 containers full. Are you sure it's gone?"
Anya set her pen and list down on the counter. "I told you it was." She quickly changed the set of papers on her clipboard. "I don't know why you insist I stay for inventory if you don't believe what I tell you." She quipped and set out for the basement again.
"Because," He flipped a page. "I'm paying you overtime."
Anya's smile perked up again before she stepped downward. "Oh yes. There is that." And she disappeared past the door.
Rupert shook his head and turned back to the selection of books he had. "Hmm. Someone purchased Dorson." He noted the missing book and his intention of ordering another copy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No. It's in the wording. And you may need a bit more Torkus root." Spike explained.
Tara added the root. "How do you know about this. I mean, dimensional stuff?"
"Oh, well Dru had this idea about 40 years or so ago. Something about sending all the flower people to dimensions filled with colors. It was an odd plan to say the least, but we had minions workin' on it anyway."
"And you what. picked it up?" Willow asked as she wrote down a few new words on the pad of paper.
"Na. Can't do the spell any better than the whelp out there could. Just watched over them, made sure they were followin orders. Pitched in a bit to make just the right type of dimension." He turned a page in the worn text in front of him. "Here." He pointed out a paragraph. "This is where we got stuck."
Willow walked around the island. "Oh, a life force." She looked at him. "I guess that would be a problem."
"What?" Tara asked once she'd mixed the root in well.
"Well, to make a dimension, you need a representations of it." He explained. "A picture, or drawing is one. An object or trait that would be common there, and a life force who had the images of the place in their mind, held and retained by the interests of their life force. Or Soul."
Tara squinted, then her eyes got big. "Ohhh. No Soul, so no spell."
"S'bout the long an short of it." He turned the page. "But looks like we have everything here. As long as you have the time it takes to prepare, and are safely out of harms way, you should be able to create the dimension and send her high bitchiness wherever you want. Just remember to be sure she is at the center of the triangle made by the three elements of the spell, otherwise it won't work."
"Got it." The red head picked up the bowl of the premixed ingredients and walked out with Tara and one peroxide blonde vampire coming out after her. "We think we have something."
Buffy sat up on the couch. "Yeah?"
Willow and Tara sat down on the floor, while Spike remained standing behind them looking on, just happy to be among them. "I think so." Tara said.
Buffy got up then sat next to Willow on the floor and peered into the ceramic bowl. "Well it sure smells like a spell." She crinkled her nose at the mixture. "What is it supposed to do?"
Willow unfolded the paper and set it next to the bowl. "Well once we get elements we want in our little universe, all we have to do is read this." She pointed to the paper, "And Glory goes poof."
Xander turned around. "Where are you sending her Wills?"
"That we don't know yet. But it can be anyplace we want."
"I vote tar pit." Dawn said and sat next to Buffy.
Xander got up off the floor then sat on the couch away from the stinking mixture and perused the books of Trek sitting on the floor next to the couch he'd brought for tonight. Looking up spells was fine, but his interest in them stopped once they were figured out.
He knew he was a little bit geeky when it came to science fiction, but knowing in no way it could be real gave him a calmness no horror movie filled with vampires could. He'd even brought over a mock phaser that sat on the side table on the opposite end of the couch.
At the very least, he thought he'd done well when Dawn had laughed at it earlier. He'd made one of the Summers girls smile. Something not seen lately.
"Is it in Latin?" Dawn asked and picked up the paper.
"No. It's in English, but the trick is in the other items to activate it. We need to be precise or it won't work." Willow explained to the interested teen. "We need to decide exactly what we want the realm we send her to be like."
Tara got up. "I'll get the notepad, and we can b-brainstorm.." She went into the kitchen.
Dawn held the paper high. "Then one of us just has to say," She began to read. "Banished to the realm we desire, filled with dreams of a soulful mire, elements drawn in from near, abandon this through a tare."
Just as her last words were spoken Tara came through the door. "Dawnie! No!"
Then time seemed to freeze as the next precious few seconds passed.
Around Spike, Dawn, Buffy and Willow a triangle lined by shadows, formed. Each point taking an element of it's surrounding. One touched the television, the other reached to Xander's mind, caressing his forehead, the other point finding its destination at the mock phaser's position. When all three elements were understood and read by the casting, the shadows raised, hiding the people inside.
The four forms engulfed in the magics could not move or speak, only watch as they were brought into darkness.
When Tara could no longer see the others, she began to move and suddenly noticed the wind whipping around her head. Pictures were blown off the walls and the floor shook. "Willow!!!"
Xander shot up from his seat when movement was again possible. He walked sideways careful to avoid the walls of absent light. "Buffy!! Dawn!!"
The two saw each other and shared a fearful look before the wind came to a halt, and the shadows pulled back into the floor. The ground once again became steady, but their friends no longer sat on its surface.
In the center now was an empty ceramic bowl and a piece of paper, apparently undisturbed.
*************************************** ************************************** So.. this is it guys. My little x-over. Well not IT.. just the beginning, but hey..