CHAPTER 7
Spike lay on his cot with his hands folded beneath his head, staring up at a crack in the ceiling. He could hear some of the girls in the other room, talking excitedly about what they plan on doing in England, how they plan on training, and wondering why it was raining all the time.
Spike allowed himself to smile.
It had been a long time since he had been in England. In some ways it felt good to be back, and in other ways.... A part of him missed Sunnydale.
A knock at the door disturbed his thoughts.
"Yeah?" He called out.
Buffy peered into the room from around the door.
"Spike, can I talk to you?"
Spike swung his legs over the cot into a sitting position, and motioned to his side.
"Something going on?"
"Possibly." Buffy replied, sitting down next to him.
"Willow thinks some sort of change has occurred. She is not even sure what happened, but it might have been caused by the neckless you wore during the battle with the Turok-Han."
Spike kept silent. He was relieved to know why Willow had been acting so strangely toward him.
Buffy rubbed her hands back and forth uneasily against her jeans. "I keep thinking about the Monks and how they altered our memories about Dawn. Could something like that have happened again? Willow doesn't think spells or magic were used... The Monks used a kind of magic to do what they did. I still really don't understand how they did it."
Spike searched Buffy's face, trying to find some clue as to her thoughts. "There are a lot of different kinds of power floating around out there. Not all of them are demonic, or spiritual, like what the Monks were able to do. I have encountered some pretty strange stuff myself. Things that I cannot even explain."
"Do you remember feeling anything when you wore the amulet?" Buffy asked.
Spike thought for a while.
"I felt like I didn't have control over my body. I was in a great deal of pain, than it just stopped...." He turned to face Buffy again. "I felt I was being consumed by it, that it was taking over my soul...."
Spike leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees.
"I cannot really explain it, luv."
Buffy smiled, "Now you sound like willow."
Spike grinned back, "Sorry."
Buffy started to speak, than hesitated.
"...There is something else I want to talk to you about."
Spike lifted up his eyebrows.
"What's that?"
"I want to ask you if you would consider becoming a Watcher?"
"A Watcher, huh," He chuckled, "You cannot be serious!"
"We could use your help. You know more about Slayers than anyone else... Except for Giles... and maybe Robson... You would be perfect though."
The smirk left Spikes face, and he became solemn.
"I would do anything for you," he gestured with his head towards the door, "and for these girls. Just don't expect me to wear glasses and say oh dear all the time." He joked.
"Thank you."
Buffy placed her hand on his, as they sat gazing at each other.
Spike roamed his eyes over Buffy, before they stopped to rest on her lips. He leaned over and kissed her. When their lips touched, excitement ran through him when she responded. He grasp the back of her head, pulling her even closer to him.
The door swung open, startling them both.
"Why do the Slayers have to be all girls...Oh, sorry." Andrew stammered as he walked into the room and noticed Buffy and Spike sitting on the cot.
Buffy got up.
" It's ok, I should be going anyway."
She bent over, close to Spike's ear.
"Come to my room later," She whispered.
Spike stared after her as she left.
"I didn't know she was in here, honest." Andrew said earnestly. "By the way, you might want to be careful where you step in here. I put some traps out. Not that you would get hurt or anything.... Being a vampire and all..."
Spike barely heard Andrew. His mind was racing with the thought of being with Buffy.
Illyria walked down a hallway, to stop in front of a badly worn door. The pull was becoming increasingly stronger. She held out her hands and the door flew off its hingers, smashing into a wall.
She entered the the room, and slowly looked around, carefully observing everything around her. She knelt down, placing her hand on the scorch mark made by D'Hoffryn. With a confused look on her face, Illyria stood up, continuing to scan her surroundings.
"How very odd."
Buffy walked into the make-shift library Giles had set up for all of his books. He was deeply engrossed in one of them when she approached.
"Finding anything?"
Giles jumped.
"Buffy," he spoke, looking up from his volume.
"I cannot seem to find what I am looking for. Quite frustrating really."
"I talked to Spike, he couldn't help much." Buffy said, running her fingers along the edge of the table top Giles was sitting at.
"Giles, what if memories of Spike were placed in our minds..." She paused for a second. " Spike was there when Dawn became a part of our lives. Or maybe those memories were planted in our minds as well... It is all so confusing."
Giles looked back down at his book.
"What makes you think it is our memories that have changed?"
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. The monks, I guess. I can't seem to get them out of my head."
She took a seat at the table, across from Giles.
"I don't understand how Spike is involved in this. He has been with us the whole time. He hasn't changed any...."
Giles leaned back in his chair, causing it to squeak.
"Tell me again what happened down there. In detail this time."
"We were fighting, and not doing very well, when a beam of light came out of the amulet. All of the Turok-Han became dust, and the cave started to collapse. The light stopped and we ran out."
"What was Spike doing while all of this was going on?"
"He was standing there. He said he could feel his soul, and that he wanted to stay behind and do the rest. He seemed to be in a lot of pain." Buffy recalled.
"The ray of light went dormant?" Giles spoke, more to himself, than to Buffy."
"Yes. When the light stopped, Spike was a little wobbly, but other than that, seemed perfectly fine."
"What do you suppose would have have happened if Spike would have stayed behind?" Giles asked.
Buffy stared at him.
"I guess maybe he would have died..."
"Rupert, Buffy, good, you are both here," Robson said, turning to point out of the door.
"The girls said you might be in here."
Giles got up from the table, watching Buffy for a brief moment before walking over to where Robson was standing.
"Welcome back, how was your trip?"
Robson frowned. "Some what disturbing. The Hellmouth in Rome is becoming alarmingly active. It has not been this active for centuries, according to the Watchers texts."
"Most likely the result of Sunnydale shutting down," Giles replied.
"My thoughts exactly. Our first priority should be to establish a Slayer base in Rome as soon as possible."
Giles nodded his head, looking at Buffy.
"Rome? When would we need to go?" She asked.
"The Watchers Council have had a base in Rome for years now. It is small, and has a minimal staff due to the previous inactivity of the Hellmouth. It is at your disposal anytime." Robson informed her.
"But..." Buffy hesitated looking from Giles to Robson.
"We are more than capable of finding out what has happened, don't worry about that. You may take the most experienced Slayers with you, and Dawn, of coarse." Giles added.
Buffy knew they were right. she was responsible for the Slayers now. Just as she knew Spike needed to stay Giles and Robson, to be taught the ways of a Watcher.
"I will go tell the others some of us are going to Rome."