Homecoming pt. 3
Xander knocked on the hotel suite door, and the former Watcher opened it. "Guess who's back in town."
"Spike." Giles ushered the vampire into the room. "I don't know if that's good news or not. Where have you been?"
"Can't you tell by my deep tropical tan?" Spike stared at the unresponsive Watcher. "No, you're right. It's not funny. A long way away. Where's Buffy?"
"How much has Xander told you?"
"Some of it," Xander interrupted. "Not all of it. Not what happened to Willow. In the end. And there's something you should know, Giles." He pointed at the vampire. "He says his chip is gone."
The former librarian reached instinctively for a weapon, but there were none on the desk. He picked up a pencil.
"Bloody hell, Rupert, put that down. You're safe enough with me." He moved towards the bedroom door. "Buffy in there?"
As if on cue, Anya walked through the door. "She's finally asleep. More or less. Oh, hello Spike."
"Anya." They avoided eye contact. "Can I see her?"
"Let her sleep. She needs it." She sat down on the couch. "How much do you know?"
"Much as the whelp's told me. Tara's dead, something's happened to Willow, Buffy's ..."
"Dying again." The men started at her words. "Well, someone should say it. She doesn't eat, and I think she was anorexic already. She doesn't care about anything. She's going to fade away, and this time Willow won't be here to bring her back."
"So," Spike asked, chilled by her words, "Red's dead too?"
"Not exactly." Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirttail. "Anya helped with that. Buffy couldn't kill her. Wouldn't have, even if she could. Anya called in a few favours."
"She's with D'Hoffryn."
"She's a vengeance demon?" Spike sat heavily on a chair in the corner. "That was your great solution?"
"No," Anya said. "She's with D'Hoffryn. He's watching her for us. She might as well be in prison."
"There was no one else who could contain her," Giles added. "No where else."
"I'll never see her again." Xander pounded his fist on the desk. "Doesn't that bother anyone else? Anyone but me and Buffy? My best friend is trapped in some hell, her heart broken, and you talk about 'containing' her."
"Settle down, Xander," Anya said coldly. "We've been through this a million times. And we all know how much you miss your precious Willow."
Spike jumped up, pacing around the room like a caged wildcat. "I want to see Buffy. I need to see her." He walked over to the bedroom door, placing his palm on it, gently. "She's awake."
"How do you know?" Giles asked. "Do you hear her?"
"I just know."
Xander knocked on the hotel suite door, and the former Watcher opened it. "Guess who's back in town."
"Spike." Giles ushered the vampire into the room. "I don't know if that's good news or not. Where have you been?"
"Can't you tell by my deep tropical tan?" Spike stared at the unresponsive Watcher. "No, you're right. It's not funny. A long way away. Where's Buffy?"
"How much has Xander told you?"
"Some of it," Xander interrupted. "Not all of it. Not what happened to Willow. In the end. And there's something you should know, Giles." He pointed at the vampire. "He says his chip is gone."
The former librarian reached instinctively for a weapon, but there were none on the desk. He picked up a pencil.
"Bloody hell, Rupert, put that down. You're safe enough with me." He moved towards the bedroom door. "Buffy in there?"
As if on cue, Anya walked through the door. "She's finally asleep. More or less. Oh, hello Spike."
"Anya." They avoided eye contact. "Can I see her?"
"Let her sleep. She needs it." She sat down on the couch. "How much do you know?"
"Much as the whelp's told me. Tara's dead, something's happened to Willow, Buffy's ..."
"Dying again." The men started at her words. "Well, someone should say it. She doesn't eat, and I think she was anorexic already. She doesn't care about anything. She's going to fade away, and this time Willow won't be here to bring her back."
"So," Spike asked, chilled by her words, "Red's dead too?"
"Not exactly." Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirttail. "Anya helped with that. Buffy couldn't kill her. Wouldn't have, even if she could. Anya called in a few favours."
"She's with D'Hoffryn."
"She's a vengeance demon?" Spike sat heavily on a chair in the corner. "That was your great solution?"
"No," Anya said. "She's with D'Hoffryn. He's watching her for us. She might as well be in prison."
"There was no one else who could contain her," Giles added. "No where else."
"I'll never see her again." Xander pounded his fist on the desk. "Doesn't that bother anyone else? Anyone but me and Buffy? My best friend is trapped in some hell, her heart broken, and you talk about 'containing' her."
"Settle down, Xander," Anya said coldly. "We've been through this a million times. And we all know how much you miss your precious Willow."
Spike jumped up, pacing around the room like a caged wildcat. "I want to see Buffy. I need to see her." He walked over to the bedroom door, placing his palm on it, gently. "She's awake."
"How do you know?" Giles asked. "Do you hear her?"
"I just know."