Title: sleepless
Author: Babywillow
Disclaimer: All the characters in Buffy and Angel belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, WB and UPN.
Summary: This short part describes briefly what happened right before Spike goes to find Angel in L.A. The scenes take place in the episode "Tough Love." I wrote this transitional section to make sure that people won't get lost between what happened in Buffy and my story.
Rating: PG
Feedback: any time...
E-mail: babywillow@caramail.com
Authors note: The story is written as a script. Enjoy...
WEBSITE URL: http://www.dromadaire.com/babywillow/scoobies



Cemetery.
Buffy is fighting a vamp. She falls down smiling at him.
Buffy: "I really don't have time for this right now."
She hits him in the stomach with her leg. The vampire goes down.
Buffy: "Nothing personal."
He gets up and runs toward her as she shoves him away and grabs a stake. She flips around and kicks him in the face.
Buffy: "Or maybe a little..."
She ducks as he tries to hit her back.
Camera pans onto the right side of the cemetery where Spike is sitting on a bench, watching her fight. He is still bruised from the confrontation with Glory.
He smiles, amused.
Buffy turns to look at him while the vamp is down.
Buffy: "Are you as bored as I am?"
Spike: "Would you please just do him already?"
Suddenly two other vamps appear behind her.
Spike gets up to help, but Buffy gestures him to stay put.
He looks aside and sees a shadow behind the trees. He leaves his bench and goes to see who it is.
Buffy grabs the vamp and throws him against the two others as the three of them fall on the ground.
Buffy: "Strike!"
She turns to face Spike, but he's not there anymore.
Spike walks slowly out of the cemetery as the camera pans onto the shadow. It's Jinx.
Spike follows him through town. Jinx enters an old building. Spike approaches and glances at the place.
He hears voices coming from a room. He opens a door slightly and steps back very fast as he sees Glory.
He kneels down and looks through the door.
Glory is talking to Jinx and to another person standing next to her.
Spike stares in amazement as he recognizes Darla.
Inside the room.
Jinx: "The slayer is at the cemetery, your dark and highness."
Glory looks at a smiling Darla.
Darla: "How long is it gonna take now?"
Glory breathes deeply.
Glory: "Soon. I can feel it already, the chanting, the destruction, the death. It's going to be a masterpiece."
Darla chuckles.
Darla: "And we are going to be there to welcome it."
Glory considers a moment.
Glory: "I thought vampires loved living in this dimension. Plenty of food."
Glory approaches Darla.
Glory: "The ceremony will bring death to all..."
Darla walks past her.
Darla: "I have my reasons."
She turns to face her.
Darla: "Drusilla and I will be there in time. What about the elements?"
Glory: "I think I know how to find the Key. The lock will come along, so the prophecy says. Soon they'll be mine."
Darla nods.
Spike gets up slowly and walks out of the building.



Later that night.
Darla is standing in a dark alley. There's a dead man lying on the floor next to her. She steps back ready to leave as she hears steps. Spike appears behind her.
Darla: "Spike?"
Spike approaches her.
Spike: "Long time no see."
She smiles, comes closer and starts caressing his cheek.
Spike looks straight into her eyes.
Spike: "Why are you here, Darla?"
She tries to look casual.
Darla: "No reason."
Spike grabs her by the neck.
Spike: "I saw you with Glory...That chick is bad news."
Darla: "And so were we, as I recall."
Spike lets go of her and leans against a wall.
Spike: "Things change."
Darla starts to laugh. She stares at him.
Darla: "So it's true. Drusilla was right. You've become as pathetic as Angelus."
Spike looks aside.
Spike: "I wouldn't go that far."
Darla: "I know about the chip. And I know it's not the thing that stops you..."
She comes closer as their faces almost touch.
Darla: "It's her, isn't it...She did this to you."
She comes to whisper in his ear.
Darla: "I know it hurts you to be this way. You used to be a legend. She managed to turn you into a joke."
Spike pushes her away.
Darla: "You killed two of them, Spike. What's stopping you this time?"
Spike doesn't respond.
She faces him before starting to walk away.
Darla: "It doesn't matter anymore. The end is near. Soon it will all be over."
Spike watches her as she disappears into the night.


Day. Summers house.
Buffy and Dawn are sitting in the dining room, talking.
Buffy: "They'll take you away from me. That's what your principal told me when you weren't in the room. If I can't make you go to school, I won't be found fit to be your legal guardian."
Dawn is taken aback.
Dawn: "Where would I go?"
Buffy: "I don't...dad, maybe? Or foster care? I didn't really want to ask."
Dawn: "You could have told me."
Buffy: "I just did."
Dawn stares sadly at Buffy.
Suddenly, they hear a knock at the door. Buffy goes to see who it is. She opens the door and finds Spike standing on the porch covered in a smoky blanket.
Buffy: "Spike?"
He looks at her seriously.
Spike: "Bad news."
Buffy gestures him to follow her in, but Spike stands at the door. Buffy faces him, and realizes.
Spike looks uncomfortably at her.
Spike: "We can go to my place to talk."
Buffy considers.
Buffy: "No. Come in, Spike."
He stares at her, moved.
After a bit.
Spike: "O.K."
He enters and once inside he takes the blanket off.
Buffy: "What's going on?"
Spike sees Dawn sitting in the dining room.
Spike: "Darla is here. I saw her last night."
Buffy: "Huh?"
Spike: "She had a nice meeting with Glory."
Buffy: "What was she doing with Glory?"
Spike: "Apparently bonding."
Buffy: "No way! Come on, I thought Angel was handling Darla and Drusilla."
Spike: "Apparently not."
Buffy turns to look at Dawn.
Buffy: "I have enough to deal with Dawn right now."
Spike nods. The phone rings. Dawn picks it up.
Spike: "Buffy...Glory mentioned something about the key."
Buffy: "You think she knows about Dawn?"
Spike stares at her.
Dawn joins them.
Dawn: "Buffy, it's Giles on the phone. I think that something happened."
Buffy looks at Spike before walking to the phone.
Buffy: "Giles?"
She listens as her face turns pale.
Dawn is teary.
After a bit, Buffy hangs up.
Spike: "Buffy?"
Buffy: "Glory went after Tara. She thought she was the Key."
Dawn: "Is she OK?"
Buffy: "They are at the hospital."
Dawn is almost crying now.
Buffy: "I have to go there."
She turns to Spike.
Buffy: "Can you take Dawn to your place?"
Spike: "Yeah."
Buffy: "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Dawn looks at Buffy who comes to kiss her on the forehead.
Buffy (to Spike): "Take care of her."
Spike nods as she exits the house.





Night. Spike's crypt.
Dawn is lying on a couch, asleep. Buffy is sitting next to her, stroking her hair.
Spike: "I'm gonna leave for L.A tonight."
Buffy stares at him.
Spike: "We could use Angel's help here. Especially if Darla and Dru are game."
Buffy considers.
Buffy: "Yeah, that could help."
Buffy looks at Dawn.
Spike: "She's gonna be fine...eventually."
Buffy nods.
Buffy: "I'll take her tomorrow to see Tara at the hospital."
Spike gets up and goes to take a few weapons and puts them in a bag.
Buffy looks at him, silently.
Spike closes the bag. He starts to talk to her without noticing that Buffy's in tears.
Spike: "Darla is gonna be back in L.A. I want to get there before her..."
He turns to face Buffy.
Spike: "Hey there! Don't start to cry, love."
He approaches her but not too close.
Spike: "You should stay here. Your house is not safe...I'll stay in touch."
Buffy gazes at him.
Spike: "I'll do it fast. Promise."
Spike looks at Dawn and then back at Buffy.
They share a very intense look. Spike smiles slightly as Buffy watches him leave.



After the final scene in "Tough Love," Buffy escapes with Dawn as Glory chases them.
After Glory catches up with them, she is hit by a truck that throws her several hundred yards away. Buffy and Dawn run away. Glory changes into Ben, who collapses to his knees, exhausted.

Buffy and Dawn are at Spike's crypt along with Giles, Anya, Xander, Tara and Willow. They are carrying bags.
Xander goes to lie on the couch. Anya follows him. Willow is doing a spell at the entrance of the crypt with Giles.
Dawn goes to sit next to Tara.
Will and Giles come to join them.
Willow: "OK. Protection spell is up."
Buffy: "Giles, are you sure it's gonna keep her away from this place?"
Giles: "We used a pretty powerful spell, but you never know..."
Buffy nods. They are all sitting next to each other now.
Buffy puts her hand on her head.
Xander: "Are you OK?"
Buffy: "Headache...bad...evil."
Dawn caresses Buffy's face.
Buffy moans.
Willow: "Want an aspirin or something?"
Buffy: "Already took two."
Willow nods.
Anya: "How long are we gonna be here? I'm already bored."
Giles: "Until Spike gets back with Angel, I guess. I'll better get in contact with Wesley. Maybe he could help us out."
Xander: "Until then...Behold the beauty that is silence."
Everyone closes their eyes, tired.
Silence.
Camera focuses on Buffy's face. She looks as though she is in pain.
Fade to black.

(In this version of the story, the road trip, Glory kidnapping Dawn and Buffy's catatonia never happened.
I also didn't use the Knights of Byzantium cause then there would've been too many characters in the story. )