WARNING- I just posted two chapters together, so read chapter 13 first! Otherwise you will be oh so confused... Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I get excited every time I see that I have a new review-you make my life that little bit more thrilling!
By dusk, Dawn felt it was time to talk to someone about Willow's plans. Leaving the redhead poring over books in the dining room, she slipped upstairs to her bedroom and closed the door. Yet even in the privacy of her room, the phone in her hand, she hesitated. Should she talk to Tara, or Giles? Or should she call Xander and Anya? Tara would be likely to excuse any idea of Willow's and find a reason why it was fine, and Giles was always so distracted. Xander and Anya might not really be able to do anything, but they had been in on the whole bring Buffy back from the dead idea. So had Tara, and she had apparently thought that was a fine idea, even after all the shock and refusal to consider it when Dawn had wanted to do the very same thing... Maybe she should call Giles. Oh, if only Spike were awake! He was who she really needed right now!
But he wasn't, and she was going to have to deal with this herself. Squaring her shoulders and sticking out her chin, Dawn dialed.
xxxxx
Underwater, Spike was trying to acclimate to a number of things at once. The fact that he was underwater was probably the biggest stumbling block; it was definitely something new to him. His first priority was to try to get a feel for the way his limbs moved in the strange resistance of the water, so he could fight if—when—he needed to. Buffy's presence here made this even more urgent. He needed to be able to help her. But everything felt so strange and slow—he felt almost clumsy trying to move in the ways he was used to doing. And then there was the fact that they were surrounded by hostile demons and being faced down by the largest one of all, the literal mother of the other demons. And that she was talking to them, in a manner of speaking, inside their heads. There was a lot about this not to like. He and Buffy stood back to back; he could feel the tension in her where their shoulders brushed. He took a moment to wonder if all of it was because of the situation they found themselves in, but remained focused on the sea serpent they faced.
It had greeted them by name. Buffy, after struggling a bit, opening and closing her mouth, finally gave in and evidently figured out how to speak with her mind—Spike heard her, in his head, loud and clear.
"What do you want with us? What are we doing here? How did you do this? My friends are so going to kick your, uh, tails for this!"
'Your friends will not find us," the voice said, sonorous and clear. "We do not mean you harm, and you will be returned to yourselves. We must communicate with you now. Then all will be as it was."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Buffy demanded. Spike could feel her making small movements, disguised as shifting and settling, but he knew she was also feeling the strange pressure and slowness of the water and adjusting accordingly, readying herself.
Tiamat waved one of its many arms casually. "You do not need to ready yourself to fight, little one. We know what you are capable of; that is why you have been brought here. We did not bring you here to continue the fighting; we wish to stop this. We will talk."
"Oh yeah? Well, talk then. Tell me why I'm not fighting you after you follow us around and kidnap us and...and...and you hurt Spike!"
"Yes, we have taken notice of your concern for the demon. It is why we have brought him here with you today."
"Thanks ever so," Spike snarked to himself, and was shocked to realize it had been projected as speech. He silenced his thoughts and exchanged a glance with Buffy, who seemed to understand his startled look.
"We have observed you, as you say. We have gone into your streets and dreams and learned all we can, and now we have brought you here. We had not intended to, but you hold our child with your magics and we are worried for her. It is time this is ended."
Huh, Spike thought (to himself), 'her' is it? Wonder if Tara knows? And what did it mean, dreams?
"Oh no," Buffy said, "there will be no ending of us. Bigger fish than you have tried that trick, not gonna happen. You didn't stalk me long enough if you thought it was gonna be that easy! You might be big old fish-witches but trust me, I'm not that easy to get rid of."
"No indeed," said the serpent. "But you no longer truly wish that it were so easy, do you? It seems you have lost some of your desire to return to the place where you were, is that not so? This is important to us—we have come to believe that we may be able to deal together, with reason. We are prepared to forgive you, knowing that you acted from grief and fear, and that you have begun to heal. But we require assurance that that healing will continue, rendering you less of a threat."
"Huh? I'm still a plenty big threat, snake lady! And, huh?"
Ignoring Buffy, the serpent turning its attention to Spike. "William," the deep voice intoned. He stared in shock. "It is you who can act as assurance for us. We must know that you will remain in place, both in fact and in spirit, for this one. She is unpredictable and dangerous without you but you can temper her and guide her. The love you share will render this situation stable, but we must know that that will not change, leaving her to revert to the wildness and instability that led to the loss of our brother."
Spike just stared, nonplussed, but Buffy was enraged. "Okay, I know you're demons, but this is just proof that you're nuts too! You want Spike to guide me because I might be dangerous? What the hell were your people doing out there when they were supposed to be skulking around gathering intel on us, going out for fish sticks? I'm the good one here, not evil! And I don't exactly need a soulless killer to show me right from wrong! And who the hell are you to talk about wrong anyway! You're demons! You knocked us out and dragged us here with magic or something, you...you...what did you do to Spike anyway? You hurt him! How's that so good and pure, huh?"
Tiamat's mellow, calm 'voice' broke through Buffy's shocked ranting. "We are very sorry for the injuries your vampire sustained during his first visit with us, and for the need to erase his memories. We were ill-prepared for his kind, and erred in finding the right way to proceed, initially. William," again he was startled and found himself fixed in the demon's eerie, flat gaze, "please forgive us. We are glad you are restored to your former self now." It returned its gaze to Buffy, who was tense and angry. "It seems that we were right in our initial desire to postpone this meeting a bit longer. However, we worry for the safety of our daughter. Do you intend to harm her? Will you not return her to us?"
"We haven't—she's fine! We aren't hurting her at all—she's even in water!" Buffy was defensive.
"That is welcome news. We would like to have her restored to our keep. Can we be assured that this will happen?"
"Uh..." Buffy was silent. "Will you leave if we give her back to you?"
"We will leave, certainly. This is not our place to stay. But not until we are certain it is safe. We would talk once more, before then."
"If we give her back, I want you to pack up and get out of here." Buffy said stubbornly.
Tiamat undulated in the water, snake eyes fixed unnervingly on its captives. At last, it spoke again. "We will send you back. You are not ready to talk with us. But we accept your assurances that our daughter is not being harmed, and we hope you will return her. We will speak again."
Spike tensed for whatever was about to happen. Tiamat turned a sinuous flip and swam into the dark murk, leaving them surrounded by smaller, but still very formidable demons, who drew nearer and closed the circle.
xxxxx
Giles arrived at the Summers residence in record time. Dawn ran down the stairs when she heard the bell, and flung open the door to admit him. Night had fallen and the watcher was lit in the warm light from inside. Dawn threw her arms around him, sniffling. He patted her a bit awkwardly, and assured her that nothing had changed, Buffy was fine, but he was distracted, angry seeming. He pulled her arms from around his waist and she stepped back uncertainly. The look on her face softened his glare somewhat.
"Don't worry, Dawn," he said. "Everything will be fine. You did the right thing to call me, and I'm very glad you did. But I need to speak with Willow alone now—you just go upstairs, can you?"
She nodded, uncertain, and backed slowly back up the stairs, watching Giles stride into the living room. She saw Willow look up, abstracted and annoyed; then Giles turned to give the girl on the stairs a meaningful look and she continued to her room.
In the living room Willow was attempting to drag her mind out of the planning and spell building she'd been so absorbed in all day, and to master her irritation at Giles' presence. Everything had been so easy when she was left alone, and free to just work by herself for once. And now, when she was just about done with the prep and ready to actually accomplish something, here was interference; as usual.
"What's up, G?" she asked, trying to sound happy to see him. He looked deeply angry and she thought back to their confrontation, the night he'd returned. She'd made things clear then, and he'd left her alone—was she going to have to do the same, again? She felt herself becoming angry at the thought that it might be necessary.
Sure enough, the next words out of his mouth were, "We have to talk."
She was tired and wanted to get back to her work. She couldn't play the good little girl for him, and why should she have to? She shouldn't have to pretend to be less than she was! That was—was sexist!
"I'm pretty busy right now, actually; trying to, you know, save Buffy and figure out what's up with the big bad and everything? So how about we take a rain check on this one, yeah? I'll let you know when I'm ready to wake her up, don't worry."
"Actually, I'm afraid this has already waited overly long, Willow. I have been remiss in my duties, and I have let things go too far. It is what you plan to do to speak to our captive and wake Buffy that I have come to speak with you about."
"Your duties? If you mean, you should have been the one to bring Buffy back, well, you weren't—I was! But that is where your duties end, because I'm no Slayer, and you have no power over me. You are not my watcher, and you do not tell me what to do! Someone needs to take care of things, and it looks like that someone is me, again. So how about you get out of my way and let me work, huh?"
"I'm sorry," he said, calm but unyielding, "but I can't do that. You may not be my Slayer, but as a practitioner of magic in my territory I do, in fact, have a responsibility to monitor you. That is not, however, why I'm here. You know I have come to care for all of you, and the road I see you going down...it worries me, Willow."
"Monitor all you like, Rupert, but you will not tell me what to do, or interfere. I'm on a road that is just fine, thank you very much, and I know just where I'm going. I know things you cannot imagine, with your books and your council training! Now go, before I banish you." Her face was set and cold.
"Willow, have you truly learned nothing from the past? I know you're smarter than that; you have a singularly brilliant mind. Are you blind to where you are headed? Dawn has told me what you're planning; can it be that you are dismissing the memory of your previous attempt to impose your will on others? This cannot end well, and it is out of the question. Even using such a spell to question our captive is untenable, but to think of imposing your will on Buffy, even Spike, even for their own benefit—Willow, this is madness!"
"Dawn doesn't know what she's talking about! You think I don't have a better idea than to repeat some silly schoolgirl charm? You're right, I am smart, very, and I have better tricks than that up my sleeve. I—"
But here Willow broke off in surprise. Giles turned to see what she was looking at, just as Spike sat up with a cry. As they stared blankly at him, he leapt to his feet.
"Buffy!" he exclaimed. They were slow to respond, and he strode forward. "Buffy! Where is she? They were closing in around us—is she back? We have to find her! I can go back, I can go down there..."
Giles recovered enough to speak.
"She's at my flat—we can check on her. Go where? You said down there..."
Willow had already grabbed the cordless phone from beside her stacks of papers and was talking to Tara. She met their eyes and nodded, mouthing "she's awake" to them. After a moment she held the phone away from her and headed for the stairs, explaining, "she wants to talk to Dawn."
When she heard her name the teen came rushing down the stairs before Willow could say anything about picking up the phone; at the sight of Spike she started crying all over again and stood hugging him while talking to Buffy. When she hung up she looked uncertainly from Giles to Willow, who were eying one another warily.
"She's coming here," she said. "They all are. They're bringing the fish. Buffy said it's important; Xander's going to give them all a ride."
It seemed like it took them forever to get there. Spike knew they were waiting for a ride and packing up the hostage and it would take how long it took, but he was vibrating with tension waiting for them. He needed to see Buffy. He needed to be in her presence; to reassure himself that she was okay, yes, but it was more than that. They had kissed, had connected somehow, some way they never had before. In a way he maybe hadn't with anyone, ever; and then he had left. God, he was a prat! He had seen her since then, sort of; but things had been distracting, to say the least, and anyway it turned out maybe he hadn't actually seen her, that it had been a dream? Oh, the hell with figuring that out. He just needed to know where things stood.
He couldn't stand talking to the others, inside. He paced furiously back and forth across the back porch, smoking one cigarette after another. From time to time he saw Dawn peeking out at him, happy he was awake, and he'd give her a little wave, but he didn't stop moving or invite her out. His hand was almost healed up now; she'd told him what had happened, and he'd been angry at the demons for their carelessness; but he couldn't sustain it. It didn't matter. All that mattered was seeing Buffy again. He had to know if she'd felt it, what he had. Because if she hadn't, if it was just him...
Finally, finally, he heard the car pull into the driveway. He strode around the side of the house rather than going inside, and was there when she opened the door. She looked pleased, and a bit abashed. His heart rose, hopefully.
"Tara, can you take care of getting her situated? The downstairs bathroom, the tub will be fine. Xander, sorry about your car, we'll get it clean, I promise. Sorry Anya. I'll come in in a minute, okay?" and she came to his side.
He looked down at her, wordless, wondering. They waited while the others went inside; but when they were alone she seemed at a loss. He leaned in a bit, reached out his hand; and she seemed to sway towards him. Her lips were parted, and she was holding her breath, but as his hand came to rest on her shoulder, the door flew open and a crying Dawn threw herself towards them and at Buffy. Buffy hugged her back as Spike faded back into the corner of the porch, angry at himself. Of course she needed to see Dawn! What was he thinking, he knew how upset the niblet was! And Buffy probably wanted to see her, too, not be out here with him...but that was where his self-loathing broke down. He knew damn well that as much as Buffy loved her sis, she would probably rather be out here with him any day of the week—and as he smiled at this thought he caught Buffy's eye over Dawn's shoulder and she smiled back. His heart, dead though it was, soared once more.
As the three of them headed in to join the others he felt alive, happy. He didn't knew where all this was going; but it didn't matter. Buffy had smiled at him, and later he would kiss her. And she would let him. He had everything he could want.