Author: Kelley (beanyb1999@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG-13 I guess
Feedback: Please send mucho feedback!
Distribution: You want it? You really want it? Heh. Take it. Just let me know first.
Summary: Spike and Tara figured out what was wrong with Buffy. Spike is working on fixing it right now. Chaos has ensued. Damn the PTB!
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss. Spike is mine. ALL MINE!
Dedication: For Christy, just cuz she has been helping me fix this story. For Shelley, because she's Shelley (I live with her and she's a RA, so I need to be nice to her hehe). For all my great reviewers, you guys have made me feel better about my story. Thanks! I love you guys!
A/N: I wanted to freakin' post this chapter last night, but ff.net was being weird and I was just now finally able to get back on. Does anyone know what was up with that?
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Buffy's eyes fluttered open and she immediately recognized the faces of her friends. She smiled.
"Welcome back, Buff!" Xander helped her sit up.
"Thanks, guys."
Buffy turned her head towards Spike who had still not woken up.
"Shouldn't he be waking up now?" Buffy asked.
"I-I thought so," Tara replied.
Buffy furrowed her brow. "Why hasn't he?"
"I'm not really sure." Tara sighed, exhaustion evident in her voice.
*****
"You bints are bloody irritatin'!" Spike snapped.
The three women blinked, shocked expressions on their faces.
"We must send William back soon or else . . ."
"No we mustn't," William interrupted. "You must be off your rocker if you think I'm going back!"
Spike looked at William, surprised yet proud of William's little outburst. He turned back to the three women and nodded defiantly.
"Yeah! So I think you better come up with a new plan, pet . . ." he frowned " . . .s."
William looked at Spike and quirked his eyebrow. Spike shrugged.
"Right," William began. "We're going to do things our way."
*****
"Buffy, how are you?" Dawn asked with worry etching her face.
"Fine," Buffy muttered.
"You don't sound fine," Anya blurted out.
"Ahn!" Xander cried. "She just woke up!"
"What was it like?" Willow asked in wonderment.
Buffy frowned. "Well, uh, I sat and waited and then a minute later here I am. It wasn't exciting. Um . . ."
"What happened?" Dawn interrupted.
Buffy shot a concerned glance in Spike's direction. Why isn't he waking up? Buffy thought. "I waited," she murmured.
"Do you feel any different?" Willow asked with hope in her voice.
Buffy smiled sheepishly. "Yeah," she lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. She felt something, she knew her soul was intact. She was happy about that. She'd feel better once Spike woke up though. That was it.
"So was it weird up there?" Dawn asked.
"I don't really remember much except for watching Spike go. Why isn't he waking up?" Her heart began pounding with worry. He looked peaceful. Well . . . kind of.
"My Spike is dead to the world," Drusilla chimed in.
She'd been surprisingly quiet the whole time, so everyone was surprised when she spoke having forgotten she was there.
"Huh?" Dawn squeaked.
Willow caught Tara, who had just passed out from exhaustion.
"Wh-What do we do now?" Willow questioned nervously.
She wanted to avoid doing any magic, but with Tara out, she wasn't sure if that was possible. She only hoped that Tara would understand.
"Poor Spike. He's all caught up right now," Drusilla sang.
"What do you mean?" Dawn paled.
"Whoa!" Xander yelled, jumping up and catching the attention of everyone else. He stared down at Spike's still form and gaped. "Did anyone else see that?"
*****
The three women tilted their heads all in the same direction and, of course, in unison at the Vampire and the Human. They, for the first time, began to falter, however quickly regaining their composure.
"We're running short of time. You don't understand."
"Oh, I think we bloody well understand what you crazy birds are up to," Spike replied rudely.
"We can't send a vampire back to the dimension from which it came. We're supposed to send them straight to hell. We will send William in your place."
William cleared his throat. "I fail to understand your logic! Since you say you can't send Spike back, I suppose I'm the consolation, right? You're completely batty if you think you're doing the right thing!"
Spike smiled. William finally got some stones.
"We can't just let the vampire go. It's against the rules."
"Well, screw the bloody rules! I want to be returned to my body!"
"That's impossible," they replied in unison, their voices beginning to show hints of irritation.
"If there is one thing I've learned, nothing's impossible," Spike began. "I'm in love with the Slayer. I help her sodding friends and I'm crazy about her kid sis. Don't talk to me about impossible! Send me back now!"
The three just stared at him.
"I'm perfectly happy here. I don't want to have a second chance at life. Let him do it! I'm staying here. I'll find a way to get back here as soon as possible! I'll live a meaningless existence if you do this to me. I will do nothing to fight evil! Spike is in love with Buffy. I'm not! Bend the rule!" William commanded. He sounded like he was about to go over the edge.
"We must carry out the original plan, no matter what."
Spike growled, slipping into game face for the first time since getting there. He stood as tall as he could and then prepared for a fight.
"You stupid . . . bloody . . . bitches! Aaaaah!"
The Powers That Be gasped in unison and were unable to react fast enough. The red-head at the point of the triangle was tackled which, strangely enough, caused the other two to fly back as well.
"Ok, that was unexpected. This is just . . .neat."
Spike slipped out of game face. He began to laugh out loud at the situation.
Never, in all his years of being undead, did he ever imagine that William, Bloody Awful Poet, would become so enraged that he would tackle and start mercilessly beating three higher powers.
He relaxed a bit in stunned amusement as the red-head dodged slaps and punches while William sat on top of her, holding her down.