The Devil And All His Works
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel characters are copyrighted (c)20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Dedicated: as usual to Cait who makes me write these stories. (So blame her!)
Also to L, who I love very much and who taught me that impossible is only a word and encouraged me to finish this.
Grateful thanks to Alan for his suggestions and his help and to everyone for their reviews, especially to Zille, Bolo and Jeanny who have given me tremendous encouragement.
Apologies for the length of time it's taken me to write more of this. I hope you like it.
A/N Any comments can be sent to
Geemagicspell@hotmail.com
Chapter Nine
Buffy was rooted to the spot. Her eyes wide, still not believing what she had seen, she stared at the floor.
She shook her head. "No." She whispered, turning to Giles, her face the colour of parchment. "Not both of them. I can't lose both of them."
Tara was holding onto Oz, both of them supporting each other and looking expectantly at the same spot on the floor, as if expecting Willow to re-emerge.
Giles too gazed at the ground, lost for words, only looking up when Faith turned to him once more. He could see the worry and confusion on her face as she asked him.
"Can she do it? Can she bring him back?"
"I don't know." He admitted. "I really don't know."
"If anyone can, she can." Spike told them, shrugging his shoulders as they all glanced at him. "She has the power. It's been growing every day. I've seen her, practising her magic as we patrol each night."
Buffy turned to Giles for confirmation.
"She can do it?" She asked, echoing Faiths words. "She could bring him back?"
Giles took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and his thumb. For the first time since she had met him Buffy recognised how much older than the rest of them he was. He sighed, twisting his glasses around in his hand and refusing to meet Buffy's worried look.
"I don't know, I really don't. I'm afraid that we might have lost them both."
Buffy shook her head. "But Spike said she could do it. Can she, Giles? Is it possible?"
Giles hesitated, giving Spike the opportunity to answer for him.
"She's gone down there. She just has to find him and bring him back."
Giles snorted derisively. "You make that sound so incredibly easy, Spike. She's not popping out to the store, she's going down into Hell itself."
Spike shrugged. "I still say she can do it. Red's one hell of a witch, you know."
Buffy and Faith looked from one to the other; expressions of hope and despair flickering on their faces.
It was too much for Giles. Jamming his glasses back onto his face, he glared at Spike.
"No, you don't understand! This is Hell we're talking about. Didn't you hear what that thing called itself? The Lord of Lies. That's what Hell is. A place of lies and deception. Even if she can find him, even if she can bring him back, it might not be him. She might bring back a demon, or even the devil himself, and she wouldn't know, not until she brought him back here and he revealed himself."
Buffy looked horrified. "Is that true? Could that really happen?"
Spike looked uncomfortable. He glanced down at the floor shuffling his feet and leaving Giles to answer.
Giles sighed, aware of the tension in the room. "It could." He looked from Buffy to Faith and sighed again, unwilling to kill what little hope they had left. "But maybe Spike is right. Maybe she can do it. All we can do to is wait and see. When they come back, stay away from them. Spike should be able to tell if it's really them." He looked at Spike. "Can you? Will you know if it's not them?"
"I should think we'll all know." Spike replied. "I think so. Evil can usually recognise evil, you know."
Giles glanced around the room, frowning as he took in the appearance of the young people in front of him. They looked like the survivors of a train wreck. Their clothes were filthy and torn, streaked with blood and mud, which also covered most of their uncovered skin. They looked exhausted and cold. Giles shivered, suddenly realising that he was also cold. A thought occurred to him.
"Ethan? He got away?" Giles looked around the cavern, deserted now except for them.
Spike chuckled. "He won't have got far. Dru went after him and she was pretty mad. Once she gets her fangs into him we won't hear from him again."
Oz nodded. "You know, I should feel sorry for him, but it's what he deserves."
"And Dru?" Faith asked, suddenly realising that she was missing.
Buffy glanced at Spike, who was listening intently, his eyes looking downward so as not to look in her direction. She realised that he must have known that Dru was leaving. The last time she had seen Dru, Spike had been holding her.
"I think we're all too tired to worry about her. Besides, if she takes care of Ethan for us, she's doing us a favour."
"And who's going to take care of Dru?" Faith demanded.
Buffy shrugged. "It's been a long day. I'll worry about that tomorrow. For now I'm just concerned about Xander and Willow."
No one spoke and the silence that ensued was uncomfortable as they thought about their friends. Giles made a decision. They couldn't, shouldn't, all stay here. He would stay, and he knew that Buffy would and probably Faith, but perhaps the others would go home and rest.
He cleared his throat, the sound echoing loudly in the nearly empty cavern and they all looked at him. "I think that some of you should go home. It will do no good for all of us to stay here. Some of us should go home and get some rest and the others will wait for them to come back."
Buffy glanced at him, hearing the words he didn't say, knowing that he thought it was possible, even probable, that Willow and Xander wouldn't come back.
Stifling a sigh she looked around at the others, ready to support Giles, when she saw the expressions on the faces of the others.
Tara was rigid, her normally placid face almost angry. Oz was frowning. Even Spike looked angry. Faith was smiling and shaking her head, a smile of amusement turning up the corners of her mouth.
"You really think we're going to go?" She laughed dryly. "You really think any of us could walk out of here not knowing what's happened to Willow and Xander?"
Giles opened his mouth to speak, to try to persuade them to go home but, before he could speak, Oz spoke for all of them.
"We'll all stay. We came here together, we'll leave here together."
Giles opened his mouth to argue, then nodded his agreement and eased himself down on the hard floor, preparing himself for a long wait.
It seemed like hours. They shifted around, trying to keep themselves warm and as comfortable as they could. The only one who appeared not to be bothered by the cold was Spike.
He sat, still as a statue, back rigid against the cold stone of the wall, seemingly relaxed but Buffy could see the tension in his locked hands and the way he cocked his head, alert for the slightest sound.
It shocked her when she realised that he was worried, not so much about Xander and Willow, but about what would happen when, or if, they re-appeared.
She glanced at Giles who looked at his watch from time to time, then at the patch of ground where they had disappeared.
Faith paced from time to time, her gait that of a caged lion prowling the edges of its prison. Buffy knew the feeling. It was the same way that she felt, but she managed to disguise it a little better.
As she got to know Faith she began to recognise the similarities between them and to acknowledge that she would have been a lot more like her, if it hadn't been for her friends. She had a lot to thank them for. She stared at the ground, hoping for an opportunity to do so and willing them to come back to her.
Giles had just got stiffly to his feet, stamping them on the ground in an attempt to banish the numbing cold, when the ground began to rumble again. This time it was barely more than a sound, with none of the shaking that had accompanied the previous disturbances, just a gentle vibration.
They all got to their feet, apprehension and hope vying for expression on their faces, and stared at where the dust was beginning to swirl around the surface of the ground.
Buffy sucked in her breath as the ground appeared to grow transparent and she was able to make out the faint outlines of two figures, an aura around them glowing with a soft blue light against the darkness of the earth. The figures drifted closer, appearing to float higher and higher until their feet finally rose above the ground, staggering as the light disappeared and the ground returned to it's normal appearance. They stood, clutching each other, their backs towards the anxious group of friends.
Buffy moved forward but Spike intercepted her, pushing between her and the two people and moving slowly towards them.
"Red? Is that you?" He asked, peering at them carefully.
They turned, and Spike could make out their faces.
Willow, more tired than he ever remembered seeing her, her face and clothes streaked with dirt and mud, her arm around the waist of the man next to her, a small yet triumphant smile lighting up her face.
Xander, his arm thrown around her shoulder, clothes torn and blood welling from more than a dozen places on his face and body, clutching her as if his life depended on it, as indeed it had.
Spike moved forward cautiously at first, then rushing as the two came towards him, staggering and almost falling. He caught Xander as he pitched forward, relieving Willow of her burden. Once again Buffy moved forward but this time Giles, none of the others having made a move since Willow and Xander had made their appearance, intercepted her.
Xander clung weakly to Spike, looking at him and chuckling. "I must be out of my mind because I'm really glad to see you right now. I never thought I'd say this but there are things down there that make even you look good."
Buffy held her breath as Spike stared at him for a moment, saying nothing.
The moments seemed to stretch on for hours and she could stand it no longer. "Is it Xander?" She demanded.
Spike nodded, not taking his eyes off Xander's face.
Buffy looked at her other friend, desperately wanting to go to her but kept back by Giles, who stood between them.
"Is it you, Will?"
Spike snorted. "She's hardly going to tell you that it isn't, is she, Slayer?" He looked over at her and grinned. "You did it, Red. You actually did it. You brought him back."
Willow's smile grew and her eyes glowed with a happiness that lit up her face. "I did, didn't I? No one was going to take my Xander away from me. Not even the devil."
Buffy put her hand on Giles' arm. "Is it her, Giles? Is it Willow?"
Giles sighed with relief and stepped aside, allowing Buffy to go to her exhausted friend. "Yes, it is."
As Buffy moved forward, so did the others, engulfing the tired couple in hugs and demanding to hear the story of how Willow had found Xander and brought him back. Seeing the look of sheer exhaustion on their faces, Giles intervened, telling them that it could wait, that the priority now was to get them all home and to rest.
Common sense prevailed and they began the journey home, Faith in the lead, Buffy supporting Willow, Oz and Spike half-carrying Xander between them, Tara and Giles bringing up the rear.
The sun was overhead as they emerged from the ruins, making Giles all too aware that they had been out all night and for most of the morning. He sighed, thinking of the excuses and apologies he would have to make to angry parents. Then he remembered Amy's father and the news he would have to break to him. He looked around at the others and thanked God that they were all still alive.
Too tired to even speak they reached Giles apartment and spilled in through the door, throwing themselves down on the chairs and sofa as Giles reached for the telephone and began dialling those numbers that he knew by heart, plausible excuses already forming in his mind.
They rested for a while. All of them too weary even to think of eating, although it had been some time since their last meal. Finally the loud growling of Xander's stomach forced them all to admit their hunger and Giles reached for the telephone once more to order food.
Spike, Xander and Oz washed and changed their clothes from a pile that Giles kept for when their clothes were too badly stained or torn to allow them to go home in. Then Buffy and Faith did the same, followed last of all by Tara and Willow.
Buffy and Xander were assigned to the kitchen, getting the tableware ready for the meal while Spike, Oz and Giles cleared the large table, carefully replacing the books back in the large bookcase. Buffy could hardly prevent herself from touching Xander, wanting to make sure that he was really there. He caught her looking at him and grinned.
"It's really me, Buff. I came back." He shook his head in amazement. "Will actually brought me back."
Buffy grinned. "She was amazing, Xander. You should have seen her. She wouldn't let anyone stop her, she was determined to get you back."
She paused, watching as he got the cutlery from the drawer, aware that he was carefully avoiding her gaze.
"She really loves you, Xand. You know that, don't you?"
Xander sighed. Putting the cutlery down on one of the plates he turned to look at her. "I really don't know anymore, Buff. Willow loves me and I love her, but in what way?"
Buffy started to answer but he interrupted her. "I've decided to go away, Buff. Not for long and not too far, but I feel like it might be a good idea."
Buffy stared at him. "Why? Because of what happened with Willow?"
Xander shook his head. "Not really, well, not entirely anyway. I've come close to dying quite a few times, but today was different. I really didn't believe that anyone could help me, and I thought that was it. But it wasn't and I know that's thanks to Willow. And that makes things even more confusing. I need to work it all out and I need time to do that."
Buffy frowned. "But you could do that here, couldn't you?"
Xander nodded. "I could, but there's something else. I want to see the world outside Sunnydale, especially now that we've saved it again. It will only be for a little while. I'll miss you guys far too much to stay away for too long."
Buffy sighed. "Would you stay if Willow asked you to?"
Xander shook his head. "I don't know, Buffy, and I really don't think that she will ask me."
Buffy hugged him briefly and they carried on getting things ready in silence.
It was a feast befitting people who had just saved the world... again. Giles had ordered an enormous banquet of Chinese food. Their plates piled high, they set to eating as Spike sat beside them sipping from his usual mug. Oz and Tara volunteered to clear away the dishes and Faith and Giles got up to help them.
Seeing the opportunity for Xander and Willow to be alone, Buffy pulled Spike over to the other side of the room, telling him that she wanted to show him something in one of Giles' books.
Spike followed, smiling as he guessed her intent. Buffy pulled a book from the bookcase, opening it at random and pushing it in front of him. Spike chuckled and grabbed the book as Faith came out of the kitchen and walked towards them.
"What's so interesting?" She asked, craning her neck to look at the book.
Buffy sighed. "Nothing. I'm just trying to give Willow and Xander some time together."
Faith grinned. "I'm doing the same thing with Oz and Tara. Giles doesn't seem to get the idea though. He's still playing gooseberry."
She looked over at Willow and Xander. Their heads were bowed together and they were sitting next to each other on the sofa.
"Do you think those two can work things out?"
Buffy sighed. "I hope so. They've been friends for so long now. I hate to see things going wrong between them."
Spike stared at her. "Friends? They're not friends. They're in love with each other. That's how she was able to go into hell and get him out of there."
Faith shrugged. "She got him out because they've been together so long, they're friends and they can't imagine being without each other."
Spike shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you? She loves him, that's how she was able to do it. She might not be sure, but I am. It's the only way she would have been able to get him out."
Faith raised her eyebrows. "And what makes you so sure? What does a vampire know about love?"
Spike smiled, but his eyes betrayed his sadness. "A vampire without a soul, who loves another vampire? I know more than you would think."
Faith looked ashamed and Spike nodded, his point made, and continued. "You heard the story, Orpheus and Eurydice? It's not just a story; it's the truth. You can go down to hell and take someone from there, but only if you love them."
He shook his head as Faith opened her mouth to speak. "And I'm not talking about the friendship thing. That wouldn't work. It has to be the real thing."
Buffy looked over at Willow and Xander, then back at Spike. "You said that she might not be sure?"
He shrugged. "She wasn't thinking about it when she did it. She just did it. Maybe, when she has a chance to think it over, she'll realise."
"Shouldn't we tell her?"
Spike chuckled. "You could, but from what I know of Red, she won't listen. She'll have to work it out herself, in her own time."
"I just hope she doesn't take too long about it." Buffy muttered, remembering her talk with Xander.
Faith smiled a predatory smile, her eyes on Xander. "She might be too late already." She said, leaving them to go to his side. Xander looked up and smiled as she approached him, shifting slightly to make room for her on the sofa.
Buffy scowled and Spike quickly changed the subject before she could say anything.
"So what do you think will happen with Oz and Tara?"
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. If they're going to be together for a while, maybe something will come of it. We'll just have to wait and see."
Spike nodded, watching Faith as she put her arm around Xander's shoulders, laughing at some joke he'd made.
Buffy scowled at him. "Don't even think about it, Spike." She warned.
Spike shrugged. "Can't blame me for thinking, Slayer."
"A vampire and a slayer?" Buffy shook her head, her eyes haunted by an expression of sadness and longing that Spike knew well. "It wouldn't work, Spike. Believe me, I know."
Spike sighed. "Yeah, but I wasn't thinking about that sort of thing, just something to pass the time. Nothing serious."
Buffy shook her head. "Not with Faith. I don't know much about her. I probably should have taken more time to get to know her, but then she hooked up with Amy, and I guess it was easier for me. I didn't have to try to make friends with her. But something tells me that she's had a hard time. Don't mess with Faith, Spike. Not with the way you feel about Drusilla."
Spike thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough." He chuckled. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, anyway. The first time I upset her, she'd end up putting a stake through me."
Buffy regarded him thoughtfully. "Something tells me that I should get to know you a little better too, if we ever get some time off." She sighed. "And I could really use some time to relax after all of this."
Spike grinned at her. "I think I like that idea. Hey, Blondie, do you think that we could ever get together?"
Buffy laughed. "Not a chance, Spike."
Spike shrugged. "Didn't think so."
Buffy looked at him in surprise, hearing the unhappiness in his tone and seeing genuine regret in his eyes. She put her arm around his waist and hugged him to her. "I rely on you, Spike, and I count you as one of my friends."
Spike snorted. "So I get the consolation prize?" He asked, but the sadness had gone from his voice and Buffy grinned back at him, taking the book out of his hands and replacing it in the bookcase before drawing him over to the sofa to join the others.
It was a few hours later that Xander made his announcement about leaving. Giles nodded as if he had known all along that this would happen. None of them spoke and they all avoided looking at Willow who bowed her head and looked down at her hands, clenched tightly together in her lap.
Giles broke the uncomfortable silence at last.
"How long are you thinking of going away for?"
Xander shrugged and shook his head. "However long it takes." Adding as a thought occurred to him. "Oh, of course, the shop. You'll need to make arrangements. I can stay while you sort that out."
Oz looked at Tara who nodded briefly. "We could do with somewhere to stay and we could both help out in the shop." He volunteered.
Faith and Buffy glared while Xander grinned at him.
Giles looked thoughtful. "I really don't think I could condone the two of you living there together. But perhaps Tara could stay there and you could stay here with me, Oz? We'd have to work something out before the next full moon too. Maybe the training room could be cleared at night? What do you think Buffy?"
Buffy glanced at Willow's bowed head, then at Xander's hopeful expression. Finally she nodded. "It could work. I don't see why not." She admitted.
Xander jumped to his feet. "Then I could go tomorrow." There was no mistaking the excitement in his voice.
Willow looked up at that and Buffy bit her lip when she saw the miserable look on her face.
"Tomorrow?" She whispered.
Xander turned around and Willow bent her head again. Kneeling down beside her he clasped her hands and spoke softly to her.
"It's only for a little while, Will. I'll be back before you know it, I promise."
Willow nodded and lifted her head to look at him, biting her lip and blinking rapidly to keep her tears from falling as she said, "Promise?"
Xander grinned. "Do you really think I could stand to be away too long? Of course I promise. And the sooner I go, the sooner I'll be back."
The tiny group broke up soon after that. It was arranged that Oz would stay with Giles while Tara and Willow went with Buffy and Faith. Buffy was determined that Willow would not be left alone to brood and she knew that her mother would understand.
They said their goodbyes to Xander. He was insistent that he was leaving that day and equally so that no one should come to the shop to see him off. They all hugged him as he left them, watching him walk away and wondering when they would see him again.
Buffy put her arm around Willow as Xander rounded the corner and left their sight.
"He'll be back." She told her and Faith nodded.
"Of course he will. He went away before, didn't he? He came back that time and he will again."
Willow tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. She looked at Buffy, eyes wide and her expression that of a small child desperately needing reassurance.
"You really think he will? After everything that's happened?"
Buffy thought for a moment then smiled and hugged her friend.
"Especially after everything that's happened." She said with a smile and, pulling Willow along with her, she began the long walk home.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel characters are copyrighted (c)20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Dedicated: as usual to Cait who makes me write these stories. (So blame her!)
Also to L, who I love very much and who taught me that impossible is only a word and encouraged me to finish this.
Grateful thanks to Alan for his suggestions and his help and to everyone for their reviews, especially to Zille, Bolo and Jeanny who have given me tremendous encouragement.
Apologies for the length of time it's taken me to write more of this. I hope you like it.
A/N Any comments can be sent to
Geemagicspell@hotmail.com
Chapter Nine
Buffy was rooted to the spot. Her eyes wide, still not believing what she had seen, she stared at the floor.
She shook her head. "No." She whispered, turning to Giles, her face the colour of parchment. "Not both of them. I can't lose both of them."
Tara was holding onto Oz, both of them supporting each other and looking expectantly at the same spot on the floor, as if expecting Willow to re-emerge.
Giles too gazed at the ground, lost for words, only looking up when Faith turned to him once more. He could see the worry and confusion on her face as she asked him.
"Can she do it? Can she bring him back?"
"I don't know." He admitted. "I really don't know."
"If anyone can, she can." Spike told them, shrugging his shoulders as they all glanced at him. "She has the power. It's been growing every day. I've seen her, practising her magic as we patrol each night."
Buffy turned to Giles for confirmation.
"She can do it?" She asked, echoing Faiths words. "She could bring him back?"
Giles took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and his thumb. For the first time since she had met him Buffy recognised how much older than the rest of them he was. He sighed, twisting his glasses around in his hand and refusing to meet Buffy's worried look.
"I don't know, I really don't. I'm afraid that we might have lost them both."
Buffy shook her head. "But Spike said she could do it. Can she, Giles? Is it possible?"
Giles hesitated, giving Spike the opportunity to answer for him.
"She's gone down there. She just has to find him and bring him back."
Giles snorted derisively. "You make that sound so incredibly easy, Spike. She's not popping out to the store, she's going down into Hell itself."
Spike shrugged. "I still say she can do it. Red's one hell of a witch, you know."
Buffy and Faith looked from one to the other; expressions of hope and despair flickering on their faces.
It was too much for Giles. Jamming his glasses back onto his face, he glared at Spike.
"No, you don't understand! This is Hell we're talking about. Didn't you hear what that thing called itself? The Lord of Lies. That's what Hell is. A place of lies and deception. Even if she can find him, even if she can bring him back, it might not be him. She might bring back a demon, or even the devil himself, and she wouldn't know, not until she brought him back here and he revealed himself."
Buffy looked horrified. "Is that true? Could that really happen?"
Spike looked uncomfortable. He glanced down at the floor shuffling his feet and leaving Giles to answer.
Giles sighed, aware of the tension in the room. "It could." He looked from Buffy to Faith and sighed again, unwilling to kill what little hope they had left. "But maybe Spike is right. Maybe she can do it. All we can do to is wait and see. When they come back, stay away from them. Spike should be able to tell if it's really them." He looked at Spike. "Can you? Will you know if it's not them?"
"I should think we'll all know." Spike replied. "I think so. Evil can usually recognise evil, you know."
Giles glanced around the room, frowning as he took in the appearance of the young people in front of him. They looked like the survivors of a train wreck. Their clothes were filthy and torn, streaked with blood and mud, which also covered most of their uncovered skin. They looked exhausted and cold. Giles shivered, suddenly realising that he was also cold. A thought occurred to him.
"Ethan? He got away?" Giles looked around the cavern, deserted now except for them.
Spike chuckled. "He won't have got far. Dru went after him and she was pretty mad. Once she gets her fangs into him we won't hear from him again."
Oz nodded. "You know, I should feel sorry for him, but it's what he deserves."
"And Dru?" Faith asked, suddenly realising that she was missing.
Buffy glanced at Spike, who was listening intently, his eyes looking downward so as not to look in her direction. She realised that he must have known that Dru was leaving. The last time she had seen Dru, Spike had been holding her.
"I think we're all too tired to worry about her. Besides, if she takes care of Ethan for us, she's doing us a favour."
"And who's going to take care of Dru?" Faith demanded.
Buffy shrugged. "It's been a long day. I'll worry about that tomorrow. For now I'm just concerned about Xander and Willow."
No one spoke and the silence that ensued was uncomfortable as they thought about their friends. Giles made a decision. They couldn't, shouldn't, all stay here. He would stay, and he knew that Buffy would and probably Faith, but perhaps the others would go home and rest.
He cleared his throat, the sound echoing loudly in the nearly empty cavern and they all looked at him. "I think that some of you should go home. It will do no good for all of us to stay here. Some of us should go home and get some rest and the others will wait for them to come back."
Buffy glanced at him, hearing the words he didn't say, knowing that he thought it was possible, even probable, that Willow and Xander wouldn't come back.
Stifling a sigh she looked around at the others, ready to support Giles, when she saw the expressions on the faces of the others.
Tara was rigid, her normally placid face almost angry. Oz was frowning. Even Spike looked angry. Faith was smiling and shaking her head, a smile of amusement turning up the corners of her mouth.
"You really think we're going to go?" She laughed dryly. "You really think any of us could walk out of here not knowing what's happened to Willow and Xander?"
Giles opened his mouth to speak, to try to persuade them to go home but, before he could speak, Oz spoke for all of them.
"We'll all stay. We came here together, we'll leave here together."
Giles opened his mouth to argue, then nodded his agreement and eased himself down on the hard floor, preparing himself for a long wait.
It seemed like hours. They shifted around, trying to keep themselves warm and as comfortable as they could. The only one who appeared not to be bothered by the cold was Spike.
He sat, still as a statue, back rigid against the cold stone of the wall, seemingly relaxed but Buffy could see the tension in his locked hands and the way he cocked his head, alert for the slightest sound.
It shocked her when she realised that he was worried, not so much about Xander and Willow, but about what would happen when, or if, they re-appeared.
She glanced at Giles who looked at his watch from time to time, then at the patch of ground where they had disappeared.
Faith paced from time to time, her gait that of a caged lion prowling the edges of its prison. Buffy knew the feeling. It was the same way that she felt, but she managed to disguise it a little better.
As she got to know Faith she began to recognise the similarities between them and to acknowledge that she would have been a lot more like her, if it hadn't been for her friends. She had a lot to thank them for. She stared at the ground, hoping for an opportunity to do so and willing them to come back to her.
Giles had just got stiffly to his feet, stamping them on the ground in an attempt to banish the numbing cold, when the ground began to rumble again. This time it was barely more than a sound, with none of the shaking that had accompanied the previous disturbances, just a gentle vibration.
They all got to their feet, apprehension and hope vying for expression on their faces, and stared at where the dust was beginning to swirl around the surface of the ground.
Buffy sucked in her breath as the ground appeared to grow transparent and she was able to make out the faint outlines of two figures, an aura around them glowing with a soft blue light against the darkness of the earth. The figures drifted closer, appearing to float higher and higher until their feet finally rose above the ground, staggering as the light disappeared and the ground returned to it's normal appearance. They stood, clutching each other, their backs towards the anxious group of friends.
Buffy moved forward but Spike intercepted her, pushing between her and the two people and moving slowly towards them.
"Red? Is that you?" He asked, peering at them carefully.
They turned, and Spike could make out their faces.
Willow, more tired than he ever remembered seeing her, her face and clothes streaked with dirt and mud, her arm around the waist of the man next to her, a small yet triumphant smile lighting up her face.
Xander, his arm thrown around her shoulder, clothes torn and blood welling from more than a dozen places on his face and body, clutching her as if his life depended on it, as indeed it had.
Spike moved forward cautiously at first, then rushing as the two came towards him, staggering and almost falling. He caught Xander as he pitched forward, relieving Willow of her burden. Once again Buffy moved forward but this time Giles, none of the others having made a move since Willow and Xander had made their appearance, intercepted her.
Xander clung weakly to Spike, looking at him and chuckling. "I must be out of my mind because I'm really glad to see you right now. I never thought I'd say this but there are things down there that make even you look good."
Buffy held her breath as Spike stared at him for a moment, saying nothing.
The moments seemed to stretch on for hours and she could stand it no longer. "Is it Xander?" She demanded.
Spike nodded, not taking his eyes off Xander's face.
Buffy looked at her other friend, desperately wanting to go to her but kept back by Giles, who stood between them.
"Is it you, Will?"
Spike snorted. "She's hardly going to tell you that it isn't, is she, Slayer?" He looked over at her and grinned. "You did it, Red. You actually did it. You brought him back."
Willow's smile grew and her eyes glowed with a happiness that lit up her face. "I did, didn't I? No one was going to take my Xander away from me. Not even the devil."
Buffy put her hand on Giles' arm. "Is it her, Giles? Is it Willow?"
Giles sighed with relief and stepped aside, allowing Buffy to go to her exhausted friend. "Yes, it is."
As Buffy moved forward, so did the others, engulfing the tired couple in hugs and demanding to hear the story of how Willow had found Xander and brought him back. Seeing the look of sheer exhaustion on their faces, Giles intervened, telling them that it could wait, that the priority now was to get them all home and to rest.
Common sense prevailed and they began the journey home, Faith in the lead, Buffy supporting Willow, Oz and Spike half-carrying Xander between them, Tara and Giles bringing up the rear.
The sun was overhead as they emerged from the ruins, making Giles all too aware that they had been out all night and for most of the morning. He sighed, thinking of the excuses and apologies he would have to make to angry parents. Then he remembered Amy's father and the news he would have to break to him. He looked around at the others and thanked God that they were all still alive.
Too tired to even speak they reached Giles apartment and spilled in through the door, throwing themselves down on the chairs and sofa as Giles reached for the telephone and began dialling those numbers that he knew by heart, plausible excuses already forming in his mind.
They rested for a while. All of them too weary even to think of eating, although it had been some time since their last meal. Finally the loud growling of Xander's stomach forced them all to admit their hunger and Giles reached for the telephone once more to order food.
Spike, Xander and Oz washed and changed their clothes from a pile that Giles kept for when their clothes were too badly stained or torn to allow them to go home in. Then Buffy and Faith did the same, followed last of all by Tara and Willow.
Buffy and Xander were assigned to the kitchen, getting the tableware ready for the meal while Spike, Oz and Giles cleared the large table, carefully replacing the books back in the large bookcase. Buffy could hardly prevent herself from touching Xander, wanting to make sure that he was really there. He caught her looking at him and grinned.
"It's really me, Buff. I came back." He shook his head in amazement. "Will actually brought me back."
Buffy grinned. "She was amazing, Xander. You should have seen her. She wouldn't let anyone stop her, she was determined to get you back."
She paused, watching as he got the cutlery from the drawer, aware that he was carefully avoiding her gaze.
"She really loves you, Xand. You know that, don't you?"
Xander sighed. Putting the cutlery down on one of the plates he turned to look at her. "I really don't know anymore, Buff. Willow loves me and I love her, but in what way?"
Buffy started to answer but he interrupted her. "I've decided to go away, Buff. Not for long and not too far, but I feel like it might be a good idea."
Buffy stared at him. "Why? Because of what happened with Willow?"
Xander shook his head. "Not really, well, not entirely anyway. I've come close to dying quite a few times, but today was different. I really didn't believe that anyone could help me, and I thought that was it. But it wasn't and I know that's thanks to Willow. And that makes things even more confusing. I need to work it all out and I need time to do that."
Buffy frowned. "But you could do that here, couldn't you?"
Xander nodded. "I could, but there's something else. I want to see the world outside Sunnydale, especially now that we've saved it again. It will only be for a little while. I'll miss you guys far too much to stay away for too long."
Buffy sighed. "Would you stay if Willow asked you to?"
Xander shook his head. "I don't know, Buffy, and I really don't think that she will ask me."
Buffy hugged him briefly and they carried on getting things ready in silence.
It was a feast befitting people who had just saved the world... again. Giles had ordered an enormous banquet of Chinese food. Their plates piled high, they set to eating as Spike sat beside them sipping from his usual mug. Oz and Tara volunteered to clear away the dishes and Faith and Giles got up to help them.
Seeing the opportunity for Xander and Willow to be alone, Buffy pulled Spike over to the other side of the room, telling him that she wanted to show him something in one of Giles' books.
Spike followed, smiling as he guessed her intent. Buffy pulled a book from the bookcase, opening it at random and pushing it in front of him. Spike chuckled and grabbed the book as Faith came out of the kitchen and walked towards them.
"What's so interesting?" She asked, craning her neck to look at the book.
Buffy sighed. "Nothing. I'm just trying to give Willow and Xander some time together."
Faith grinned. "I'm doing the same thing with Oz and Tara. Giles doesn't seem to get the idea though. He's still playing gooseberry."
She looked over at Willow and Xander. Their heads were bowed together and they were sitting next to each other on the sofa.
"Do you think those two can work things out?"
Buffy sighed. "I hope so. They've been friends for so long now. I hate to see things going wrong between them."
Spike stared at her. "Friends? They're not friends. They're in love with each other. That's how she was able to go into hell and get him out of there."
Faith shrugged. "She got him out because they've been together so long, they're friends and they can't imagine being without each other."
Spike shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you? She loves him, that's how she was able to do it. She might not be sure, but I am. It's the only way she would have been able to get him out."
Faith raised her eyebrows. "And what makes you so sure? What does a vampire know about love?"
Spike smiled, but his eyes betrayed his sadness. "A vampire without a soul, who loves another vampire? I know more than you would think."
Faith looked ashamed and Spike nodded, his point made, and continued. "You heard the story, Orpheus and Eurydice? It's not just a story; it's the truth. You can go down to hell and take someone from there, but only if you love them."
He shook his head as Faith opened her mouth to speak. "And I'm not talking about the friendship thing. That wouldn't work. It has to be the real thing."
Buffy looked over at Willow and Xander, then back at Spike. "You said that she might not be sure?"
He shrugged. "She wasn't thinking about it when she did it. She just did it. Maybe, when she has a chance to think it over, she'll realise."
"Shouldn't we tell her?"
Spike chuckled. "You could, but from what I know of Red, she won't listen. She'll have to work it out herself, in her own time."
"I just hope she doesn't take too long about it." Buffy muttered, remembering her talk with Xander.
Faith smiled a predatory smile, her eyes on Xander. "She might be too late already." She said, leaving them to go to his side. Xander looked up and smiled as she approached him, shifting slightly to make room for her on the sofa.
Buffy scowled and Spike quickly changed the subject before she could say anything.
"So what do you think will happen with Oz and Tara?"
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. If they're going to be together for a while, maybe something will come of it. We'll just have to wait and see."
Spike nodded, watching Faith as she put her arm around Xander's shoulders, laughing at some joke he'd made.
Buffy scowled at him. "Don't even think about it, Spike." She warned.
Spike shrugged. "Can't blame me for thinking, Slayer."
"A vampire and a slayer?" Buffy shook her head, her eyes haunted by an expression of sadness and longing that Spike knew well. "It wouldn't work, Spike. Believe me, I know."
Spike sighed. "Yeah, but I wasn't thinking about that sort of thing, just something to pass the time. Nothing serious."
Buffy shook her head. "Not with Faith. I don't know much about her. I probably should have taken more time to get to know her, but then she hooked up with Amy, and I guess it was easier for me. I didn't have to try to make friends with her. But something tells me that she's had a hard time. Don't mess with Faith, Spike. Not with the way you feel about Drusilla."
Spike thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough." He chuckled. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, anyway. The first time I upset her, she'd end up putting a stake through me."
Buffy regarded him thoughtfully. "Something tells me that I should get to know you a little better too, if we ever get some time off." She sighed. "And I could really use some time to relax after all of this."
Spike grinned at her. "I think I like that idea. Hey, Blondie, do you think that we could ever get together?"
Buffy laughed. "Not a chance, Spike."
Spike shrugged. "Didn't think so."
Buffy looked at him in surprise, hearing the unhappiness in his tone and seeing genuine regret in his eyes. She put her arm around his waist and hugged him to her. "I rely on you, Spike, and I count you as one of my friends."
Spike snorted. "So I get the consolation prize?" He asked, but the sadness had gone from his voice and Buffy grinned back at him, taking the book out of his hands and replacing it in the bookcase before drawing him over to the sofa to join the others.
It was a few hours later that Xander made his announcement about leaving. Giles nodded as if he had known all along that this would happen. None of them spoke and they all avoided looking at Willow who bowed her head and looked down at her hands, clenched tightly together in her lap.
Giles broke the uncomfortable silence at last.
"How long are you thinking of going away for?"
Xander shrugged and shook his head. "However long it takes." Adding as a thought occurred to him. "Oh, of course, the shop. You'll need to make arrangements. I can stay while you sort that out."
Oz looked at Tara who nodded briefly. "We could do with somewhere to stay and we could both help out in the shop." He volunteered.
Faith and Buffy glared while Xander grinned at him.
Giles looked thoughtful. "I really don't think I could condone the two of you living there together. But perhaps Tara could stay there and you could stay here with me, Oz? We'd have to work something out before the next full moon too. Maybe the training room could be cleared at night? What do you think Buffy?"
Buffy glanced at Willow's bowed head, then at Xander's hopeful expression. Finally she nodded. "It could work. I don't see why not." She admitted.
Xander jumped to his feet. "Then I could go tomorrow." There was no mistaking the excitement in his voice.
Willow looked up at that and Buffy bit her lip when she saw the miserable look on her face.
"Tomorrow?" She whispered.
Xander turned around and Willow bent her head again. Kneeling down beside her he clasped her hands and spoke softly to her.
"It's only for a little while, Will. I'll be back before you know it, I promise."
Willow nodded and lifted her head to look at him, biting her lip and blinking rapidly to keep her tears from falling as she said, "Promise?"
Xander grinned. "Do you really think I could stand to be away too long? Of course I promise. And the sooner I go, the sooner I'll be back."
The tiny group broke up soon after that. It was arranged that Oz would stay with Giles while Tara and Willow went with Buffy and Faith. Buffy was determined that Willow would not be left alone to brood and she knew that her mother would understand.
They said their goodbyes to Xander. He was insistent that he was leaving that day and equally so that no one should come to the shop to see him off. They all hugged him as he left them, watching him walk away and wondering when they would see him again.
Buffy put her arm around Willow as Xander rounded the corner and left their sight.
"He'll be back." She told her and Faith nodded.
"Of course he will. He went away before, didn't he? He came back that time and he will again."
Willow tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. She looked at Buffy, eyes wide and her expression that of a small child desperately needing reassurance.
"You really think he will? After everything that's happened?"
Buffy thought for a moment then smiled and hugged her friend.
"Especially after everything that's happened." She said with a smile and, pulling Willow along with her, she began the long walk home.