Chapter Forty-One: Drew Back The Curtain
"What?" Buffy asked. "You know how to get Spike's memory back?"
Willow nodded, excitedly, "I can't believe I didn't figure it out before. It was right in front of me the whole time. That's probably why I didn't find it right away.
"So can you do it?" Buffy wondered.
"I can," Tara said. "All the ingredients for the spell are here."
Willow held up a book, "It's all in here. This book is one of the easiest spell books around. That's why we didn't find it right away. The potion Drusilla gave him is really old and complex but the counterspell is so simple that it's usually overlooked."
"What kind of spell is it?" Angel asked. "How does it work?"
Willow pointed to Buffy's curtains, "That's what made me remember. Spike's memories are being hid by the equivalent of a mind curtain. This curtain is blocking his memories. All we have to do is cast the spell that will open it."
"That's it?" Buffy said. "But that's so easy. Why didn't anyone think of it before?"
"Because it was too easy," Tara explained.
"So how long will this take?" Angel asked.
Willow looked at Buffy's bedside clock, "If everything goes okay then Spike should have his memory back by the time Dawn gets home from Janice's."
"Then let's get to work," Buffy said.
They all went downstairs. Buffy sat down at the kitchen island with a bowl of cereal while Tara began to cast the spell that would return Spike to them.
"I hope this works," Buffy said quietly to Angel.
"It will," Angel assured her. He was pretty sure that the spell would work. Both Willow and Tara were pretty powerful witches. If they thought that this spell would bring Spike's memory back then it would. He almost regretted it. He hated seeing Buffy so upset but he had enjoyed spending time with her. And when Spike regained his memory then he would take his regular place in Buffy's life. Angel knew that was the way it had to be. He had his own life in L.A. and Buffy had hers in Sunnydale. That was the choice they both had made. He finished his blood and asked, "Is there anything I can do?'
"No," Tara said, bringing the potion to a boil. "I'm almost done. Once this is finished, all we have to do is cast the spell and Spike should be back to his old self."
"You mean you found a way to help Spike?" Xander asked, as he and Anya walked through the door. "You're going to have to let him lose again?"
"Xander," Buffy warned.
"We thought we'd stop by on our way to work," Anya explained. "See if there's anything you need. At least that's what Xander said. I thought that we should stay home and have sex one more time this morning but Xander insisted we stop by."
"Thanks," Buffy said. "But we're fine. We found the spell to bring Spike's memory back. We just have to perform it and he'll be back to normal."
"The spell's ready," Tara said.
"Well," Buffy said, suddenly nervous. "Let's see if this works."
Tara carefully carried the potion upstairs, followed by everyone else. As soon as they were in Buffy's room, Tara said, "You need to undo the handcuffs."
Buffy quickly picked the lock and removed the handcuffs. "Okay, what next?"
"Everyone stand back," Tara said. She took the potion and poured it around Spike, tracing an outline of his body. Then she began to chant a spell. As her chanting reached its peak a noise like thunder sounded and the room was briefly filled with a green light. Then as abruptly as it had come the noise and light were gone.
Tara collapsed and Willow hurried to her side and gathered her up in her arms, "Tara, baby are you okay?" Tara gasped and nodded that she was fine.
While Willow was attending to Tara Buffy was attending Spike. She shook him, trying to wake him up, "Spike, wake up!" When he didn't answer she reached out and slapped him. "Wake up!"
Spike groaned and said, "Bloody hell." He opened his eyes and said, "There are better ways to wake me up, luv."
Buffy restrained herself. She had to be sure that this was her Spike. "Spike, when was the first time we really kissed? Not counting Willow's spell."
"Huh?" Spike asked, confused.
"Just answer the question," Buffy demanded.
"It was when you were pretending to be the bot," Spike said. "Did a pretty good job too." He sat up and moaned, "Ow my head, bloody hell. What happened?"
Buffy glanced at Tara, "He'll remember everything," Tara assured her. "Just give him a few minutes."
"Spike," Buffy said, slowly. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Spike thought for a second. Then his eyes widened. Everything that had happened since Dru had forced that foul tasting poison into him came flooding back. How he had treated Buffy, returning to Drusilla, tying Buffy up in the crypt again, everything. He abruptly stood up, brushed past everyone and stormed out.
"Spike.." Buffy called. She started to go after him but Angel grabbed her arm.
"Give him a minute. He's been through a lot," Angel said.
"But.." Buffy protested.
"He'll be okay," Angel says. "He just needs to process everything."
Buffy nodded. Then she pulled away from Angel and headed down the stairs. She didn't care what Angel said. She had to find out what was going on in the mess that was Spike's head. She found him in the kitchen. "Spike, are you okay?" She asked.
"What happened?" He asked.
"What do you remember?" Buffy asked.
"Everything," He said. He turned to face her, "It's like some bloody awful dream, though. I remember it but it doesn't seem real."
"Oh it was real alright," Buffy said. "The whole thing was real."
"I remember every bloody detail," He said. He shook his head, "I wish I didn't."
"Be glad you do, I'm not up for another round of 'This Is Your Life" Buffy said. "And believe me, it's been miserable around here with you not remembering."
Spike managed a grin, "Miss me luv?"
Buffy didn't answer for a minute, then she said, "Yes, a little bit, but don't let it go to your head."
"Must have been boring around here," Spike commented.
"Oh we had some excitement around here," Buffy said. "Drusilla's still out there and Jonathan's tied up in the basement."
"You caught one of those guys," Spike said. "Good job."
"Actually Angel and Cordelia caught him."
Spike groaned, "Peaches is here. Of all things why did I have to remember that?"
"Don't complain," Buffy said. "He saved your life."
"What?" Spike asked. "Thought he'd have already staked me, especially when he realized.." He didn't finished. He just stared at her stomach. He reached over and held his hand just over her stomach, "He's grown a little." He raised his eyes to meet Buffy's, "Are you okay? Those teas that Sarah was giving you.."
"Everything's fine," Buffy assured him. "I talked to a doctor and he told me that I stopped taking the herbs in time to prevent any damage."
"Good," Spike said. "So everything's fine?"
"Everything's fine," Buff repeated. I'm fine and so is the baby. In fact," She took Spike's hand and held it to her stomach. "I even felt the baby move."
Spike stared at her stomach, and said, "Will he do it again?"
"Might," Buffy said. "But you won't be able to feel it. The baby's too little for anyone but me to feel him move."
Spike nodded and headed towards the door, "Spike," Buffy called. She didn't want him to leave.
He turned to face her and said, "I'll be back. I just need to clear my head a little."
"Then wait until tonight," Buffy asked. "It's day out. Plus Dawn's going to be home soon. She'll want to see you."
"Where is the Bit?" Spike asked.
"She spent the night at a friend's," Buffy explained.
"You let her do that?" Spike asked. "With Dru out there?"
"I made her promise to stay in the house and to call if there was a problem. I haven't heard anything so everything must be fine."
"How's she doing?" Spike asked. "Through this whole thing."
"She's been really worried about you," Buffy said. "I don't know if you remember this but she saved your life." Spike looked confused so Buffy explained, "After Drusilla poisoned you and left you, Dawn dragged you back here."
"I don't remember that. I just remember when Dru poisoned me and then waking up and thinking it was five years ago."
Buffy didn't say anything. She wondered if she should tell Spike what had happened during that time but before she should answer both she and Spike heard the door open and Dawn call out, "I'm home."
Buffy motioned for Spike to stay in the kitchen and she went into the living room.
"Hi," Dawn said.
"Hi," Buffy said. "How was your sleep over? Any problems?"
"No," Dawn said. "No sign of vampires or demons." She grabbed her overnight bag and started to go upstairs.
"Dawn, wait," Buffy said.
"What?" Dawn asked, annoyed. "I want to go and check on Spike. See how he's doing. How is he?"
"He's fine," Buffy said. "But he's not upstairs."
Dawn dropped her bag and turned back to Buffy, "Where is he? Did he escape again."
"No." Buffy started to say.
"Then where is he?" Dawn asked, starting to get alarmed. "You didn't chain him up in the basement, did you?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's."
"Right here, Bit," Spike said, coming into the living room.
"Spike?" Dawn said, slowly.
"That's right," Spike said, with a grin. "I'm back."
Dawn stared at him for a minute, then she dropped her bag, burst into tears and ran into Spike's arms. Spike held her while she sobbed, "I thought you were really gone, that you were never going to come back to us."
"Well I'm back, Nibblet," Spike said. "Takes more than a little mojo to keep me down."
"What?" Buffy asked. "You know how to get Spike's memory back?"
Willow nodded, excitedly, "I can't believe I didn't figure it out before. It was right in front of me the whole time. That's probably why I didn't find it right away.
"So can you do it?" Buffy wondered.
"I can," Tara said. "All the ingredients for the spell are here."
Willow held up a book, "It's all in here. This book is one of the easiest spell books around. That's why we didn't find it right away. The potion Drusilla gave him is really old and complex but the counterspell is so simple that it's usually overlooked."
"What kind of spell is it?" Angel asked. "How does it work?"
Willow pointed to Buffy's curtains, "That's what made me remember. Spike's memories are being hid by the equivalent of a mind curtain. This curtain is blocking his memories. All we have to do is cast the spell that will open it."
"That's it?" Buffy said. "But that's so easy. Why didn't anyone think of it before?"
"Because it was too easy," Tara explained.
"So how long will this take?" Angel asked.
Willow looked at Buffy's bedside clock, "If everything goes okay then Spike should have his memory back by the time Dawn gets home from Janice's."
"Then let's get to work," Buffy said.
They all went downstairs. Buffy sat down at the kitchen island with a bowl of cereal while Tara began to cast the spell that would return Spike to them.
"I hope this works," Buffy said quietly to Angel.
"It will," Angel assured her. He was pretty sure that the spell would work. Both Willow and Tara were pretty powerful witches. If they thought that this spell would bring Spike's memory back then it would. He almost regretted it. He hated seeing Buffy so upset but he had enjoyed spending time with her. And when Spike regained his memory then he would take his regular place in Buffy's life. Angel knew that was the way it had to be. He had his own life in L.A. and Buffy had hers in Sunnydale. That was the choice they both had made. He finished his blood and asked, "Is there anything I can do?'
"No," Tara said, bringing the potion to a boil. "I'm almost done. Once this is finished, all we have to do is cast the spell and Spike should be back to his old self."
"You mean you found a way to help Spike?" Xander asked, as he and Anya walked through the door. "You're going to have to let him lose again?"
"Xander," Buffy warned.
"We thought we'd stop by on our way to work," Anya explained. "See if there's anything you need. At least that's what Xander said. I thought that we should stay home and have sex one more time this morning but Xander insisted we stop by."
"Thanks," Buffy said. "But we're fine. We found the spell to bring Spike's memory back. We just have to perform it and he'll be back to normal."
"The spell's ready," Tara said.
"Well," Buffy said, suddenly nervous. "Let's see if this works."
Tara carefully carried the potion upstairs, followed by everyone else. As soon as they were in Buffy's room, Tara said, "You need to undo the handcuffs."
Buffy quickly picked the lock and removed the handcuffs. "Okay, what next?"
"Everyone stand back," Tara said. She took the potion and poured it around Spike, tracing an outline of his body. Then she began to chant a spell. As her chanting reached its peak a noise like thunder sounded and the room was briefly filled with a green light. Then as abruptly as it had come the noise and light were gone.
Tara collapsed and Willow hurried to her side and gathered her up in her arms, "Tara, baby are you okay?" Tara gasped and nodded that she was fine.
While Willow was attending to Tara Buffy was attending Spike. She shook him, trying to wake him up, "Spike, wake up!" When he didn't answer she reached out and slapped him. "Wake up!"
Spike groaned and said, "Bloody hell." He opened his eyes and said, "There are better ways to wake me up, luv."
Buffy restrained herself. She had to be sure that this was her Spike. "Spike, when was the first time we really kissed? Not counting Willow's spell."
"Huh?" Spike asked, confused.
"Just answer the question," Buffy demanded.
"It was when you were pretending to be the bot," Spike said. "Did a pretty good job too." He sat up and moaned, "Ow my head, bloody hell. What happened?"
Buffy glanced at Tara, "He'll remember everything," Tara assured her. "Just give him a few minutes."
"Spike," Buffy said, slowly. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Spike thought for a second. Then his eyes widened. Everything that had happened since Dru had forced that foul tasting poison into him came flooding back. How he had treated Buffy, returning to Drusilla, tying Buffy up in the crypt again, everything. He abruptly stood up, brushed past everyone and stormed out.
"Spike.." Buffy called. She started to go after him but Angel grabbed her arm.
"Give him a minute. He's been through a lot," Angel said.
"But.." Buffy protested.
"He'll be okay," Angel says. "He just needs to process everything."
Buffy nodded. Then she pulled away from Angel and headed down the stairs. She didn't care what Angel said. She had to find out what was going on in the mess that was Spike's head. She found him in the kitchen. "Spike, are you okay?" She asked.
"What happened?" He asked.
"What do you remember?" Buffy asked.
"Everything," He said. He turned to face her, "It's like some bloody awful dream, though. I remember it but it doesn't seem real."
"Oh it was real alright," Buffy said. "The whole thing was real."
"I remember every bloody detail," He said. He shook his head, "I wish I didn't."
"Be glad you do, I'm not up for another round of 'This Is Your Life" Buffy said. "And believe me, it's been miserable around here with you not remembering."
Spike managed a grin, "Miss me luv?"
Buffy didn't answer for a minute, then she said, "Yes, a little bit, but don't let it go to your head."
"Must have been boring around here," Spike commented.
"Oh we had some excitement around here," Buffy said. "Drusilla's still out there and Jonathan's tied up in the basement."
"You caught one of those guys," Spike said. "Good job."
"Actually Angel and Cordelia caught him."
Spike groaned, "Peaches is here. Of all things why did I have to remember that?"
"Don't complain," Buffy said. "He saved your life."
"What?" Spike asked. "Thought he'd have already staked me, especially when he realized.." He didn't finished. He just stared at her stomach. He reached over and held his hand just over her stomach, "He's grown a little." He raised his eyes to meet Buffy's, "Are you okay? Those teas that Sarah was giving you.."
"Everything's fine," Buffy assured him. "I talked to a doctor and he told me that I stopped taking the herbs in time to prevent any damage."
"Good," Spike said. "So everything's fine?"
"Everything's fine," Buff repeated. I'm fine and so is the baby. In fact," She took Spike's hand and held it to her stomach. "I even felt the baby move."
Spike stared at her stomach, and said, "Will he do it again?"
"Might," Buffy said. "But you won't be able to feel it. The baby's too little for anyone but me to feel him move."
Spike nodded and headed towards the door, "Spike," Buffy called. She didn't want him to leave.
He turned to face her and said, "I'll be back. I just need to clear my head a little."
"Then wait until tonight," Buffy asked. "It's day out. Plus Dawn's going to be home soon. She'll want to see you."
"Where is the Bit?" Spike asked.
"She spent the night at a friend's," Buffy explained.
"You let her do that?" Spike asked. "With Dru out there?"
"I made her promise to stay in the house and to call if there was a problem. I haven't heard anything so everything must be fine."
"How's she doing?" Spike asked. "Through this whole thing."
"She's been really worried about you," Buffy said. "I don't know if you remember this but she saved your life." Spike looked confused so Buffy explained, "After Drusilla poisoned you and left you, Dawn dragged you back here."
"I don't remember that. I just remember when Dru poisoned me and then waking up and thinking it was five years ago."
Buffy didn't say anything. She wondered if she should tell Spike what had happened during that time but before she should answer both she and Spike heard the door open and Dawn call out, "I'm home."
Buffy motioned for Spike to stay in the kitchen and she went into the living room.
"Hi," Dawn said.
"Hi," Buffy said. "How was your sleep over? Any problems?"
"No," Dawn said. "No sign of vampires or demons." She grabbed her overnight bag and started to go upstairs.
"Dawn, wait," Buffy said.
"What?" Dawn asked, annoyed. "I want to go and check on Spike. See how he's doing. How is he?"
"He's fine," Buffy said. "But he's not upstairs."
Dawn dropped her bag and turned back to Buffy, "Where is he? Did he escape again."
"No." Buffy started to say.
"Then where is he?" Dawn asked, starting to get alarmed. "You didn't chain him up in the basement, did you?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's."
"Right here, Bit," Spike said, coming into the living room.
"Spike?" Dawn said, slowly.
"That's right," Spike said, with a grin. "I'm back."
Dawn stared at him for a minute, then she dropped her bag, burst into tears and ran into Spike's arms. Spike held her while she sobbed, "I thought you were really gone, that you were never going to come back to us."
"Well I'm back, Nibblet," Spike said. "Takes more than a little mojo to keep me down."