AN: Just a reply to rouge et noir and anyone else worried about my time travel plot: Don't worry! I'm a SciFi geek myself. It will all be explained. Some will be explained in this chapter and everything will be wrapped up in the end. Plans have been in play.
Also love your reviews, favs, follows :) I show my love ;-*
"Who are you people? I demand to know what's going on." The Victorian dressed Anya asked the room. She looked and sounded like Anya but Buffy knew this was Anya the vengeance demon, Anyanka. "And why do you look like me?" Anyanka had noticed Anya.
"Whoa. You do look like me." Anya said turning to her former self. The cloud had cleared completely and there was nothing stopping the two from seeing each other fully.
"Yes, but you are a pitiful human. I am a vengeance demon." Anyanka was just like the Anya Buffy knew, direct and to the point with no sense of humility.
"I used to be a vengeance demon. Buffy what is going on? And why are you with Spike?" Anya turned and asked.
"Well hello to you too." Spike said with plain sarcasm.
"Hi Anya. Um, so you are back in 1878 and we need your help to get back to the future." Buffy spat out quickly.
"Yeah we're out of luck with the lightning bolt hitting the clock tower." Spike pitched in.
"Well I see no use for me being here. I'll have you know I was in the middle of something important. A man has cheated on his wife and I was about to turn him into the pig that he is." Anyanka said. Anya started to laugh at the memory.
"I remember that. I turned his arms and legs and nose into a pig's-"Anya laughed harder and Anyanka joined her. "-and he could only oink!"
"Anya." Buffy called her to interrupt their laughing.
"Oh right. What do you need?" Anya asked.
"I don't see why I'm needed." Anyanka said. "So if there is nothing else, I will be going." She raised an arm and was about to snap her fingers to disappear when Buffy called out.
"No!" Buffy yelled out. "Stay please. We could use some vengeance demon help. Anya please make her, er, you, stay."
"You might as well. They'll just call you back again." Anya said crossing her arms and facing Buffy again.
"Very well. But hurry. You are wasting my time." Anyanka said crossing her own arms to face the people before her.
"Yeah hurry. I was counting money and then I was going to have sex with Xander before we patrol for you tonight while you're recovering from your humiliation and stab wound. Speaking of, you don't look very stabbed."
"We've been here a few days." Buffy said defensively with a slight pout. "Spike made a wish to a vengeance demon and it sent us back in time."
"Wow Spike, what'd you wish for?" Anya asked excitedly.
"Not important." Buffy said for him, trying to forget the wish herself.
"Well, who'd you wish to?" Anya asked.
"Some bird named Melanie." Spike said leaning against the back of the chair. Anya and Anyanka both groaned simultaneously. "What?"
"Melanie? Really Spike, you should have better taste in demon." Anya said.
"She really is quite terrible." Anyanka said.
"What's so bad about her?" Buffy asked.
"She's not good at her job." Anya said.
"Yet everyone loves her." Anyanka said.
"She's a big bimbo." Anya cleared up. "She gets in trouble all the time but never gets her powers taken from her."
"Is that what happens to us?"
"More like we don't get them back. See-"
"Anya!" Buffy yelled. "Could we please focus?"
"I was just taking this opportunity to warn myself about-"
"I know but please? Could you just tell us more about Melanie?"
"Fine. She is a vengeance demon that sympathizes with both men and women in relationships. She jumps around whenever she feels like it. She tries to be clever but just fails. Her spells usually take forever so the vengeance takes forever. I mean what's the point? They don't even know vengeance is being done. "
"Oh, remember the time with the girl and the snake?" Anyanka asked and Anya laughed in response.
"Yes, that was a disaster." After laughing she turned back to Buffy. "Even though her spells can be disasters and they can take forever, D'Hoffryn forgives her because everyone just loves her and he doesn't want to give her up. She pouts and gets her way."
"Office dispute aside, can you help us or not?" Spike asked starting to lose patience again.
"Well only Melanie can break the spell. She'd have to fill out a WC-23 and get permission. Not that that would be a problem for her."
"Okay so how do we get her to do that?" Buffy asked.
"I suppose you could threaten her. Go straight to D'Hoffryn or she doesn't like fighting, so you could threaten to hit her or take her powers away and she'd probably do what you say."
"And the powers are in the necklace?"
"Yes. You just have to smash it. Though that's pretty cruel if you ask me." Anya said with a bit of a pout at her own memories.
"How do we get her here?"
"My demon self could pull her from the future. You made the wish to her tonight?"
"Relatively speaking." Spike nodded his head.
"Okay so Anyanka-" The Victorian version turned with a very bored look on her face, "-can you get Melanie from October 25th from the year 2000? A day later to be safe." She explained to the room.
"I'm leaving after I do."
"That's fine." Buffy said from her chair.
Anyanka spared a look to her future self with distaste. "Ugh, you are so human." With that she snapped her fingers and disappeared. In her place stood a very confused looking Melanie. She looked similar to the night Spike had made the wish. Her long golden brown hair was flowing, she wore skintight flashy clothes, and she wore the ruby red necklace around her neck. Anya stepped back from where she popped up and moved to where Norman sat silently watching.
"Who are you?" Anya asked.
"Norman." He responded, shock resonating through his voice.
"Well move Norman, I wish to sit and watch." He did move out of his seat, into the next one beside him nearer to the fire.
"Where am I?" She said looking around the room until her dark blue eyes fell on Spike. "Hey sweetie, long time no see."
"Yeah real funny." Spike said with no humor in his voice. "You're gonna undo this spell now."
"But didn't you get what you wished for?" Melanie said with just a slight pout and a swing of her hip.
"I didn't wish for this."
"Sure you did sweetie, you just didn't know it."
"You sent me back in time!"
"Yes I did. And you're a lot less jet-lagged than I thought. Usually time travel takes it out of people. How long have you been here?"
"Days." Buffy said with a growl. She could feel the stake in her hand ready to be used.
"So you must be Buffy." Melanie said with a childish tone. "You know Spike, I do think you could do better."
"No one really asked you did they?" Buffy said, putting more anger into her tone, ignoring what she meant by that.
"Ooh, she is feisty. Just like you were telling me." Melanie teased flipping her hair and facing Spike.
"Believe me, it gets worse." Spike replied.
"That's it." Buffy jumped up and easily pinned Melanie against the wall keeping the stake in her view. "You're going to tell us exactly what you did and then you are going to undo it."
"Fine! Fine! Just watch the skin! I just had a chemical peel." Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed herself off Melanie who started petting her face. "You already know what I did. I sent you back in time."
"So does anyone know we're missing?"
"Nope. I did something clever." Melanie said with a small sideways grin directed again at Spike.
"Oh really? What was that?" Anya asked sarcastically from across the room.
"Hello Anya, how nice to see you. Still human?"
"Yeah, yeah we get it. I'm human. Move on." Melanie rolled her eyes but looked back at Buffy to answer the question.
"I basically made copies of you and Spike here." She sent a flirtatious smile his way. He smiled back at it. "Turns out you two are important in the big picture. I wasn't allowed to get rid of you altogether."
"Wait, I get me being important because I'm the slayer but Spike? Spike is important?" Buffy asked.
"Hey!" Spike yelled out a bit insulted.
"You know Buffy, it's that type of attitude that got you mixed into this in the first place."
"Okay, moving on." Buffy said on the verge of punching Melanie in the face. She was too afraid she would poof away if she did. "So if we're so important, why send us back in time. Wouldn't that change things?"
"Hasn't Anya explained this to you?" It was clear Melanie disliked Anya as much as she did her. "Wishes can easily create different dimensions. Creating different timelines is a piece of cake."
"So send us back to our correct timeline." Buffy said gripping tighter on the stake.
"Yeah… I can't do that." Melanie smirked and Buffy lunged forward to re-pin her to the wall.
"And why not?"
"The wish isn't complete and I can't get in trouble again." She was breathing faster, nervous with the slayer pinning her and Spike staring at her so intently. "D'Hoffryn hates undoing wishes."
"Not like you couldn't get away with it." Anya scoffed.
"For your information Anya, I've been trying very hard to do better. You would know if you were still-"
"A demon! I get it!"
"Well you're going to have to try with someone else because you are going to undo it right now." Buffy said moving a hand to the demon's throat. "Or you won't be able to do anything ever again." Death threat or threat to break her necklace, either worked as long as she believed it.
"And how does Spike feel about this? He's the one who wanted this." Melanie spoke quickly, buying her time and looking towards Spike. One question kept ringing in his mind. Something she had said.
"The spell isn't done. What'd you mean by that?" Spike asked.
"Her spells take forever, of course it isn't done." Anya mumbled out.
"You should know Spike. You're the one who wished it." Melanie said with a coy smile.
"Yeah but she already saw William. That's as human me as you can get."
"That wasn't all Spike."
"I wished for her to see me how I used to be, the human side of me. The William side. She did."
"If that were all Spike the wish would have been completed the first night." She dragged out her words as if the answer was obvious.
Spike glared at the demon trying to piece together what she was saying. Vengeance demons were tricky so it was obviously in the wording. I just wish…that she knew me how I used to be, the human side of me, the William side. So the William thing was out. The only other thing in that wish was…
"Bloody Hell. The human side?" It made sense.
"Bingo baby." Melanie said with a toothy grin.
"Okay, someone want to fill me in? I'm lost here." Buffy said pushing off Melanie in frustration and turning to Spike.
"She made the spell so it would slowly show Spike's human side. Typical." Anya said with a sigh.
"Wait, she's turning you human?" Buffy asked Spike dumbfounded.
"Would I really be a real boy again?" It didn't seem possible.
"It would take a while. About a year or so but yeah. Heart, blood, soul and all. Everything that is already inside of you would just come up to the surface." Melanie leaned back against the wall. "Want to take that wish back now?"
He couldn't wrap his head around it. He was slowly turning human again? It proved why he had been acting so strangely while they were there and why the demon was losing control more and more. The thought never crossed his mind before. Death was always what he would be. A monster of death. Now he had the chance to be human again? He was already changing? How could he possibly turn that down?
"Spike…" Buffy didn't know what to say. She knew how much this probably meant to him but it would also mean she would be stuck there with him. There was no way she could let that happen. How could she ask him to give up being human? To go back to being a vampire who couldn't use his fangs?
"I need a minute." Spike said walking past everyone and back out towards the alley. Buffy heard the door open and ran after him.
"Make sure she stays here!" She yelled back to the other two in the room.
"On it Buffy!" Anya called back.
Buffy opened the door and found Spike against the alley wall trying to light a cigarette but he couldn't seem to get his lighter to function. Hit after hit and no fire would come. He yelled out in frustration as Buffy walked over to take the lighter from him. One hit and she caused the orange glow to appear. He bent down and lit his cigarette from the flame.
"Thanks." He said quietly as he wrapped himself up in his jacket like a blanket sticking his free arm under his other.
"Sure." He sunk to the ground and Buffy followed, sinking down the wall to sit beside him. They sat like that for a few minutes until Spike had burned through half his cigarette.
"Don't worry pet." Spike said taking another drag.
He knew what he had to do. As tempting as it was to be human again, he couldn't do it if it meant ruining Buffy's life. She couldn't have a life in this time knowing she was away from her family while they were with some copy. As much as he said he wanted to ruin her life, he didn't want it to happen that way. It must have been the human in him. Either that or he just wanted to be the one to do it himself. That just could have been the demon.
"Hmm?"
The chill was starting to sink back into her bones. She wrapped her legs up into herself and hugged them to keep out the cold. While sitting she had been trying to calculate what Spike was thinking. She didn't know if Spike would be willing to give up something so big. He had lost his purpose as a vampire so it would be no surprise if he wanted more than anything to become human again. If he stayed, she would be left there with him. Sure eventually she could move on knowing that a copy of herself was with her friends and family and they wouldn't know any better, but could she really live like that? What kind of life would she live?
"You're going home. We both are."
"But Spike…"
"It's the only sure way to get you back." He paused and a silence followed. Buffy wasn't sure what to say to that. "What's so great about being human anyway?"
"Yeah we're kind of lame aren't we?" Buffy said lamely trying to let him know she knew what he was giving up. "Spike?"
"Yeah?" Everything was crumbling. It couldn't be that hard. He tried to hold back his emotions, biting them down with another inhale of smoke. He was surprised when he felt Buffy's hand start to rest on his shoulder and he turned to face her.
"I'm sorry." Sincerity was laced through her words and her features. His chest pained at the sight. Not many people had looked at him like that and definitely not since he became a vampire.
"It's alright love." He said quickly rubbing his hand over the back of hers and looking back at the ground. He put out his cigarette and stood, holding out his hands to her. She took them and used the leverage to make herself stand. "Let's get you warm again, shall we?" He said motioning to the door. She nodded and handed him back his lighter. She took the lead and he moved behind her back into the house.
Melanie was still there bickering with Anya about something. Norman was still stock still staring at everyone in the room. Neither girl stopped when the two entered the room. Buffy moved to the fire and Spike took his spot back at the chair and sat.
"Because it was my wish!" Melanie yelled to Anya.
"It was taking forever. I just helped it along."
"But you didn't get permission and you didn't-"
"I know but you should have been grateful! That guy got what he deserved."
"I hardly call removing his bones something he deserved."
"He was spineless! Then he literally was!"
"Yes but my spell was working just fine."
"Oh, I'm sure the bone disease he would get in fifteen years would suffice. The woman wanted results and I gave them to her!"
"It wasn't-"
"Girls! Stop!" Buffy yelled from the fire. The more she stared into it the more she thought about what Spike was giving up. Melanie said the spell couldn't be undone, it had to be completed. Their bickering about the length of whatever spell they were talking about made Buffy think about what could be done. If they sped up the spell, she could get home faster and give Spike some time as a human. "Melanie, you could speed up the spell right?"
"What's the matter Spike? You don't want to be human?" Melanie was vicious in her tone. Spike looked away from her, having trouble giving it up as it was.
"Melanie. This is what's going to happen." Buffy decided to take charge and stop asking questions. "You are going to speed up the spell so Spike is human for a day. Tomorrow in fact. Then you are going to send us home the following day. That way your spell is done, you don't get in trouble, and we can go home and you will leave us alone. No tricks or we will kill you. Or worse." Melanie seemed to contemplate Buffy's menacing words for a moment, quickly glancing at Anya.
"Buffy, I-" Spike started but Buffy waved her hand to cut him off.
"Fine. Anya will you witness the override?"
Anya looked to Spike and Buffy and sighed audibly. "Fine. But I don't like it."
"I don't want any tricks about tomorrow either. Spike gets to be human and not all broody and depressed just because he got his soul back. Just a normal human day."
"Fine. No tricks. You have my word."
"I don't exactly trust your word." Spike said.
"Well if I trick you, you'll just kill me right? Or worse? That's what you said. I believe you. Don't mess with the slayer. I get it. One normal human day coming up."
"And we get sent home the day after." Buffy reminded her.
"You bet." Melanie said with some sarcasm. Clearly this was not what she had originally planned. "You sure you want this Spike? I did this all for you. It's only about what you wanted. It's not very vengeancey if she's the one asking for you."
"It's what I want." He said still trying to wrap his head around the idea of being human for a day. What would he do?
"Okay. But to make myself feel better, I'm going to do a little something for you. No tricks. I promise." Melanie held up her right hand in an oath pose and winked in his direction.
"Fine, get the show on the road." Spike said still not sure he believed it was happening.
"Tomorrow you will wake up human. You will have twenty four hours to do what you wish, no brooding, and then you will be sent back to the correct timeline and future. Deal?" Melanie asked.
"Deal." Buffy answered.
"Anya, if you could come with me."
"Oh good. You so owe me Buffy." Anya said getting up and standing next to Melanie.
"Yes I do." Buffy answered with a smile.
Quickly Melanie's face changed to its demon, muscle looking form, and then there was a red flash from her necklace that covered the room in its light. "See you around." Melanie said with a smile as she snapped her fingers and made both her and Anya disappear with a pop.
The room was silent, except for Norman's audible breathing. He didn't take the situation as well as they had hoped.
"Norman?" Buffy started to move towards him.
"Are you alright mate?" Spike asked from his chair.
"I'm alright, I'm alright. No need to fuss over me." He started to get up from his chair. "That was something though."
"Yeah. Something." Spike said with a small smile directed at Buffy. He could feel her blush slightly from across the room.
"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to bed now." Norman turned to go into the other room.
"Would you like us to clean this up?" Buffy asked, knowing 'us' meant her.
"No. I'll get it in the morning." He walked into the other room before Buffy remembered they had nowhere to go.
"Norman?" She called after him.
"Yes?"
"Could we…um…can we stay…um…"
"Oh right. You did say you needed a place didn't you. Well I see no point in throwing you out now. I have a spare room. Only one bed."
"That's fine. Thank you very much." Buffy said knowing Spike gave her a look for saying one bed was fine. They had shared a bed so many times she didn't see the point in saying no for one more night.
"This way." He led them to a room Buffy hadn't seen in her preliminary sweep. It was on the other side of the kitchen hidden behind the angle of some cabinets. He led them into the simple room. It only had the one small bed and a small dresser. The walls were painted but not decorated with any paintings. There were no windows in this room either. "Well, have a good night then." It was clear Norman just wanted to sleep.
"You too." Buffy called out as he shut the door behind him. The room was much darker than she had expected, her eyes still hadn't adjusted to the change from the room with the fire. It was colder in there too. She started to move towards the bed but was stopped by Spike's hand gripping at her wrist. It temporarily made her heart leap into her throat.
"Buffy?" She turned to face where she felt him but couldn't really see him. "Thanks." He ran a thumb over the back of her hand and let it drop to her side and she smiled at him, she didn't know if he could see it or not.
"You're welcome Spike."
After a short pause she moved towards the direction she hoped the bed was in and started to undress for the night. Spike easily managed to make his way over to the other side of the bed and stripped into his trousers. There was no need to provoke the slayer that night, not after she did something so...nice. But there was also no way he was sleeping on the floor. Buffy soon shed everything, including her corset, and moved blindly with her arms out in front of her. She heard Spike's laugh coming from somewhere in the room.
"What?"
"Need some help there?" She could hear the smirk on his face.
"I got it." She grumbled out before she came into contact with the dresser. Wrong direction. "Ow."
"Turn around." Spike laughed out and knelt on the bed. He could easily see. Vampires, darkness, it was a thing. "Walk straight." Buffy did as she was told keeping her hands out in front of her. She figured she was headed for the right direction but soon heard Spike's giggle. "Here." Spike reached out and Buffy felt his cold hands grab onto both of hers. She was being pulled at a slightly different direction and stumbled forward when her legs hit the bed. Her body collided into Spike's front and his arms instinctively wrapped around her to prevent her from falling. She looked up at him, able to make out his shape with the close distance.
"Thanks." She said a little more out of breath than she expected to be.
"Don't mention it." Spike still hadn't let her go and instead chose to feel her breath and heartbeat against his body. "Can you do the rest on your own?"
"I think I can manage." There was an awkward silence when he still didn't let her go. She took a breath to say something but he released her before she could.
The lack of support shocked her slightly but she easily found balance and moved to the top of the bed. She slid in and moved one of two large pillows under her head facing the wall. Spike followed her mark and moved in under the blanket, facing Buffy because even if they were having a nice night, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to bug her just a little. She didn't say anything though and so he thought about pushing his luck and actually laying an arm down so it touched her or wrapped round her. Just a little something to make sure they still 'hated' each other. Something to make her blood run.
"Goodnight Spike. See you in the morning." Spike stopped the movement of his arm and put it back down at his side. The weight of her double meaning tumbled over him.
"Yeah. See you in the morning." He took a breath in to steady himself and close his eyes to focus on trying to sleep. "Goodnight Buffy."