Chapter 4



"Pick up, pick up," Spike said, pacing back and forth in front of a still- sleeping Buffy.

"Hello?" Came a halfhearted sleepy voice on the other end of the phone.

"Red?" Spike asked,

"Spike?" Willow said, awakening immediately, sitting up in bed, and disturbing the sleeping body beside her.

"Yeah, Red, it's me, Spike. We have a problem; well, I think we have a problem," Spike said.

"W-what kind of problem?" Willow asked.

"Well, it's Buffy. She, well, there's no nice or easy way to put this, but she was turned," Spike said, his pacing halting for a moment.

"Oh my God," Willow gasped. "Do - do you know if the vampire dead?" Willow asked.

"No, pet. It was me," Spike said, guilt lacing his voice.

"WHAT! What do you mean, it was you?" Willow yelled. "How - how could you do something like that?" Willow shrieked.

"She was dying. I couldn't lose her. I know it was selfish, and I know I should have just let her go, but I couldn't.I'm weak," Spike said, anger rising up in him for what he had done.

"I'm sorry," Willow said. "What was the problem?" She asked.

"Her soul. I don't know if it will be intact when she wakes. I need you to be ready to do the spell in case I call," Spike said.

"I can do that," Willow said.

"Thanks, Red," Spike said, and then hung up.

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Willow's hand was shaking as she hung up the phone.

"Wills, baby? What's going on?" Xander asked, sitting up and rubbing his girlfriend's back.

"Buffy.she - she's dead," Willow said.

"Dead?" Xander asked, going pale.

"She was turned. Spike, he turned her. He wants me to do a spell to restore her soul," Willow babbled.

"Willow, calm down. Spike turned Buffy? Why?" He asked, regaining his self- control, his hotheadedness having left him years ago, after Buffy moved away.

"She was dying. He had no choice," she said.

"And he wants you to do a soul restoration spell?" Xander asked.

"Yes."

"So, why don't we get up get the supplies ready? Then get some more sleep, if that's possible, then call Giles and tell him what's going on?" Xander suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good," Willow said, not really hearing what Xander was saying. Only one thought ran through her head. Buffy, her best friend, was dead.

"Come on, Wills," Xander said, getting out of the bed, helping Willow out of the bed and down to the living room.



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Spike paced in front of his bed, where the woman he loved with all his heart was chained, for her protection. He knew what he had done was selfish. He should have just let her go. He knew it, but he couldn't. He wanted to, but unlife without her just seemed so wrong. He didn't know if she would wake up with her soul or not. He prayed to God she did. Deep down, he didn't know if he would be strong enough to keep her from hurting innocent people. He just hoped if she didn't, Willow would be ready and prepared to do the spell.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his name being called.

"Spike," Buffy said, after watching him pace in front of her.

"Buffy, pet," Spike said, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"Spike, why am I chained down?" Buffy asked, pulling at the chains holding her wrists.

"I had to make sure you had your soul," Spike said.

"A soul?" Buffy laughed. "Why would I need that?" she asked, her laughter dying down. "Unchain me, lover," she purred.

"No, Buffy, I'm sorry, pet," Spike said, guilt slamming into him.

"Come on, Spike, unchain me so we can leave, you and me. We can rule this town," Buffy said.

"No, Buffy, I'm sorry. I can't do that. I can't let you do that," Spike said. Buffy pouted and pulled on the chains again.

"I'm hungry," she said. Spike stood.

"I'll be back, pet," he said, as he left the room.



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"Look, I'm not saying what Spike did was right, but he did what he thought was right," Xander said, looking between a pacing Giles and Willow, who was on the sofa, looking over the spell she was going to possibly be doing.

"Xander's right, Giles," Willow said from her seat.

"I know, Willow, I know," Giles said, stopping his pacing and setting next to Willow, taking off his glasses and cleaning them nervously.

"At least he called to ask us to do the spell. He could have taken her away and we never would have known what had happened," Willow said.

"I suppose. Willow, are you sure you're well enough to do this spell?" He asked, knowing that Willow had recently found out that she was pregnant.

"I'll be fine, Giles, I swear," Willow said, as Xander sits in the armchair next to the sofa.

"So, I guess we just wait," Xander said.



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"Here you go," Spike said, walking back into the bedroom. "Buffy?" Spike said, instantly noticing that the chains that had held her were broken, and she was no longer in the bed. A sharp pain hit Spike's head. Buffy's amused face was the last thing he saw as he crumbled to the floor, unconscious.

"Aww, poor Spikey, looks like your chains didn't hold," Buffy mocked, as she grabbed Spike's coat and slipped it on. "Time to make a visit to dear old Dad," Buffy laughed, as she exited Spikes loft, then made her way out through the club, and back to her father's.

TBC