Title: Return
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: A Spike-centric alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVS, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!!
-------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 7. In Likely Thoughts
Buffy knocked on the door of what she still thought of as her mother's bedroom. "Will?" she said softly.
There was no response. Exchanging a glance with Spike, she opened the door. The drapes were drawn, the room dim. Willow still wore the same black clothes of the night before. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back straight and feet flat on the floor, with her hands in her lap, fingers twining together. She never looked up, but stared at her fingers as if they fascinated her.
Buffy moved closer, Spike a wordless shadow behind her. "Will?" she said again.
Willow leapt up suddenly, and yanked back the curtains, flooding the room with sunlight. Unhesitatingly, Buffy sprang into a defensive pose. Spike stepped back into the shadowed part of the room without haste. Willow stood still as if she were waiting for something to happen.
Then after a few moments she said plaintively, "I should get to school."
Recovering herself, Buffy put a hand on her shoulder. Willow didn't look at her. "It's Saturday, Will," was all she could think of to say, "you don't need to go anywhere."
"I should get to school. Tara's at school. I can see her there."
Buffy looked rather desperately at Spike, but he just shook his head slightly, his face impassive. She put her arm around Willow, and guided her to sit on the bed again. "She's not there, honey," she said. "Tara's gone."
"No," Willow said flatly. "She's not mad anymore."
"Willow look at me." Buffy tried to turn her around and look into her face, but Willow resisted, never meeting her eyes. "Tara's gone. She's dead, Will."
"I'm glad you're back, Buffy. We're all glad you're back. We missed you so much. Spike's glad you're back, too, right?" She looked up at him briefly, her eyes full of fear. He nodded, but with some reserve, and she dropped her eyes to her folded hands again. Tears began to slip down her cheeks unheeded.
Buffy felt a chill of fear up her spine. "Willow?" she said, pain twisting like a knife in her chest. She looked at that downcast face for some sign of her own Willow -- the girl who feared spiders and cared about the safety of bunnies, who loved first a werewolf and then a witch so wholeheartedly. The girl who chose to stay and fight evil by her side, instead of escaping to the ivy-league education she had earned. But she saw nothing she recognized; this woman's face was shuttered, her heart hidden. How had she come from being that open, confiding girl to a grief-ravaged fury, willing to risk the world and everyone in it for nothing but revenge?
"I'm really tired now," Willow announced. "I'm going to sleep."
"Will, look at me," Buffy said painfully, again with no response.
"Could you leave me alone now?" Willow said with an awkward assumption of her former perkiness that was worse than anything else. "I want to have a nap. I don't feel very well."
Buffy was about to speak again, but Spike said quietly, "No use, love. Not now. Best leave her alone like she wants."
She rose unwillingly. Willow lay down suddenly on the bed, curling up with her back towards them. Buffy and Spike went out to the landing and she closed the door behind them.
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Despair and hope make thee ridiculous:
The one doth flatter thee in thoughts unlikely,
In likely thoughts the other kills thee quickly."
Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis
Author: Ivytree
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: A Spike-centric alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVS, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!!
-------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 7. In Likely Thoughts
Buffy knocked on the door of what she still thought of as her mother's bedroom. "Will?" she said softly.
There was no response. Exchanging a glance with Spike, she opened the door. The drapes were drawn, the room dim. Willow still wore the same black clothes of the night before. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back straight and feet flat on the floor, with her hands in her lap, fingers twining together. She never looked up, but stared at her fingers as if they fascinated her.
Buffy moved closer, Spike a wordless shadow behind her. "Will?" she said again.
Willow leapt up suddenly, and yanked back the curtains, flooding the room with sunlight. Unhesitatingly, Buffy sprang into a defensive pose. Spike stepped back into the shadowed part of the room without haste. Willow stood still as if she were waiting for something to happen.
Then after a few moments she said plaintively, "I should get to school."
Recovering herself, Buffy put a hand on her shoulder. Willow didn't look at her. "It's Saturday, Will," was all she could think of to say, "you don't need to go anywhere."
"I should get to school. Tara's at school. I can see her there."
Buffy looked rather desperately at Spike, but he just shook his head slightly, his face impassive. She put her arm around Willow, and guided her to sit on the bed again. "She's not there, honey," she said. "Tara's gone."
"No," Willow said flatly. "She's not mad anymore."
"Willow look at me." Buffy tried to turn her around and look into her face, but Willow resisted, never meeting her eyes. "Tara's gone. She's dead, Will."
"I'm glad you're back, Buffy. We're all glad you're back. We missed you so much. Spike's glad you're back, too, right?" She looked up at him briefly, her eyes full of fear. He nodded, but with some reserve, and she dropped her eyes to her folded hands again. Tears began to slip down her cheeks unheeded.
Buffy felt a chill of fear up her spine. "Willow?" she said, pain twisting like a knife in her chest. She looked at that downcast face for some sign of her own Willow -- the girl who feared spiders and cared about the safety of bunnies, who loved first a werewolf and then a witch so wholeheartedly. The girl who chose to stay and fight evil by her side, instead of escaping to the ivy-league education she had earned. But she saw nothing she recognized; this woman's face was shuttered, her heart hidden. How had she come from being that open, confiding girl to a grief-ravaged fury, willing to risk the world and everyone in it for nothing but revenge?
"I'm really tired now," Willow announced. "I'm going to sleep."
"Will, look at me," Buffy said painfully, again with no response.
"Could you leave me alone now?" Willow said with an awkward assumption of her former perkiness that was worse than anything else. "I want to have a nap. I don't feel very well."
Buffy was about to speak again, but Spike said quietly, "No use, love. Not now. Best leave her alone like she wants."
She rose unwillingly. Willow lay down suddenly on the bed, curling up with her back towards them. Buffy and Spike went out to the landing and she closed the door behind them.
TBC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Despair and hope make thee ridiculous:
The one doth flatter thee in thoughts unlikely,
In likely thoughts the other kills thee quickly."
Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis