Thanks to buffyworld.com for their excellent transcripts of episodes, without which this story wouldn't have been possible.
Innocence Regained
They appeared together again on the wide expanse of lawn in front of an intact Sunnydale High School. Spike looked around and shook his head. "You really didn't enjoy school, did you?" he asked. "Most of your nightmares seem to end up here."
"It could have something to do with there being a Hellmouth in the library," Buffy replied acerbically. "Why didn't we go back this time?"
"I'm not the one in charge of planning this trip, pet," Spike said. "It's your head we're in. Can't you figure a way out? Though 'in you' isn't a place I would normally leave willingly," he leered cheerfully.
Buffy rolled her eyes at this and turned away, hugging herself as she looked around. "It feels so . . . sad here," she whispered. "Like my heart should be breaking. If I didn't know this was only a nightmare, I'd be crying already." She looked back at Spike, who was wearing a puzzled frown. "Can't you feel it?"
He shook his head. " 's not my nightmare, love. Can you tell where we are and what we should be doing?"
"I know I've had this nightmare before. I just can't remember it right now." She took a few deep breaths to steady herself against the pervasive sorrow and tried to focus on the two of them and their surroundings. Spike looked the same as always, but she had exchanged the white skirt for black pants and a thigh length dark jacket. "It's not like I can tell what day it is by what I'm wearing," she complained. "Though if I were wandering around Sunnydale in the evening feeling sad . . ." Her face drained of colour. "It's the day after Angel and I - the day after Angel lost his soul," she amended quickly.
Spike chose to refrain from commenting on that touchy subject and offered additional information instead. "He came to see us - me and Dru - late the previous night. We thought at first it was some new plot, until the Judge said there was no humanity left in him. The damn creature didn't like us nearly as well, as I recall," he said. "Something about reeking of love and loyalty." He looked at her speculatively, and then continued. "Angelus had this grand plan to drive you mad like he'd done with Dru, by going after all your friends."
"Oh god," Buffy exclaimed. "It's Willow. In this nightmare he kills Willow. We have to get into the school and stop him."
Spike took her hands. "We can do that. Tell me what you want me to do," he asked.
Buffy thought furiously. "Go in through the front of the school and stop Willow and Xander before they run into him," she instructed. "I'll take care of Angel. He should be coming in the side door near the lounge.
"Right," he replied shortly. They split up and headed into the school.
Spike decided to head up to the second floor so as not to run into Giles or the Calendar woman - they'd never believe his story in any case. As he approached the stairs back to the main floor near the student lounge, he could hear Willow and Xander long before he saw them. They were talking about how to deal with the Judge. He reflected on bygone days somewhat wistfully. Back when he'd been so in love with Dru and it had seemed like a good idea to kill the Slayer, the Judge had been the most marvellous of presents. Buffy really had spoiled everything, first by dropping that damn organ on him, then making it possible for Angelus to turn up again and start acting like his old, annoying self - starting with stealing Dru away from him. Everything had gone to hell after that.
Still, he reminded himself, now he got to have the Slayer - sort of - and it would surely be an unholy joy to turn the tables on the grand poof, when Angelus was thinking of him as only Dru's injured lapdog. His face split in a wide grin. Just then, the lights went out, and he made his way quickly down the stairs, keeping out of sight.
"Now I'm having a wiggins," came Xander's voice from below.
"What's going on?" Willow asked.
"Let's get to the library," Xander advised, when Angelus' voice came from the far end of the hallway.
"Willow. Xander," he said. Spike wondered how they ever could have been taken in. How could they not hear the changes in him? His own nerves trilled at the thought of facing off against his vampiric forebear. Good thing I always had this little problem with authority figures, he thought.
"Angel," Xander acknowledged flatly. No love lost there, thought Spike. Not for any of us who'd take Buffy away from you, right?
"Thank god you're okay," said Willow, relieved. Then she asked, "Did you see Buffy?"
"Yeah," he replied. "What's up with the lights?" That's right, play the innocent. Spike's mind continued to supply commentary on the action.
"I don't know," Xander said. "Listen, I think I have an idea."
Angelus dismissed him out of hand. "Forget about that now," he said. "I . . . I've got something to show you." Mmm-hmm, they're about this big, and they're sharp and pointy. All the better to eat you with, my dear. Spike found his own bloodlust rising, and he had to struggle sharply to regain control.
"Show us?" Willow asked, confused.
"Yeah. Xander," Angelus commanded, "go and get the others."
"Okay," said Xander, and headed off at a run through the doors and towards the library.
"And Willow," Angelus added. "Come here."
Engrossed in fighting his own demon, Spike nearly missed his chance. He rushed down the stairs. "Don't do it, Red," he advised. "He's not what you think."
"S-Spike?" she stammered, whirling around to where he stood in the stairwell. "What-"
"Spike?" roared Angelus wrathfully. "What the hell is going on?"
"You wouldn't believe the half of it, mate," Spike said in challenge as he rounded the turn at the bottom of the stairs to face his grandsire. He saw Buffy coming through the doors at the end of the hall and charging towards them. "And speaking of my better half-" He had to duck a sudden, enraged swing.
"How the hell did you get out of that chair?" Angelus demanded as he advanced again.
"Always was a quick healer," he replied disdainfully. "Which is more we'll be able say for you," he added thoughtfully, as Buffy hurtled into Angelus from behind, raining down furious blows that brought him to his knees. Spike got in a few of his own for good measure. Nothing improved his temper like a little mayhem.
Just then, Ms. Calendar came through the doors, bearing a cross. "Willow, get back," she said. "That's not Angel any more."
Xander came pelting down the hallway behind them, and skidded to a stop. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, on seeing the tumult in the hall.
"Ms. Calendar - Jenny - get them out of here!" Buffy shouted, and her friends took off in the other direction. Angelus was fighting back like a cornered animal, and even at two against one, they were hard pressed to contain him. At one point, he knocked Buffy back against the wall so hard that she slid down it, momentarily dazed. At this, Spike charged forward and drove both his fists deep into Angelus' belly, doubling him over. He followed up with a two-handed blow to the back of his head that brought him to his knees. By then, Buffy had recovered enough to add a kick that sent him sprawling. He scuttled for the door and escape, and Buffy turned to follow him, but Spike held her back.
"We've accomplished what we came for, love," he said. "Besides, it would hurt him more to get away, knowing that you'd beaten him - and that I'd turned on him. Serves him right anyway, for stealing Dru away from me.
"He came back that night," he added. "All full of himself. Going on about how he was going to hurt you, telling me I was a wreck in that wheelchair and flirting with Dru. Sodding poof. Wouldn't even try to kill you without some big production . . ." His voice trailed away as he tardily remembered it was the object of his former plans to whom he was speaking.
"You're not picking any of those feelings up from being in this nightmare, are you?" Buffy asked, concerned.
"No," he replied immediately. "I know why I'm here. I came in to help you - though I don't seem to be doing anything towards getting us out of here." He looked deep into her eyes, desperate to convince her of his sincerity. "I'm doing it because I'm in love with you, and because I want you to - and I know you don't want to hear any of this," he said quickly before she could protest, "so I'll just hope that you'll believe for now I'm your friend."
Buffy was silent for some time. The two of them made themselves relatively comfortable on the stairs as they waited for the dream to end. "But about what you said in the hallway?" she ventured, out of the blue.
"What I - when?" he asked, puzzled.
"Better half?" she enquired, raising one brow.
"Ah. Man can dream, can't he?" he replied with a smile, which suddenly became quite foolish as she leaned towards him to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you William," she said simply. "For helping to keep this dream from going wrong again."
And for the first time in his unlife, Spike found himself without a witty comeback.