Introductions and Explanations
Buffy awoke to a sea of concerned faces. But the one she was looking for, the one she was sure she had seen, wasn't among them. "Spike? Where's Spike?
"Oh, dear, she's hit her head." Giles knelt down at her side. "Just stay still, Buffy. We'll get some help."
"Does she have amnesia, like in the movies? Do we hit her over the head again to get her memory back?"
"Xander!" Willow whacked him across the chest with the back of her hand. "Buffy, sweetie, do you know who I am? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"I'm fine, Wil. Giles, move. Let me up. I have to find him. Giles, let go." She struggled to free herself and stand. Her eyes scanned the crowd.
"Buffy, you're scaring me. You know Spike's gone. It's been two whole years." Dawn was trying desperately to catch her sister's eye.
"Dawnie, I saw him. I know I did. I bumped into him. It has to be him. No one else has eyes that blue. Help me find him, Dawn. I need to find him."
Just then a hand came down on her shoulder and a soft, cultured accent intoned, "Miss? I'm terribly sorry. Are you all right?" He held out a bottle of water from one of the concession stands. "Here, perhaps a bit of water might help to revive you. It is quite warm today, isn't it?" He trailed off as he realized the entire group of Scoobies was staring at him.
Dawn was the first to react. "Spike! Oh my God, Spike, you're alive." She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his middle. He looked at the top of her head in dumbfounded silence. Then looked to the others for assistance.
"Spike? That's precisely what the other young lady said before she fainted. I'm afraid I don't understand. Do I bear some resemblance to this friend of yours?"
"Right, yes. Terribly sorry." Giles at last recovered his voice. "How rude you must think us. I'm Rupert Giles, and I'm afraid you do bear rather a striking resemblance to someone we lost here two years ago. Dawn, please let go -- this is not Spike. Dawn!"
"My sympathies," the young man awkwardly patted Dawn's shoulder with one hand while reaching out to shake Giles' hand with the other. "And you, my dear," he said to Buffy, "are you quite all right?"
Buffy's eyes filled with tears even as the hope left them. She nodded and turned away into Willow's waiting embrace. Giles finally managed to get Dawn to release the stranger and went about introducing the others, omitting Buffy and Willow until Buffy could collect herself.
"I say, you wouldn't happen to know a bit more of the history of this area, would you? I've gotten separated from my group and I don't seem to see them. You did mention that you were here two years ago, was it?"
"Yes. Two years ago today, actually. We were all living here when the Hellmouth opened. The entire town was swallowed and then collapsed in on itself forming the crater." Robin stared at the bleak landscape for a moment, then said, "Luckily, most everyone had left by then."
"Hellmouth? Surely you're having a bit of fun at my expense." I saw the billboards, of course, but I thought they were just a way to draw attention. Wasn't this just the epicenter of an earthquake? That's why I was interested. Geology and seismography are hobbies of mine."
Faith let out a short laugh, "Earthquake, huh? Well, it sure rocked some people worlds, but an earthquake doesn't even come close."
Willow and Buffy chose that moment to join the conversation, and Willow held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Willow Rosenberg, and this is Buffy Summers."
He smiled and shook her hand. "Willow, is it? Lovely name." He turned to look into Buffy's eyes and held out his hand, "And Buffy. So nice to see you're all right. I'm William, William Blake." And Buffy promptly fainted once again.
Buffy awoke to a sea of concerned faces. But the one she was looking for, the one she was sure she had seen, wasn't among them. "Spike? Where's Spike?
"Oh, dear, she's hit her head." Giles knelt down at her side. "Just stay still, Buffy. We'll get some help."
"Does she have amnesia, like in the movies? Do we hit her over the head again to get her memory back?"
"Xander!" Willow whacked him across the chest with the back of her hand. "Buffy, sweetie, do you know who I am? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"I'm fine, Wil. Giles, move. Let me up. I have to find him. Giles, let go." She struggled to free herself and stand. Her eyes scanned the crowd.
"Buffy, you're scaring me. You know Spike's gone. It's been two whole years." Dawn was trying desperately to catch her sister's eye.
"Dawnie, I saw him. I know I did. I bumped into him. It has to be him. No one else has eyes that blue. Help me find him, Dawn. I need to find him."
Just then a hand came down on her shoulder and a soft, cultured accent intoned, "Miss? I'm terribly sorry. Are you all right?" He held out a bottle of water from one of the concession stands. "Here, perhaps a bit of water might help to revive you. It is quite warm today, isn't it?" He trailed off as he realized the entire group of Scoobies was staring at him.
Dawn was the first to react. "Spike! Oh my God, Spike, you're alive." She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his middle. He looked at the top of her head in dumbfounded silence. Then looked to the others for assistance.
"Spike? That's precisely what the other young lady said before she fainted. I'm afraid I don't understand. Do I bear some resemblance to this friend of yours?"
"Right, yes. Terribly sorry." Giles at last recovered his voice. "How rude you must think us. I'm Rupert Giles, and I'm afraid you do bear rather a striking resemblance to someone we lost here two years ago. Dawn, please let go -- this is not Spike. Dawn!"
"My sympathies," the young man awkwardly patted Dawn's shoulder with one hand while reaching out to shake Giles' hand with the other. "And you, my dear," he said to Buffy, "are you quite all right?"
Buffy's eyes filled with tears even as the hope left them. She nodded and turned away into Willow's waiting embrace. Giles finally managed to get Dawn to release the stranger and went about introducing the others, omitting Buffy and Willow until Buffy could collect herself.
"I say, you wouldn't happen to know a bit more of the history of this area, would you? I've gotten separated from my group and I don't seem to see them. You did mention that you were here two years ago, was it?"
"Yes. Two years ago today, actually. We were all living here when the Hellmouth opened. The entire town was swallowed and then collapsed in on itself forming the crater." Robin stared at the bleak landscape for a moment, then said, "Luckily, most everyone had left by then."
"Hellmouth? Surely you're having a bit of fun at my expense." I saw the billboards, of course, but I thought they were just a way to draw attention. Wasn't this just the epicenter of an earthquake? That's why I was interested. Geology and seismography are hobbies of mine."
Faith let out a short laugh, "Earthquake, huh? Well, it sure rocked some people worlds, but an earthquake doesn't even come close."
Willow and Buffy chose that moment to join the conversation, and Willow held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Willow Rosenberg, and this is Buffy Summers."
He smiled and shook her hand. "Willow, is it? Lovely name." He turned to look into Buffy's eyes and held out his hand, "And Buffy. So nice to see you're all right. I'm William, William Blake." And Buffy promptly fainted once again.