Part 4
Spike arrived back at the Summer's house and let himself in. He found Dawn sitting at the foot of the stairs. She looked up as he entered the house and wiped the tears from her eyes. He knelt down next to her, paused for a second and then awkwardly patted her on the back.
"Hey – we'll have none of that now," Spike told her, trying to keep his tone light. "We'll have Buffy back to the present in no time. Hell – she may even be enjoying herself right now. Bit of a vacation eh, from saving the world and such."
Dawn looked up at Spike and gave him a big hug. Spike tentatively hugged her back. She started to cry harder. "It's just that things keep happening – horrible things," she sobbed. "Like with Willow and--"
"Now you had nothing to do with Willow's problems. You can't be kicking yourself for her mistakes."
"No, I know that. It's just things have been just awful ever since…" She paused, not wanting to complete her sentence. "Things just aren't the same. Even Buffy…especially Buffy. She's changed. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a stone wall. "
Spike chose his words carefully. "Buffy's been through a lot. None of us can pretend to understand what it's like to die, then be ripped from wherever it was she was. Maybe it was heaven. I for one will never know what that's like." He smiled sadly. "She just needs time. We need to be patient with her - all of us."
"I just feel that there's something else she's not telling us," Dawn continued. "Something's bothering Buffy big time. I can feel it."
Spike paused before speaking, a strained expression on his face. "Assuming you're right, and there is something that Buffy's keeping to herself, I'm sure the slayer will tell you eventually…when the time is right."
"Do you know…maybe…have any idea…" Dawn looked at Spike hopefully.
"Er, no of course not." Spike looked away quickly. "Now where's that witch Tara?" he said, changing the subject.
As if on cue, Tara walked through the door. Spike and Dawn stood up to greet her. "Where's Willow?" Tara asked.
"I'm here," Willow replied as she came down the flight of stairs. She looked very tired which did not go unnoticed by Tara.
Willow attempted a smile. "Oh, look at Spike…." She said halfheartedly gesturing to Spike's suit.
Both Tara and Dawn turned to look at Spike's old-fashioned clothes. "Yes, very dapper!" Dawn said in an attempt to be cheerful.
Spike felt uncomfortable as all three women stared him. "Yeah, right. Well enough of the ogling bit. Let's get on with this."
Before Tara and Willow went upstairs to perform the spell, Willow gave Spike a small fabric pouch. She explained to him that it contained a memory spell that would make anyone forget about his or Buffy's presence in the past. She quickly instructed him how to use the spell, which could be cast by simply spreading a small amount of the enclosed herbs on an individual and then telling them to forget. She reminded him that he must not alter history as it could have horrible repercussions on the present. Willow then told Spike to go back to the alley where Buffy had disappeared and to wait there until the time passage appeared. Before he left, Spike looked at Dawn who still seemed to be quite forlorn.
"Aw, cheer up Lil' Bit," he told her. "I'll have your big sis back before you know it. Everything will be all right again – you'll see." He gave her a wink and was out the door.
* * *
Minutes later, Spike reached the alley. When he saw the strange fog appear, he got a horrible knot in his stomach. For a second he wished he could just walk away…he'd be free of Buffy and all the pain she caused him. "Oh to hell with it," he muttered and stepped into the hazy portal. The mist enveloped him and Spike was gone.
Spike arrived back at the Summer's house and let himself in. He found Dawn sitting at the foot of the stairs. She looked up as he entered the house and wiped the tears from her eyes. He knelt down next to her, paused for a second and then awkwardly patted her on the back.
"Hey – we'll have none of that now," Spike told her, trying to keep his tone light. "We'll have Buffy back to the present in no time. Hell – she may even be enjoying herself right now. Bit of a vacation eh, from saving the world and such."
Dawn looked up at Spike and gave him a big hug. Spike tentatively hugged her back. She started to cry harder. "It's just that things keep happening – horrible things," she sobbed. "Like with Willow and--"
"Now you had nothing to do with Willow's problems. You can't be kicking yourself for her mistakes."
"No, I know that. It's just things have been just awful ever since…" She paused, not wanting to complete her sentence. "Things just aren't the same. Even Buffy…especially Buffy. She's changed. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a stone wall. "
Spike chose his words carefully. "Buffy's been through a lot. None of us can pretend to understand what it's like to die, then be ripped from wherever it was she was. Maybe it was heaven. I for one will never know what that's like." He smiled sadly. "She just needs time. We need to be patient with her - all of us."
"I just feel that there's something else she's not telling us," Dawn continued. "Something's bothering Buffy big time. I can feel it."
Spike paused before speaking, a strained expression on his face. "Assuming you're right, and there is something that Buffy's keeping to herself, I'm sure the slayer will tell you eventually…when the time is right."
"Do you know…maybe…have any idea…" Dawn looked at Spike hopefully.
"Er, no of course not." Spike looked away quickly. "Now where's that witch Tara?" he said, changing the subject.
As if on cue, Tara walked through the door. Spike and Dawn stood up to greet her. "Where's Willow?" Tara asked.
"I'm here," Willow replied as she came down the flight of stairs. She looked very tired which did not go unnoticed by Tara.
Willow attempted a smile. "Oh, look at Spike…." She said halfheartedly gesturing to Spike's suit.
Both Tara and Dawn turned to look at Spike's old-fashioned clothes. "Yes, very dapper!" Dawn said in an attempt to be cheerful.
Spike felt uncomfortable as all three women stared him. "Yeah, right. Well enough of the ogling bit. Let's get on with this."
Before Tara and Willow went upstairs to perform the spell, Willow gave Spike a small fabric pouch. She explained to him that it contained a memory spell that would make anyone forget about his or Buffy's presence in the past. She quickly instructed him how to use the spell, which could be cast by simply spreading a small amount of the enclosed herbs on an individual and then telling them to forget. She reminded him that he must not alter history as it could have horrible repercussions on the present. Willow then told Spike to go back to the alley where Buffy had disappeared and to wait there until the time passage appeared. Before he left, Spike looked at Dawn who still seemed to be quite forlorn.
"Aw, cheer up Lil' Bit," he told her. "I'll have your big sis back before you know it. Everything will be all right again – you'll see." He gave her a wink and was out the door.
* * *
Minutes later, Spike reached the alley. When he saw the strange fog appear, he got a horrible knot in his stomach. For a second he wished he could just walk away…he'd be free of Buffy and all the pain she caused him. "Oh to hell with it," he muttered and stepped into the hazy portal. The mist enveloped him and Spike was gone.
