Author's Note: Instead of saying so and so sang every single time someone is singing. All song lyrics are italicized.
Chapter 144: Once More With Feeling
An old fashioned alarm clock is ringing, shaking about. It's set for 7:00.
Buffy is the only one lying in bed, she is just looking at the clock. Dawn is already up heading out the door into the hall. Buffy takes the clock, looks at it - never bothering to turn it off. She hears Celia crying having been woken by the alarm clock. She gets up and walks over to her daughter and picks her up.
In the upstairs hall the girls go about their morning routine. Dawn races in to the bathroom, slamming the door. Buffy comes out of her and Dawn's room, she knocks on the bathroom door and hears Dawn yell, just a minute. Buffy just stands there - as Piper, already dressed, heads briskly downstairs. Phoebe is in her room, making the bed. Paige is downstairs. Dawn a moment later comes out of the bathroom holding her hands out for her niece. Buffy hands Celia to Dawn as she goes in to take a shower.
Later at the Magic Box customers mill about as Giles takes an item from Dawn, re-shelving it and giving her a stern look.
Anya is looking at a bridal magazine, Xander, Willow and Tara are in research mode. Willow and Tara make notes, while Buffy also writes intently in a loose-leaf pad.
Giles appears in front of Buffy with a serious looking axe and a hopeful smile. Buffy smiles back – politely. She then looks to Dawn and motions to Celia in her stroller next to the table.
Dawn nods indicating she will watch her.
Buffy gets up pulling off her sweater to reveal training clothes beneath.
That night in one of San Francisco's graveyards Buffy walks through the unusually blue night, she looks around her as she begins to sing, "Every single night, the same arrangement I go out and fight the fight. Still I always feel, this strange estrangement, nothing here is real, nothing here is right. I've been making shows of trading blows, just hoping no one knows. That I've been…"
Buffy is attacked by a vamp, and fights with him in a rote style, "…Going through the motions. Walking through the part, nothing seems to penetrate my heart." She stakes the vamp in the heart.
The vamp dusts as she moves on, finding two more vamps and a demon who is ritualistically sacrificing a young man who is tied to a tree. "I was always brave and kind of righteous, now I find I'm wavering. Crawl of your grave you find this fight just doesn't mean thing." She socks a vamp, whose head whips around.
"She ain't got that swing." A vamp sings as he drives his elbow back into her face, sending her flying back to the ground.
"Thanks for noticing," Buffy sings as she lays there.
The two vamps and the Demon march by her, singing. "She does pretty well with fiends from hell but lately we can tell. That she's just going through the motions faking it somehow." She kicks up, grabs the demon's sword and kills a vamp, knocking the other down.
As she stabs the demon he sings, "She's not even half the girl she – Ow!" He drops dead.
Buffy cuts the young man loose without even looking at him. "Will I stay this way forever. Sleepwalk through my life's endeavor."
"How can I repay –"
"— Whatever."Buffy moves away from him. "I don't want to be going through the motions, losing all my drive." The last vamp picks himself up and comes for her, getting staked pretty quickly. "I can't even see if this is really me and I just want to be…" The vamp dusts. "Alive!"
The next day at the Magic Box Piper enters pushing Wyatt's stroller followed by Buffy pushing Celia's stroller. Giles and Anya are going over her ledgers. Tara and Willow are off in the corner stocking jars. They're very touchy and giggly, basking in each other this morning. Xander sits at the table with a bunch of pastries, choosing one.
Giles smiles, "Good morning, Buffy, Piper."
Willow nods, "Dawn get off to school all right?"
Buffy is somewhat distracted, "What? Oh. I think so."
Piper nods, "Yeah she got off alright. I made her lunch and I know she took that."
Buffy and Piper cross to the seated Xander; Buffy drops her bag on the table and parks the stroller with Celia in it. Piper parks the stroller with Wyatt in it next to Celia and sits down in front of her niece and son.
Xander plays with his food, holding a long glazed cruller and a powdered donut. "Respect the cruller. And tame the donut!
Anya not looking up, not meaning it, "That's still funny, sweetie."
Buffy, still standing, tries to broach a subject she's not entirely comfortable with. "So, uh... no research? Nothing going on? Monsters, or what not?" General murmurs of no, not really, not so much... "Good. Good. That's uh... so, did anybody, um... last night, did anybody, uh... burst into song?"
Everybody stops as they exchange looks.
"Merciful Zeus." Xander said.
Willow looked to Tara, "We thought we were the only ones! It was bizarre!"
Piper nodded, "I sang to Wyatt last night. Which I do sometimes."
"Well, I sang, but I have my guitar at the hotel and I often..." Giles said.
"We were talking, and then... It was like..." Tara said.
"Like you were in a musical?" Buffy asked.
"... of course that would explain the huge backing orchestra I couldn't see and the synchronized dancing from the room service chaps..." Giles said.
"Xander and I were fighting about Monkey Trouble." Anya said.
"You have monkey trouble?" Piper asked, confused.
"It's a film." Xander said.
Anya nodded, "It's a corker!"
"Especially the ninth time." Xander said.
"And we were arguing and then everything rhymed, and there were harmonies and a dance with coconuts..." Anya said.
Xander sighed, "It was very disturbing."
"What did you sing about?" Piper asked Buffy.
"I, uh... I don't remember. But it seemed perfectly normal." Buffy said.
Piper looked to Buffy, not totally believing that she didn't remember what she had sang.
"But disturbing. And not the natural order of things and do you think it'll happen again? 'Cause I'm for the natural order of things." Xander said.
Giles nodded, "We should look into it."
"Exactly. With the books, and mulling, there could be mulling..." Willow said.
"Do we have any books about this?" Tara asked.
"I'll call Phoebe or Paige and have them check the Books." Piper said.
"Well, we've just gotta break it down, look at the factors, before it happens again–"
"I've got a theory, that it's a demon. A dancing demon – nyehh, something isn't right there."Giles sang.
"I've got a theory some kid is dreamin' and we're all stuck inside his crazy broadway nightmare." Willow sang.
Xander nodded. "I've got a theory we should work this out."
"It's getting eerie, what's this cheery singing all about." Willow, Anya, Tara and Piper sang.
Xander stands, urgent. "It could be witches some evil witches…" He turns to see Piper, Willow and Tara glaring at him. "Which is ridiculous because witches. They were persecuted. Wicca good and love the Earth and woman power and I'll be over here."
"I've got a theory it could be bunnies…" Everybody stares at Anya as she sang.
"I've got a –"Tara sang.
Anya interrupts with a heavy metal wail, the orchestration backing her changing just as abruptly. "Bunnies aren't just cut like everybody supposes. They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses. And what's with all the carrots. What do they need such good eyesight for anyway. Bunnies. Bunnies. It must be bunnies." There is a slight beat and then the music returns to what it was before Anya's solo. "Or maybe midgets."
"I've got a theory we should work this fast." Willow sang as Giles joined in with her. "Because it clearly could get serious before it's passed."
"I've got a theory it doesn't matter." Giles and Piper looks at Buffy perturbed. But Buffy takes the song, explaining. "What can't we face if we're together. What's in this place we can't weather. Apocalypse. We've all been there. The same old trips, why should we care."
The group joins in, not getting the undercurrent.
"What can't we do if we get in it. We'll work it through within a minute. We have to try. We know we'll pay the price, it's do or die."
"Hey, I've died four times…" Buffy gives a wry smile to Piper and Giles, who are won over and joins in, singing over the group.
"What can't we face if we're together."
"—What can't we face." Giles and Piper sang.
"What's in this place that we can't weather."
"—If we're together." Giles and Piper sang.
"There's nothing we can't face…"
"Except for bunnies…" Anya sang as the song came to its conclusion.
"See okay that was disturbing." Xander said.
Willow smiled. "I thought it was neat."
Buffy looked between Piper and Giles, "So what is it? What's causing it?"
"Thought it didn't matter." Giles said.
"Well I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish yet affordable boots but there's definitely something unnatural going on. And that doesn't usually lead to hugs and puppies." Buffy said.
"Well, is it just us? Is it only happening to us? That would probably mean a spell, or..." Anya said.
Piper stands and goes to the front door and looks outside.
Outside a man is holding a dry-cleaned shirt still on the hanger and in plastic. "They got the mustard out."
Behind him, others fan out similar shirts of varying colors, a few finishing dance moves.
"They got the mustard out!"
Piper shuts the door and turns back to the others. "It's not just us."
Later that afternoon the bell over the door rings as Dawn enters, excited. Anya, Piper, Xander and Giles are looking through books. Willow and Tara are still in their own love bubble. Buffy's paying attention to Celia and Wyatt.
"Oh my god you will never believe what happened at school today." Dawn said.
"Everybody started singing and dancing?" Buffy asked not looking up.
Dawn glares at her big sister. "I gave birth to a pterodactyl."
"Oh my god! Did it sing?" Anya said, shocked.
Deflated, Dawn joins them. "So, you guys too, huh?" She happens to look down at the floor and spots a talisman that someone must have dropped. She picks it up and pockets it intending to give it to Giles later when their not researching.
"So, what'd you sing about?" Xander asked.
"Math." Dawn said as she pockets the talisman, unseen, before walking over to the strollers. She picks up Celia. "How's my little niece today?" She sits down and bounces Celia on her knee.
Willow is whispering in Tara's ear with a wicked smile.
Tara suppresses her own, puts on serious face, "That's right! The, the volume! The text!"
"What text?" Piper asked.
"The volumey... text." Willow said in way of reply.
"You know." Tara said.
"The... murnenfurm report." Willow said.
"The what now?" Xander asked.
"We just have a few volumes in our dorm room that deal with mystical chants, bacchanals... might be relevant." Tara said.
"We could..." Willow said.
"Well, I'm a hair's breadth from investigating bunnies at this point, so I'm open to anything." Giles said.
Willow smiled, "We'll check it out, we'll give you a call."
"Yeah, this could blow the whole thing wide open." Tara said as she and Willow left.
Later…
"I bet they're not even working." Xander said.
"Who now?" Buffy asked.
"Willow and Tara. You see the way they were with each other? The get-a-roominess of them. I'll bet they're –" Xander said. "— singing. They're probably singing right now."
"I'm sure Willow and Tara are making every effort." Piper said having just got off the phone with Phoebe and Paige letting them know what was up.
"Oh yeah." Xander said.
"Xander..." Buffy said.
Dawn mistakes Buffy's warning of Xander thinking it was because of her. "Buffy it's not like I haven't heard about this stuff before. Remember our first year and we always heard Prue, Piper or even Phoebe talking about sex. On top of that Piper and I had the singing talk a couple years ago. Besides, it is all kind of romantic."
Buffy looks to Piper who nods indicating she had talked to Dawn about the birds and bees.
"No it's not." Xander said.
"Come on, songs, dancing around... what's gonna be wrong with that?" Dawn asked.
"Actually I was more thinking about Celia," Buffy said as she motioned towards her daughter. "Just because Dawn heard it since she was ten doesn't mean I want Celia to hear it all the time. I would appreciate it if Xander and Anya would curb the sex talk around my daughter."
The last rays of the sun are fading out as Buffy enters Spike's crypt. He's coming up the ladder as she shuts the door behind her. She has her usual lack of urgency.
"The sun sets, and she appears. Come to serenade me?" Spike said.
"So you know what's going on." Buffy said.
Spike nodded, "Well, I've seen some damn funny things, last two days. Six hundred pound Chorago demon making like Yuma Sumac, that one'll stay with you. I remain immune, happy to say. Drink?" He holds up a bottle.
"A world of no. You know anything about what's causing this?" Buffy said.
"So that's all, then. Just want to pump me for information." Spike said a little bitter.
"What else would I want to pump you for?" Buffy said before realizing what she just said. "I really said that, didn't I?"
Spike nodded, "Yeah, well, I won't bore you with the small talk. Don't know a thing."
Buffy senses the tension in him. "What's up? You're all bad moody."
"S'nothing. I'm glad you could stop by." Spike said as Buffy looks at him. "It's nothing."
"What." Buffy said.
"I died." Spike's as startled as she by the fact that he just sang two words. Is he really gonna...? "So many years ago… Bloody hell… And you can make me feel like it isn't so. But why you come to be with me I think I finally know." He gives himself over to it, rounding on her as he continues. "You're scared, ashamed of what you feel. And you can't tell the ones you love. You know they couldn't deal, but whisper in a dead man's ear that doean't make it real."
The music gets a little harder now, some rockosity...
"That's great. But I don't wanna play. 'Cause being near you touches me more than I can say. And since I'm only dead to you I'm saying stay away. And let me rest in peace." Spike flops onto the stone slab of the tomb as he sings the final phrase. Buffy is thrown by the request. But he is back up in a heartbeat, jumping off the tomb and circling her. "Let me rest in peace. Let me get some sleep. Let me take my love and bury it in a hold six foot deep. I can lay my body down but I can't find my sweet release. So let me rest in peace."
Spike drops to his knees in front of her, defiantly supplicant. And awfully close. "You know. You got a willing slave. And you love to play the thought that you might misbehave." He stands up and gets back in her face. "But til you do I'm telling you stop visiting my grave. And let me rest in peace." He throws the door open.
Moments later they are walking through the cemetery as Spike continues to sing. They see six men carrying a coffin toward an open grave where the priest and mourners wait. They are walking solemnly in time with the suddenly soft music. "I know I should go but I follow you like a man possessed. There's a traitor here beneath my breast. And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed. If my heart could beat it would break my chest. But I can see you're unimpressed. So leave me be, let me rest in peace."
Spike turns and jumps off a tombstone right onto the coffin the men are carrying. As the chorus continues, he throws himself flat on the coffin just as the lead men drop it and he back somersaults right into the midst of the mourners, frightening them all away by morphing into vampface as he continues to sing. "Let me get some sleep. Let me take my love and bury it in a hole six foot deep. I can lay my body down but I can't find my sweet release."
Buffy roughly grabs him away, he de-morphs and they spin, stumble and they both go tumbling into the grave. She lands on top of him, aware of the closeness. "So let me rest in peace. Why won't you let me rest in peace."
A moment of that old charged sexuality, and Buffy pushes herself up -
- pushes so hard the she comes flying out of the grave and lands on her feet, takes off running.
At the Manor Dawn dumps her bookbag contents on her and Buffy's bed as Tara pokes her head in. Tara had driven Dawn home from the Magic Box after she and Willow had returned.
"Lotta homework?" Tara asked.
"Math. It seemed so cool when we were singing about it..." Dawn said.
Tara nodded, "Well, Willow said they got a lead on this whole musical extravaganza evil. Something in your guys Book of Shadows about this Demon that can be summoned, some Lord of the Dance - but not the scary one. Just a demon."
"Do they know who summoned it?" Dawn asked.
"They don't even know its name yet. But Willow'll find out. She's the brainy type." Tara said.
"I'm glad you guys made up." Dawn said.
"What?" Tara asked, confused.
"That whole fight you guys had about Willow's use of personal gain spells."
"Dawn, we never talked about..." Tara said.
Dawn looked at her confused. She did remember the fight right? "Tara you two fought I remember it."
A horrible notion crosses Tara's mind. She pulls a little flowery herb from her pocket and looks at it. "Dawn, I... there's something I need at the shop. Will you be okay for a little while?"
Dawn rolled her eyes, "Charmed One, remember? Yeah I'll be fine."
Tara turns and heads out the door.
Dawn sighed and shook her head wondering if Willow had done yet another personal gain spell on Tara. She reaches into her pocket and notices the talisman she had forgotten to give Giles. Out of curiosity she puts it on and looks at herself in the mirror. She notices in the mirror as horrible Puppet Henchman flame in behind her. Before she can move or power up an energy ball, two more flame in and surround her as they throw a burlap sack over her head.
Moments later Dawn awakens, no longer in a sack. She lifts her head up, looks around and discovers that she is on the pool table at Payson's P5, light is streaming down dramatically on her.
She starts to move - and there is a deliberateness to her movement. Dawn dances almost classically, her gestures just slightly exaggerating her very real distress. She takes a few quick look about her and then tries to shimmer out. But nothing happens.
She heads for an exit - and a henchman appears, also dancing. Forcing her back. She turns and faces the second. They box her toward the middle of the dance floor. She spins, then drops dramatically backwards, caught one foot from the floor by the third henchman. He hoist her back up, she turns, all three of them coming for her...
One grabs her arm and spins her around, throwing her towards the stage, she goes down on her knees and slides, ends up right in front of a staircase coming down from the middle of the stage, her head at eye-level with a pair of very natty shoes.
That begin to tap.
He taps his way down the staircase and as Dawn rises and backs away from him (the henchmen retreating into corners), she get a look at his bright blue suit, then his face. Pure grinning evil, but not a bad looking guy. A monster with style.
"Why'd you run away, don't you like my style?" On the last word he stamps his foot and his suit instantly changes color to bright burnished red. "Why don't you come and play I guarantee a great big smile." He literally tears the smile off his face and holds it out to her. It begins to sing the next line before it disappears and reappears back on his face again. "I come from the imagination and I'm here strictly by your invocation."
He unravels a parchment that looks like an invitation. "So what'd you say why don't we dance a while." He dances about her. But Dawn doesn't join in, but her posture clearly shows she is still in the mode... "I'm the heart of swing. I'm the twist and shout. When you gotta sing. When you gotta let it out. You call me and I come a-runnin'. I turn the music on – I bring the fun in. Now we're partying – that's what it's all about. I know what you feel, girl. I know just what you feel, girl."
He sways with Dawn, who finds herself somewhat drawn in by his power... "So, you're, like... a good demon?" His laugh is as charming as it is unsettling. "Bringing... the fun in..."
"When these melodies they go on too long. All that energy well it comes on way too strong. All those hearts laid open – that must sting. Plus some customers just start compbusting." A door magically appears and he opens it to let a smoking corpse fall at Dawn's feet. "That's the penalty when life is but a song." He rounds on her now, all sweet menace. "You brought me down and doomed this town. So when we blow this scene. Back we'll go to my kingdom below and you will be my queen." She's, well, a little thrown. "'Cause I know what you feel, girl."
"No you see you and me wouldn't be very regal." Dawn sang.
"And I make it real, girl." He sang.
"What I mean I'm fifteen so this 'queen' thing's illegal." Dawn continued.
But he's into his routine, not paying her much heed as he dances... "I can bring whole cities to ruin. And still have time to get a soft shoe in."
Dawn frowned. "No that's great but I'm late and I'd hate to delay her."
"Something's cooking – I'm at the griddle. I bought Nero his very first fiddle." He continued.
"She'll get pissed if I'm missed. See, my sister's the Charmed Slayer."
He stops cold. Turns to her. "The Charmed Slayer?"
"Yuh huh." Dawn said.
He whips his head around to his henchmen. "Find her. Tell her... tell her everything. Just get her here. I want to see the Charmed Slayer burn. Now we're partying that's what it's all about."
At the Magic Box in the training room. Buffy kicks a wooden plank in two. Giles is holding it. Piper is watching from the doorway.
"Good. Good." Giles said.
"Am I supposed to bow now, or... have honor or something?" Buffy asked.
Giles shook his head, "It may seem hokey, but we need to work on precision and concentration as much as power. We're still not sure what we're facing."
"You or Piper'll figure it out. I'm just worried this whole session is going to turn into a training montage from an eighties movie." Buffy said.
"Well, if we hear any inspirational power chords we'll just lie down until they go away. Anyway, I don't think we need to work too much on strength." Giles said.
"Yeah, I'm pretty spry for a corpse." Buffy said.
The remark is not lost on either Piper or Giles. Piper is sure Phoebe is right that Buffy is disconnected from her emotions. She still isn't sure why she would be feeling grief though.
Giles goes to the wall to fetch the knives. He's in no hurry. "Have you, uh, spoken with Dawn at all about the incident at Halloween?"
Buffy looked to Piper. "I thought you took care of that."
This one really registers. Giles looks to Piper who sighed. Buffy doesn't get it they both understand that now.
"Right." Piper and Giles said.
"What would I do without you two." Buffy said as she finishes stretching. "Okay. I'm ready."
Giles turns to get the knives, singing. "You're not ready for the world outside. You keep pretending, but you just can't hide. I know I said that I'd be standing by your side. But I…" He takes a couple of knives, weighs them in his hand. He sings directly to Buffy and she isn't hearing a word he says.
Piper looks to Giles she doesn't have the urge to sing but she has noticed Buffy isn't listening.
Buffy twists her neck, sets herself to deflect the knives. He hurls the first two as he sings. "Your path's unbeaten, and it's all uphill. And you can meet it, but you never will." He hurls the last knife and she bats it away. "I wish I could say the right words to lead you through this land. Wish I could play the father and take you by the hand. Wish I could stay but now I understand I'm standing in the way."
"You just lie there, when you should be standing tall. But I… I wish I could lay your arms down and let you rest at last. Wish I could slay your demons but now that time has passed. Wish I could stay. We start with standing fast. But I'm standing in the way. I'm just standing in the way." Giles finished his song as Buffy turns to him.
"Did you say something?" Buffy asked.
Giles looks at her as she walks out of the training room.
Piper sighed and walked towards him. "That's not true is it? You don't blame yourself do you?"
Giles sighed. "Yes Piper I do. I'm in the way but so are you. You heard what she said when I asked her about Dawn on Halloween."
Piper nodded, "But it's different, Giles. I'm her family. And one thing I have learned since becoming a witch is that family help each other. I'm picking up the slack right now because of what she's going through. Once I'm sure she is better I will be adamant that she do what she is supposed to be doing. You have to remember she spent who knows how long in a demon dimension. Some latitude has to be given for that."
"Piper…" Giles started.
"Also Phoebe came upon another problem in regards to Buffy. That we're looking in to." Piper said before walking out into the front just as Spike walks in with one of the Puppet Henchman.
"Lookie lookie what I found." Spike said as he shoved the Puppet Henchman forward.
"Is this the demon guy?" Tara asked.
"Tara!" Willow said.
"Works for him. Has a nice little story for the Slayer, don't you?" Spike thrusts him forward again. "Come on, then. Sing."
Music swells as the henchman takes a breath... "My master has the Charmed Slayer's sister hostage at Payson's P5 because she summoned him and at midnight he's gonna take her to the underworld to be his Queen."
"What does he want?" Giles asked having come from the back room.
The Puppet Henchman points to Buffy. "Her."
Spike grabs him from behind. "If that's all you've got to say." He's flipped off by the henchman, who bolts out the still open door. "Strong. Someday he'll be a real boy..."
"So Dawn's in trouble. It must be Tuesday." Buffy said.
Piper looked to Phoebe who pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
"I just left her at the Manor…" Tara said.
"It's not your fault. Giles, Piper, what's the plan?" Buffy said.
"Plan, shman, let's mount up!" Xander said.
Giles shook his head. "No."
Everyone except Piper turns to him, surprised.
"Uh, Dawn may have had the wrong idea in summoning this creature but I've seen some of these underworld child-bride deals and they never end well. Maybe once." Anya said.
"We're not just gonna stay here..." Paige said.
"Yes we are. Buffy's going alone." Giles said.
Phoebe looked to Piper, "No answer at home."
"Don't be a stupid git, there's no –" Spike said.
"When I want your opinion, Spike, I... will never want your opinion." Giles said.
Spike turned to Buffy. "Forget them, Slayer, I got your back."
"I thought you wanted me to stay away from you. Isn't that what you sang?" Buffy doesn't say it with much snideness, but Spike takes it hard, looking embarrassedly about him.
"Spikey sang a widdle song?" Xander asked.
"Would you say it was a breakaway pop hit, or more of a book number?" Anya asked earnestedly.
"Let it go, sweetie." Xander said.
"Fine. I hope you dance til you burn. You and the little bit." Spike turns and walks out the door.
Buffy turns to Giles. "You're really not coming."
"It's up to you, Buffy." Giles said as looked pointedly at Piper.
"What do you expect me to do?" Buffy asked.
"Your best." Giles said.
Buffy looks around - it's clear that everyone, with exception of the sisters, are going to back Giles up. A beat, and she leaves.
Piper turned to Giles and frowned. "You really want her to die? Why don't you go head and leave if your so gung ho about it. Phoebe! Paige!"
Phoebe and Paige glare at Giles and follow Piper out the door.
Buffy walks to Payson's P5, not particularly quickly. A few people dance by, very West Side Story/Absolute Beginners vibe – fighting as much as dancing. There are some broken windows and a couple of trash fires. Low level chaos.
Buffy stands before a trashfire and puts her hand slowly out toward the flame. "I touch the fire and it freezes me. I look into it and it's black. Why can't I feel. My skin should crack and peel. I want the fire back." She starts off again... "Now through the smoke she calls to me. To make my way across the flame. To save the day or maybe melt away. I guess it's all the same. So I will walk through the fire 'cause where else can I turn. I will walk through the fire and let it burn!"
"So one by one they turn from me. I guess my friends and family can't face the cold. But why I froze not one among them knows. And never can be told. So I will walk through the fire and let it burn." Buffy sang. "These endless days are finally ending in a blaze." She walks up to the front door of Payson's P5. "And I am caught in the fire the point of no return. So I will walk through the fire and let it burn. Let it burn! Let it burn! Let it… burn!"
Buffy kicks the door of the club off its hinges.
"Showtime..." The demon said.
Buffy walks slowly in to find him seated on stage, Dawn on the floor leaning up against his chair, almost like an exotic slavegirl. The Puppet Henchmen are in the shadows, surrounding Buffy, getting closer...
"I love a good entrance." He said.
"How are you with death scenes?" Buffy asked as he laughs. "You got a name?"
"I got a hundred." He said.
"Well, I aughta know what to call you if you're gonna be my brother in law." Buffy said.
"Buffy I swear I didn't do it." Dawn said.
Buffy looks at her baby sister. "Don't worry, you're not going anywhere. I am."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"Deal's this: I can't kill you, you take me to hellsville in her place." Buffy said.
"What if I kill you?"
Buffy grinned. "Trust me. It won't help."
"That's gloomy." He said.
"That's life." Buffy said.
He rises, starts down the steps as his henchmen get closer to Buffy. "Come now, is that really what you feel? Isn't life a miraculous thing?"
"I think you already know..." Buffy said. "Life's a show and we all play our parts. And when the music starts we open up our hearts. It's all right if somethings come out wrong. We'll sing a happy song and you can sing along." Piper, Phoebe and Paige walk in through the door. She attacks the henchman as Piper hits one with her exploding power vanquishing it. The others turn towards Piper, Phoebe and Paige acknowledging that Piper is the threat here. They attack the sisters. "Where's there's life there's hope. Every day's a gift. Wishes can come true. Whistle while you work. So hard. All day. To be like other girls. To fit into this glittering world."
Piper vanquishes the other two henchman with her exploding power as Giles, Tara, Willow, Xander and Anya come through the door.
"She needs backup. Phoebe. Paige." Piper said
Phoebe and Paige go to back up Buffy, while the others circle around. But all they do is get behind Buffy and sing back up AAAAHHHs.
"Don't give me songs. Don't give me songs. Give me something to sing about. I need something to sing about." She notices everyone is there, splits her attention as she sings to everyone and no one. "Life's a show you don't get to rehearse. And every single verse can make it that much worse. Still my friends and family don't know why I ignore the million things or more I should be dancing for. All the joys life sends. Family and friends. All the twists and bends knowing that it ends. Well that depends on if they let you go. On if they know enough to know that when you've bowed you leave the crowd."
Buffy's about to go into the chorus - but the energy goes from her. She can hardly look at her friends. Piper and Phoebe have backed off as Spike enters, takes it all in, stonefaced. "There was no pain, no fear, no doubt. Til they pulled me out of heaven. So that's my refrain. I live in hell 'cause I was expelled from heaven. I think I was in heaven."
Phoebe, Paige, Piper and Dawn look at Buffy shocked. And suddenly they each know what the grief was for that she had been experiencing. She was grieving about being ripped out of heaven. They turn and glare at Willow who looks down ashamed at what she did as tears fall from her eyes.
Buffy turns to Sweet, vehement. "So give me something to sing about. Please give me something…" She starts dancing, giving herself up to it, faster and faster - until she begins, literally, to smoke.
She's spinning - about to combust - when she is physically stopped by Spike. He holds her arms for a moment as the smoke wafts around them, the danger past. "Life's not a song. Life ins't bliss. Life is just this: it's living. You'll get along, the pain you can feel. You only can heal by living, you have to go on living. So one of us is living."
Dawn stands and walks to the edge of the stage. "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." There is affection, but also toughness in the way she parrots Buffy's phrase back at her.
"Now that was a showstopper. Not quite the fireworks I was looking for –" The demon said.
"Get out of here." There is such quiet vehemence in Willow's voice - and the look on her face is shared by pretty much everybody.
"Hmm, I smell power. I guess the little missus and I should be on our way." The demon said.
Piper frowned, "That's never gonna happen."
"I don't make the rules; she summoned me." He said.
Dawn frowned, "I so did not! He keeps saying that!"
He smiled, "You've got my talisman on, sweet thing."
Dawn looks down at the necklace, realizes. "Oh! No! This was at the Magic Box I found it on the floor. I was going to give it to you Giles after we were done researching but I forgot... But I didn't summon anything."
"Well now, that's a twist."
Giles looked at the others, "If it was at the shop, that means one of us had to..."
Xander raises his hand.
"Xander?" Anya asked.
"I didn't know what was gonna happen! I just heard, you know, revelries and song and... I wanted to be sure we'd work out. Get a happy ending." Xander said.
The demon laughs. Big time. "And I think it worked out just fine."
"Does this mean I have to... be your queen?" Xander asked, worried the answer would be yes.
"It's tempting. But I think we'll waive that clause just this once. Big smiles, everyone: you beat the bad guy!" The demon said. "What a lot of fun. You guys have been… swell! And there's not a one who can say this ended well. All those secrets you been concealing. Say your happy now – Once More With Feeling! Well I gotta run, see you all in Heeelll!" He flames out right at the last line, the final two words ringing out from emptiness.
Everyone is silent for a moment as they all stand about. But suddenly the silence is broken.
"Where do we go from here." Dawn moves down from the stage to join the others.
"Where do we go from here." Buffy and Spike sang.
"The battle's done and we kind of won." Giles and Piper sang before Tara joined in. "So we sound our vict'ry cheer. Where do we go from here."
"Why is the path unclear." Xander and Anya sang. "When we know home is near."
"Understand we'll go hand in hand, but we'll walk alone in fear." Everyone joined in as they did exactly what they said joining hands before separating and taking a step away from each other. "Tell me, where do we go from here. When does 'The End' appear. When do the trumpets cheer. The curtains close on a kiss – god knows. We can –"
Suddenly, Spike realizes what he's doing. "Bugger this." And heads out as the rest continue...
"—Tell the end is near. Where do we go from here."
Outside Spike heads down the alley, but is stopped by…
"Hey."
Spike turns, uncertain of what Buffy wants. "You should go back in. Finish the big group sing, get your KoombaYa-Ya's out."
"I don't want to..." Buffy said.
"Day you suss out what you do want, there'll probably be a parade. Seventy six bloody trombones." Spike said.
Buffy sighed. "Spike, I..."
"Look, you don't have to say anything. We both know I can talk enough for both of –" Spike said.
"I touch the fire and it freezes me. I look into it and it's black. This isn't real but I just want to feel…" Buffy sang.
"I died so many years ago. But you can make me feel…" Spike sang as they moved closer together and they the kiss suddenly and passionately.
A moment later they break apart. Spike turns and heads back to his crypt leaving Buffy standing there alone. But she isn't alone for long.
"Payson." A voice said behind her.
Buffy turns to see Joyce standing there, "Mom?"
Joyce walks over to her daughter and hugs her. "Hello, my darling."
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asks.
Joyce sighs, "Payson, don't let the guilt of being in Heaven eat you up. You weren't supposed to remember even being in Heaven to begin with. But you left voluntarily."
Buffy's eyes go wide, "Why would I do that?"
"Because you are needed, here. If you didn't come back there was a possibility that things could have gone from bad to worse in your absence. The Elders gave you a choice to either stay in Heaven. Or come back and try to prevent Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Dawn's deaths." Joyce says.
Buffy shakes her head; she can't believe what she is hearing. She voluntarily left when Willow cast her spell. "Why are you telling me this, mom?"
Joyce sighs, "Because you needed to know. Please don't let this eat you up any more than it has, Payson. There are two battles on the horizon. That will fulfill each of your destinies, both Charmed and Slayer. When the time comes you will be needed."
Joyce smiles at her daughter letting it all sink in. "Take care of Dawn and Celia. I love you and Dawn as well as my granddaughter." She vanishes just as Dawn walks out of Payson's P5.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked. "What are you doing out here?"
"Just thinking. I think it's time you started using the Halliwell name, don't you Prudence?" Buffy said.
Dawn looked at Buffy and smiled, "What brought this on? You were always against my using the Halliwell name or the one mom wanted to give me when I was born."
Buffy looked back at the door of the club, "Shimmer us someplace quiet."
Dawn took Buffy's hand and they shimmer to the Manor. "So?"
"I had a visit from mom tonight Dawn, shortly after I left the club. She reminded me of something I haven't been doing since Willow brought me back. I'm supposed to be taking care of you and Celia. And instead I left you to be looked after by Piper and you have looked after Celia. That ends tonight. Starting tonight we're going to be a family again. I think the first change should be acknowledging that you are a Halliwell." Buffy said.
Author's Note: Someone reviewed wondering what Piper, Phoebe and Paige would sing about. I'm not a songwriter and don't think I could do the chapter justice by trying to pretend I am. If someone feels they can make a good song for Piper, Phoebe and Paige to sing I welcome you to try and submit it. I will either edit this chapter or add it as a one shot and give you credit.