Falling In
So I Need You
If you could step into my head, tell me would you still know me
If you woke up in my bed, tell me then, would you hold me
Or would you simply let it lie, leaving me to wonder why
I can't get you out of this head I call mine
And I will say
Oh no I can't let you go, my little girl
Because you're holding up my world, so I need you
Your imitation of my walk and the perfect way you talk
It's just a couple of the million things that I love about you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
And if I jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, tell me would you stilll follow me
And if I made you mad today, tell me would you love me tomorrow? please
Or would you say that you don't care, and then leave me standing here
Like the fool who is drowning in despair and screamin'
Oh no I can't let you go, my little girl
Because you're holding up my world, so I need you
Your imitation of my walk and the perfect way you talk
It's just a couple of the million things that I love about you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
I'm on my own
I'm on my own
I'm on my own
Oh no I can't let you go, my little girl
Because you're holding up my world, so I need you
Your imitation of my walk and the perfect way you talk
It's just a couple of the million things that I love about you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
So I need you
PART III
*Later That Night - The Magic Box*
"Are you sure, Cordy?" Willow paused, "Great! Can you fax it here? Alright - 671-0352. Tell Angel thanks. This one's been hard to de-.....what? Oh, I know you helped get-...yes, I'm just sa-....Cordy, if you'd let me-...." The red-head shrugged at the dial tone. Willow was used to Cordelia's "manners" and there was no way any of her little tantrums would get here down after what she had told her. Smiling at Giles, she said, "It's definite. Cordelia's going to fax it over and I'll call Buffy right now to let her know." She picked up the phone again and stared with glee at the sheets which were already being transmitted through the other line. This was what they had been waiting for....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Summers House*
"Yes! I'll be right there, Willow. 'K. Bye!" Buffy replaced the phone in the cradle and walked into the living room where Spike and Dawn were sitting together watching late night movies as though they had always done it. He looked up at her, slipping into her coat.
"Where you off to, pet?"
"Patrolling," she responded casually, though as soon as she spoke Spike knew she was hiding something.
He could smell her concealed excitement and immediately jealous blood ran through his veins. He reined in his male pride however, 'Let the girl go. 'Specially so soon after this business with her mum. And she saved your sorry self from that Glory chit. All in all William, I'd say you need some brushing up on those manners of yours...'
She interrupted his thoughts, "You can stay with Dawn tonight?" Spike nodded.
"Right. Ok, I'll be back later." She moved to the door and slipped out, Spike craning his neck to watch her until she had left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Back At The Magic Box*
"So it's your basic binding spell, only it's one especially designed to contain Glory's powers. It's how they stopped her from attaining the key once before!" Willow was babbling about the origins of the spell which they would hopefully put to use that night while Tara finished packing their supplies in her bag.
"And all we need is three to do it successfully, so it'll be Tara, Giles, and I. Then you can go in there and kick the crap out of her!" Willow swiped the full bag off the table and started for the door, "So, what're we waiting for!?" The rest of the group exchanged knowing smiles and Tara moved to walk beside Willow as they started for Glory's lair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Across Town - Outside Glory's Lair*
Willow, Tara, and Giles sat around the circle that Willow had cast. Five candles were burning from their specific positions inside the circle. Five had been placed at each of the points of the pentagram while a sixth, black candle stood in the center, not yet lit. Willow reached to the center of the circle and lit the black candle while she began the spell,
"Blessed be, thou creature made of art.
By art made, by art changed.
Thou art not wax,
But flesh and blood.
I name thee Glorificus.
Thou art she, between the worlds, in all the worlds,
So mote it be."
The pentagram began glowing, casting an eerie light across the group settled in their positions around it. In unison the three joined hands and began chanting the remainder of the spell. Buffy watched solemnly, barely breathing in the wonder of it all,
"By air and earth,
By water and fire,
So be you bound,
As we desire.
By three and nine,
Your power we bind.
By moon and sun,
Our will be done.
Sky and sea,
Keep harm from we.
Cord go round,
Power be bound,
Light revealed,
Now be sealed."
Buffy stared, enchanted as the light surrounding them grew until it was nearly blinding. A great burst of light poured forth from the center of the circle, bathing them in a light so bright they were all forced to look away. As the light dimmed and they could return their gazes to the center, they took in the image of center candle that had been blown out in a great gust of wind. The other five stood remaining, flickering and casting a much softer glow on the trio which sat around them.
Willow slowly surveyed the scene and then let out a great whoop of joy while dropping the hands of her companions,
"We did it!! We TOTALLY did it!!" she threw herself at Tara and enveloped her in a hug, "We're the best!! Go team us!"
Buffy smiled and began walking towards the building, leaving the other three to their victory. It was her turn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Inside*
"I'll just have to kidnap one of her other fri- whoa...." Glory trailed off, grabbing the sides of her head. Her last remaining follower looked up in concern,
"Is there something wrong, your magnificentness?"
"I just feel a little...weak is all..." Glory trailed off again, but her head snapped up at the door whipped open to reveal Buffy.
"What the hell are you doing here? The short version, if you don't mind," Glory sneered, before taking an unsure step forward. Buffy eyed her cautiously and smirked as she recalled Spike's words to her at an earlier time,
"Out for a walk.....Bitch," she smiled smugly and wondered to herself when she had begun cataloging what he said to her.
Glory smiled, unaware of the inner-dialogue Buffy was running, "Really? How nice." She lunged forward and punched Buffy directly in the face.
Buffy's head snapped back, but quickly returned to it's normal position with a smile when she realized the hit had no power behind it. Glory's eyes widened.
"Holy Shit! What the hell!?" She screamed, infuriated.
"Here's the deal, Glory," Buffy began, taking a menacing step towards the suddenly frightened diety, "You can leave - of your own will power - by tomorrow....or, I can kick your POWERLESS ass...and then REMOVE you from Sunnydale myself."
"Wha...what'd you do to me?" Buffy raised an eyebrow,
"I'd say 'That's for me to know and you to find out', but that'd just be cliche`." Buffy stepped past the dumbfounded Goddess and made her way to the door, pausing before she made her exit,
"Tomorrow Glory. Or you'll have to deal with me," she reiterated, and stooped to pick something off the floor while Glory stared at her. The girl was silent for a second before murmuring silkily,
"You know this isn't over, don't you, little girl?" Buffy smirked,
"It was over before it even began," she replied, borrowing from Spike's overabbundance of arrogance, before strutting out the door in victory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Late That Night/Early The Next Morning - Summers House*
Buffy silently slipped into the house, laying the duster she had retrieved across the railing to the stairs, and then quietly shutting the front door. She turned to go to get some sleep, but hearing the hushed voices in the living room, went in to investigate instead.
The scene she found filled her with a funny feeling she had been having alot around Spike lately - a feeling that she had thought she'd lost a long time ago with Angel's departure. And at that moment, she opened herself back up to it.
On the couch, Dawn was snuggled into the crook of his arm, which he had wrapped protectively around her, asleep. Both had their feet propped up on the coffee table. Dawn had her head resting on Spike's shoulder while she breathed softly out of her mouth. He was also asleep, with his head tilted, leaning against hers.
The late night movie they had been watching had long since ended and infomercials were droning on in its place. The shadows danced across the television screen and cast a pale glow on the sleeping duo.
Buffy allowed her feet to lead her to the space in front of them, and her fingertips, seemingly with a mind of their own, to reach out to brush a stray curl of white-blond hair, which Spike had still neglected to style, off his forehead.
Her fingertips traced a light trail down the curve of his face, but she pulled back quickly when he stirred. Slowly, he straightened his neck and turned his piercing blue eyes to her clouded hazel ones. He paused a moment, thinking he recognized an emotion in them that he had grown quite familiar with, but forced the thought out of his mind,
"What time's it?" he asked, careful not to jar Dawn.
"Late," she replied softly,'But is it too late?' she hoped it wasn't, but continued out loud, "Or early. Depends on how you want to look at it," she looked towards the curtains, "You might want to get upstairs before the sun starts streaming through those windows." He sighed in response and remained still for a few moments.
At first, she thought he might not go, but then he slowly moved, slipping the arm not wrapped around Dawn under her legs and pulling the sleeping girl close to him as he stood up. Dawn sighed softly in her sleep and snuggled against his chest, trying to somehow bring herself closer to him. He walked towards the stairs and carried her up, Buffy following close behind.
He pushed the door to Dawn's room open and carefully laid her on the bed, tucking her under a blanket and pausing to place a kiss on her forehead before he turned to leave. He closed the door softly and turned to face Buffy where she had waited in the hallway,
"How do you do it?" he asked, a funny look on his face.
She replied, puzzled, "Do what?
"How do you keep on going each day, worrying about what'll happen if Glory gets her. And I don't mean the bleedin' key. I mean Dawn," he elaborated, "Hell, I'd be lost if she got hold of the Nibblet and your her sister so I just don't see how it's worth it all..." he trailed off, his eyes lost. Buffy smiled, warmed again by his obvious love for her baby sister and his genuine concern for her and her family, and reached out to touch his hand and get his attention,
"I don't have to worry about it anymore. Neither do you. Glory's gone. 'Least she will be by morning." Spike let this news sink in, relieved at first that there would be no more worry that the Nibblet would get stolen away from him. Once his greedy thought drifted away though, he was faced with another realization. he brought his eyes up to meet Buffy's, his expression unreadable,
"I s'pose I should get to clearin' out...." Buffy grabbed his hand again, stopping him.
"Please..." he turned to her, his eyes pleading for a reason to stay. She floundered for a moment, looking away before she could continue,
"....Dawn needs you right now....and..," she paused again, swallowing hard, "I need you, too," she looked up into his eyes again, "When you're around, I don't need to be so strong," she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears, "With Angel, it was a struggle. I needed to be strong and keep away. With Riley, he needed to know that I was strong enough, too...and with you.....I just.....I think....I think I..." she trailed off - not yet able to tell him how she felt.
His own eyes had grown wet while she spoke and he reached out to lightly brush away her tears and pull her against him,
"Sssshh....s'ok, pet," he tried to sooth her as she silently cried, clutching his chest, "Buffy," he began deliberately, pulling her back to gaze again into those hazel pools, "I can stay. I'll wait as long as you need, luv," he placed a tender kiss on her lips, reveling in the joy he felt when she didn't pull away, and then held her close while she clung to him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A Few Nights Later*
"I'm in the mood for love....simply because you're nea- Buffy!" he jumped back, ducking his head in embarrassment when he noticed that she had crept up behind him without his knowing,
"What're you doing here?" he asked nonchalantly, as he fiddled with a big of his things he was packing. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and held him close.
"Just came to see if you needed help packing your things before you drove them over to my place," she replied, pulling his head back to give him a peck on the cheek.
"OUR place!" Dawn emphasized, emerging from the secret area in Spike's crypt with a box of his things, "And no Public Didplays of Affection, you guys!! I mean c'mon! Minor over here."
Spike grinned, "Aren't you supposed to be older than me or somethin', pet?" Dawn rolled her eyes while Spike continued, "Besides, that wasn't a PDA! I'll SHOW you, a PDA," he grabbed Buffy and pulled her to him, ceasing the shout that had come from her lips with his own.
"EEWWWW!!!!!! Don't MAKE me get Giles in here you guys!"
END
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
