Title: Black and White
By: Shadows59
Summary: Buffy and Willow hunt Warren after his attack.
Category: B/X/Ay, T/S, W/Amy
Spoilers: More altered Season Six up to Seeing Red.
Disclaimer: Owned by Joss and Co.
Notes. Part Four of my Finding Heaven Series. Sequel to Finding Heaven, So Complicated and Get This Party Started.
Chapter 1
Spike kicked the back door open. "What the bloody hell happened out…" He stopped when he smelled a familiar metallic odor filling the air and felt a rush of desire and concern. Then he looked out over the backyard and felt the hunger of his demon die away. Buffy was kneeling in a growing pool of blood between Xander and Anya. One hand pressed against Anya's chest while her other hung lifelessly by her side. She looked up when she heard Spike's voice, her cheeks soaked with tears and he saw something in her eyes he'd never seen before. Terror, absolute terror, and it scared him more than he'd ever admit.
"Bloody hell," Spike muttered and took a step forward, only to jump back in pain when the sun scorched his uncovered skin. "Bloody hell," he said a third time and ran back into the house, both to get help and to get away from the look. He almost flew up the stairs, pausing only to bang on Dawn's door. "Niblet, call 911!" He shouted as he passed by.
Dawn stuck her head out of her room. "What, why? And what were those noises?"
"You're sister's been shot, that's why!" Spike shouted back without turning. "And so has droopy and Anya. So get on that damned phone!" He didn't bother to use the doorknob when he got to Willow's door, he just slammed into it with his shoulder and broke it down.
"Tara, Red we have a…" Spike stopped when he smelled more blood. Then he saw the blond girl in Willow's arms and for the briefest second he understood the terror he saw in Buffy because he knew he looked the same way. Then he blinked and saw Tara kneeling behind Red with her arms wrapped around the witch and the relief he felt was better than any kill.
Tara looked up from Willow and was on her feet the second she saw the look on Spike's face. "What happened?"
"Damned if I know, but the Slayer and her two sweeties are down," Spike answered. "Niblet's calling for help, but you know how quick Sunnydale's finest react."
Tara looked down at Willow with regret and took a deep breath. "Let's go."
Willow shook her head when she finally realized Tara was leaving. "Wait!" She begged and grabbed at Tara's legs. "We can still save her, I know a spell!"
"She's dead. There's nothing we can do," Tara said as gently as she could. A part of her just wanted to wrap her arms around Willow and try to protect her, but she had more important things to do now. It felt like she was cutting out her heart, but Tara followed Spike out. "I'm sorry."
"Please Tara!" Willow shouted after her, but this time the blond witch didn't even look back. Willow sniffed back the tears and pulled Amy even closer. "Don't worry baby. I'll save you," she whispered as her eyes went black and the two of them vanished.
"They're sending ambulances," Dawn shouted as Tara and Spike ran by. She followed them down the stairs with her cordless phone glued to her ear.
"And probably a mess of cops," Spike said. "I can't let them catch me here, pet."
Tara glanced out a window at the almost cloudless day and nodded. "Go. I'll take care of them."
"Good luck," Spike said and gave her a quick peck on the lips before he pulled his jacket over his head and ran out the front door.
"What about me?" Dawn asked as she followed Tara into the kitchen.
Tara pulled the first aid kit out of a cabinet and ran to the back door, her long yellow skirt swishing around her legs. "Find out when the ambulances are going to get here! And stay inside!" Dawn nodded and turned away just before she got to the back door, which Spike had left open in his rush to get upstairs.
Tara ran outside, but skidded to a stop when she saw Buffy kneeling over Xander and Anya, her white skirt stained red. Tara looked over the injuries and knew she couldn't do much for Xander's belly or Anya's chest injuries, but she had to stop the blood that was still flowing down Buffy's arm.
"You two have to stay with me," Buffy whispered as tears ran down her face. "You promised. I can't do this alone."
Tara ran over the grass and knelt down next to Buffy. She didn't notice the blood until she felt it soak through her skirt. She was surprised by how warm it still felt, then she put it out of her mind as she opened the first aid kit and pulled out a long strip of bandages. "Buffy, give me your arm."
Buffy jumped when she heard Tara's voice. "Tara? What?"
"I said give me your arm," Tara said as she pulled off a long strip of the bandage and grabbed Buffy's wounded arm.
Buffy pulled free. "Don't worry about me. They need the help."
Tara grabbed Buffy's arm again. "You won't be able to help anyone if you bleed to death." Buffy started to pull away again. "And the longer you fight me the longer it'll take to help them." At that Buffy nodded and let Tara wrap the bandage around her arm and hissed in pain when Tara pulled the bandage tight.
"What happened?" Tara asked as she reached into the First Aid Kit for some extra supplies, a handful of special herbs and roots.
"He had a gun," Buffy said, well down the road to hysterical. "I – I wasn't quick enough, Tara," Buffy said and started sobbing but didn't move her good hand from the wound in Anya's chest. "I tried to stop him but I wasn't quick enough."
"You did your best," Tara said softly as she wondered who 'he' was. But now wasn't the time to worry about it. "You can't be everywhere. You're not God either."
"I couldn't save them," Buffy whispered. "They saved me and I couldn't save them."
"They aren't dead yet," Tara said as she began a chant in Babylonian and threw the powder mix over Buffy, Xander and Anya. There was a shudder in the air and Xander and Anya visibly relaxed.
"What?" Buffy whispered peacefully as her eyes glazed over.
"Just a little something that should keep anyone from going into shock," Tara said as she looked into the First Aid kit, then she yelled wordlessly and punched it closed. "Damn it. I could heal them if I was a real witch."
"You are," Buffy said and giggled.
Tara shook her head, disgusted with herself. "N-no I'm not. Willow's the one w-with all the power. Where are those damn ambulances?" Tara shouted and looked over her shoulder.
Just then they heard Dawn as she came running around the back with a group of paramedics right behind her. "They're back here!" Dawn shouted and turned to point them out. She took one look at the blood that was everywhere and went so pale it must've hurt. She almost knocked over two of the paramedics following her when she spun around on her heel and ran back to the front of the house.
"We'll take it from here," one of the paramedics told Tara. Tara nodded and got up out of the way. Buffy took a bit more convincing, even with the spell on her. In the end two of the paramedics had to pull her away while the other three split up between Xander and Anya.
"Do you know what happened, miss?" A police officer who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere asked Tara. She tried to look at the man's face, but she couldn't look away from her friends.
She shook her head. "Buffy said he had a gun, but that's all that I… There's another body upstairs," she added in a rush. "In first room on the right."
The officer waved over a paramedic and the two of them rushed into the house. Tara hugged herself as she watched the doctors try to stabilize Buffy, Xander and Anya. She jumped again when the cop came back. It felt like he'd just gone through the door. He had a dark look on his face. "Are you sure, miss? We found a broken window and a lot of blood, but no body."
"What?" Tara asked, thoroughly confused, then worried. "Then she must've…"
Suddenly another paramedic was in her face. "We have room in the ambulance for you if you want to come with us miss, but we have to go right now."
Tara nodded and was racing around the house before she knew it. Everything seemed to be happening so fast and all she wanted was to take a breath to calm down. When she got to the front she saw Dawn kneeling next to the bushes and wiping her mouth with shaking hands. "Can she come too? I don't want to leave her here alone."
"Just hurry," the paramedic shouted as he climbed into the back of the ambulance they'd put Anya into.
Tara leaned down and grabbed Dawn's arms. Dawn jumped away and Tara looked down and realized that her hands were covering in blood. She tried to wipe them off on her skirt as she said, "Come on, Dawn. They'll take us to the hospital."
Dawn didn't do much more than nod, but that was enough. The two of them piled into Buffy's ambulance and watched the paramedic still working as the ambulance started moving. Dawn stared at her sister, who was finally asleep while Tara vainly rubbed at the blood that still stained her hands and skirt. Neither said a word.
Buffy felt like she was swimming in silly putty. Everything felt so slow, so calm. Then she saw something in the haze in front of her and she started swimming towards it. It seemed to take hours before she reached it, but that was all right, she had all the time in the world.
Finally the shape came into focus and she saw Xander standing in front of her. He held up his hands and it looked like he was wearing red gloves, then the glove dripped. He shook his head as the scalpel he held slipped out of his hand and it shattered when it hit the floor and time snapped back.
Buffy woke up screaming. She kicked off the sheet that was covering her and just started to tear at the tubes that were in her arm when hands grabbed her and pushed her down into the bed. She struck out at whatever was holding her down, but didn't hit anything solid. That was when she realized she could hear more than screaming.
"Buffy! It's all right. It's me, Dawn!"
Buffy blinked and the shape melted down into her sister, who was still protecting Buffy's wounded arm. "Dawnie?" Buffy whispered. Her throat was so dry it hurt.
"That's right," Dawn said and looked relived for a split second, and then she collapsed into Buffy's arms. "God, Buffy. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Buffy felt her sister's tears soak into the thin cotton hospital gown and joined in as she wrapped her arms around Dawn. "I know. It's all right," she whispered into her sister's hair.
Dawn wasn't listening, she had gone straight to the babbling with hiccups mixed in for good measure. "I'm so sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. I love you, and Xander and Anya. I'll never fight with you again. I swear."
Buffy didn't say anything right away, she just held her sister close. Finally she replied, "Thank you. Does that mean you'll stay out of my closet?"
"Of cour… Wait, I don't go in your closet." Dawn sat up so she could glare at Buffy.
Buffy just smirked at her sister, who's frown melted away, and saw Tara standing in the corner of the room with her arms wrapped around herself. She was wearing the same kind of blue pajamas that Ben used to wear when he was at work. Tara was shivering as her eyes kept darting between Buffy and Dawn and the door.
"Tara, what are you doing here?" Buffy whispered as loud as she could.
"The nurses said," Dawn began, then coughed. "When you came out of surgery the nurses said I could wait with you since I was family. Then I kinda told them that Tara was our cousin." Dawn looked down at the floor. "I don't think I could've stayed here alone."
Buffy reached up and smoothed Dawn's hair. "It's all right. Thank you," Buffy said to Tara, who finally turned away from the door and walked over so she could sit at the very edge of Buffy's bed.
"You're welcome," Tara said with an almost smile.
Buffy looked around the room, and realized she was the only patient here. "Where are Xander and Anya?" When neither girl answered Buffy just knew. She could almost see the two of them, pale and cold under a sheet in the same room they'd kept her mother. She sat up, only to have the room lurch to the side under her. That didn't stop her though. She would've crawled out of the room if she had to, but Dawn reached up and gently forced her to lie back down.
"Buffy, calm down," Dawn said as she tried to hold the struggling Slayer down. Finally Buffy shook her head. Dawn didn't believe her right away, but she did let her sister go.
"Dawn, why don't you get Buffy some water?" Tara suggested
Dawn didn't move from Buffy's side for a long moment, then she nodded and got up. "All right."
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked Tara as soon as Dawn was out of the room. "You've got that Lifetime movie of the week look."
Tara chewed on her bottom lip before she finally started. "You were in surgery for nearly an hour, Buffy. But you were lucky. The doctor told us that the bullet didn't hit the bone or cause any major nerve damage. It should be fine for about a month."
Buffy looked down at her left arm and realized with a start that it was covered in a thick bandage that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. It was also numb, but not the pleasant numbness from before. Now it was the kind of numbness that felt like an army of ants, who were all wearing socks, crawling over her skin.
"The doctor thought that the anesthesia would keep you out for another couple hours, but Dawn and I knew better," Tara continued with a miniscule smile. "That's why we wanted to be in here, so you didn't throw some poor nurse through a wall when you woke up."
"A couple of hours more?" Buffy asked as she tried to force away the cobwebs in her mind. "How long have I been out?"
"It's been three hours since you were shot," Tara said simply.
Buffy's stomach dropped out from under her. "Then where are Anya and Xander?" Tara didn't answer. Instead she looked like she wanted to bolt. Buffy wrapped her good hand around Tara's. "Please?"
Tara sighed. "They're still in surgery."
"Oh, God," Buffy whispered up to the Powers she barely trusted as her head fell back into the thin hospital pillow.
"They said Xander was pretty lucky," Tara's voice dripped with sarcasm. "As lucky as anyone who's been shot, I guess. The bullet that struck him didn't do any major damage and he should make a full recovery."
"Then why's he still in surgery?"
"It nicked one of his kidneys, and they're still trying to stop the internal bleeding."
"What about Anya?"
Tara looked down at the cold, white floor. "The bullet barely missed her heart, but it broke two of her ribs and collapsed a lung. The nurse who's been updating us says she has the best doctors in the state working on her."
"But?"
"But they aren't sure if they can save her lung. She should eventually recover, but…" Tara let the sentence die.
"Oh, God," Buffy whispered. "Is this all that I've come back for? To watch everyone I love die?" Tara didn't answer, she looked as lost as Buffy felt. Then the last cobweb cleared and Buffy felt frantic. "Where's Willow? Is she…?"
"What? No! No. Willow's…. Amy's dead," Tara said as she closed her eyes and shuddered.
"What?" Buffy asked in horror.
"What?" Dawn echoed as she stopped half way in the door and the little Dixie cup slipped through her hand and splashed on the floor.
"The last shot," Tara said as she rubbed her hands, even though she'd already scrubbed the blood off. "It – it hit her in the heart. The- there wasn't anything I could do. I wanted to help, but Spike – Amy was dead so I just left Willow there alone to help you. Willow begged me to stay, but I just – I just…" Tara finally broke down.
Buffy was going to say something, but Dawn beat her to it. "You did what you had to. You saved my sister."
Tara shook her head and sent her disheveled blond hair flying. "But now she's gone. A police officer went upstairs looking for her and she was gone."
"We'll find her," Buffy promised as she sat up again, the room lurched again, but this time it settled at a pleasant thirty-degree angle.
"Buffy, no! Your arm," Dawn protested, but stopped when she saw the look on her sister's face.
Buffy flexed her left hand. It hurt, but now she could move it. "It'll be fine by tonight. Being a Slayer's good for something after all." Her voice was bitter.
"Two things," a voice said from the doorway.
They turned and Dawn was the first one to react. "Willow!" She shouted as she ran up and threw her arms around the red head's neck and squealed. Willow didn't react, she kept her eyes locked on Buffy's.
Tara got up, one hand clutching her elbow as she walked up to Willow. "I… I'm so sorry."
Willow didn't flinch. "Don't be. Water over the bridge. Who did this, Buffy?"
Buffy swallowed hard. "Warren. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."
"Warren," Willow echoed, tasting the name. Then she grinned. "Good. Come on." With that she turned on her heel.
"I can't."
Willow froze as she turned back and glared at the bandages Buffy had on. "Why not? You're not hurt that bad."
"Xander and Anya. They're still in surgery."
Willow actually smiled with relief. "Is that all? Fine. There's something I need from them anyway." Willow said and walked out the door. They watched her turn just as the door closed behind her.
Buffy sat up and grabbed the IV's that ran into her wrist. Dawn looked panicked. "Buffy, what're you doing."
"What I have to," Buffy said and grimaced as she pulled the needles out. She got out of bed and wobbled for a few seconds before she got her legs under her. She walked to the door and only stopped when she noticed Tara wasn't following. In fact she looked even more panicked than she had before.
Tara felt Buffy and Dawn's eyes on her. "Something's wrong. She's- she's too strong." Tara hugged her elbows and shivered. "She feels like lightening now.
"Good. Here's hoping Warren gets scorched," Dawn said. Buffy didn't respond, she just followed after Willow. After a few heartbeats Tara got up and followed.
Buffy, Dawn and Tara caught up with Willow as the witch pushed open the operating room doors. They followed her in, their stomachs in their throats.
Sunnydale's Wilkins Memorial Hospital was one of the few hospitals in America that had to work like a MASH on a regular basis, so insignificant details like privacy got the door. The main operating room was big enough to allow a half dozen surgeries to go on at the same time, but for right now only two of the beds were in use. They were separated by a thin plastic barrier on wheels, to keep the two teams of doctors and nurses from getting in each other's way.
At first no one noticed the odd group that walked in, they were all to busy operating. Finally the woman who was operating on Anya glanced up and saw Willow standing there with a very pale Buffy in a hospital gown and Tara and Dawn right behind them.
"Hey, you kids can't come in here!" She shouted. "Nurse, get them out of here before they contaminate…"
"Leave," Willow ordered, her voice calm. The doctor stopped in mid gesture and put her scalpel down on the instruments tray while the other doctors and nurses did the same. Then they walked, single file, across the room and out the swinging doors.
Buffy almost turned to leave too, even though the spell wasn't directed at her. She bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood, but she didn't move. Tara closed her eyes and whispered something to ward off the spell. Dawn turned to follow the surgical staff out, but Buffy grabbed her by her upper arm and held her in place until the last nurse passed through the doors and the magic passed a heartbeat later.
"Buffy, what happened?" Dawn asked as she shook her head clear.
Buffy didn't answer. She just let Dawn slip free and took a few baby steps toward her two lovers, the cold tile stinging her bare feet. She didn't see the blood that was everywhere, or the half-finished surgery that marred their bodies, all she saw was their faces. Xander looked almost peaceful in under the clear oxygen mask, like he'd gotten shot and cut open every day. Buffy half expected him to sit right up and start cracking jokes.
Anya looked like she was made of wax and Buffy could hear the oxygen tanks that sat next to her hiss every time she took a breath. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and it all became too much. Buffy spun and buried her face in Tara's shoulder.
Tara wrapped her arms around Buffy without saying a word. The room was silent except for the hiss of oxygen and Buffy's silent crying. Then Willow's high heels clacking across the hard tile floor broke it and Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and howl when she walked past. Buffy turned, still crying, and watched as the plastic divider rolled back out of the way as Willow approached it.
Willow waved her hands and the two operating tables rolled towards her like obedient puppies. Once they were close enough she raised her hands above Xander and Anya. At first nothing happened, then there was a slurp sound as first one bullet, then another was pulled free from the bodies they had violated. The bullets rose up and seemed to dance in the air over her hands as she studied them with dead eyes. "So small." Willow shook her head and shoved the bullets into her pocket, then closed her eyes in concentration.
Buffy watched in disbelief as Xander and Anya's wounds and incision marks closed themselves and healed. She glanced at Tara and realized with a start that the blond witch wasn't watching the miracle; she was watching the miracle worker with an indescribable look in her eyes.
"Buffster," Xander gasped out. All thought fled as Buffy rushed to his side. He grinned up at her and reached up to wipe off the tears that stained her cheek. He grinned and added, "This dying thing is no where near as much fun as you made it look."
Buffy laughed and bent down to give him the kind of kiss that would either make him glad he was alive or kill him. Xander leaned up to return the kiss when his stomach seized up. Buffy pulled away in horror when she heard his sudden gasp.
"Still a little sore," he whispered and made it sound like he pulled a muscle, but his face was white with pain.
Then Anya started coughing. Actually she sounded like someone who smoked for the last eighty years and needed to get her lungs out as quickly as possible. Buffy moved like lightening to Anya's side. Xander was up too. He ignored the pain had him hunched over and lurched over to Anya's side. He took Anya's right hand and squeezed down so hard that both of their knuckles went white. "It'll be all right, baby. We're here."
Finally the last of the coughing fit faded away and Buffy ran her fingers through Anya's sweat darkened hair. Anya looked up at them, clearly exhausted, but still managed to force out a smile.
"I thought you made them better," Dawn shouted behind them. Buffy turned and saw Dawn jam her finger in Willow's face. Willow didn't look worried. She just examined Dawn like she was some new kind of insect.
"They'll be fine," Willow said, like she was talking about complete strangers, "in a day or two. I did what I could, but they're only human. They can only be healed so fast. Of course if they were Slayers they'd be completely healed. Hell, if they were Slayers maybe they'd of done something to stop Warren." Willow didn't turn to see what her words had done to Buffy, the muffled sob was enough for her.
"She did all she could," Tara said.
"Sure she did. That's why we're here and Amy's dead."
"Don't take it out on Buffy," Xander said as he glared at his best friend. "You're the all powerful witch and…" He stopped himself, but not in time.
Willow looked briefly annoyed, then explained simply, "I was taken by surprise."
"So was Buffy," Xander replied.
Willow didn't answer, she just stood there and got a faraway look in her eyes. When it faded she was smiling. "There you are," she whispered and finally looked over at Buffy. "I know where he is. You coming?" When Buffy didn't answer she just shrugged and turned. "Whatever. See how much you care."
Buffy felt Anya squeeze on her hand and looked down. Anya tried to say something, but just started coughing again. Xander said it for her. "Kick his ass."
Buffy nodded and went into Slayer mode. She walked up to Dawn. "Can you stay here and keep an eye on them?"
Dawn grinned at being included. "Sure."
"Thank you," Buffy said and went to Tara. "You wanna come with?"
Tara nodded and followed Buffy out. "Someone's got to keep you two from doing something stupid."
"Didn't think I'd find you so easy, did you?" Willow asked as Warren walked down the bus stairs.
"I don't know why you had to go all Terminator," Warren said as he glanced behind him at the bus, which had two flat tires, a dozen shattered windows and motor oil pooling under the engine. Some of the other passengers were crying while the rest desperately shushing them. Then he turned and looked at Buffy, who still had the bandage covering her arm. "I mean, the Slayer's only got a boo boo. No harm no foul." He said smugly, but it faded when he saw the seriously pissed look on Buffy's face.
"You are so dead," Buffy said simply as she stepped up.
"No," Willow said and a shield formed around her and Warren that locked Buffy and Tara on the outside. She took a step toward Warren, her eyes as black as night. "I need him alive. For now."
Warren swallowed hard as he backed away from Willow. "I… I hope you don't think that scares me."
Willow grinned as she took another step forward. "I know it does. Of course if you knew what I needed you for you'd be screaming by now."
Warren backed into the shield that separated him from Buffy. "And what's that?"
"As a sacrifice for the Rituals of Al-siok, of course. You see, you killed my girlfriend," as Willow spoke black magic flashed between her fingers, "so it's only fair you die to bring her back."
"I didn't mean too!" Warren shouted. "It was an accident!"
"You think that makes it better?" Willow demanded as she grabbed Warren. "You think that'll save you? Nothing'll…" Her voice died and she cocked her head to one side to look at him better. "I don't believe this."
"I have a message from the master," the Warrenbot grinned as his hands flashed through the air and closed around Willow's, holding in her place. 'Fall down, go boom.'"
"Willow!" Buffy and Tara shouted together as the Warrenbot exploded. Willow didn't blink, not even when the fireball changed to black rose petals that swirled around the domed shield and made it look like she was standing in a huge snow globe.
"That damned weasel." Willow muttered to herself as she dropped the shield and started down the long road back to town.
Tara stumbled as the shield fell, but caught herself and ran after Willow. "You can't, you've got to calm down and think!"
Willow stopped and glared at her ex. "Oh, I've been thinking. Thinking about how if you and Giles hadn't tried to stop me from doing magic I would've been strong enough to save Amy. All you did was stand in my way cause you're jealous."
"You know that isn't true," Buffy said. "They only wanted to help."
"If you want to help, stay out of my way." With that Willow vanished.
Buffy stared at the empty air, then turned to Tara. "What's the ritual?"
Tara fell to the ground and began to explain as she watched the sun set. "Last summer, when we were trying to… We found a few different resurrection spells. The rite of Osiris was just the only one that didn't need a sacrifice, so that's the one we chose. But now the urn's busted and... The Rituals of Al-siok are dark magic. Darker even than what Willow used to fight Glory last year. If she does it she might not come back."
"That all sounds nice, but what does it mean in Californian?"
Tara shot Buffy a look. "The rituals need human sacrifices to work."
"You don't expect me to care that Warren gets what he deserves, do you?"
Tara shook her head. "If it was just him… We'd still try to stop Willow because it'll cost her more than she knows. But its not."
Buffy looked away. "How many?"
"At least three. But the more the better."
Buffy swallowed hard. She'd lost so much over the years, she didn't want to loose Willow too. "Then we just have to stop her."
Tara giggled as she ran her hand through the desert sand. "Have you seen what she's been doing? She's hooked into things I've never even dreamed of. She could kill us now if she wanted to."
"But she's Willow."
"Yeah," Tara said, but didn't look reassured.
"We just have to find Warren before she does."
Tara watched the sun set. "We'd better get Spike then. We'll need him."
Buffy nodded. "But how do we find Warren?"
"Follow Willow."
"How."
Tara smiled as she thought of better times. "I can always find Willow."
"Not the bleedin' woods again," Spike growled as the three of them followed a tiny ball of light as it flitted between the trees. "Couldn't he have hid in a warehouse like any other self respecting big bad?"
"Not everyone has your sense of ascetics Spike," Buffy said.
"Shame too." Spike said. Then he looked over at Tara. "Are you sure this'll get us to Red, Pet?" Tara nodded as she tried to concentrate on the spell. "Then why couldn't you do the same with Warren?"
"I needed a connection," Tara explained.
"What if she came out here for the scenery? I don't think that we're just going to trip over the bugger."
"Help!" They all heard the cry in the distance and turned to it. "Somebody help me!"
Then they saw the light flash in the same direction as the voice. "Might be wrong," Spike muttered as they started running.
Then the bushes ahead of them rustled and Warren came running out. He was favoring his right leg, which had a bright red gash in it, and looking over his shoulder in terror. Then he turned and saw the people running towards him and grinned in relief. "Help! She's nuts, she's… Oh hell." He slid to a stop in front of Buffy.
Buffy looked in his eyes and all she saw was Anya and Xander lying on the ground in their own blood. In that moment she knew why she hated Warren. It wasn't just because of what he had done, but because he was the first person who had ever made her feel truly and utterly helpless. And he wasn't a monster, a demon, any of the things she'd been taught to hate. He was just a loser with a gun who had almost destroyed everything she loved.
Buffy Summers disappeared in that moment of revelation.
The next sound she heard was the pounding of her own heart as it screamed, "SLAYER!" into her ear. Then she felt herself tearing at arms that were holding her in place, and the voice shouted again and this time she knew it wasn't her heart.
"What? God, Spike, I'm not deaf." Buffy shot back as she relaxed in his arms. She was so tired all the sudden, and her hands were sore. Spike was the only reason she was still standing and he held her with all the gentleness of a straightjacket.
Spike waited a few more moments then carefully let her go. She thought she had somehow slipped back to that afternoon, especially when she saw Tara kneeling over a body on the ground. But there was only one body, not two. "What happened?"
"You did," Spike said. His voice was a heady mix of respect and awe.
"What?"
Tara looked over her shoulder at Buffy, but the only emotion on her face was fear. Then she took a half step to the side and Buffy saw the body on the ground clearly in the moonlight. It was Warren.
Buffy wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. His nose was nearly flattened and was bleeding like a busted faucet. One side of his face was already rising in a bright purple bruise that was so big it kept him from opening his right eye. Buffy's gaze flowed down his body and saw that his left arm had at least two extra joints in it now. "How?"
"You did it all," Tara said, her voice broken. "He came running out of the woods and you just… Spike pulled you off him the second he saw what you were doing…"
Spike hesitated, then put his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Slayer - Buffy. Ponce had a lot more than that comin' to him if you ask me."
"No one deserved that," Buffy said as she looked down at her hands. She knew Spike, had fought him often enough to know what he could do. She did all that to Warren in less than a minute. "Oh my God."
Warren whimpered as he woke up. He opened his good eye and started screaming, which came out as a wet burbling sound through the blood. Buffy almost ran from that scream until she realized he wasn't looking at her. She turned.
"You rang?" Willow asked as she floated in the air behind Buffy, her short red hair fluttering in the breeze of a windless night. She looked Warren over, then grinned at Buffy. "Way to get into the spirit."
"I didn't mean…" Buffy began as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.
"Keep telling yourself that. At least you'll believe it. The rest of us know better, don't we guys?" Willow said, her smirk frozen on her face as she landed on the ground in front of Warren and Tara.
Tara stood up and absentmindedly brushed the grass off her blue pants as she glanced at Buffy and Spike. They nodded and she turned to face Willow. "He needs a doctor."
"He really doesn't," Willow contradicted happily and her voice got more singsong as she went on. "He needs to be eaten alive by maggots, to have his liver torn out and, who knows, maybe be skinned alive, but the last thing he needs is a doctor."
Warren tried to scuttle back into the brush, but a vine pulled itself loose from a tree and wrapped itself around his neck, tightening enough to make his eyes bulge. Willow stepped past Tara and took the other end of the vine. "Come on, puppy. Time to play."
"Leave him alone," Tara snapped as she grabbed Willow by the shoulder.
Willow spun around, her eyes so black they seemed to glow. "Don't touch me," she said and Tara flew back like she'd been struck by a bat. Spike barely managed to catch her out of the air before she hit a tree. "Don't you ever touch me again."
Spike set Tara on the ground like she was made of china. He had his game face on when he looked up. "Do whatever you like to the git, but no one touches my lady." With that he snarled and launched himself at Willow.
Willow caught him out of the air by his throat. He tried to pull himself free, but she tightened her grip and his limbs went dead. She stared into his feral eyes and asked, "Is she really worth it, Spike? I mean, her stuttering starts out cute, but doesn't it just grate after a while?"
"Not as annoying as your asinine speeches, luv. Or your poor me act."
He felt more than heard Willow growl, and her hand tightened on his throat before she forced herself to relax. "You mean poor Spiky. Not a man, not a monster. Just another broken toy. Well," Willow leaned in and whispered into his ear like a lover. "I can fix that." Spike winced as he felt something burning in his head. Then Willow held her free hand up in front of his eyes and he saw the small circular chip in her hand. "All better. Now, do what the monster's supposed to do."
Spike dropped to the ground and felt his limbs come back to life. He turned and saw Tara still lying on the ground, her neck stretched back and so pale and lovely in the dark. He could almost taste her as he took a step forward.
"Love to," Spike said as he spun around on his heal and buried his fist in Willow's face. She went flying backwards and he was on her before she even hit the ground. "I may not be a man, but I'm not half the monster you are," he howled as he hit her again and again and again. "You said you loved her, you bitch!"
"Stop," Willow said, and he did. She got out from under him and tasted the blood that dripped down from her nose. "Not bad. But all this," she said and waved her hand in front of her face. When it passed her face was healed. "Doesn't mean a thing. Just like you." With that Spike went flying backwards and slammed into a tree. Then Willow waved again and he flew forward and hit another tree face first.
"You were always a waste, Spike. Not even a teeny tiny bad. Just a pathetic little lost poet who wanted to play with the big boys," Willow taunted as she used Spike for a pinball even though he was already unconscious.
Spike stopped in midair and dropped bonelessly into a pile of bushes that sprang out of the ground right beneath him. "What about me?" Tara asked, her eyes were as white as Willow's were dark and her dress rippled around her legs in the wind that suddenly filled the clearing "What am I?"
