Xander immediately felt the unease of his mate. She was jumpier than usual when they walked down the road. In fact she seemed almost like a puppy that was unsure of its surroundings. Xander had to admit, he felt that way himself. Compared to home this place was practically tame. There were so many humans, so many demons, and not nearly as many vampires.
He'd remembered that his world had once been very much like this. He growled when he remembered who he had been: weak, pathetic, the butt of every joke. It was enough to make him scream. He hated what he had been and how he had treated his Willow. He never saw her for the radiant red goddess she was. Not until she had disappeared that night at the Bronze and reappeared a night later on his doorstep, her hair brighter in intensity and shorter than he had ever seen it. He didn't even take in the tight leather of her clothing until her fangs were in his throat. And he felt bliss. Her love had made him stronger.
For two years, they had served their Master as his chief acolytes as Luke and Darla had left to take over the demon community in Los Angeles. It was two years of black paradise. Of pain. Of passion. They took what they wanted. They killed who they wished. They tortured who and when they decided, a fact that the vampire traitor Angel could attest to. The only resistance was that stupid librarian and his White Hats.
That was until the Slayer showed up. Yeah, she had ruined everything. She killed him (after he disposed of that pussy Angel of course). Everything was fire and torment for years after that. That was until he was pulled back into the real world and sat naked at the Master's feet. His time in Hell had been cut short by a mystical ritual the Master had performed. He'd saved Willow from the pit as well. He was not known for departing from his toys so easily.
Xander smiled when he had learned the Master had snapped the neck of the Slayer. Happy days on the Hellmouth once again. That was until tonight. They had been in their world but now they were here, wherever here was. Willow didn't seem to like it. And that pissed Xander off. Whenever Willow was unhappy someone tended to take a week or two to die at the least.
"Come here baby." Vamp Xander said as he jerked his Willow to his side.
She cooed.
"My big strong Xander. Always taking care of me." Vamp Willow said, biting at his jugular slightly.
"I hate to see you like this baby. I swear I'll kill whoever brought us here like this nice and slow. Just for you." Vamp Xander growled sexily to her.
Vamp Willow giggled.
"Then can we eat a toddler?" she asked.
"I was thinking maybe some teens to be honest." Vamp Xander replied and looking across the street.
"They remodeled." Vamp Willow replied.
"Still has open invite written all over it. Let's get inside. Sun'll be rising soon." Vamp Xander said.
Then he smirked.
"And if the Slayer's all over this town she'll get our message pretty quick once we start picking off kids like Columbine."
Vamp Willow giggled again and walked up to Sunnydale High School with her mate.
Buffy smiled as she felt Spike slide into bed beside her. She arched against him and half moaned when he kissed her neck. She turned to her side and kissed him right on the lips, her eyes still closed.
"Mmm, just give me a few minutes to wake up and you can do whatever you want." Buffy purred.
"I'll keep it in mind pet." Spike's thick accent started, "Um, but maybe I should tell you something first."
"It can wait. I want a ride." Buffy said, pressing Spike backwards on the bed and straddling him slowly, "Give me a ride William. Give the Slayer what she needs."
Spike was never one to resist her advances. In fact, he lived for them. He did everything in his power to get them. He adored her and everything she did for him. Buffy knew it too. Which was why it was so shocking when he said what he did.
Her eyes flew open.
"What do you mean not right now?!" She asked shocked, "Who are you and where's Spike?"
"Luv, it's not the end of the world when I turn down a shag." Spike stated.
After a moment of silence he shook his head.
"Alright maybe it is. Point is though; we got something weird going on." Spike stated.
Buffy sighed and rolled off of him and onto her back.
"Don't we always?" Buffy groaned, "What is it this time? Big Cthullu demon come out of the Hellmouth again?"
"Actually more like a vampire from an alternate universe." Spike replied, "You don't seem so shocked."
"It happens in my line of work. You stop being surprised." Buffy shrugged, "Anyone I know?"
"Remember a Mary Sanchez?" Spike asked.
"Only by reputation. Never actually met the girl. Is that who's in my house?" Buffy questioned as she stood up and pulled on her pajama pants.
"Yep."
"Okay. STDs aren't transmittable by air are they?" Buffy asked.
"Some demon ones." Spike said, resulting in a look from Buffy, "But not vampire ones."
"Good. Just being careful with the rep she had. So how do we know that this is an alternate universe version and not just a vamped her from this universe?" Buffy asked.
"We don't. But Red's on it."
As soon as Mary set eyes on Willow, there could be said to be an air of hostility in the room. Anyone there could see it. Tara especially. The vampire (safely secured, natch) was glaring daggers at Willow and the menace that literally flowed off of her was a bit surprising. Mary scoffed and looked away from the redheaded witch.
"Least you wear some fucking clothes in this reality." Mary said with a growl.
"Look who's talking." Xander said taking in Mary's own skimpy outfit.
"Up yours, Harris. Jeez, you ought to just let me vamp you on this world and save us all some time. It'll mellow you the hell out." Mary sneered.
Willow looked to Tara and grimaced at the ugly scene that was unfolding in the living room. Tara tried to smile reassuringly. Mary noted the looks the two shared and immediately put two and two together.
"Now this here is just all fucked up." Mary said with a sigh.
"What's that?" Willow asked, going through the proper ingredients for the truth spell.
"You two. Are you like together here?" Mary asked, incredulously.
"Is it really important?" Willow asked, not really liking smart assed vampires from other dimensions.
"Not really, but considering you two look at each other like the chicks from Boys Don't Cry here and fight like cats and dogs back home…well it's different." Mary explained.
Willow, Tara, and Xander all looked at Mary with a "Huh" look.
"We fight?" Tara asked.
"Is it hot?" Xander asked, hopefully.
Willow just ignored Mary and kept looking through her supplies.
"Oh yeah." Mary smirked.
"To which part?" Xander asked, again hopefully.
"Both." Mary smirked.
Xander made a "yes!" motion while Tara just imagined the totally foreign concept of she and Willow being at odds.
"Why would we fight?" Tara asked.
"Just ignore her." Willow ordered.
"Probably comes from her being such a ho." Mary said in Willow's direction.
Willow's head snapped at Mary.
"Shut up." Willow warned.
"Hey, it's not my fault. I figure anyone wants to play with the forces of darkness, dress in slutty Emma Frost gear and get spanked by the first demon that comes by, it's between them and their God." Mary smirked.
"SHUT UP!" Willow shouted.
A telekinetic push tipped Mary and her chair over. She grimaced on the floor.
"Okay, so you're not trashy on this world. Fine. Still have a temper though." Mary winced.
Willow was noticeably very angry and stormed out of the room, cursing and refusing to do a truth spell unless she found out a way to mute Mary like the Gentlemen could. Xander followed trying desperately to calm her down. Tara remained with Mary and walked over to her, lifting her chair up and on all fours.
"Thanks." Mary said.
Tara said nothing and merely went to sit on the arm of a chair.
"Don't make her angry." Tara stated, "You wouldn't like her when she's angry."
"So I have a smart mouth. Sue me. I don't really like her…or at least my version of her so I'm taking it out on her while I can. Back home dad doesn't let me take shots at her. Bitch deserves them though." Mary replied.
"You're either telling the truth or are really creative." Tara replied.
"Well I flunked English so that gets rid of one possibility." Mary replied.
There was silence for a minute.
"So why do you dislike her?" Tara asked.
"Way she treats people, especially Xander." Mary started, "They're together on my world. Didn't used to have a problem with her. After we both got turned we were pretty cool. After she got into that dark stuff though, she changed. She got selfish and mean spirited. Started slutting herself around to anything that she could lay. More than me and that's saying something. Then whenever she does something that screws us all up she gets all whiney and "oh pity me". Gets to me. Hell, I did that too, but I only did it once."
"I think you're telling the truth. That's really complex for a fabrication." Tara replied, trying to study her aura.
"That's two I guess." Mary smirked.
"I'm guessing from the way Xander acted it was Spike then." Tara said.
"You'd be right. Dads always know when their kids are lying. Even when its an alternate version of them." Mary smirked, thinking of Spike.
"When you say dad, you mean sire right?" Tara asked.
"Yeah. He sired me. Did you and Cordelia too." Mary said with a smile, "Ma…Dru took care of Xander and Willow."
"Spike sired me?" Tara asked, eyes wide.
"He sure did, "Baby Girl"." Mary snickered.
"Tell me he doesn't call me that." Tara asked, before laughing.
"If he doesn't call you that here then what does he?" Mary asked.
"Glenda." Tara smirked herself.
"That's it? He didn't come up with any other name for you to just scream out when you two do it?" Mary questioned, cocking her head.
Tara laughed aloud.
"I'm gay." Tara replied, "I mean not that Spike's a bad looking guy, it's just that I'm nowhere near interested. Plus he's with Buffy. I'm with Willow and Kennedy."
"Well there's an unfamiliar name." Mary stated.
"No Kennedy on your world?" Tara asked.
"Not that I've met. Doesn't mean there isn't one. Seems like there's versions of most everyone else here." Mary said with a shrug, "So if Spike didn't sire you, who did?"
"Nobody." Tara replied quickly.
"Then just what the hell are you? Cause I can tell you're not exactly human here." Mary asked, "Dad said you were nervous and shy as hell before he turned you. If Tara's across the multiverse are pretty much the same I'd think you would be too. But you're confident. So something had to happen."
"Eh. I'm a wraith or something like that. Died and came back. Have some nifty powers, Slayer-like strength and mystical crow. He's upstairs asleep." Tara explained.
"So you do some fighting then."
"Yeah."
"Figured as much. Leather pants were a dead giveaway. If anything bad happened down here you're the best dressed person to take me on." Mary explained, "And I gotta say, the whole goth girl look you have going on? I like it better than that earth mother super-Wicca shit you pull on my world."
"We don't get along huh?" Tara asked.
"Eh. We don't really pay much mind to each other. Best to leave things in the past. Still, I see how you get when I check out Riley." Mary replied.
She let that sink in for a moment.
"Wait a minute. Riley?" Tara asked, "I'm with Riley in your world?"
"Eh. You sired him Baby Girl. Pretty much a given you'll sleep with him. Actually us being a vampire clan means we tend to sleep with pretty much everybody in the family. But he's definitely your favorite." Mary smirked, "Then you like Cordelia too. And Dad."
Tara was blushing. Mary loved it.
"Oh yeah, and Dawn's friend Amanda too. You saved her by turning her." Mary smiled making Tara squirm.
"H-How many people have I slept with there?" Tara asked.
"Oh just about everybody, sweet thing. It's what we do when we're not, ya know actually sleeping or fighting demons or some shit." Mary said sexily, "Oh yeah. I almost forgot to mention how you seduced Giles."
"Giles is a vampire too?" Tara asked.
"Nope. You just seduced him." Mary said, waiting for Tara to squirm some more.
She squirmed a lot.
"Okay, ew. No mention of Giles seduced in anyway." Buffy said as she entered the room with Spike right behind her.
"Well this should be interesting." Mary quipped.
"Tara, go help Xander with Willow." Buffy ordered.
"Is she that mad?" Tara asked.
"Livid." Buffy replied, hands on her hips looking at Mary as Tara left the room.
Spike hung back and just tried to not look at either woman here, though to anyone watching it was obvious he was looking over them both with equal parts curiosity and lust. Spike often wondered whether it was fate or just bad luck that made every woman he was ever the least bit attracted to hostile to one another. Looking at the gazes both women were giving one another he realized that this event would be no different. Buffy's eyes drilled into Mary, looking for any trace of weakness. It's what she did to potential enemies. Mary on the other hand just smirked a little and finally half-laughed.
"Yeah, you're her alright. Nobody else does the stare like that." Mary said, amusedly.
"Okay here's how it works. You're going to stay quiet and let my friend do a truth spell on you. You try your little mind games on her again and your jaw is broken. The only reason I'm not dusting you right now is the off chance that you're telling the truth and you being killed really makes reality suck. Still, you try anything and you're dust because I'm the kind of girl that figures reality sucks most of the time anyway." Buffy ordered.
"Definitely Buffy." Mary said to herself, "So where's your mom? I figured she'd be up with all this racket."
Buffy's eyes widened and if Spike hadn't grabbed her when he did, Mary would be missing a head. Still Buffy struggled and screamed loudly making the others enter the room. Spike did his damnedest to hold Buffy back and it was a challenge even for him.
"SHUT THE HELL UP! DON'T YOU DARE MESS WITH ME LIKE THAT! DON'T YOU DARE!" Buffy screamed as she fought to get near Mary.
"Slayer! Calm down! Slayer! Damn it Buffy!" Spike growled as he tried to hold Buffy back.
Mary looked confused and slightly scared. Sure, Buff had a temper but the only time she had ever seen her this mad was maybe the time after the First fucked with her head. Mary's fear grew when Buffy managed to shrug Spike off and progress towards her. Mary could see murder in Buffy's eyes.
Luckily Spike had recovered and grabbed Buffy by the arm, and spun her around behind him.
"Will you calm down already?!" Spike asked.
Buffy's hand instinctually struck his nose. It was reflex, too quick to stop. It was just second nature. By the moment guilt had welled up inside her and she began to form thoughts to apologize, Spike's fist struck her face as well. His features had changed and he growled that low bestial sound that most vampires did.
Buffy's guilt turned to anger and she prepared to throw another blow at Spike when small arcs of electricity made her body stop moving. She saw the same electricity flowing over Spike equally pausing him. Willow walked up between them.
"Okay, as much as I love seeing you guys revert back to the way you were, we have a situation…a very annoying situation that needs to be taken care of here. So I'm going to take charge here and send you two out of the room. Go to the kitchen or the basement or wherever and talk things out. I don't care where. Just get out of here and let me work because I'm tired, cranky, and may have just started my period okay?" Willow said irritably.
Neither Buffy nor Spike nodded, mainly because neither could move.
"I'll take that as a yes then." Willow said unfreezing the two, "Now get out of my working space."
"You're right Wills. Sorry about that. We'll go. Come on Spike." Buffy said.
Spike was watching Mary, still vamped out.
"Spike!" Buffy half-shouted.
His features reverted to human when he turned to her.
"Oh yeah. Right." Spike said as if in a daze.
Of course he noticed that Buffy was giving him a very evil look and he couldn't help feeling that he was in deep shit.
"Hey guys? What's going on?" a very tired Dawn said, as she walked into the living room.
"Nibblit!" Mary said enthusiastically, already over the experience that had just occurred.
Dawn just stared at Mary blankly before looking to Buffy.
"What did I walk in on?" Dawn asked.
"Nothing. Just go upstairs and back to bed." Buffy said.
"Well I would if it wasn't so loud. You're wigging me out. Kennedy too." Dawn replied.
"Dawn, go upstairs okay?" Buffy asked, pleadingly.
"Yeah." Dawn said eyeing Mary again with unease, "Sure."
Dawn slowly began to slink away upstairs. Tara went with her to check on Kennedy.
"Gonna have to tell the Dawnie back home to go green. It looks great on her." Mary thought aloud.
Buffy turned to her.
"Don't look at her. Don't talk to her. Don't even think about her." Buffy spat, "Don't mention ANYONE in my family EVER. Understand?"
"Luv, come on." Spike said pulling her arm.
"Yeah. Come on Spike. Let's go talk about why you're making eyes at this ho." Buffy replied, angrily.
That hit Spike hard. But in Buffy's defense it had been pretty noticeable. Buffy just glared at him and walked to the basement door and downstairs. Spike watched her hesitantly then followed.
"What the hell was that about?" Mary asked.
"Shut up." Willow said, going back to her supplies.
"No seriously, why'd Buff get all torn up?" Mary asked.
"Could it be that you mentioned her dead mother? I mean, maybe?" Xander asked sarcastically.
"Joyce is dead here?" Mary asked quietly.
Spike stopped and watched Buffy as she hit the punching bag one time, very hard. She the turned and looked at him angrily. He could read her face as well as anyone now. It was almost as if he knew the words that would come from her throat before they did.
"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, luv…just try to stay calm and right headed about this alright?" Spike said reasonably.
"Calm? What's calm?" Buffy asked unreasonably, "Calm left the building when that undead ho up there got brought into MY house, insulted my best friend, talked about my dead mother, and had my boyfriend staring at her!"
"Look, I wouldn't have brought her here if I didn't think it was important." Spike began, "You should be thanking me that I got to Harris up there before she tore his throat out."
"Oh she tried to kill my other best friend too? Oh yes Spike, I can see exactly why you brought her here now instead of dusting her." Buffy said sarcastically.
"That's—that came out wrong okay? Things were okay after that. Things were explained. Things are a tad different where she's from." Spike said.
"Oh yeah, an alternate reality and we only have her story on that." Buffy replied.
"Thought that was a possibility after what you said upstairs."
"Yeah, so's the one where she's an undead skank that's got some plot to kill me. Think of that one?"
"Yeah I did in fact. But I believe her Buffy. I listened to what she had to say and I believed her in my heart."
"Why is that? Care to let the rest of us in on that?" Buffy asked.
Spike was quiet.
"Because I'm—the me from her world is her sire." Spike said with a sigh.
"How do you know that?"
"Because she told me!" Spike began, "And I feel it. In my blood I feel a part of me being tugged by her. Like there's some of me in there. It's like how I felt around Dru."
"Not really changing things in the long run, Spike. If she is from some freaky side dimension and was sired by you, then that screams evil vampire to me." Buffy said, "You wouldn't do that to anyone now because you have a soul. So if you're her sire, it's a soulless you. That just makes her another demon to kill."
"That simple is it? Well then, let's just go upstairs and kill the nasty thing. Maybe kick it in the face and call it a few names while we're at it. Just a thing after all, not a person." Spike said bitterly.
"Don't you even dare say that. I don't like to think about that time. I hate thinking about it. I never bring it up because it hurts so don't you dare." Buffy said, almost letting tears well up.
"Yeah, it does hurt. Still hurts me to think that you thought of me like that. Hearing you say that just brought me a whole world of hurt Buffy." Spike replied.
"This has nothing to do with that. We're past that." Buffy stated.
"Yeah, well maybe we bloody well are. Maybe that doesn't matter now, but the fact that you don't trust my judgment on this hurts me just as much as when you used me."
"Spike, for God's sake you were undressing her with your eyes! That hurts me! Yeah, big surprise, the Slayer's feelings can get hurt." Buffy said, the tears now welling up.
"Luv, don't cry. Please. I'm sorry. Don't cry." Spike said trying to soothe her as she looked down.
He moved forward a little and tried to put his arms around her. She backed away.
"But it hurts more when you remind me of what I did and what you tried to do." Buffy said, crying softly.
Spike looked to the side, the bitter taste of guilt filling his heart. Pushing her down. Holding her there. Getting on top. Her screams. Her robe ripping.
"I thought you said we were past that." Spike asked closing his eyes, blocking out the memories.
"Well we were until you decided to use it on me." Buffy said wiping a tear from her cheek, "Consider it turnabout. We both hate that part of our lives and feel guilty about it so we're even."
"Buffy…"
"Don't. I don't want to talk anymore alright?" Buffy said backing away again, "Just give me some space."
"Look I didn't mean anything by it." Spike said apologetically, "I'm sorry…Luv? I'm…"
"Spike, not now okay?" Buffy said, looking at him.
Spike stopped advancing towards her. His look changed from one of apology to one of anger.
"Fine. Whatever." Spike said as he suddenly grew very still. The basement was quiet.
"You should go upstairs. See what's going on. Get ready for work, whatever it is that you do this early." Spike said, not looking at her.
"Yeah. I should." Buffy replied as she walked for the stairs. She turned around watched him for a second before walking back upstairs.
"Satisfied?" Mary asked with a smile on her face.
"Fine, fine, we owe you a Coke. Or a bottle of Tequila going by what I saw at the bar last night." Xander said.
"Wow." Was all Willow could muster.
"Am I that interesting, Strawberry?" Mary said with a hint of sensuality.
"Well, yeah. I mean no, I mean…we just don't get people from alternate dimensions around here too much. Well once." Willow explained.
"I know what you mean. This makes my second trip to some other world." Mary mused.
"Second trip?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. There was another one where the Mayor won at graduation. I really hate snakes." Mary nodded.
"Okay, I'm done with the WB style drama down in the basement." Buffy announced as she returned, "What have we got?"
"She's telling the truth." Willow said turning to her friend.
"Say what?" Buffy asked dumbfounded.
"I really am from an alternate dimension so you can probably untie me now. Where's Spike by the way?" Mary asked, peering past Buffy.
"First off, shut up. Secondly, she's not getting untied anytime soon." Buffy ordered.
"Why not?" Mary asked, pouting.
Buffy laughed slightly.
"Do you have a soul?"
"No."
"Well there ya go. Also I think I said shut up." Buffy replied.
"If I could flip you off I would." Mary quipped back.
"Well Buff, maybe we could untie her…I mean first thing we asked was whether or not she was good like she claimed a little bit ago." Xander started.
"And we clarified it too. Like if she was what we would consider good, cause we've seen episodes of the Twilight Zone where they just tell you what you want to hear." Willow nodded as she finished.
"Gee, nice to know we're playing devil's advocate now but no. Soulless equals bad." Buffy replied, "So don't untie her."
"But if she's good…" Xander started.
"Didn't she try to drink you dry a few hours ago?" Buffy quickly reminded him.
"Well…YEAH! What's up with that?" Xander asked, turning to Mary, then to Willow, "Truth spell still on?"
Willow nodded.
"What's up with that?" Xander asked Mary again.
"Hmm, well maybe because I thought you were my Xander and that most vamp families feed from each other? Ringing any bells?" Mary asked, as her aura shifted to a white color.
"Ew." Buffy and Xander both said.
"She's telling the truth." Willow replied.
"Ew but feed from each other?" Xander asked.
"Yeah that's a little gross." Buffy replied.
"Fairly common actually." Willow said, receiving incredulous looks, "Research gal remember?"
"Okay, she does not come untied though. Got it?" Buffy ordered again.
"Always trying to tie me up huh Buff?" Mary smirked.
"You're still not shutting up." Buffy stated.
"Oh, you're mad. Gonna spank me?" Mary asked, fluttering her eyelashes.
"Okay why are you…do you have some weird obsession with me on your world?" Buffy asked.
"Nope, just messin with ya." Mary said, her aura glowing white for truth again.
"Thank God." Buffy sighed in relief.
"Of course we do have sex a lot." Mary smirked.
"You…and Spike?" Buffy asked, hesitantly.
"Well yeah, but I meant me and you." Mary said licking her lips as her aura went white again.
"I'm going to go upstairs now." Buffy said calmly.
She turned and slowly walked up the first few steps, before breaking out to a run. The tell-tale sign of her bedroom door slamming meant she made it to her room. Mary just laughed.
"God I love that stuff." She said.
"I gotta admit, that is pretty funny." Xander started, before getting quiet, "And hot."
"Yeah." Willow added, obviously thinking about it herself, "I mean…no. That was mean!"
"Just the truth. Like how you're a right little tart on my world." Mary said glowing white.
"…I'm going to work on getting her home now." Willow said, walking into the kitchen after grabbing a text.
"Oooh! Do me! Do me!" Xander said, jumping up and down.
"Again?" Mary asked with a smile.
"No…yeah….TELL ME WHAT I'M LIKE FIRST!" Xander begged.
"I don't know. You were awfully mean to me a little while ago." Mary fake pouted.
"I was wrong about someone! It happens all the time! Absolutely no ability to tell what people are like here! Just please!" Xander said, going to one knee.
"Well…okay." Mary said.
"Am I a badass vampire?" Xander asked.
Mary took her time, enjoying making him wait.
"Yeah." She finally said.
Xander went hysterical.
"YES! That's two universes in a row where Alexander Lavelle Harris is an asskicker!" Xander said jumping up and down before falling down onto his back.
Willow and Mary winced before saying the exact same words.
"Hyper much?"
Tara knocked on Buffy's door quietly.
"If you're one of two vampires in the house right now you can't come in." Buffy's voice on the other side stated.
"Actually it's me." Tara said, sending her words to Buffy mentally.
The door opened.
"Hi. Uh was there something you wanted?" Buffy asked.
"Just to see if you were okay. You slammed the door and I figured you had it out with Spike. You alright?" Tara asked.
"Yeah." Buffy breathed out as she walked and sat on the edge of the bed, "How's Kennedy?"
"I got her back to sleep. She should be up and around in a little bit so I told her what was up so she wouldn't freak out." Tara said, walking in the room and leaning on the dresser, "You don't look alright."
"I'm fine. Really." Buffy said with a small smile.
"You shouldn't lie to someone with empathic powers." Tara replied.
"Oh my bad. Sorry." Buffy apologized sheepishly.
"It's okay. I wasn't using them." Tara said with a cunning smile.
Buffy's mouth dropped before she laughed slightly.
"You're getting to be a little minx." Buffy replied.
"Comes with confidence I guess. I only stutter when I get nervous now." Tara stated.
"You've come a long way."
"So have you. I really mean that. You're doing good now. Better than the last time we really talked." Tara said.
"Kind of broke down didn't I?" Buffy asked.
"Normal reaction. You had to let it out. You can't keep things bottled up. So you should probably tell me what's on your mind right now." Tara replied.
"Combination of things actually." Buffy said with a sigh.
"And let me guess, they all stem from Mary down there?" Tara asked, sitting beside Buffy.
"Yeah, yeah they do. For one Spike was checking her out." Buffy said rolling his eyes.
Tara laughed.
"Buffy, I was even checking her out. She's nice looking and wasn't wearing a lot." Tara replied, "Plus she said Spike sired her. Might not be the same Spike but there's obviously some level of attraction there if a Spike would do that."
"Spike said it was more than that. Like a bond." Buffy added.
"Well there you go. Of course he's going to feel something there, but don't worry. This is your Spike and he loves you. He's not going to do anything more than stare. Maybe not even that after you two had it out." Tara stated.
"Well then there's something else that's bothering me." Buffy said looking down, "When you looked at her, did she have a soul?"
"Everything has a soul Buffy. Every rock, tree, demon or what have you. But I know what you mean. Her aura's mostly gray. Not evil but not really good either." Tara said.
"What do you mean everything has a soul?" Buffy asked.
"Everything does. I believe that. My religion kind of points that out pretty heavily." Tara replied.
"That doesn't make any sense. Vampires don't have souls. Except for Spike and Angel." Buffy stated.
"I know what you mean. I even call it a soul myself sometimes but that's not what it is, not all of it anyway. Just a part of it."
"How do you mean? When Spike and Angel didn't have their souls they were evil, plain and simple. Every vamp I've come up against has been soulless and they've all been evil." Buffy said.
"Well, let me put it this way okay? I may be way off but between what I believe, what I've read and what Willow's told me that I'm kind of close. When you become a vampire you lose your soul right? Well, I don't believe that. I mean how can something soulless feel love? Spike loved you before he got his soul. I'm not saying he was a boy scout, but he loved you. Something without a soul couldn't. And Willow's been studying with Dr. Strange right? He pretty much believes that too. He even has some vampires that are his friends. They're good guys too. Dr. Strange says that when you get turned you don't lose your soul, just the part of it that gives you inhibitions. If you lose those it doesn't necessarily make you evil, but I guess for some people it can. It all just depends on what kind of person you are before you're turned. Does that help any?"
"Not really. That just means that I hurt Spike for no reason." Buffy said, looking up sadly.
"You hurt Spike? When? Is he…oh. You mean…"
"Back then yeah. He loved me and I threw it in his face. And if you said vamps can be good and that Mary chick is…then who says he couldn't have been if we gave him the chance? He might not have…he might not have tried to rape me if we had." Buffy said closing her eyes.
"H-He tried to rape you?" Tara stuttered.
"Oh God, you didn't know?" Buffy asked.
Tara shook her head, shocked.
"I c-can't believe he'd do that if he l-loved you." Tara said.
"He couldn't either. I remember his face after I kicked him off. He was shocked that he had tried. It just…happened. He left town that night because he hated what he had done. The next day you got shot." Buffy said quietly.
"And you're with him now?" Tara asked, wondering how.
"I forgave him, Tara. He went and did the one thing that he knew would change him. He went and won a soul. He loved me enough to do that while he was…evil. And now I think he might not have been really evil back then. It's confusing." Buffy said.
"How could you forgive him for that?" Tara asked.
"Because I guess, I brought it on myself. I'm not trying to say what he did was justified, but if I had shown him just a little crumb of affection and hadn't used and…and abused him, then he wouldn't have tried to. And now I feel bad because…I used him because I thought he was a thing and didn't feel pain, but now maybe he wasn't." Buffy explained.
"I'm not sure how to feel about him now." Tara said, "Men have done that sort of thing to women for so long and, it's just…wrong. How could he do it?"
"Because I made him." Buffy stated, quietly before looking at Tara, "And hey, don't try and go enact vengeance or act weird around him. He IS different now. He's proved that time and time again since getting his soul. He may have been good before, but he IS good now. As far as I'm concerned he's more than made up for everything he did. He even saved our lives during that whole thing with that alien and Bacchus. He would die for any of us. And I love him."
"I'm not going to do anything." Tara smiled, "I know he's good now. I just…it shocked me. I could never see him doing that to you. Even back then. He loved you. It was pretty obvious if you looked."
"But I never did." Buffy sighed, before looking at the clock, "OH SHIT! I have to get ready for work!"
"Okay, I'll head back to bed and see if Kennedy needs anything. I'm sorry to have kept you." Tara said.
"No! No, it's okay! We need to talk more often! We'll talk later!" Buffy laughed hysterically before running for the bathroom.
Tara nodded quickly and walked out of the bedroom.
"Man relationships are complicated here." She mused.
Principal Robin Wood exploded through the glass door to his office. He collided with the desk and slipped to the floor. Dimly, he seemed to realize that the blinds to his office were being closed. What the hell was going on?
Just a few moments ago he walked into the school to begin a brand new day when he saw Willow and Xander already waiting in the office. He had questioned them, wondering if something was happening in Sunnydale that they needed help with. The next thing he knew, Willow punched him through his door.
"Ah, he's still struggling. Can I keep him?" Willow asked.
Xander plopped down into Robin's desk.
"Just as long as you remember to feed him." Xander replied.
Willow smiled evilly as she looked down at Robin. Her face changed.
"Not a problem. Just as soon as I get my breakfast." Willow replied, through her fangs.
Xander smirked and then his eyes went wide. He reached over the desk and grabbed an object.
"Oh I've always wanted to do this." He grinned.
"Now hear this, now hear this. Sunnydale High School, please remain calm. There's been an incident in the office but everything's under control now. Just stay right where you are and we'll be around to tear your throats out in no time." Xander's voice echoed through the school's intercoms.
Xander sat the microphone down as his vampire features rose to the surface.
"Nothing like an continental breakfast."