Thanks to Helaine, Harm Marie, Blackcherrymeg16, King Henry the V, kori
hime, Bridget, Mita427, samica, and Marriane2 for your reviews! King Henry
the V, as far as I remember, Spike went to the Initiative to have his chip
removed and to a cave in Africa for his soul but I could be wrong. Kore
hime, thanks for all your encouragement! I agree that the chapters have
been a little short so I tried to make this one longer. As usual, I do not
own any of the characters in this story. If I did, Angel wouldn't be
ending in two days. wipes away a tear
Buffy kept walking towards the light and realized that it was coming from a lamppost. The darkness lifted and she found herself standing in a graveyard. It was a place she knew well, one she visited often while on patrol. The voices were getting louder and she cautiously peered around a bush to see where they were coming from.
"It can't be," she gasped. "It's me... and Xander."
Buffy watch in disbelief as she and her friend strolled through the graveyard, laughing and talking as they went. The Buffy she was watching held a stake and was swinging her arm back and forth as she walked.
"I remember this night," Buffy said out loud. "I'm watching something that already happened."
She recalled the warm spring night a few months prior when Xander had gone patrolling with her. He had decided that since Buffy couldn't go to the Bronze and have fun, he would bring the fun to her. Buffy smiled remembering the laughter and conversation they had shared that night.
"Hey!" she shouted as her past self and Xander walked by. "It's me! I don't know exactly how I got here but I'm from the future and..."
Neither of them even looked up as Buffy shouted and frantically waved in their direction. She dropped her arms and realized it was no use. They obviously couldn't see or hear her.
"Hello Buffy."
The sound of Spike's voice nearly caused her to fall over. She spun around and was overjoyed to see the vampire standing there with a smile on his face.
"Spike!" she shouted and rushed over to hug him. Her joy was short lived however when instead of running into his arms she passed right through his body.
Stunned, she turned back around and realized that Spike hadn't been calling her. In fact, he hadn't even seen her there. His gaze was intensely focused on the other Buffy, and her heart sank when he started walking away towards her past self.
"Spike," the other Buffy said with disgust when she noticed the vampire. "What do you want?"
Spike nervously glanced at the ground before responding. "Just thought you could use some help patrolling. Quite a few nasty creatures out tonight. You might need someone to watch your back."
"And what makes you think we need your help?" the other Buffy replied coldly.
"Yeah," cut in Xander. "If you really want to help, do us a favor and leave town."
Spike chuckled to himself pretending the cruel remarks meant nothing to him.
"You know Slayer," he began. "One of these days, your smugness is going to land you in some trouble and you'll be begging me to help you out."
Past Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike, get a life."
With that the two friends continued on, laughing and talking about how worthless Spike was.
Buffy cringed while she watched the scene unfold before her. Had she really been that cruel to Spike? He really hadn't done anything wrong. Sure he was irritating and pompous at times but no one deserved that kind of treatment.
As the other Buffy disappeared into the distance, present Buffy observed what she hadn't seen the first time.
Spike shook his head and sighed deeply. "You stupid bloke," he spoke to himself. "You really are an idiot sometimes. No wonder Buffy hates you. The ponce is probably right. Everyone would be better off without me." With that he walked away, leaving a stunned and teary-eyed Buffy behind.
Spike woke when he heard a knock at the door. After stretching and rubbing his eyes he saw that the clock on the stereo read 9:30AM. He got up from the uncomfortable chair he had spent the last few hours sleeping in and noticed Buffy lying on the couch a few feet away. 'She's as beautiful as an angel,' he thought to himself. Dawn was still asleep on the same couch where Buffy lay and Xander was snoring loudly in a chair near the TV set.
The blond vampire had forgotten what woke him until he heard the knocking once again at the front door. He walked to the door and opened it slowly, trying the best he could to avoid the sun's painful rays.
Shielding his eyes from the glare, he saw Giles and Willow standing on the doorstep, two brown suitcases at their side.
"About bloody time you got here," he mumbled as a greeting. He then rethought his unwelcoming welcome and asked, "So... have a nice plane ride?"
Willow and Giles didn't have time to respond before an overeager Xander rushed past Spike and surprised them both with an emotional hug.
"Willow! Giles!" Dawn exclaimed as she ran out the door and joined the group hug. Spike waited patiently, holding open the door. "Right then," he finally said, realizing that the happy reunion might take a while. "I'll just wait inside."
A few minutes later, after the four friends had become reacquainted, they entered the house. Dawn led Willow and Giles to the couch where Buffy lay.
"I already told you everything we know over the phone," Dawn said. "Oh! Except that last night Spike heard her mumbling something about it being 1880 and something about William. We figure she was talking about Spike."
Giles nodded his head. "And you say that it was a vengeance spell? Those are the worst kind. They always have unforeseen side affects."
Willow had remained silent till then. "Dawny, you said that Buffy wished to know Spike's thoughts right?" Dawn nodded hoping that Willow was on to something.
"And she was hearing his thoughts, for a while anyway, before she became unconscious."
Spike could see the wheels in Red's head turning. What was she getting at?
"Then maybe she's still hearing his thoughts," she continued, her eyes brightening at her realization. "Giles, I think Buffy is trapped inside Spike's mind."
Spike was still thoroughly confused. "Trapped inside my mind?"
"Oh dear. I suppose it does make sense," Giles said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them furiously with his shirt. "If Buffy was talking about Spike, she may be reliving some of his memories."
"Trapped inside my mind?!" Spike repeated, this time a little louder. "Is that possible?"
"Sure," said Willow. "Remember the time Buffy became comatose and I did that spell so I could enter her mind? I think this spell might be similar."
Spike was feeling quite uncomfortable with the whole idea of Buffy walking around inside his head.
"Well, it's not like anything can hurt her right?" Xander spoke after thinking over Willow's theory. "Memories can't hurt her."
"Normally I would agree, Xander," began Giles, "but this case is somewhat unusual. I don't recall any records of someone entering the mind of a vampire."
"Willow!" piped in Dawn. "What if you tried the same spell you used last time to find Buffy?"
"And put Willow in danger too?" asked Xander. "I don't want both my girls trapped inside that freak's mind."
Spike ignored the "freak" comment. "Do you think it would work Red?"
Willow was silent a moment before making her decision. "There's only one way to find out."
Buffy kept walking towards the light and realized that it was coming from a lamppost. The darkness lifted and she found herself standing in a graveyard. It was a place she knew well, one she visited often while on patrol. The voices were getting louder and she cautiously peered around a bush to see where they were coming from.
"It can't be," she gasped. "It's me... and Xander."
Buffy watch in disbelief as she and her friend strolled through the graveyard, laughing and talking as they went. The Buffy she was watching held a stake and was swinging her arm back and forth as she walked.
"I remember this night," Buffy said out loud. "I'm watching something that already happened."
She recalled the warm spring night a few months prior when Xander had gone patrolling with her. He had decided that since Buffy couldn't go to the Bronze and have fun, he would bring the fun to her. Buffy smiled remembering the laughter and conversation they had shared that night.
"Hey!" she shouted as her past self and Xander walked by. "It's me! I don't know exactly how I got here but I'm from the future and..."
Neither of them even looked up as Buffy shouted and frantically waved in their direction. She dropped her arms and realized it was no use. They obviously couldn't see or hear her.
"Hello Buffy."
The sound of Spike's voice nearly caused her to fall over. She spun around and was overjoyed to see the vampire standing there with a smile on his face.
"Spike!" she shouted and rushed over to hug him. Her joy was short lived however when instead of running into his arms she passed right through his body.
Stunned, she turned back around and realized that Spike hadn't been calling her. In fact, he hadn't even seen her there. His gaze was intensely focused on the other Buffy, and her heart sank when he started walking away towards her past self.
"Spike," the other Buffy said with disgust when she noticed the vampire. "What do you want?"
Spike nervously glanced at the ground before responding. "Just thought you could use some help patrolling. Quite a few nasty creatures out tonight. You might need someone to watch your back."
"And what makes you think we need your help?" the other Buffy replied coldly.
"Yeah," cut in Xander. "If you really want to help, do us a favor and leave town."
Spike chuckled to himself pretending the cruel remarks meant nothing to him.
"You know Slayer," he began. "One of these days, your smugness is going to land you in some trouble and you'll be begging me to help you out."
Past Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike, get a life."
With that the two friends continued on, laughing and talking about how worthless Spike was.
Buffy cringed while she watched the scene unfold before her. Had she really been that cruel to Spike? He really hadn't done anything wrong. Sure he was irritating and pompous at times but no one deserved that kind of treatment.
As the other Buffy disappeared into the distance, present Buffy observed what she hadn't seen the first time.
Spike shook his head and sighed deeply. "You stupid bloke," he spoke to himself. "You really are an idiot sometimes. No wonder Buffy hates you. The ponce is probably right. Everyone would be better off without me." With that he walked away, leaving a stunned and teary-eyed Buffy behind.
Spike woke when he heard a knock at the door. After stretching and rubbing his eyes he saw that the clock on the stereo read 9:30AM. He got up from the uncomfortable chair he had spent the last few hours sleeping in and noticed Buffy lying on the couch a few feet away. 'She's as beautiful as an angel,' he thought to himself. Dawn was still asleep on the same couch where Buffy lay and Xander was snoring loudly in a chair near the TV set.
The blond vampire had forgotten what woke him until he heard the knocking once again at the front door. He walked to the door and opened it slowly, trying the best he could to avoid the sun's painful rays.
Shielding his eyes from the glare, he saw Giles and Willow standing on the doorstep, two brown suitcases at their side.
"About bloody time you got here," he mumbled as a greeting. He then rethought his unwelcoming welcome and asked, "So... have a nice plane ride?"
Willow and Giles didn't have time to respond before an overeager Xander rushed past Spike and surprised them both with an emotional hug.
"Willow! Giles!" Dawn exclaimed as she ran out the door and joined the group hug. Spike waited patiently, holding open the door. "Right then," he finally said, realizing that the happy reunion might take a while. "I'll just wait inside."
A few minutes later, after the four friends had become reacquainted, they entered the house. Dawn led Willow and Giles to the couch where Buffy lay.
"I already told you everything we know over the phone," Dawn said. "Oh! Except that last night Spike heard her mumbling something about it being 1880 and something about William. We figure she was talking about Spike."
Giles nodded his head. "And you say that it was a vengeance spell? Those are the worst kind. They always have unforeseen side affects."
Willow had remained silent till then. "Dawny, you said that Buffy wished to know Spike's thoughts right?" Dawn nodded hoping that Willow was on to something.
"And she was hearing his thoughts, for a while anyway, before she became unconscious."
Spike could see the wheels in Red's head turning. What was she getting at?
"Then maybe she's still hearing his thoughts," she continued, her eyes brightening at her realization. "Giles, I think Buffy is trapped inside Spike's mind."
Spike was still thoroughly confused. "Trapped inside my mind?"
"Oh dear. I suppose it does make sense," Giles said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them furiously with his shirt. "If Buffy was talking about Spike, she may be reliving some of his memories."
"Trapped inside my mind?!" Spike repeated, this time a little louder. "Is that possible?"
"Sure," said Willow. "Remember the time Buffy became comatose and I did that spell so I could enter her mind? I think this spell might be similar."
Spike was feeling quite uncomfortable with the whole idea of Buffy walking around inside his head.
"Well, it's not like anything can hurt her right?" Xander spoke after thinking over Willow's theory. "Memories can't hurt her."
"Normally I would agree, Xander," began Giles, "but this case is somewhat unusual. I don't recall any records of someone entering the mind of a vampire."
"Willow!" piped in Dawn. "What if you tried the same spell you used last time to find Buffy?"
"And put Willow in danger too?" asked Xander. "I don't want both my girls trapped inside that freak's mind."
Spike ignored the "freak" comment. "Do you think it would work Red?"
Willow was silent a moment before making her decision. "There's only one way to find out."