A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a few days! Everything's been really crazy lately. But I very much appreciate all my loyal reviewers have been praising my fic. I am truly flattered, and not to mention shocked. So anyway, here's chapter six!
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Buffy opened her eyes slightly, and above her she saw looming a flawless figure, golden hair paired with fair skin and perfect blue eyes. An angel, she thought to herself in her state of sub-consciousness. She smiled at him, and the angel beamed back down at her, placing a hand on her hip and leaning forward to her ear.
"Morning, love," he whispered, in a voice that she knew well.
"Spike!" she jolted up in the bed, throwing him off of her body. He sprung back in surprise, banging into the wall and knocking a picture frame down, which broke upon impact with the floor. Buffy jumped out of bed, looking furious and confused.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Spike looked down in embarrassment. "Just… I just wanted to see you…"
"Great. Still loony," she concluded, moving toward him a little bit. "I thought I told you to stay away until you found your marbles."
"I can't," Spike sighed. "You too damn strong, but I can't make myself think it's your fault. It must be me, right? I'm the one who's the problem, right? I still need more, right? Right?" He was starting to look desperate. Buffy sighed, took him by the arm, and led him not-so-gently down the stairs, past Willow sleeping on the sofa and Oz passed out in the chair, and out the front door, where Spike promptly began to sizzle.
"Oh, shit!" Buffy cursed, jerking him inside as he screamed in pain. She had completely forgotten what time of day it was. "Damn it, what now?" she sighed again, and turned to face him. He was looking frightened and confused. "Look. Go upstairs and stay in the bathroom. Do not leave for an-"
Spike cut her off. "But, love, I-"
"No! If you really love me, you'll stay out of the way until dark."
Spike pouted slightly and went up to the bathroom. Buffy rubbed her head and climbed the stairs also, but turning and walking into her room. She saw the picture that Spike had knocked onto the floor and picked it up. Brushing aside the shattered glass, she saw the image Angel, his arms around Buffy. She couldn't quite recall when it had been taken, or who had managed to get a picture of Angel in the first place. She placed it on the bedside table with no emotion, and left the room behind her. As she passed the bathroom, she grabbed the knob and easily ripped it off the door, so that Spike couldn't escape.
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Oz watched Willow silently. She was asleep again, after her bout of sorrow. She seemed so much more peaceful now. He loved these moments so much, where he could just take in all the wonder of the woman that he loved. Unrequited love, yes, but love nonetheless. She was looking considerably better today, but she simply hadn't moved. By tomorrow, he thought she would be able to walk herself upstairs and have something to eat. He wondered why it hurt him so much that she would be independent once again soon. He guessed it was because it would instill that same old feeling in him that Willow didn't need him. And then it would end up just like every time: he would give up all he had for her, loving her for all that she was, and she would find something better. Something sweeter. So he knew that it could never be. But he could dream.
And dream he did. It was all he ever thought about, every free moment. She was always there, like this residual craving for something he couldn't reach. But every breath he took was full of her, and every song he wrote had her voice in the chords. He couldn't shake his love for her, and, quite frankly, he didn't want to. She was his sweetest addiction. He knew that no matter how many times she ripped his heart out, it would still be beating for her. And that's why he couldn't leave.
Willow woke and looked up at him. He gave her a smile, not with his mouth but with his eyes. She turned over onto her side so that she was facing him.
"Thanks," Willow said, "for yesterday."
Oz shrugged and one of the corners of his mouth twitched. "Helping."
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Meanwhile, (A/N: Crap, I swore I'd never use that word in a fanfic again!!! Oh well….) In a dark room miles and miles away, two people – both with dark hair and dark clothes - were sitting around a small table, eyes closed, with something burning in the middle of it. The was an open spell book in front of the man, and jars and bags full of ingredients before the woman
The woman opened her eyes and looked up. "Did the spell work?"
"There it is," a man said, sounding pleased with his creation, "the Flame of Ordezki. Keeps the sun up until the traveler reaches his or her destination." This statement caused the woman to look at the man in confusion.
"How is that gonna work? I mean- you're sort of a vampire…" The man held up a ring, popularly known as the gem of Amara. The woman raised her eyebrows. "Okay, so now you're Superman, how's the sun staying up going to help us?"
The man rolled his eyes, growing impatient. "I told you. I want to make sure he's in that house when we get there. Now come on, let's go."
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Giles, Xander, Anya, Oz, Willow, and Buffy were all gathered in the living room. Dawn was in her room, Willow was lying down, Buffy was sitting on the sofa at her feet, Oz was sitting on the floor by Willow's head, Anya and Xander were sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, and Giles was sitting on the chair looking very grandfather-ly. Giles looked at Buffy in disbelief.
"He got his-his soul back? But how?" he asked, baffled.
"I don't know," Buffy answered. "He just showed up night before last and was all, 'I'm crazy and I have a soul! Love me!'" she imitated in such a terrible British accent that Giles looked offended. "Less than effective."
"Well, what do we do with him now? We can't just have crazy guy running around like a… crazy guy," Xander finished lamely. Just then, a huge crash and the sound of shattering porcelain resounded from the upstairs bathroom. Buffy winced.
"Right now he's locked in the bathroom. I tried to kick him out this morning, but it was, you know, morning," Buffy replied.
"So?" Xander said. "It's not like it matters if he lives or dies."
Buffy gave him the slightest little glare before saying, "He doesn't know what he's doing right now. It's not like he provoked me. He just loves me, is all. I can't kill him for that."
Xander looked at her like she was the crazy one. "Buff, he tried to rape you!"
At that, Buffy slammed her open palm on the armrest of the couch. "I do not want to talk about that, Xander!" she said, her voice trembling with whatever the hell emotion she was feeling right now. Xander quickly shut his mouth, uneager to experience the wrath of the Slayer. Giles hastily changed the subject.
"Well, I think we need to find somewhere else to keep him," Giles said. Almost as a visual aid, a giant thud was heard from above and a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling and landed on the coffee table between Xander and Anya. All eyes turned to Buffy.
"What? Like I know where to put him? Ask Giles. He's the smart one," Buffy stated. Willow cleared her throat loudly and Buffy added, "Oh, and Willow too. Smart."
Giles sighed. "I don't think we're going to find any other safe place where he can be monitored other than one of our houses."
"Not it," Xander said, quickly raising his hand.
"It doesn't matter anyway. We can't do anything until the sun goes down," Buffy told them. "Wait… what time is it?" They all looked up at the clock, which read 8:04 P.M. "What the hell?"
Giles looked confused, got up, and parted the blinds to look out the window. The sun was still high in the sky. "Erm… Buffy, are you certain that clock has the correct time?"
"I think so…" she answered. "Hang on."
She fished the remote control out from under the couch cushion and turned on the television. She put it on the local news station. The clock on the bottom of the screen said 8:06 P.M.
"…remaining a mystery," the newscaster was saying. "This unexplained solar event seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. Let's here from a professional. Dr. Boyens? What is your take on this?"
The camera cut to a squat, balding man in a white lab coat, with a tag above his pocket that read "P.G. BOYENS."
"This event taking place is simply scientifically impossible!" Dr. Boyens remarked. "Every country across the entire planet is experiencing nonstop daytime, which cannot happen because the Earth is round and is always rotating. The only way I can think to fathom this one is by some sort of supernatural force. But, if you'll take a look at these charts-"
Buffy had turned off the T.V. They were all staring dumbstruck out the window, expect for Giles who had walked back over to his chair.
"I don't understand… how can this be?" Giles wondered out loud, cleaning his glasses. "What kind of creature or spell could be that powerful?"
"Oh you'd be surprised," Anya answered him. "I've seen some of my friends do some pretty terrible things," she smirked. Xander looked deeply disturbed.
"We'll have to do some research," Giles said, ignoring Anya's morbid sense of humor. "I suppose we should all go to my place then…"
"Spike?" Buffy interrupted. "What about him? He can't leave the house. Vampire, remember?" Buffy reminded him, illustrating by wiggling her fingers menacingly in the front of her teeth to represent fangs. Giles looked up at her and sighed.
"Well, then I suppose we'll have to research in shifts. Two of us can go to my house while the remaining four stay here and keep an eye on Spike."
Xander quickly jumped up. "I'll go!" he exclaimed, because babysitting Spike didn't sound too enticing to him.
"All right, bring Anya with you. She's powerful," Giles told him. Anya smiled proudly and left with Xander.
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A/N: I'm not sure why I cut off where I did. Probably because I wanted to save some for the next chapter and so that it seems like things are going a little more slowly. Well, be expecting chapter seven some time this weekend!