Buffy kept going to college. Followed the path that would lead her heading directly towards the Initiative. Walsh and Riley, Forrest and the rest. She put a squash to any hopes Riley might have for them, politely but firmly. She didn't feel bad for him, he got plenty of what he wanted in an alternate reality. It was tough luck for this version and he would have to deal. She hoped stomping out their doomed, unwanted romance while it was nothing more than an idea in Riley's head wouldn't change the curvature of the path she was on. Even if it did, she couldn't entertain the idea in good conscience as a means to an end.
It wasn't like she enjoyed this path, and staying on it long-term was not the objective. There was death and a lot of other things she wanted to avoid. If she was forced to follow this route, even if only until the Adam thing was taken care of, she hoped Spike wouldn't throw in with that monster again. Hoped she was already changing things for the better. But her only bright idea fizzled out, and while she still worried about Mark, she hoped he was too much of a coward and far too focused on his empire to do anything with the information she told him.
She would have to walk this road for now, not burn any bridges or close any doors. But she needed to come up with something better, sooner rather than later.
The Slayer dream didn't come this time. No need, at least that was how she rationalized it. Refusing to ponder or waste time wondering why. She already knew the Gentlemen would come. They creeped her out. She didn't need a dream to remind her because it was impossible to forget those freaks. Absolute nightmare fuel.
They came and went.
She followed the script and played her role. Her actions and tweaks must not have sent too many ripples through the timeline, yet, because it went more or less exactly as expected. Conversations were starting to change, topics of discussion remained close to the same but the words her friends used, or currently wrote during the Gentleman's visit, became less familiar by the day.
She went along with it, half heartedly and distracted, giving only enough of a performance it wouldn't be obvious to the crowd she was phoning it in. Didn't make any meaningful adjustments, and let it flow naturally towards its original conclusion.
She won. They lost.
She crashed the party in the bell tower. Riley and his squad already fighting. Like before, he stared at her dumbfounded and let her do most of the work. She didn't need his help this time, grabbing and shattering the box against the ground herself. She screamed when her voice finally flew back into her body. Popped their heads. She had seen it before, and it was every bit as nauseating and disgusting the second time. She ran, leaving the soldiers behind trying to understand what happened. Leaving Riley behind, his jaw probably still on the floor.
One more roadblock crossed her mind as she ran away from the belfry. Xander would probably realize Riley was part of the Initiative again. Soon. This posed a problem. If Xander spilled his own can of beans when Spike was around it could complicate things.
Spike.
He was absent this time, same as the first. This time she noticed though. Constantly. Was more aware he wasn't around. She gave him distance, decided to pump the brakes a little bit on her actions with him. She didn't want to accelerate off a cliff. She didn't want to mess things up.
It was the tiniest bit easier than she thought it would be because she was still pissed at him. Yeah, she could believe that if she kept repeating it to herself. If he would have showed up randomly, offered any semblance of an apology or amends, she would have forgiven him instantly. But he didn't. If he would have shown up at all, she would have forgiven him. Spike blessing her with his presence more than enough of an apology. But again, he didn't.
She felt pathetic. But being in love wasn't pathetic. She knew that. Maybe being in love, only unrequited because she didn't have to courage to tell him was pathetic. Cowardly. That wasn't the truth of the situation though. Currently, it was actually unrequited. Her feelings not shared in the slightest. She was doing the right thing. Taking it slow and allowing him to come around in his own time. But he wasn't, in fact, coming around yet. Physically or figuratively.
It was the correct approach. The mature and intelligent course of action. Necessary to make up for the mistake she already made while he was outside her house. She was capable of maturity and tact when she wasn't racing towards orgasm in a haze-filled lust with him right outside her bedroom. Capable of being slow and cautious, but she was losing the internal battle a bit more with every passing day. Regardless, new thoughts had recently joined her other worries during this brief hiatus from Spike, circling around her constantly, like a solar system of constant fear and worry of which she was the sun.
How long before she lost the willpower to continue at this pace?
What would happened when she did?
Would it mess everything up?
IMMORTALHis arms were thrown across the back of his couch, the small television's volume the only thing adding ambience to the room. She turned to look at it. Hmm, he must already be stealing power. A little quicker than last time. His words cut through her thoughts, reminding her where she was.
"What do you want, Slayer?" He asked, not as harsh as last time they spoke. Perhaps a little dismissive, but that was it.
Right, the state of the utilities in his crypt were not the priority right now. Not even close. She pulled the money out of her pocket, choosing not to throw it again. She placed it in his outstretched hand.
"Few days late pet. Lil' trouble scrapping together my retainer this week?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes. It had been a week since they spoke and this was how he was acting? She shouldn't have expected any different, but she let a little part of herself hope. That little part of herself was quickly getting used to being disappointed. Again, she had to remind herself, her relationship and mild frustration with Spike was so not the priority right now.
"I need your help." Buffy replied, a little bit of her frustration carrying over in her words.
He tilted his head. She explained before he could voice any disagreement.
"Big bads or apocalypses? Your words, not mine."
His eyes closed a bit as he analyzed her words. He quickly found the meaning, hopping to his feet as his demon roared to life. Any urge to protest, or make the Slayer have to work for his agreement paled in comparison to the desire to kill whatever baddy was whipping up something nasty. The demon loved violence, but also thoroughly enjoyed a challenge. A patrol for some baby vampires didn't hold a candle to a brawl against something that could truly fight back.
"The earthquake?" He asked, in reference to how his entire crypt was shaking at its very foundation less than thirty minutes before she showed up.
She nodded. "We need to go, now." It didn't come off as demanding, only urgent, and Spike wanted to oblige.
He fell in step with her once they were down the steps outside his mausoleum, rushing head-on into something serious.
"Where we headin' pet?" He asked, excitement evident in his voice.
"The school." She replied.
She glanced over, noticing the questioning look on his face. He had been in town for a while, probably knew the fate of Sunnydale High School. Probably knew they were heading towards something more like ruins than a functioning place for education.
"What's left of it anyways." She said.
IMMORTALPraise the Powers she expressed the importance of the ingredients for the ritual. It could have went badly, extremely badly and before it could have been stopped if she hadn't told her friends.
Who was she kidding? It was still going badly.
She changed something, somehow. Or maybe it was simply a less likely possibility that turned into reality this time. That happened, at least if she understood what Oruvai was saying. Either way, much with the bad. They brought reinforcements this time. A second string to frame it with a sports reference, or each their own understudy if you preferred theatre.
Six demons. Not three.
"Get them!" She exclaimed past Spike, her eyes darting between Xander and Willow.
Thankfully, they understood. Willow managed to grab the bag of bones, barely avoiding a swing that would have taken her head off from the nearest demon. Somehow, Xander gained possession of the talisman and blood, running away from two demons that gave chase. Then, Xander ended up on the floor, crawling backwards as the demons grew closer.
She wasn't getting all the details, only bits and pieces when she managed to catch glimpses of Willow and Xander. She was a little busy blocking blows, ducking, and striking back at two demons that lunged in her direction. They weren't exceptionally powerful, but they were more formidable than the average vampire on patrol. They required her active attention and didn't grant her the ability to protect her friends, too busy trying to keep herself in one piece.
Spike was busy with two demons of his own when she last looked. Now, it was only one as Willow and Xander were dealing with three of them. A scream from Willow covered up the sound of a demon's neck snapping, as it dropped to the floor besides Spike's feet.
Willow was hit with a swipe from a demon, her body crashing to the floor as the bag flew out of her hand.
Buffy didn't have time for this. Panic running through her body as she fought. She didn't have the luxury of avoiding attacks and countering back when appropriate. This was taking too long and it would cost her friends their lives.
Where the hell was Riley? Didn't the Initiative get the memo this time around? She didn't have the time to think about it further.
She attacked when she should have blocked, taking a hard punch to the chest, but not before delivering a front kick to the demon to her right that sent it flying and crashing to the floor a decent distance away.
Her back slammed off the nearest wall, and the remaining demon swung with its opposite hand. She ducked under the vicious attack, her stake driving home forcefully. It wasn't a vampire, and she didn't know if it even had a heart. But the stake hit its target, ripping into the demon's chest before she pulled it free, and the demon dropped to the ground, dead regardless.
Her eyes shot to her friends. They were not doing well. She need to get there, now, and turned to run. It was a mistake. Her eyes darted to her left, falling on the demon she had kicked away, now standing with its right hand extended towards her. A few syllables in a language she didn't understand, a flash of light, and searing pain as she was thrown into the air and smashed against the wall behind her.
She turned herself back over, unable to catch her breath or stabilize her vision, as the demon stalked up to her. She was in trouble, of the worst variety. Her senses and nerve endings was still screaming out from whatever magic she had been hit with, her body wasn't working, brain too disoriented to give it actual commands. Easy prey for the demon, about to prove that at any second.
The demon collapsed to the ground, a blur of black leather and white hair appearing over it, striking down a few times until it stopped moving.
She willed her eyes to focus, it barely helped. Still blurry, seeing double and then some, but she could almost make out Spike's face. He was smirking, probably a bit from the rush of the fight.
"Held up my end," He said, the demon visage disappearing from his face, looking down on her with blue eyes.
Buffy's eyes snapped when she heard another scream from Willow, and a yell filled with pain that belonged to Xander. Her eyes took a second to focus, and wouldn't fully, but she could make out Xander. One demon latched onto him, holding him in place, another demon striking out and pummeling him.
"Spike," She rasped out, demanding her feet to work as she placed her hand against the ground and pushed off.
It didn't work. She fell back to the floor in a heap, dizzy from everything. She looked up at him, into his blurry face and where his eyes probably were, ready to beg and plead, to do anything to get him to help her friends. She didn't have to.
Spike's eyes drifted to Xander. A second of hesitation and then he let out a scoff, eyes turning golden as the demon reappeared and he took off in the remaining demon's direction.
She willed her body to work again. It did, barely. Vision still somewhat blurry, she managed to get up on one knee as her eyes fell on the action. Spike, taking shots and returning them in equal measure against three demons. Willow was over by Xander, who was on the ground with his back against the wall.
Buffy got to her feet, which quickly gave out again as her body fell into the wall. She managed to keep her weight under her, barely on her feet and leaning against the vertical surface as she took a couple shallow breaths.
She missed something. She could barely see Spike, three demons encircling him and striking downward. He was somewhere in the middle, near or on the ground. One demon flew backwards, knocked to the ground a couple feet away.
Buffy managed to push herself away from the wall, leaving her right hand against it for support. She was worthless right now, she knew it. Still shaking the cobwebs out of her head and the numbness out of her body. It was all on Spike, she wouldn't get there to help in time. She took one small step forward, her vision still seeing two of everything but with slightly more clarity.
A blur of motion. Two demons fell to the ground, but only one in actuality. A bit of relief showed up to counter the worry and panic coursing through her. Spike was starting to win.
She took another step, her vision falling to her feet which almost gave out again.
A roar from Spike caught her attention. He was on the ground, one demon with its arm wrapped around his lower legs, its fangs buried into his thigh.
"Bloody fucking-"
Buffy couldn't make out the rest of his words, but watched as Spike pulled his torso up, striking down with rapid overhand fists against the back of the demon's head. Another scream from Willow. Spike freed his feet, placing his left leg against the demon's shoulder, pushing off, and sending it sliding across the ground away from him. The demon slowed to a stop and didn't move again.
Buffy took another step forward, hunched over slightly and with wobbly legs, but she was able to remove her hand from the wall. No longer needing its support.
The last demon fell, Spike grabbing it from behind while it was focused on Willow, snapping its head with such force it almost came off.
Complete silence, but that wasn't true.
Spike was desperately gasping for air he didn't need, and Buffy could hear a groan from Xander in between the frenzied breathes escaping Willow's mouth.
"You," Willow said, against the ground on her knees by Xander. She looked up at the vampire in fear, but it wasn't because of him. "Y-You saved us."
Spike's hand shot up to his face, pulling away as he noticed the blood on it. He ran his tongue over his lower lip, a bit of pain felt when it came in contact with split flesh. "Right, Slayer woulda. But hit with a little bit of unruly magic." His eyes drifted over to her, slowly and unsurely making her way towards them, before they fell back on Willow.
Here was his chance. A perfect segue. Mention to the witch that if she ever hit him with magic again, ever again, he wouldn't save her scrawny ass. Why did he save her scrawny ass? Wasn't part of the deal.
"Right, well," Spike hesitated. "Magic can be nasty that way."
Willow nodded, looking up at Spike. He didn't like the look in her eyes, it wasn't right, all endearing and as if she was looking at someone...well, deserving of being looked at like that.
Xander coughed, looking up at Spike. His right eye was definitely going to bruise, and he had a deep gash on his forehead. "Thanks." was all he said.
Spike shifted his weight on his feet, nervously, letting out another yell as pain shot up from his right leg. The bloody demon. Bit him worse than a hungry fledge who hadn't learn to savor a meal, right above his right knee. He let out a groan at what he saw. Two medium-sized puncture wounds through the denim, and a dark stain that was slowly staining his pants as more blood soaked into the fabric.
"Buffy," Willow said, noticing her best friend was standing a few feet away, next to Spike. She still looked a little out of it. "Are you okay?"
"Are you okay?" She responded, "Xander?"
"I'm fine Buffy," Willow said in a high-pitched voice, "No serious injuries."
"Yeah," Xander added, coughing again. "A little internal bleeding. My ribs will be sore for a couple weeks but I'm fine."
"Your head," Willow replied, her eyes falling on the wound that was bleeding down to near his right eyebrow.
"Yeah, that'll scar." Xander said, touching it slightly with his right hand before letting out a pained hiss. "Anya will like it."
That's all Buffy needed to hear. Her friends were fine. A little beat up, but fine. She turned to face Spike, her eyes searching for his. She was already appreciative, beyond words, but something on his face filled her with the urge to console him. "Spike, you saved- " Her eyes grew as she took in his wounded leg, snapping back to his face and suddenly taking in all the damage she didn't notice before. Too focused on his blue eyes.
"You're hurt," She said in a soft voice.
"I'm fine, seen worse." Spike said.
Buffy took a step forward, reaching out with her left hand. It briefly touched the fabric of his shirt, causing him to jump slightly and put more weight than intended on his injured leg. He let out a pained grunt, more subdued this time as he fought against it. The apprehension on his face gave way to anger, as he stared daggers at Buffy. "Bollocks, Slayer. Said I'm fine."
"You're hurt," She repeated, taking a small step forward. Again, reaching out with her left hand. Why did she need to touch him so badly? She knew why, also knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself. He was hurt. From protecting her and her friends. He was injured from saving them all.
He swatted at her hand, knocking it away without any real force, but refusing to let it come in contact with him again.
"Leave it," He spat out, brain not really focused on saying something coherent. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Your pals need help lickin' their wounds. Not me."
"Spike," She attempted, giving up as he brushed past her. Favoring his right leg, leaving the scene of the battle at less than full speed and she knew better than to follow.
He needed to go. Every second he remained she wanted to hug him, kiss him, lavish him with comments and appreciation, do things well beyond the realm of appreciation that fell squarely into 'do not do' territory. Even more, she wanted to tend to him. Nurture him. The list went on. He was hurt and she wanted to help, in all the ways she wasn't allowed to right now.
She swallowed back hard, watching as he made his way through the burnt out basement, and it took everything in her to let him go.
"Well," Xander breathed out, managing himself to his feet with the assistance of Willow. "I will never question your judgement or decisions again."
She understood. Even though Xander hated Spike, he knew that the vampire had just saved his life. Didn't mean he would come out and say it, only hint and beat around the bush. Honestly, simply saying thanks earlier was more than she thought Xander was capable of at this point in time.
"Yeah, you will," Buffy replied, a small smile falling onto her face. Willow returned it in kind.
"Yeah, probably," Xander admitted. "But I'll try to do it less, yeah?"
Buffy nodded. "Deal."
Willow said what everyone was thinking.
"Can we get out of here, please?"