CHAPTER 7 "UNTITLED"
Giles pulls out a spare key and opens the door to the Magic Box. In the frantic rush he doesn't lock it behind him. He runs behind the sales counter. Hunched over he catches his breath. He puts his hand on the counter railing.
"Oh ... oh ... oh mercy Rupert. You're to old for this. Catch your breath. Remember, there is nothing to fear, but fear itself."
He peers over the edge of the counter top. The moonlight reflecting off his glasses. the shop door handle turns and it slowly opens. His jaw drops.
Willow uneasily runs into the shop. She shuts the door. She slumps against the door crying and wipes the tears from her eyes. Then she reaches down and rubs her right ankle which she sprained. She hears footsteps coming to the door and uses the handle to push herself up. She limps to the corner on the left side of the door, unable to get away by her own means any longer. The tears come down her face. The door opens and shuts slowly.
"Oh god no," and in a broken choked up cries she says, "please help me."
Xander ran up to the Magic Box door and caught his breath. He looked side to side.
"A tricorder would come in pretty handy right about now. Better still, a phaser." He quietly opens the door and closes it behind him. He looks through the window blinds.
"Okay think. What to do? What to do? My strategic army training from Halloween ... what would I have done then? Hide." He runs behind the counter.
"Yeah great, a demon will never think to look for me here." He goes still and silent the shop door swings open and slams shut. He gets a lump in his throat.
Anya opens the door quickly and shuts it hard and fast.
"Oh, what do I do?" The door handle jiggles. Anya screams and runs behind the counter. The door opens and closes.
Dawn closes the door. She runs to the training room door. It's locked. Scared and no where to run she holds the umbrella up and stands in a corner. The door opens and closes, but she hears the footsteps stay near it.
"Forget you!" Spike closes the shop door and walks into the middle of the shop and stands there.
"You can come in here, but I won't submit to your type of intimidation. You can fight like a man, or just fight a man."
He waits and waits and without warning the door bursts apart into the room. Pieces fall by his feet and particles of debris settle.
"I wish ... I said I wish. Damnit. The one word you shouldn't say and you said it. Well, that's just great, now I'm going to die. Might as well make peace with myself. I wish, agh ... If only I had taken it easier on Willow. She needed a friend, an understanding voice to talk to. I was grumpy and extraordinarily mean. And Xander, you're not that pestering. In fact I'd wager Buffy needs your friendship as much mine. A team effort. And quit a remarkable team at that. They have faced extraordinary events others would have not and come out the better for it. I've helped shaped the mature and skilled Slayer she is today. With the strength and training she has acquired under me, an encounter against the Master would be nothing. I've helped save the world a hundred times fold. I don't need skills for life I have better and a future of peace. I am important."
He stands up and raises his head in quite triumph and proclaims,
"So throw what ever you can against me. I have drawn a line here and I dare you to pass it!"
"Please mister invisible monster thingy ... don't hurt me, or kill me, or scare and maim me in any sort of way. I won't tell anyone about you. I swear!" The room silent as she listens and then begins to talk to herself.
"I don't want to die. I'll miss all my friends. They'll miss me. They will. Buffy, hanging out, doing stuff, talking to boys, well ... have fun like that one time she farted in class really loud and I pretended it was me and everyone was looking at me and all repulsed. Or Xander. Poor Xander would be heart broken. We've known each other since we were little. Almost all my life. We've known each other almost all our lives. He'd miss me. Xander and Buffy would miss me. And little Dawny. She loves me like a sister. I'm her friend. They are all my friends, well maybe not Anya ... and Giles in a really really sort of British way. I'm intrical. An important part of the group. They need me. Even Spike to a lesser extent. And another thing you big bad ... Giles ... Giles?" Giles lifts his head up to see Willow.
"Okay, you're going to die, now what did they say about that in social studies? Nothing! They taught us Europe all semester long. I'm not going to be able to say good-bye to the Dawnster. Me, her, everyone else - were a group. She needs me. I may bug Giles, but he needs me just as he needed Oz or Tara and if they were good enough then I must be too. He may not admit it while burying his nose in some old evil smelling book, but that's just his way of saying, 'Come here and let me give you a big huge you giant lug!' from his British heart to mine. He loves me and Willow loves me and yes, Willow does love me. She may not have that crush on me, but the mere fact we still hang together all these years says a lot." He stands up and faces the shop entrance.
"And Anya and I may have our disagreements, but we still talk. The line of communication is still there and I hear her loud and clear. The love is still there and we can work it out. Even after pissing each other off early in the morning. And Spike ... would still drain me of every onze, but I am needed. I benefit Buffy as well everyone else. Sure Buffy may only like me as a friend, but I can live with that. Even caring shows she at least thinks of me. I am prepared to die cause mine is a cause that is just and where you kill me another Slayerette will come, so quick silver this!" And so Xander gives the room the finger.
"Xander?"
"Willow ... Giles ... I was just ... I was ... I can never win."
Anya crotches and worries.
"This is all stupid Xander's fault. If he had just kept talking to me I could have warned him something was in my house. And now here I am about to have who knows what done to me and he's at home asleep. Well, it would serve him right if what ever this is kills him after me. But more importantly, why isn't it killing Buffy? She's the Slayer. That should be the one it wants for crying out loud. Talk about your mixed up demonic priorities. I'm gonna die and not even be able to say good-bye to Xander. Tell him how much I love him and all. Okay, so I'm not exactly a team player, but still I felt sort of like I was part of it and why aren't they here to protect me?"
She begins to cry and puts her hands on her face in a cupping position.
"Anya. We're right here." She looks up and sees Xander and Giles.
"And Willows over there." Anya scoots over and hugs Xander. She holds him tight and doesn't let go.
Dawn cowers with the umbrella up in a sword like defensive position.
"If you're in here, I will defend myself and when my sister the Slayer gets here she'll make you pay. I can take you all by myself."
"You don't have to Dawn." Says Giles.
"We're all with you." Xander adds. Anya looks at Dawn and then Xander and points to Xander and says to Dawn,
"What he says."
Spike turns slowly and gazes about.
"If you've come to refute my resolve you may find I'm one cookie that doesn't crumble, sweet. And it's just not me, you test a whole horde of people that would like nothing more than to kick your sorry little ass. You may think yourself quite the little Copperfield, but I have a Whodeni and she's going to blow your cards away and when you pass her you will reach a man who would fight you to his bravest of last breaths. A man with more character than you got in any horn. And if you are still thirsty you got a vengeance demon and the little bit of a Slayer and a Watcher. I don't mind telling you if you kill little bit I will crawl out from my ash ridden grave and hunt you infinantly. Assuming you even survive the Slayer. So go ahead. Nullify this good standing in your way, but you got a whole batch of ass whopping ahead."
"Spike, that was beautiful," says Dawn
"In his own sort of way." Said Giles who is tending to Willow's ankle.
"Little bit. where's Buffy?"
As the dust clears Buffy thinks.
"If there ever was a time I needed you guys, it would be now." She hears Spike's voice from within the shop and answers him.
"I'm right here."
"Buffy!" exclaims Dawn.
Dawn runs up and hugs Buffy. Spike smiles and Anya and Xander stand up. Anya still keeps her hands wrapped around Xander's waist and so does he. Buffy speaks up.
"Are you guys all right? Anyone hurt?"
"We're fine. Thanks to you," comments Giles.
"What happened?" asks Buffy.
"We were chased here." Spike says.
"By some kind of demony thing," says a jitterish Willow.
"Where is it?"
"We don't know. It's invisible and..." Xander stops in mid sentence and looks behind Buffy. Everyone else does so as well.
"Buffy behind you!" Buffy turns around and comes face to face with a vaporization. It moves in swirls of cloudy air and has soft rays of light emanating from it. The light reflects off Buffy's eyes.
"What are you?! And why have you been chasing my friends?"
"I am your own self doubt ... I am the culmination of everyone heres fears and despair ... I am a tangible apparition of discontent ... formed by the mental anguish of a simple wish ... expressed by all of you..."
Buffy turns around and tilts her head slightly.
"Are you guys unhappy?" She starts to cry softly and puts her right hand on her chest.
"Do I really cause so much pain and heart ache? Cause what ever it is we can work it out. I love you guys and you mean the world to me. What ever you guys have to say." She looks to her left and sees Willow and moves over and gets down.
"Well, it's just some times, it's like I cause more trouble then good and that I get in your way and you hate me cause of that one time I almost killed Dawn."
"Willow, you are not a burden to me. Your friendship is precious to me and has gotten me through many times when I just couldn't give. And we all make mistakes. It's an occupational hazard and I do not hate you Willow."
"But you hate me right?" Buffy gets up and walks toward Spike.
"Spike, I don't hate you. I need you here like anyone else."
"So what, it's all right then?" he asks.
"Yeah," she says as she take her hand from her heart and picks up his right hand and looks at his face, "I think everything will be all right." Dawn walks over still shaking a bit.
"And what about me? You hardly ever let me do anything and barely speak a word to me."
"Dawn, you know I love you, but I'm the Slayer and it calls for long hours, weekends and holidays. I don't take you with me cause I care for you and don't wish to see you get hurt." Dawn looks down.
"As for the speaking, we are doing it now and later I promise that we will do so more often."
"And me?" Buffy smiles again.
"Anya, I can honestly say there is no other like you, so that makes you irreplaceable. We need you Ane."
"Buffy. I'm glad you are all right." She walks around the counter and gives Xander a huge. She takes a deep breath and lets go.
"Xander. You know I need you too." With tears in her eyes she looks at Anya as well.
"That's all right. No thank you. I'm happy the way I am. No need for a huge to confirm it."
"And where do I fit into this? I only have so much to give, but do you even want what I have to offer?"
"Giles, you are the very foundation from which this even begins to work. If it wasn't for you hell hounds, giant snakes and other creatures would have long ago made Sunnydale a hell mouth extravaganza. I couldn't do this without you." Giles lifts a slight smile and adjusts his glasses.
"Buffy look!" She turns around as well everyone else again to the apparition. It's misty fog swirls faster and the rays of light change color and shoot out in multiple directions. The lights fade and disappear. The smoke slowly evaporates.
"I think we're going to be all right," says Buffy. They all gather in the middle of the Magic Box sales floor. Dawn grabs with her free hand the top portion of her other harm. Spike looks down. Xander puts his hand on Spike's right shoulder. Spike looks up and smirks and comments,
"Hold my hand and I'll slug you." They both smile and Xander pats him on that shoulder. Buffy sees it and smiles big.
"All this time it was ourselves we were afraid of. The lack of communication and openness nearly cost us our friendship, even possibly our lives. Guys ..... let's never let it get this bad again. Never again." Giles wipes his eyes and puts his glasses back on.
"There were monsters on this ship and truly we were them. I can't believe it. Well all, it's like they say, 'You have nothing to fear, but fear it's self."
They all look down. They barely move. Buffy sighs,
"Yeah..." Suddenly the umbrella Dawn was holding comes undone and pops open. They all jump and give a collective yell.
"AGH!"
Giles pulls out a spare key and opens the door to the Magic Box. In the frantic rush he doesn't lock it behind him. He runs behind the sales counter. Hunched over he catches his breath. He puts his hand on the counter railing.
"Oh ... oh ... oh mercy Rupert. You're to old for this. Catch your breath. Remember, there is nothing to fear, but fear itself."
He peers over the edge of the counter top. The moonlight reflecting off his glasses. the shop door handle turns and it slowly opens. His jaw drops.
Willow uneasily runs into the shop. She shuts the door. She slumps against the door crying and wipes the tears from her eyes. Then she reaches down and rubs her right ankle which she sprained. She hears footsteps coming to the door and uses the handle to push herself up. She limps to the corner on the left side of the door, unable to get away by her own means any longer. The tears come down her face. The door opens and shuts slowly.
"Oh god no," and in a broken choked up cries she says, "please help me."
Xander ran up to the Magic Box door and caught his breath. He looked side to side.
"A tricorder would come in pretty handy right about now. Better still, a phaser." He quietly opens the door and closes it behind him. He looks through the window blinds.
"Okay think. What to do? What to do? My strategic army training from Halloween ... what would I have done then? Hide." He runs behind the counter.
"Yeah great, a demon will never think to look for me here." He goes still and silent the shop door swings open and slams shut. He gets a lump in his throat.
Anya opens the door quickly and shuts it hard and fast.
"Oh, what do I do?" The door handle jiggles. Anya screams and runs behind the counter. The door opens and closes.
Dawn closes the door. She runs to the training room door. It's locked. Scared and no where to run she holds the umbrella up and stands in a corner. The door opens and closes, but she hears the footsteps stay near it.
"Forget you!" Spike closes the shop door and walks into the middle of the shop and stands there.
"You can come in here, but I won't submit to your type of intimidation. You can fight like a man, or just fight a man."
He waits and waits and without warning the door bursts apart into the room. Pieces fall by his feet and particles of debris settle.
"I wish ... I said I wish. Damnit. The one word you shouldn't say and you said it. Well, that's just great, now I'm going to die. Might as well make peace with myself. I wish, agh ... If only I had taken it easier on Willow. She needed a friend, an understanding voice to talk to. I was grumpy and extraordinarily mean. And Xander, you're not that pestering. In fact I'd wager Buffy needs your friendship as much mine. A team effort. And quit a remarkable team at that. They have faced extraordinary events others would have not and come out the better for it. I've helped shaped the mature and skilled Slayer she is today. With the strength and training she has acquired under me, an encounter against the Master would be nothing. I've helped save the world a hundred times fold. I don't need skills for life I have better and a future of peace. I am important."
He stands up and raises his head in quite triumph and proclaims,
"So throw what ever you can against me. I have drawn a line here and I dare you to pass it!"
"Please mister invisible monster thingy ... don't hurt me, or kill me, or scare and maim me in any sort of way. I won't tell anyone about you. I swear!" The room silent as she listens and then begins to talk to herself.
"I don't want to die. I'll miss all my friends. They'll miss me. They will. Buffy, hanging out, doing stuff, talking to boys, well ... have fun like that one time she farted in class really loud and I pretended it was me and everyone was looking at me and all repulsed. Or Xander. Poor Xander would be heart broken. We've known each other since we were little. Almost all my life. We've known each other almost all our lives. He'd miss me. Xander and Buffy would miss me. And little Dawny. She loves me like a sister. I'm her friend. They are all my friends, well maybe not Anya ... and Giles in a really really sort of British way. I'm intrical. An important part of the group. They need me. Even Spike to a lesser extent. And another thing you big bad ... Giles ... Giles?" Giles lifts his head up to see Willow.
"Okay, you're going to die, now what did they say about that in social studies? Nothing! They taught us Europe all semester long. I'm not going to be able to say good-bye to the Dawnster. Me, her, everyone else - were a group. She needs me. I may bug Giles, but he needs me just as he needed Oz or Tara and if they were good enough then I must be too. He may not admit it while burying his nose in some old evil smelling book, but that's just his way of saying, 'Come here and let me give you a big huge you giant lug!' from his British heart to mine. He loves me and Willow loves me and yes, Willow does love me. She may not have that crush on me, but the mere fact we still hang together all these years says a lot." He stands up and faces the shop entrance.
"And Anya and I may have our disagreements, but we still talk. The line of communication is still there and I hear her loud and clear. The love is still there and we can work it out. Even after pissing each other off early in the morning. And Spike ... would still drain me of every onze, but I am needed. I benefit Buffy as well everyone else. Sure Buffy may only like me as a friend, but I can live with that. Even caring shows she at least thinks of me. I am prepared to die cause mine is a cause that is just and where you kill me another Slayerette will come, so quick silver this!" And so Xander gives the room the finger.
"Xander?"
"Willow ... Giles ... I was just ... I was ... I can never win."
Anya crotches and worries.
"This is all stupid Xander's fault. If he had just kept talking to me I could have warned him something was in my house. And now here I am about to have who knows what done to me and he's at home asleep. Well, it would serve him right if what ever this is kills him after me. But more importantly, why isn't it killing Buffy? She's the Slayer. That should be the one it wants for crying out loud. Talk about your mixed up demonic priorities. I'm gonna die and not even be able to say good-bye to Xander. Tell him how much I love him and all. Okay, so I'm not exactly a team player, but still I felt sort of like I was part of it and why aren't they here to protect me?"
She begins to cry and puts her hands on her face in a cupping position.
"Anya. We're right here." She looks up and sees Xander and Giles.
"And Willows over there." Anya scoots over and hugs Xander. She holds him tight and doesn't let go.
Dawn cowers with the umbrella up in a sword like defensive position.
"If you're in here, I will defend myself and when my sister the Slayer gets here she'll make you pay. I can take you all by myself."
"You don't have to Dawn." Says Giles.
"We're all with you." Xander adds. Anya looks at Dawn and then Xander and points to Xander and says to Dawn,
"What he says."
Spike turns slowly and gazes about.
"If you've come to refute my resolve you may find I'm one cookie that doesn't crumble, sweet. And it's just not me, you test a whole horde of people that would like nothing more than to kick your sorry little ass. You may think yourself quite the little Copperfield, but I have a Whodeni and she's going to blow your cards away and when you pass her you will reach a man who would fight you to his bravest of last breaths. A man with more character than you got in any horn. And if you are still thirsty you got a vengeance demon and the little bit of a Slayer and a Watcher. I don't mind telling you if you kill little bit I will crawl out from my ash ridden grave and hunt you infinantly. Assuming you even survive the Slayer. So go ahead. Nullify this good standing in your way, but you got a whole batch of ass whopping ahead."
"Spike, that was beautiful," says Dawn
"In his own sort of way." Said Giles who is tending to Willow's ankle.
"Little bit. where's Buffy?"
As the dust clears Buffy thinks.
"If there ever was a time I needed you guys, it would be now." She hears Spike's voice from within the shop and answers him.
"I'm right here."
"Buffy!" exclaims Dawn.
Dawn runs up and hugs Buffy. Spike smiles and Anya and Xander stand up. Anya still keeps her hands wrapped around Xander's waist and so does he. Buffy speaks up.
"Are you guys all right? Anyone hurt?"
"We're fine. Thanks to you," comments Giles.
"What happened?" asks Buffy.
"We were chased here." Spike says.
"By some kind of demony thing," says a jitterish Willow.
"Where is it?"
"We don't know. It's invisible and..." Xander stops in mid sentence and looks behind Buffy. Everyone else does so as well.
"Buffy behind you!" Buffy turns around and comes face to face with a vaporization. It moves in swirls of cloudy air and has soft rays of light emanating from it. The light reflects off Buffy's eyes.
"What are you?! And why have you been chasing my friends?"
"I am your own self doubt ... I am the culmination of everyone heres fears and despair ... I am a tangible apparition of discontent ... formed by the mental anguish of a simple wish ... expressed by all of you..."
Buffy turns around and tilts her head slightly.
"Are you guys unhappy?" She starts to cry softly and puts her right hand on her chest.
"Do I really cause so much pain and heart ache? Cause what ever it is we can work it out. I love you guys and you mean the world to me. What ever you guys have to say." She looks to her left and sees Willow and moves over and gets down.
"Well, it's just some times, it's like I cause more trouble then good and that I get in your way and you hate me cause of that one time I almost killed Dawn."
"Willow, you are not a burden to me. Your friendship is precious to me and has gotten me through many times when I just couldn't give. And we all make mistakes. It's an occupational hazard and I do not hate you Willow."
"But you hate me right?" Buffy gets up and walks toward Spike.
"Spike, I don't hate you. I need you here like anyone else."
"So what, it's all right then?" he asks.
"Yeah," she says as she take her hand from her heart and picks up his right hand and looks at his face, "I think everything will be all right." Dawn walks over still shaking a bit.
"And what about me? You hardly ever let me do anything and barely speak a word to me."
"Dawn, you know I love you, but I'm the Slayer and it calls for long hours, weekends and holidays. I don't take you with me cause I care for you and don't wish to see you get hurt." Dawn looks down.
"As for the speaking, we are doing it now and later I promise that we will do so more often."
"And me?" Buffy smiles again.
"Anya, I can honestly say there is no other like you, so that makes you irreplaceable. We need you Ane."
"Buffy. I'm glad you are all right." She walks around the counter and gives Xander a huge. She takes a deep breath and lets go.
"Xander. You know I need you too." With tears in her eyes she looks at Anya as well.
"That's all right. No thank you. I'm happy the way I am. No need for a huge to confirm it."
"And where do I fit into this? I only have so much to give, but do you even want what I have to offer?"
"Giles, you are the very foundation from which this even begins to work. If it wasn't for you hell hounds, giant snakes and other creatures would have long ago made Sunnydale a hell mouth extravaganza. I couldn't do this without you." Giles lifts a slight smile and adjusts his glasses.
"Buffy look!" She turns around as well everyone else again to the apparition. It's misty fog swirls faster and the rays of light change color and shoot out in multiple directions. The lights fade and disappear. The smoke slowly evaporates.
"I think we're going to be all right," says Buffy. They all gather in the middle of the Magic Box sales floor. Dawn grabs with her free hand the top portion of her other harm. Spike looks down. Xander puts his hand on Spike's right shoulder. Spike looks up and smirks and comments,
"Hold my hand and I'll slug you." They both smile and Xander pats him on that shoulder. Buffy sees it and smiles big.
"All this time it was ourselves we were afraid of. The lack of communication and openness nearly cost us our friendship, even possibly our lives. Guys ..... let's never let it get this bad again. Never again." Giles wipes his eyes and puts his glasses back on.
"There were monsters on this ship and truly we were them. I can't believe it. Well all, it's like they say, 'You have nothing to fear, but fear it's self."
They all look down. They barely move. Buffy sighs,
"Yeah..." Suddenly the umbrella Dawn was holding comes undone and pops open. They all jump and give a collective yell.
"AGH!"