Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Joss Whedon and Warner Brothers.
Found
By
Anessa Ramsey
The ride to San Francisco was fairly uneventful and as promised Anya was waiting outside the red manor house when they pulled up. Dawn jumped from the car and wanted to run to the door but Buffy grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"Dawn, wait just a minute."
"I've only been here ten minutes," Anya said. "No one has come in or gone out."
"So what are we waiting for?" Dawn asked.
"We don't know what to expect," Giles said, getting out of the car.
"Oh, what are they going to do…kill us? They're witches. Supposedly good witches."
"You could say that about Willow too," Anya muttered. "That didn't stop her from nearly ending the world."
Xander glared at her but Buffy just put a calming hand on his arm. "Let's not do this now. We're going to go up there, knock on the door and find out what the hell is going on." She led them up the step and with a hesitant hand, rapped on the door three times. Inside she could hear a girl yell, "If it's a demon tell them to go away, we're busy right now."
"As if that would work," Phoebe said sarcastically as she opened the door. She looked up and was surprised to see a group of people standing on her front porch. There were two men, one who looked to be in his forties, wearing glasses and a dress shirt. The other wore a pair of chinos and a wildly printed Hawaiian shirt. His hair was a mess. It was the women who stood out though. The youngest girl looked no older than sixteen and had long brown hair and eyes so big that it was like you could fall into them. The woman next to her had short wavy, reddish brown hair and was wearing a pink dress that molded to her frame. Finally there was the blond at the front of the group, completely striking in her own way. She seemed completely made of gold, with her honey blond hair and her tan skin. She was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of black leather pants. Her hair hung in soft waves around her face. "Can I help you?" Phoebe asked, wondering who this motley group of people was.
"Yeah. We're looking for the Halliwells."
"Oh," Phoebe said softly. "Who are you?"
"My name's Buffy."
Phoebe stepped back, recognizing the name from the conversations she had with Will. "Come on in." She walked back into the entry way and yelled, "Leo, Piper, Paige, you might want to come here." Paige came out from the kitchen and Piper and Leo came down from upstairs. Piper was brushing her hair back into place. It was obvious she'd been in the middle of something.
"This is Buffy," she said as her siblings walked into the room.
Paige seemed to freeze and the whole gang noticed. Without a word she turned away and walked out of the room. Xander looked at Giles questioningly but he just shrugged slightly.
"What can we do for you?" Piper asked, leading them all into the living room to sit down.
"We want Willow back. We know you took her," Xander said, not wanting to beat around the bush.
Leo sighed. "As much as we'd like to help you, we don't have her. She was only with us for a moment."
"Then where is she?"
Piper looked at Leo and shook her head no. They weren't going to say anymore until Will returned and verified that these people were who they said. "Get Paige," she said. Leo went to the kitchen and dragged Paige back out to the living room.
"What?" she snapped glaring at the group.
"You need to be here. This is as much you're thing as it is ours."
"Whatever."
"Will!" Piper yelled looking up at the ceiling. It only took a moment and the Sunnydale crowd backed up slightly as 'Will' orbed into the room. Buffy just sort of stared in amazement, much like the rest of them.
"Well if it isn't the rapist," Xander snapped. He expected some sort of comeback but Spike just looked at him through round wire rim glasses.
"Spike?" Dawn asked quietly, taking a step forward.
Will was quick to correct her. "Spike doesn't exist any longer."
That seemed to snap Buffy out of her trance. "What are you talking about? You are Spike." Buffy stated.
"No. I'm not. I'm William. Will. Spike no longer exists. He gave his life so that I could ascend. He is truly dead."
Giles looked at the man in front of him, who looked like Spike but was no more Spike than he was Ripper. "You're his soul." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"How?"
"I was always with him. I have been with him since the night Drusilla made him. I watched his entire existence, confined to my body but unable to influence him…until recently."
"How recently?" Giles asked, wondering if the answer would be what he thought. If it was then everything they thought they knew about vampires could be called into question. As could the way they treated Spike.
"Since he started working with her," he said, indicating Buffy.
"Yeah, right!" Xander snapped, certain that the person…being…that looked like Spike was lying.
"It does not matter if you choose to believe me. I know the truth. And the truth is that my ability to influence Spike enabled him with the ability to care and eventually love."
Paige looked at the interaction between Will and the group and was surprised by the jealously that began boiling in her stomach. The past three weeks with Will were the most fun she'd ever had with a guy. They clicked in a way she'd never clicked with anyone before. And now the one person Spike loved more than anyone was here…and Will retained all those memories. Had he retained the feelings as well? "This is all great to know," she snapped, "but what do you want?"
"Willow."
Will spoke up. "She's not ours to turn over. She is with the Elders. She needs to learn to control her power. She needs to get back to basics and learn that magic isn't for destruction or self-gain. It is for healing and helping. And she will stay with them until they decide that she is fit to leave." His tone of voice let them know that it was not a topic that was up for discussion.