CHAPTER FOURTEEN – MORE EVIL

After a lot of research, Zoey finally got an address. But finding Joss Whedon would mean having to travel to New York. And when she and Spike wanted to get out of the internet café, it was daytime, so they had to stay inside for another while.

"What if we won't make it in time?" Zoey asked, wandering around worriedly. "And what if this address isn't even right?"

"It better be. I'm going to kick that bastard's arse!"

Zoey turned around to look at him. "What? Why?"

"Why?" Spike gave her a look. "You know, that man made my life a living hell, alright? Let monsters and Buffy kick me, let me die, be a ghost, be haunted by the first evil, what do you think I'm gonna do? Give him a hug? Say, 'Hello, mate, thanks for giving me such a great life!'"

"Yeah, I see your point," she said. "But look, we don't have time for that. God knows what's going on in your crazy home dimension right now. We have to find him and ask him what we should do because he created that world and he should be the one to know how to save it!"

xxxxx

Willow was sitting in Angel's kitchen. There were a bunch of dusty old books on the table. When Buffy came downstairs, she quickly closed some of them.

"Hey, Will," she said, "What's going on?"

"Oh, you know, just..." She tried to act carefree, but she couldn't. "I don't know. Not much, apparently." She nervously got up to get a glass of water. "I did a spell. They're both okay, but they don't seem to be anywhere near finding a solution. I tried to get in touch with them, but... considering that they are a dimension away, that's kind of hard, you know?"

"Well, they better hurry." Buffy looked out of the window. "I mean, look at what's happening!"

Outside, kids were fighting. Old couples attacked each other with knives, and it got worse and worse every day.

Buffy shook her head. "We can't wait around for them anymore!"

"Buffy, it's only been like a day..."

"It has, hasn't it? Look around, Willow. All of this gets worse every day. People go, I don't know how much, more evil every day. And people die! All the time. I cannot wait around for them! Do you have any idea what will happen if we just sit here? God, why can't you understand that? Why can no understand that?"

Willow looked at her best friend. She saw tears in her eyes and she looked mad. No, not just mad, she looked really angry. She was raging. She had beaten the table during her speech and she had yelled like she hadn't in a while.

For a minute, they just looked at each other. Then Buffy slowly sat down. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Willow said, comforting her. "It's okay."

She sighed. "Guess not even we are immune to this. Guess even I'm turning evil."

"Buffy," Willow said, "You are not turning evil, okay? You're not." She hugged her. "You're right though."

She looked up. "About what?"

"We have to do something. We can't wait around anymore."

Buffy nodded. "Right. I'll, um... We should discuss this. With everyone."

Willow nodded. "Yeah."

Buffy went upstairs. But she turned around after a few steps. "If they don't find this guy, they're never going to come back."

"They'll find him," Willow said.

Her best friend nodded and continued going upstairs.

"Hey, Buffy?"

"Yeah?" She turned her head immediately when Willow called her.

"I know you're worried that... that you're gonna lose Spike again."

Buffy looked to the floor.

"It's OK," she said. "I get it. But they're just looking for some guy, and they have his name, they'll find him, Buffy. And Zoey's world is so safe! No vampires or demons or anyone coming after them."

"I guess you're right," she said.

xxxxx

When Spike and Zoey left the café that night, they made their way to the train station to get to New York. But only a few feet away from the café, Spike fell down on the ground. A fist had come out of a dark alley.

"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed. He was bleeding. Whoever had punched him, must have been strong.

"Are you alright?" Zoey asked. "Who was that?"

"I don't know." He got up. "Let's find out."

"Are you sure that's a good -"

Spike didn't even listen to her. Zoey followed him into the alley and they both finally noticed the silhouette of a woman. She had her back turned, but when Zoey and Spike stood only a few feet away from her, she turned around, smiling at the two of them.

"Hello, my William."

Spike stared at her and Zoey felt a mix of excitement and anxiety.

"Dru," he said. "What are you doing here?"

...to be continued! How does Drusilla's arrival affect Spike's and Zoey's mission - and her demon-free universe? And how did she get there anyway? Stay tuned!