CHOSEN

Part 2:

Buffy walked down the stairs of her basement and heard the sound of punching. She looked over and saw Spike beating the cramp out of the hanging bag, for a minute she thought it might brake off the ceiling. Once she got to the bottom of the stairs Spike stopped punching and held the bag to keep it from moving.

"So...tall, dark, and forehead upstairs?" Spike asked.

"No...he's gone." Buffy said. At the minute she couldn't bare to look at him, she felt ashamed.

"So he took off in the Angelmobile to get more hair gel huh?" Spike mumbled as he went over his cot and searched through his cigarette pack only to find no smokes. Buffy gave into a little laugh at Spike's remark about hair gel.

"I told him to leave." Buffy looked up at Spike to see his reaction.

"So you get in a quickie and then he left..." Spike mumbled.

Buffy had enough of Spike's comments and stepped forward, "Hey!" she grabbed his arm and made him look directly at her. "Nothing happened." She said softly. She wanted to reassure him she wouldn't hurt him, that she nothing would ever happen again with Angel.

Spike stared at her, "Come on Buffy...I'm no bloody stupid. Whenever Peaches comes to town you two play the big romance scene." Spike started to move away from her and sat on his cot.

Buffy watched Spike sit down on the cot and look sad. She sighed and moved forward, deciding to have it out with Spike, and no more beating around the bush. 'It's now or never.' Buffy thought, 'There might not be a tomorrow.' She added in her head. She took a seat next to Spike on the cot.

"Maybe Angel and I played the whole romantic tragedy of a vampire and a slayer that longed for each other every time we see one another...but I swear...it didn't happen this time." Buffy said.

Spike looked at Buffy, "Then what did happen?" Spike asked in a soft plead. If he didn't know what happened in that temple after he left he will be haunted till the end of time with wonderment.

"Not much...exchanged a few words...said that some part of us will always love each other..." Buffy started.

"Knew it." Spike mumbled and stared at the ground. He was not too thrilled with her answer.

"But I also said...there was someone else...in my life...." Buffy said without looking at Spike. Spike quickly moved his head to look at Buffy. If his heart beat he swore at that moment it would be racing. He kept silent; he had no words that could express what he was feeling.

He slowly reached out to touch her cheek to make her look at him but for some reason he drew back.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Buffy faced Spike.

Spike smiled at her face, she seemed to be as scared as him. Once he smirked she smiled, letting her fears come to rest.

"I...I...I really don't know what to say to be honest." Spike said softly, "I'm speechless."

"Well that's a first." Buffy laughed, which made Spike laugh too. Once they're laughs subsided all they did was stare at one another.

Later that night Spike and Buffy laid down in each others arms to just rest. However, a few hours later Buffy woke up. She didn't know if she was just not tired or something was bothering her. She just sat on the cot with the souled vampire that she chosen over Angel thinking about why she couldn't sleep. To let her worries rest she started to stroke Spike hand that laying on her stomach.

After an hour of rest in the cot she decided to get up and go upstairs. Once she walked out of the basement door she noticed that house was dead quiet. It was odd for the house to be so quiet with about thirty people in the house. Buffy looked into the living room to check on the potentials and then traveled into the dining room to find Willow sitting at the table, reading.

"Will?" Buffy whispered.

Willow was startled by the sound of someone's voice. "Buffy? What are you doing up?"

"Could ask the same thing for you..." Buffy said and walked over sit in the seat next to Willow.

"Wanted to read all this info from Angel." Willow said and looked over her papers.

Buffy started at Willow, "Spike told you Angel came huh?" Buffy asked.

"Well..." Willow stuttered, "...yeah."

Buffy nodded.

"I mean Spike came home tonight all bad moody and we asked why and he told us...we didn't know if we should mention it or not...we all decided not to...but me being sleep deprived and Ms. Blabber mouth can't keep her mouth shut." Willow said with a frown.

"Its okay..." Buffy said.

"How'd it go?" Willow asked.

"Fine...but enough about that...what's all this info say?" Buffy asked and picked up the shiny amulet, "And what the hell do we need this for?"

"Umm...that would be the amulet that is meant to be worn by a Champion..." Willow said.

"A Champion...meaning... me?" Buffy asked.

"It says here..." Willow started to read, "'A champion, stronger than human and ensouled.'"

"Well that could be me..." Buffy asked and examined the amulet more.

"Maybe...but I don't think so..." Willow said, "It could be anyone."

Buffy stared at the shiny necklace in her hand, "I think I know someone..." Buffy said softly.

"Well whoever wears it its putting a lot at risk." Willow said.

Buffy quickly turned to face Willow, "How so?"

"Well...its pretty powerful...not sure what will happen to whoever wears that tacky thing." Willow said looking at the amulet.

"You mean...whoever wears it... dies...?" Buffy asked.

"Maybe...I'm not sure." Willow said, "So...who'd you think would wear it?"

"Umm...no one." Buffy said, "I'm just going to hold on to this." Buffy said and got up and took the amulet in her hand and walked out of the dining room leaving Willow.

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The very next morning the gang, everyone excluding the potentials, packed in Buffy's room to have a chat about the new information.

"So...what are you saying Will?" Xander asked.

"I'm saying we can win." Willow said in plan simple terms. She had been speaking for fifteen minutes and finally got to the point.

"You're kidding?" Xander asked, which made everyone look at him, "Well..." stumbles with his words, "I didn't think we were going to lose...its just...you seem so certain about us being the winning hand here."

"With the information I got here...we can win. The scythe seems to be the key to everything." Willow said.

"The scythe?" Buffy asked. "Yeah...if I had enough energy...well...I can get some pretty nice results." Willow said.

"What's going to happen...you going to blow up the First with it?" Faith asked.

"Well...no." Willow said, "I think it doesn't have to deal with the First at all..." Willow told the gang, "It belongs to the Slayer and so...I think it has to do with anything related to the Slayers."

Buffy and Faith exchange a quick look to each other.

"So...how do we know for sure what that thing does?" Wood asked.

"There's a spell..." Willow said and looked at Giles. Giles knew that Willow didn't really want to rely on magic unless it's absolutely necessary, "The files that I've got...well had a spell."

"You think you can do it?" Buffy asked.

"Not sure...but I'm going to try." Willow said. Everyone exited Buffy's bedroom and traveled down the stairs. Willow grabbed Buffy's arm to pull her aside.

"Hey...did you decide who to give that necklace thing to?" Willow asked. "Umm...I think I'm going to wear it." Buffy said.

"What?!" Willow exclaimed.

"What?" Buffy asked like she did nothing wrong. "Buffy...that thing is dangerous..." Willow said.

"Which means I should wear it Will...who else is going to—and don't reply to that question...I've made up my mind...I'm suppose to be champion...that means taking risks." Buffy said.

While Buffy and Willow had there one on one conversation Spike stood silently on the stairs, listening.

TBC...thanks everyone for the reviews.