Chapter 158: Seeing Red
Soft light of morning filtered through the window, creating a warm glow. Willow and Tara laid beneath the covers, slick with sweat and out of breath.
"When did morning happen?" Willow asked.
"After the moon went down," Tara said.
Willow laughed kissing Tara soft and sensual. "Mmm. I forgot how good this could feel. Us. Together. Without the magic."
"There was plenty of magic, Will." Tara said.
Willow smiled as she snuggled closer to Tara, who gently stroked her hair. She eyed the sunlight streaming through the window. "It's getting late."
"You want to get up?" Tara asked.
"No. God, no. I was just thinking about Buffy," Willow said.
"Oh. She's still not back?" Tara said.
"I didn't hear her," Willow said. "She flamed back alone. She wouldn't talk about what happened at the Magic Box when she got home last night. Buffy just wanted to know how close I got to tracing the camera signal back to the Empire of the Nerds. And then she left again before Dawn shimmered in looking for Buffy."
"What did Dawn do?" Tara wondered.
"Buffy was making it difficult to track her, Dawn said," Willow explained. "Dawn figured she wanted to do this alone. I think she's been downstairs all night, waiting for Buffy to come home."
"I'm sure she'll be okay." Tara said.
"I'm not worried about her going up against Warren and the others. I know this is going to sound crazy, but ... I think there might be something going on. With Buffy and Spike."
"Are you sure?" Tara asked. "Buffy and Dawn are in love, why would she …"
"I don't know," Willow said. "But Buffy looked so hurt when she saw him with Anya."
"They were sleeping together."
Tara and Willow turned and saw Dawn standing in the doorway in nothing but a sheer nightie.
Willow laughed. "I don't …"
"Will," Dawn said. "Before Buffy and I got together, she told me. She and Spike had been sleeping together. I'm the reason she stopped sleeping with him. Because I give her the one thing Spike can't, love."
"How could she hide something like that from me?" Willow wondered.
Dawn sighed. "She was afraid of how we all would act. She didn't tell me till she realized the feelings she had for me."
"You two do talk about that, right?" Willow asked.
"We do," Dawn said. "I've been helping her, not only with that but other things as well. But I guess its not been enough. By the way congratulations on getting back together. Here Willow." She handed Willow a vial. "It'll unbind your powers."
Willow took the vial and looked at it. "Do you guys think I'm ready?"
"Tara?" Dawn said.
"I think your ready," Tara said. "And with Dawn, Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and my training. You won't rely on the magic again. There will be no more personal gain."
Willow slowly nodded as she uncorked the vial and drank the potion down.
"I'll leave you two to get reacquainted," Dawn said as she moved to exit back into the hall.
"Dawn," Tara said. "Thank you."
Dawn was sure what Tara was thanking her for. If it had not been for her and Buffy, Tara might have held off on returning to Willow. "You're welcome," she said as she closed the door behind her.
Elsewhere Buffy flamed into Warren, Jonathan and Andrew's lair. "All right. Let's make this quick," she said but got no response. "Fine. But I'm not leaving till we have a little chat." She spots a bunch of obscenely sexy Vampirella-type action figures and frowned at them. "Very little, considering the pummeling that needs to transpire." She started poking around, seeing what they'd been up to. She ended up by a white board which was tilted at an angle.
"I mean, hello. Slayer here, guys. Did you really think I wouldn't find you," Buffy said as she tilted the white board and read the two words written on it: Too Late. She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Well that can't be good."
A huge buzz saw popped out of the wall, slicing the white board in half as Buffy dove out of the way, barely avoiding the whirling blade. Half a dozen more blades appear, shredding everything in their path. Buffy dodged left and right, a split hair away from being diced and sliced.
Two saw blades slice the air, one aimed at her knees the other at her chest. Buffy dove between theme spinning in mid-air. She landed on her feet and made tracks for the door, grabbing evidence as she went. She dove out of the door with an armload of books, papers, and data CDs and hit the ground hard.
As Buffy rose she noticed that a saw blade had slashed the front of her jacket. "Okay. Now that's gonna cost you," she said. "That was a birthday present from Dawn."
After Buffy returned home she had barely set everything on the table when Dawn was in her arms.
"Don't ever do that again," Dawn said. "You had me worried."
"Sorry, Dawnie," Buffy said as she kissed Dawn.
"Isn't it nice to see two people in love."
Buffy and Dawn turned and saw Willow and Tara at the base of the stairs.
"Back at ya," Dawn said. She looked at Buffy. "We can do this ourselves, if you two want to be alone."
"No, we're good," Willow said.
"We're better than good," Tara said as she couldn't help giving Willow a shy, sexy-thrilled smile.
"Great," Buffy and Dawn said.
"Super..." Willow said as she kissed Tara.
Dawn smiled and decided to follow Willow and Tara's example and swept Buffy up in her arms. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Buffy said as she kissed Dawn.
Willow and Tara laughed. "At least we aren't the only ones in love," Willow said.
"We know," Buffy said. "It's just nice that we both have our true love's standing by our side."
"I couldn't agree more," Willow agreed.
"So, em, nerds. How are them? They?" Tara asked.
"Well. I found their lair, but they must've known we were tracing their signal. They left in hurry—their van was gone, but everything else was still there," Buffy said.
"We should go back. Tara and I could Sherlock around and –" Willow said.
Buffy shook her head. "There's nothing left. Giant buzz saws. It was a thing. This was all I could save. I know it's not much, but we need to look for anything that might tell us where they're going, what they're planning."
Tara picked up a big arcane text bound by a metal clasp. The bottom half broke off, buzz-sawed at an angle and loose bits of parchment flutter. "Umm, this might take awhile."
"Anything we can do to fast forward?" Buffy asked. "We need to find Warren and the others before anyone else gets hurt."
"Should we call Xander?" Willow asked.
"Xander's not, I don't think he's in the Scooby space," Buffy said. "Let's give him same time."
"What about Anya? She might be able to help with some of the demon texts," Tara suggested.
"I'm guessing she's not feeling all researchy right now," Buffy said.
"I'll head over to the manor," Dawn said as she picked up some of the books. "See what Piper, Phoebe and Paige can maybe make out of this."
Buffy nodded as Dawn shimmered out.
Dawn dropped the books off at Piper with the request to look through them. Then she shimmered over to Xander's apartment and knocked.
Xander opened the door and stared at Dawn.
"Hey," Dawn said.
"Hey," Xander said softly as he walked back into his apartment.
Dawn hesitated for a second and then followed him through the still open door. She noticed that Xander has not been in the best of moods since last night as there several things on the floor either smashed or broken.
"Think there's still a cold one in the fridge," Xander said. "Haven't gotten around to busting the major appliances yet."
"Xander, still a year to young," Dawn said.
"Right," Xander said as he toasted her with his beer and slide onto the couch.
"So how many is that?" Dawn asked.
"General Cirrhosis has seized control of Liver Parliament," Xander said as he smiled weakly and sipped his beer.
"Xander, she loves you," Dawn said softly. "You know that. What Anya did ... She was just hurting, Xander. She was hurting and she did this really stupid thing."
"With your girlfriend's boyfriend," Xander said. "You should be just as mad as I am for that."
Dawn sighed. "He's not Buffy's boyfriend."
"I know why Anya did... I understand that. I do. But Buffy ..." Xander said as his face gave way to confusion and hurt. "All those times I told Spike to get lost, that he didn't have a chance with Buffy." He laughed bitterly, kicking himself for being such a fool.
"Buffy has had it hard," Dawn said. "I'm not excusing what happened. But I understand why it happened."
"Like lying to me?" Xander asked. "First about you and Buffy and then about her and Spike."
Dawn shook her head. "Buffy had it hard, just being here. After she was brought back, every day for her was a struggle just being here. Think about it, she was ripped out of heaven. She was traumatized by that. She was detached for a long time from her own emotions. Till she started sleeping with Spike she had felt nothing, then she felt hate. She hated what she let Spike to her. Then Celia came back from the future to take Chris to the future. And when he came back from the future, he told Buffy that Celia was dead. And Buffy felt sadness for the first time. It wasn't till she realized her feelings for me that she finally felt love."
"She could have told me," Xander said.
"I know," Dawn said.
"What was she thinking?" Xander wondered.
"We may never know," Dawn replied. "I don't think Buffy is even sure. Oh I think in the beginning it was so she could feel anything at all. Even if it was hatred aimed at herself."
"Yeah. Lot of that going around," Xander said as he crushed his beer can, tossed it on the coffee table as he headed for the door.
"I'm sorry," Dawn said.
"I know," he said as he walked out.
Dawn then shimmered out.
Elsewhere Buffy cracked a vampire hard across the chops. "Not bad. How hard you donna hit when you're blowin' in the wind?" She whipped out a stake and drove it into the vampires heart as he landed one last kick sending her flying back into a headstone breaking it in half as he exploded into dust.
Buffy grimaced as she stood up, pain shooting through her back. "That was rhetorical," she said as she flamed back home.
She quietly changed into a bathrobe and walked into the bathroom. She went to the tub, grimacing at the pain in her back as she leaned down to start the water.
"You hurt?"
Buffy gasped as she spun to face Spike. "Get out."
"We need to talk," Spike said.
"I really don't," Buffy said.
"This isn't just about you—as much you'd like it to be," Spike said.
"You spoke. I listened. You leave," Buffy said.
"I'm sorry," Spike said sincerely. The sincerity in his voice affected Buffy despite her anger and hurt. "Not that it matters now. But I needed you to know that."
"Why?" Buffy asked.
"Because I care about you," Spike said.
"Then you might want to try the not sleeping with my friends," Buffy said.
"That's not ... I didn't go to Anya for that. I was looking for a spell," Spike said.
"You were going to use a spell on me?" Buffy said, her anger rising again.
"It wasn't for you. I wanted something—anything to make this feeling stop. I just wanted it to stop," Spike said. "You should have let him kill me."
"I couldn't," Buffy said.
"Why?" Spike asked.
"You know why," Buffy said.
"Because you love me," Spike said.
"No. I don't," Buffy said softly and honestly.
"Why do you keep lying to yourself?" Spike wondered.
"I'm not saying I don't have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to become that," Buffy said.
"Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy. Great love is wild and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes," Spike said.
"Until there's nothing left. That kind of love doesn't last."
Spike moved toward Buffy. "I know you feel like I do. You don't have to hide it anymore." He moved to kiss her.
"Spike –" Buffy said as she gently tried to get him to stop.
"Let yourself feel it..." he said as he became more forceful.
"Stop it ..." Buffy said as she struggled with Spike.
"You love me..."
"Don't –"
Buffy stumbled back, grabbing the shower curtain as she fell. The shower curtain rings popped off like gunfire as she went down, WHACK! She gasped in pain as her back cracked against the edge of the tub, then her head as she stumbled more, dazing herself.
Spike was suddenly on her, pinning her against the back of the tub, oblivious to her pain. His kisses were desperate, forceful. "Let it go ... Let yourself love me ..."
"Stop it ... please ... stop ..." Buffy said but Spike didn't listen as sje struggled with him.
"I know you felt it ... When I was inside you ..." Spike said.
"Don't ..." Buffy said as she managed to push him off her and she scuttled for the door like a wounded animal. He caught her leg, scrambling back on top of her and pinning her wrists down.
"You're going to let me inside you ..." Spike said.
"Please ..." Buffy said.
"You'll feel it again, Buffy ..."
"Spike, stop ..."
Spike tore at Buffy's robe, getting it open. "I'll make you feel it ..."
"STOP!" Buffy screamed as she shoved him back hard. He flew across the room smashing into the opposite wall, cracking the plaster and crashing to the floor. She stood trembling with rage, fear and reclaimed power. "Ask me again why I could never love you. Ask me why the only person I could ever love in this way is Dawn."
Spike looked up at her, realizing how far he just crossed the line. "Oh god. Buffy ... I didn't –"
"Because I stopped you. Something I should have done a long time ago."
Spike can muster no response, the weight of his actions crushing down on him. Buffy stood motionless, her eyes slick with anger—and a tinge of fear from almost being violated.
Downstairs Dawn walked through the front door and frowned, wondering why it was hanging open. "Buffy?" she shouted. Panic started to enter her when she didn't hear Buffy's voice.
~Baby.~ came Buffy's telepathic response.
"Buffy, where are you?" Dawn called out as she walked through the first floor; the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the sitting room. Nothing. She headed toward the stairs and there she saw it draped across the banister at the foot of the stairs was Spike's leather coat.
She hurried up the stairs. "Buffy! Tell me where you are!" she yelled.
~Bathroom.~
Dawn opened the bathroom door slowly and found Buffy sitting on the edge of the tub in her torn bathrobe.
"Buffy?" Dawn said instantly worried for her lover as she saw the torn robe and the tears in Buffy's eyes. "What did he do?" Anger slowly crept into her voice. "Did he hurt you? Buffy?"
"He tried. He didn't..." Buffy said as she noticed a bruise on her thigh and self-consciously covered it with the remains of her robe.
"Son of a bitch," Dawn said as she headed for the door.
"Don't," Buffy said softly as Dawn stopped at the door, shaking with anger. "Please, just ... don't."
Dawn stood there, paralyzed, her fury giving way to concern for her lover. The downstairs door banged shut. She tensed up as feet pounded up the stairs. Xander and Willow appeared in the doorway, with Tara just behind them.
"Hey, I think we finally got something –" Willow said and then she, Xander and Tara saw Buffy. Saw the anger on Dawn's face. And they knew something bad had happened.
"What happened?" Xander asked.
"Nothing," Buffy said as she wiped her eyes. "Baby, please."
Dawn looked at Buffy and slowly nodded as she returned to Buffy's side. She looked at Willow and Xander. "Go on downstairs. I'm going to help Buffy and then we will meet you all in the dining room to discuss what you all found out."
Willow nodded as she and Tara pulled Xander with them and down the stairs.
"Buffy, I can't promise I won't go after him, someday," Dawn said. "For what he did."
"I know," Buffy said as she leaned against Dawn. "And I wouldn't blame you if you did. But please don't leave me, not right now."
"Alright," Dawn agreed as she helped Buffy into her room and helped her sister and lover to get dressed. Then they made their way downstairs into the dining room.
"We were able to decipher pretty much everything except these," Willow said as Buffy and Dawn sat down at the table. She handed them a half dozen sheets of a parchment inscribed with strange markings.
"It's not written in any ancient language we could identify –" Tara said.
Xander chuckled. "It's Klingon. They're love poems—which have nothing to do with the insidious scheme you're about to describe."
"What do you got that doesn't rhyme?" Buffy asked as Dawn held her. She was grateful that she and Dawn did not have to hide this from their friends anymore. It made comforting each other that much easier. And right now they both needed comforting.
"This," Tara said as she held up a data CD.
"It was filled with encoded blueprints and schematics," Willow said as she laid out a stack of computer printouts.
"To what?" Dawn asked, they could still hear the anger in her voice but it was calmer now than it had been upstairs in the bathroom.
Tara shuffled through the printouts. "Banks, armored car routes, corporate vaults ... This is big," she said.
"They're looking to score some serious dinero. I don't think they're planning just one job," Willow said.
"Spree, anyone?" Xander asked.
"I can't cover all of these at once," Buffy said.
"You don't have to. There's one here we think they'll hit tonight," Willow said.
Tara nodded in agreement. "It's time sensitive," she said as Willow handed Buffy a printout.
"Be careful. Warren's gone all Mighty Mouse. Emphasis on the might," Xander said as he showed them the bruise on his jaw and filled him in on the fight he had with Warren at Payson's P5.
"Good. Dawn and I won't have to hold back," Buffy said knowing Dawn needed to release her anger as much as she herself did, and going after Warren, Jonathan and Andrew might do the job.
At an amusement park an administrator lay unconscious on the ground. Warren latched onto the back of the armored car. Its tires spun, smoking in frustration. Warren gritted his teeth and heaved, violently slamming the armored car on its side. Steam hissed from the crumpled hood as the guards inside the cab are knocked unconscious.
"Man, I can't wait to get my hands on his orbs," Andrew said.
"Yeah. I'm sure he'll be giving 'em up any second," Jonathan said sarcastically.
Warren ripped the thick steel door off the back of the armored car and tossed it aside.
"Is this your bank?"
Warren jerked his head up to find Buffy and Dawn standing above him on top of the overturned car.
"'Cause if not, there's gonna be a fee for that," Buffy said as she dropped down on Warren. He caught her mid fall and flung her. She flamed out and back in safely on the ground.
"I was wondering when Super Bitch would show up," Warren said as she walked toward Buffy.
"You really got a problem with strong women, don't you?" Dawn asked as she powered up an energy ball.
"Nothing I can't handle," Warren said as Dawn threw the energy ball and it hit him in the back sending him flying.
Dawn blinked that should have done more than just knock him around, it was low voltage since he was mortal, but it should have at least gave him the same voltage as a taser and knocked him out.
As Warren got up off the ground Buffy came at him and they exchanged blows, going to toe to toe. No matter how hard she hit him, Warren kept coming. He landed a couple of hard blows and she staggered back.
"Seem a little off. Bad day?" Warren asked.
"It's getting better," Buffy said as Dawn threw another energy ball knocking him back into the base of an archway.
Warren shook the blow off as he laughed. "That all you two got?"
Stone cracked above him and he whipped his head up just in time to see a huge section of the upper arch break loose from the impact and fall on top of him. "
"No!" Andrew shouted.
Buffy and Dawn whipped their heads around and spotted Jonathan and Andrew. They started toward them, their her eyes flashing with anger.
"There's two ways this can end. And right about now I'm thinking they're both gonna hurt," Dawn said.
"I think you're right," Andrew said as a rumbling split the air behind Buffy and Dawn. They turned and saw Warren rising from beneath the rubble.
"What's the matter baby? Never fight a real man before," Warren said as he grinned at them.
Warren attacked, raining blows down on both Buffy and Dawn as they countered spun and caught him with a perfectly timed kick to the back. Warren sailed into the side of the armored car, denting the steel and landing in a heap.
"You okay," Dawn said as Buffy trying to catch her breath sagged.
Warren stood up and as he cracked his neck he laughed. He was enjoying himself. "Wow. That almost hurt, kittens."
Buffy gritted her teeth and before Dawn had a change to join her in attacking Warren, Buffy was already trading blows.
"Kill her! Kill her!" Andrew yelled.
Buffy is so exhausted she can barely defend herself. Warren savors the moment, landing blows at will, toying with her. "You know who I am?"
"You're a murderer," Dawn said as she threw an energy ball.
Warren laughed as he moved out of the way of the energy ball and advanced on Dawn. "That too. But more to the point –" She tried to him him and he blocked it as he smached her hard across the face with an open hand. "I'm the guy that beat the both of you. And it's not the muscles, baby."
Buffy came up behind Warren and went to throw a punch and he blocked her and smacker her across the face sending her reeling next to Dawn. "I'll remember that when we knock 'em clean out of your –"
Jonathan suddenly leapt onto Buffy's back, screaming like a madman.
Warren paused, laughing at the spectacle. "Whoa, Sparky! Didn't think you had it in you."
"The orbs! Smash his orbs –" Jonathan hissed in Buffy's ear.
~Buffy.~ Dawn thought having noticed Jonathan's lips moving.
~He said to smash Warren's orbs,~ Buffy though as she threw Jonathan off him.
~Look into his mind. See what's talking about. I'll keep Warren busy.~
Buffy nodded as Dawn moved in front of Warren and he began beating the hell out of Dawn. Buffy concentrated on Jonathan's mind trying to find what he was talking about.
Dawn managed to block several blows, then delivers a stunning kick to Warren's crotch, which had no effect. Warren infuriated for being kicked in the croch landed a blow to her stomach, sending her gasping to her knees.
~Dawn, on his belt. There are two orbs in a leather pouch. Smash them and he becomes powerless.~
Dawn barely nodded as Warren reared his fist back for a deathblow. As he does, his jacket pulled back revealing the leather pouch.
"Say good night, bitch," Warren said.
Dawn ripped the pouch off Warren and smashed it into the ground.
Warren grunted in pain as his eyes flashed red for an instant and then its gone.
Dawn stood as Buffy came up next to her. "Good night, bitch," she said as Buffy spun around and kicked Warren in the chest sending him flying back. He landed hard, bloodied and bruised. Buffy and Dawn advanced slowly, their contempt for Warren blazing. He struggled to his feet, trying to bite back the tears of pain and humiliation.
"You're nothing but a sad little boy, Warren," Buffy said. "But it's time to grow up—and pay for what you've done."
"Get away from me!" Warren said as he desperately stripped of his jacket to reveal a jet pack. "I swear to god I'm gonna take you two down. You piece of …" He hit a a thumb ignition switch and rocketed off into the sky on a pillar of jet exhaust.
Dawn and Buffy craned their necks, watching in disbelief.
"Oh come on," Dawn said.
"Well played, Slayer!" Andrew said as he ripped off his jacket to reveal another jet pack.
"Why didn't I get one of those?!" Jonathan wondered.
"This round to you. But the game is far from over," Andrew said as he hit the ignition. He shot up into the air and slammed into an overhanging roof and crashed back to earth, unconscious.
The next day Buffy and Dawn poked around the yard trying to find more hidden cameras.
"Time for the Spring Poking already?" Xander asked as he entered the backyard.
"Just making sure there's no more Evil Trio cameras. Or Evil Uno," Buffy explained.
"The sinister yet addictive card game?" Xander joked.
"Warren," Dawn said. "Jonathan and Andrew got klinked, but Warren pulled a Rocket Man. It was a thing."
"You'll both find him. He won't be much good without his friends," Xander said.
"No. He won't," Buffy said softly.
"How did we get here?" Xander asked a second later.
"Scenic route. Long drive," Buffy replied.
"These last few weeks..." Xander said.
Buffy sighed. "I know."
"I thought I hit bottom, but ... It hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike. It hurt," Xander said.
Buffy looked to Dawn.
"I told him, everything," Dawn said.
Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have been the one who told you, not Dawn. I should have told you, Willow, Piper, Phoebe and Paige months ago."
"Maybe you would have. If I hadn't given you so many reasons to think I'd be an ass about it," Xander said.
"Guess we've both done a lot of things lately we're not proud of," Buffy said.
"Think I got you beat," Xander said.
Dawn said. "You two wanna compare?"
"Not so much," Buffy and Xander said as they shared a smile.
"I don't know what I'd do ... without you two and Will and Piper, Phoebe or Paige," Xander said..
"Let's not find out," Buffy said as she took him into her arms and he hugged her close. When she released him, Dawn was in there hugging him also. "I love you. You know that. right?"
"I love you, too," Dawn added.
Xander was about to reply as his eyes went wide in horror. "Buffy –"
Buffy turned as her telepathic power picked up on Warren's thoughts.
"You think you two can just do that to me? That I'd let you both get away with it?" Warren said angrily. "Think again –" He raised a black automatic handgun and aimed it at Buffy and Dawn.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled as she grabbed Xander and flamed out. "Shimmer, now!"
But Buffy's warning came to late as Warren opened fire. As Buffy and Xander flamed back in they saw Warren running out of the yard, firing wildly as he went.
"Sweet fancy Moses! Where the hell did he get –" Xander said and then his face froze in horror. "Buffy!"
Buffy turned and followed Xander's gaze to Dawn, who lay on the ground, face up, blood leaking from a bullet wound in her upper left chest.
"Oh goddess," Buffy said as she rushed to Dawn's side. She looked at Xander. "Call 911."
Xander nodded as he raced into the house.
"Dawn," Buffy said as Dawn sputtered blood, unable to respond. "Hold on, baby, please." She pressed her hands against Dawn's chest, trying to stop the flow of blood. The blood flowered through her fingers, pooling beneath them and spreading across the grass.
Dawn's breath came in ragged gasps. She stared blankly up at the clear blue sky, her skin pale as she went into shock...