DISCLAIMER: Whedon's characters, any recognizable dialogue, and the canon events of their storyline are not mine.

A/N: 19 September 2017

Chapters 13-18 have been edited down significantly.

The basic plot/storyline/character arcs remain the same as the original version.

[

A/N: 24 June 2016

See Chapter 12.

In this installment: someone goes missing, Sweet will be gone, there's flirting and kissing, Giles admits a wrong.

CHAPTER 15

Dancing Queen, young and sweet

Dawn awoke in the morning with a smile on her face, genuinely looking forward to going to school – not so much because she was excited about school itself (it was Monday, after all), but because she had so much fun at the party the night before and she would get to see Tony again today. She and Janice spent more time than necessary deciding what to wear, how to do their hair, and touching up their makeup. Finally arriving in the kitchen for breakfast, Janice's mom reminded Dawn to have her overnight bag packed. After she dropped the two girls off, she would take the bag to Dawn's house so that she wouldn't have to take it to school or come back for it later in the day.

When it was time to leave, Dawn returned to the bedroom to get her things and add one finishing touch to her outfit – the pendant she had stolen from the Magic Box. As she fastened the necklace, she looked at herself the mirror. Grabbing her bag and bounding down the steps, the girls climbed into the car for the short ride.

After Janice's mom had pulled away from the curb in front of the school, there was rustling in the bushes near the main entrance. Janice was chattering away as Dawn walked just a couple steps behind her. As Janice crossed the threshold of the school, Dawn was snatched away by wooden arms.

[

The marionette henchmen had surreptitiously removed Dawn from school property. Now, they delivered her to Sweet where he had taken up residence in a deserted mansion.

For days, he had spent much of his time wallowing in the spacious chambers of his temporary home – in between his excursions through the town, searching for and longing for the one who had summoned him here. He had greatly anticipated the wicked bliss he would experience when he would be united with the one who would be his bride, his queen – his Dancing Queen.

As his minions ceremoniously presented Dawn to him, Sweet serenaded her. "We've just been introduced. I do not know you well, but when the music started, something drew me to your side. So many men and girls are in each other's arms. It made me think … we might be … similarly occupied." He licked his lips with expectancy. "Shall we dance?" [1]

Dawn had seen more than her fair share of scary things. However, she was rarely truly frightened. She had learned that there was always a way out of dire circumstances and that it usually involved her sister's strength and the ingenuity of her sister's friends. The problem was that Buffy and the others had no idea where she was – for that matter, she had no idea where she was – and they likely did not even know that she was missing.

The only thing that Dawn was sure of at this point was that she did not want to be here … with these … whatever they were. The one who was clearly the leader was eyeing her up and down in a most disturbing manner. Moreover, he blathered on about why he was here in Sunnydale, but she was having difficulty following his lack of logic. He seemed to be implying that she was the reason he had come, that she had somehow caused him to be here, and perhaps worst of all, he talked of an eternal union in a way that made her skin crawl.

The diabolical dandy before her began to sing again. He used words, music, and movement to try to sway her into being a compliant participant with the remainder of his plan as it unfolded. Dawn did not understand what he wanted with her, could not comprehend what he was singing about. However, she was absolutely certain that she wanted nothing to do with it – and equally certain that she had no clue how to get out of this mess.

[

Lately, the Scooby gang had fallen into the habit of optimistically encouraging one another that their research was getting somewhere – when they all knew they were lying to one another and deluding themselves. Until something new occurred that would give them an idea of how to approach the situation, a solution seemed a long way off.

It was not until later in the afternoon – when Dawn should have been arriving from school – that they even had an inkling that they should be looking for her. After calling Janice's mom, who had no further info for them, they split up to search for Dawn.

[

Buffy went directly to Spike's crypt, hoping she would find her sister there, but knowing that she would at least be able to enlist the help of someone who cared deeply for Dawn. Without a knock, Buffy entered the crypt and found Spike sitting in the chair with his head resting back. He jumped slightly as she burst through the door.

"Is she here?"

"Who?"

"Dawn."

"Gone missing again? So soon?"

"Apparently, this morning. I might chalk it up the same teenage angst that we were dealing with a few nights ago, but my gut tells me it's … well, worse than that. And with the strangeness that's been going on lately, even if she did just wander off, she's in no less danger."

Spike made note of the fact that Buffy was visibly shaken. Nothing got to her more than something that made her feel powerless. Being responsible for her younger sister got her to that point faster than almost anything. He thought to himself: Guess I should stop worrying about what it means that Angel came here to help her, 'cause when it really matters, when it's Dawn that's in trouble, she always seems to come to me. That's gotta mean something, whether she realizes or is willing to admit it.

[

Spike and Buffy went through the tunnels to rendezvous with the others at the Magic Box, for all the good it would do. The Scoobies had absolutely nothing to go on. Willow had even done a spell trying to see if anything would reveal itself. Whatever it was seemed to be cloaked, at least for the time being. Xander and Anya had gone to check with the hospital and police for any leads on Dawn's whereabouts.

Willow, Tara, and Giles went back to the house to see if Dawn might have returned. When they did not find her there, they turned on the news to see if there was anything new to add to their limited information. All they learned was that things had escalated further. The tension that had been building these past days had finally erupted. The fight that broke out was complete with Jerome Robbins choreography – looking very much like the rumble scene in West Side Story.

A few young men, who appeared to be leaders from each side of this conflict, turned their attention and voices to the news cameras to explain that they would not be silenced. In the background of the camera shot, flames took out dancers one by one while onlookers gawked.

[

Spike and Buffy had gone to look around town and found themselves near the skirmish as it was being televised. There was not much that the Slayer could do when faced with such a large crowd of people. She and Spike could do nothing but witness the explosive flare-up until it had burned itself out – literally and figuratively.

They dropped in at Willy's and another demon bar to see if there was any info to be had. There was none.

After walking back to his crypt, he invited her in for a drink. While he was pouring whiskey into glasses, she sat down in his chair and found his journal tucked in beside the seat cushion.

"What's this?" Buffy looked up at him as she asked.

"I've been writing a bit more of late. Guess I left it there. Usually keep it down below."

"Care if I have a look?"

He gave a quick glance at the cover to be sure it was not one containing future secrets. "Go right ahead. A few of the recent ones are half decent, if I do say so myself."

She paged through, letting her gaze skim over the handwriting, which was more florid than she was accustomed to seeing. The writing itself was beautiful to behold – even before she made any attempt to read the words or phrases. She ran her fingers over the lettering on one page as she processed how different Spike was from what she had first thought him to be.

As he handed her a glass, her reverie broke and she turned a few more pages. She found the most recent entry:

Trusting desire, starting to learn,

walking through fire without a burn.

Clinging a shoulder, a leap begins;

stinging and older, asleep on pins.

So, here we go … [2]

She reread it a few times and then another page before lifting her face to look at him. He seemed vulnerable and self-assured at the same time, both nervous and at peace as he awaited her comment.

"Beautiful," she said as he let out a relieved sigh, "and sad at the same time."

He tilted his head and attempted to read her eyes.

She continued, "I don't mean that as a bad thing – and I am absolutely no judge of writing talent. But ... I'm not sure how to say it … It sounds like you – like I would expect. I hear pain and loneliness – raw and exposed, the truth … through your eyes, anyway."

"No point in lying when I'm writing in there, luv." Pointing to his journal, he said, "I'd just be lying to myself. Been around too long to think that would do any good." He clinked his glass against hers, saying, "Cheers."

She stayed for a while longer, read a few more pages. At times, she felt she was beginning to understand him better. Then, she would read something that would turn everything she thought she knew on its head again. Perplexed – that's what she was.

Finally, she pulled herself up out of the chair. "I should get back. Not that I can really do anything." As she walked to the door, she said, "I'll check in with you tomorrow."

He simply nodded in her direction as she left.

[

[

First thing in the morning, phones calls crisscrossed between the homes of the Scooby Gang. The conclusion: Dawn was still missing and they should meet as soon as possible.

Once the gang had gathered at the Magic Box again with the intention of solving this mystery, the conversation quickly focused: solve this and find Dawn. There was some discussion as to whether her disappearance was connected to everything else that was happening – if so, then that would make things a bit simpler, with just one thing to solve. Regardless, they needed to make some progress, because the town might not survive another night like the last one.

Before they could make any headway, the front door flung open to reveal a puppet minion who entered with a flourish and an elaborate fanfare. He produced an envelope from inside his jacket, proclaiming, "I have a note."

The minion handed it to Buffy and made a hasty escape, though Spike did try to grab him as he dashed past.

Buffy read it aloud:

"So, it seems that I have the Slayer's sister, but I'd rather dance with the Chosen One herself. You'll find me at the abandoned mansion at the top of Crawford Street. I have cast you in a principal role which has been tailored to showcase your talents. You shall give a command performance for me or I will leave with my lovely young bride – and you'll never see your sister again.

P.S. Be prompt, warm up your voice, and wear comfortable shoes."

They exchanged glances that showed a range of emotions. However, they shared relief that they finally had a clue.

Giles took the note from Buffy's hands. Looking it over, he concluded that Dawn's disappearance was connected to the music spell.

From there, the conversation spiraled for a while as they argued over strategy.

Things were moving too slowly for Buffy's taste. She'd prefer a little less conversation, a little more action. She was in no mood for wasting time when her sister was in danger and she might be able to do something about it. She would go alone if she had to. She began singing a pep talk to herself as she gathered weapons.

Xander overheard and tried to talk sense to her. "Buffy, there is no reason for you to go alone."

But she would not listen to reason. "The note doesn't say to bring a posse with me to the O.K. Corral. It requests my presence. Not yours, or yours, or yours." She points at each of them in turn. "I'm the Slayer, the Chosen One – not the Chosen leader of a unit. Slayers were intended to work alone, live alone, die alone."

Spike intervened. "Look, I get it. It's Dawn we're talking about and you feel the need to move quickly. So, stop your yammering and move, but we're going with you."

Buffy handed out weapons as she said, "Okay, but we're going now."

As they made their way to their destination and the confrontation with Sweet, the Scooby Gang sang a stirring anthem, each of the Scoobies contributing their portion of the fervent tune. Charging up the last part of the road, their determination solidified as they finished their anthem.

When Buffy and her brigade arrived at the mansion to perform a daring rescue, Sweet heard them enter his temporary domain. He glanced toward Dawn, his voice filled with pleasure and anticipation, "Ah! We have a guest."

Entering the room, Buffy looked Sweet directly in the eye and stated, "You will let my sister go. You said you'd rather dance with me. So, let's dance already." Then, she made a gesture as if to say: Bring it on.

"Don't be in such a hurry. Let's take this slow, enjoy each other's company before she and I go." Sweet grinned as he continued, "You see, I never said that I'd let her go, just that if you did not show up, you'd never see her again." He paused. "Now, here you are. And you can see her … before I dispatch with you … and depart with her."

Buffy glared at him as she weighed her options.

Rhythmically, Sweet stepped toward her as he began a dance number he intended for them to share. "Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive. Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin' and we're stayin' alive ..."

The Slayer felt compelled to continue the song, "You know it's all right, it's okay. I'll live to see another day. Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me. I'm stayin' alive ..."[3]

Sweet snapped his fingers and put a stop to the music. "But you weren't always, were you? Alive, that is."

The demon's question provoked Buffy to sing, "It's gotta be a strange twist of fate telling me that Heaven can wait … Life doesn't mean a thing without ..." [4]

Spike recognized the song from his cassette the night this musical madness began. Then, she sang an excerpt he had not previously heard: "Too much heaven on my mind. It was beautiful, but now it's sour. Yes, it's all gone sour." [5]

Everyone looked back and forth at each other searching for some kind of clue as to what Buffy was talking about. They all looked equally stunned. Finally, they turned to Buffy and began to ask:

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Sweet slowly, thoughtfully stroked his elongated chin. "You haven't told them. Have you? Oh, you really should be honest with your friends. The truth will set you free. Of course, it can also stir up trouble. But you should tell them – besides, the spell will compel you to do it anyway. Let yourself give in."

Buffy had been keeping this secret from her friends since she returned. It was harder now, under the influence of this spell. She could feel herself fighting against the impulse to spill everything she had been holding back. It was simply too hard – much, much too difficult to expend the energy hiding this. Not to mention, these were her best friends and family. She should be able to tell them anything – no matter how difficult it was for her to say, no matter how difficult it would be for them to hear. Throughout her internal monologue, her friends just stared at her, willing her to explain.

Finally, she sang: "Heaven. I was in heaven. And my heart beat so that I can hardly speak. And I seemed to find the happiness I seek."[6*]

With concern and confusion in their eyes, the Scoobies silently implored one another: What does she mean? We thought that …

Before her stunned friends, Buffy had begun to whirl like so many Sunnydale residents had done in recent days. Spike, the only one not immobilized by her startling revelation, stepped forward to prevent her from dancing any longer. With one hand on each of her shoulders, he held her still.

Buffy said to him, "Just let me do this. I should have been gone already – twice already."

He shook his head slowly. "Can't do that, luv."

Then, she sang, "I want to move on. I want to explore the light. I want to know how to get through – through to something new, something of my own." More than anything, Buffy wanted to find that sense of peace again.

Spike was not there to stop her from jumping off the tower, but he was here now – and he would not, could not lose her again. "Look at what you've done – then at what you want, … what you'll be. Look at all the things you gave to me. Let me give to you something in return. I would be so pleased." [7]

Buffy looked deeply into his eyes and saw something she did not have the will to fight against – the love and support of someone who would not let her give up. He had seen it in her – the Slayer's death wish he had talked about. He stood before her, refusing to let her give in to that desire – the desire for all the effort to be finished. She exhaled and felt a heavy weight release from her. She dropped her head and rested her forehead on his chest. He embraced her with one arm and placed the other hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair.

Sweet's face was pouty as he whined, "Fine. Not quite the fireworks that I was looking for. Oh, well. I guess the little Mrs. and I should be on our way."

Dawn squealed, "I don't know why he keeps saying that."

"You are wearing my talisman, sweet thing. It must be you who summoned me, made a wish."

Looking at her sister, Dawn said, "Okay, I admit I took the necklace from the Magic Box and I'm sorry about that … you can punish me later." Turning her attention to Sweet, she implored, "But I swear I did not summon anything or make any wish!"

As they all looked at one another, Anya said, "Well, that's just great. If it was in the shop, then one of us probably …"

Willow asked, "Who then?"

Giles took on the role of investigator and asked Sweet, "What would have caused you to be summoned? What is the purpose of this spell?"

"I felt drawn here to reveal truth – not the pretty, fluffy 'all's right with the world' type, but rather the truth that teaches, confronts, exposes, forces people to remove their rose-colored spectacles and see each other for who they really are. No more delusion. Wouldn't you agree that there's too much of that? Too many secrets?"

Giles was clearly deep in thought. The others watched as he processed what had been said, piecing together words and events. Finally, he spoke up. "There's a way to look at this where I'm the party who is responsible."

Buffy questioned, "What other way is there?"

"I guess there isn't any other way." Giles resigned himself to the truth.

Spike thoroughly enjoyed the fault-finding word play as he sang, "It's your fault that the curse got placed and the place got cursed in the first place!" [8]

Sweet bemoaned this revelation, "Well, that is certainly a disappointment. I do wonder, sir, how you would look in heels." He stroked his chin as he looked at Giles. "Oh, never mind." He paused as he considered. "You wished for this. Now, you wish for it to be reversed? Ah, but surely you know I can't let you off that easily – not completely anyway." His eyes moved throughout the room, examining each face. "I'll remove the moving and shaking part of our program. But the singing? I think you may still have something to learn from that. This is one bridge you must cross – and you must pay the troll in order to pass. Here are the ingredients required, here's what you must do – continue the path and proceed in truth:

One: stand on your own, though it's hard, because it's right.

Two: examine your heart, though you fear what you might find.

Three: speak the truth, though there may be repercussions."

With a flourish of one arm, Sweet made his throne and other furnishings disappear. With a flick of his wrist, his marionette henchmen were gone. Standing alone in the center of the large hall, a spotlight illuminated him from above. The roof of the mansion opened up, revealing the night sky, which was alight with shooting stars and bolts of lightning. If you had seen his arrival in Sunnydale, his departure would have been no surprise. A vortex of electricity encompassed Sweet as he spun on the dance floor with the speed of a figure skater. The funnel that was created lifted him off the floor, sucking him through the roof into the atmosphere. Just as the electricity surrounding him was absorbed into the storm above, the roof closed over and the ceiling looked like nothing had happened.

The Scoobies stood still, feet momentarily glued to their spots – each wondering how to proceed.

Turning her attention to Dawn, Buffy began to sing. Buffy's legs moved of their own accord toward her sister. Then, the others took over the chorus, reminding Dawn that she was not alone, that they would be here for her.

Buffy was just about to join back in when she noticed that Spike had stepped outside. She followed after him. The group inside continued to sing as the pair stood outside under the stars. Spike was again overwhelmed with love for the woman before him. They looked into each other's eyes, each of them expecting the other to lean in for a kiss. Neither did. The moment had awkwardly passed before either made a move.

They listened to the others voicing the question on everyone's mind, "What happens now? We can never be the same. The ripples start to spread. For, now it's spoken – it can never be unsaid. The spell is broken – it can never be unheard."

As Buffy turned to rejoin her friends inside, Spike remained outside, finishing their song. "So much to lose if we turn away from this, just another parting kiss."[9]

[

After ridding Sunnydale of the dancing demon, everyone had gone to their respective homes. Back on Revello Drive, Buffy tucked Dawn into bed. They spoke for a while about the difficulty they were both having with their mother's death. They promised (as much as any person can) to try to be more aware of what the other was going through – to try to make it better, at least not make it any worse. Buffy tried to explain how difficult it was for her to be a grieving daughter and simultaneously be thrust into the role of a single parent at her age. They cried and they sang; they comforted and consoled.

Buffy went down to the kitchen to get herself a cup of hot cocoa or tea. She was in the process of deciding when there was a soft knock on the back door. She opened it and then leaned against the doorframe.

"Buffy, can we talk?" Although she gave him a look like she might crack a joke, he continued, "You know what I mean."

She stepped outside and led him away from the house, through the yard to the other side of a hedgerow – in an attempt to keep anyone who might still be awake from overhearing the conversation that they were about to have.

"So, can we finally do this? Have this conversation?"

Buffy knew that they did need to talk this through, but her mouth spat the following response, "You really seem awfully fixated on a couple of kisses, Spike."

"And you seem awfully quick to forget about them."

She was determined to de-escalate from where the conversation seemed to be headed. She sighed as she began, "It's not that I have forgotten … it's just that there's so much to deal with right now. We're still not out the woods with this singing spell. Plus, Dawn is clearly struggling right now and I need to be there for her."

He placed a finger over her lips to stop them from moving. "You need to learn to accept assistance. And you should take care of your own needs so you are better able to help others." He saw in her eyes that she understood that she could not solve everyone's problems by Slayer strength and determination alone. "Better yet, allow someone else to take care of your needs." His focus shifted from her eyes to her lips and then back again. "Now unless you wave me off, I'm gonna kiss you."

His eyes met hers like a tractor beam. Involuntarily, her hands reached up to rest on his chest. One hand continued to slide behind his head, allowing her fingers to find their way into the hair at the nape of his neck. It would be difficult to say who kissed who – they were pulled toward one another, as they had been for a while now, on a collision course of sorts. When these two collided, there were sparks and flames, but not the kind that had been wreaking havoc throughout Sunnydale in the past week. This fire was a slow burn, a long time in coming.

The kiss Buffy had given him when she posed as the Bot had been little more than a peck; the kiss as they went off to fight Glory, merely a promise of things to come. This would be their first real kiss – that is except that Spike had made love to future-Buffy before the second kiss with this Buffy.

To say he found all of this confusing would be an understatement, but he would sort that out later. For now, he just continued to kiss her – exploring her mouth with his tongue, then her neck with his lips, the curves of her body with his roaming hands. A few minutes later, they stood forehead to forehead, speechless from their encounter.

She turned to go, leaving him standing there alone in the yard. As she walked toward the back porch, a stunned expression still on her face, "What was that? Was that me? Was that him? Did he really kiss me? And kiss me and kiss me? And did I kiss him back?" [10]

[

After a long day and an even longer week, Giles found himself back at his apartment alone – pondering several things. He thought about the fact that Tara had been avoiding Willow and seemed concerned about Willow's increasing reliance on magic. He would need to make a point of talking to Willow, make sure she was in contact with coven. Perhaps, he would need set up a more organized regimen for her mentorship in the magical arts – more along the lines of Buffy's early training days with a schedule and a checklist, possibly rewards and incentives.

Then, his thoughts drifted to the culmination of events this evening. To his empty apartment, he summarized: "In the end, we kept Dawn from being taken as a child bride and Sweet called off the 'Disco Inferno' spell, but left us with 'The Song That Doesn't End' … so this is not quite over."

He wrote down the three things that Sweet had said would need to be fulfilled in order to have the curse reversed. Looking at the list on the piece of paper, he wondered who the conditions applied to. He concluded that since he had been the one who made the wish, Sweet had addressed those present and not the population at large, and Sweet went after Dawn and then the Slayer … all evidence pointed to these three conditions needing to be met by one of the Scoobies.

So if I am to interpret his words: at least one person is dependent on another and must become independent in some way. At least one of us has a matter of the heart they would rather not admit. And in spite of the truth telling properties of the spell, there is at least one truth as yet untold.

He poured a drink as he considered the carelessness that had instigated this – his own carelessness. "Careful the wish you make; wishes are children. Careful the path they take; wishes come true, not free. Careful the spell you cast not just on children; sometimes the spell may last past what you can see and turn against you." [11]

A/N:

Many thanks for reading. Until next time …

~Jen

24 June 2016

SONGS in this chapter:

[1] The King and I (1951 Broadway / 1953 West End /1956 film) "Shall We Dance"

[2] Rent (1996 Broadway / 1998 West End / 2005 film / 2008 filmed live) "I Should Tell You"

[3] Saturday Night Fever (1998 West End / 1999 Broadway) "Stayin' Alive"

[4] Two of a Kind (1983 film) "Twist of Fate"

[5] Jesus Christ Superstar (1970 concept album / 1971 Broadway / 1972 West End / 1973 film) "Heaven on Their Minds"

[6] Top Hat (2012 West End) "Cheek to Cheek" *Changed to past tense.

[7] Sunday in the Park with George (1984 Broadway / 1986 tv / 1990 West End) "Move On"

[8] Into the Woods (1987 Broadway / 1991 tv / 2014 film) "Your Fault"

[9] Love Story (2010 West End) "What Happens Now?"

[10] Into the Woods (1987 Broadway / 1990 West End / 1991 tv / 2014 film) "Moments in the Woods"

[11] Into the Woods (1987 Broadway / 1990 West End / 1991 tv / 2014 film) "Children Will Listen"