The Great War
'But diesel is desire, you were playin' with fire. And maybe it's the past that's talkin'. Screamin' from the crypt. Tellin' me to punish you for things you never did. So I justified it'
CHAPTER FIVE
"Say that again" said Buffy
"Spike is alive and he's with Angel in LA" said Giles
Tears sprung to Buffy's eyes "No… he would've called me, he would've come here"
"We don't know how he came back" said Xander
"You mean without a soul? Uh hello? Soulless Spike loved me before the soul even came into the equation!" said Buffy "I need to go"
Buffy rushed out of the room and went upstairs to pack her things. She pulled out a duffel bag from under her bed and started going through her wardrobe, looking for Slayer-friendly outfits.
She ran around her room piling clothes into her bag. Daniel slipped into the room and lent against the wall watching her gather her things.
"Need any help?" He asked
"Uh could you hand me my hairbrush? It's on the dresser over there" she replied
He nodded and slowly walked toward the dresser, picking up the hair brush he turned back around and handed it to her.
"So I'll just stay here then" he told her
"What?" She asked packing things into her bag still
"Well you asked for Faith and Willow… I wasn't invited" he shrugged
"I don't have time for this" she muttered
"My fiancée is going off to see not one but two of her exes and I don't get the invite" he yelled
"It's a dangerous situation!" said Buffy as she stopped packing
"I could help" Daniel offered
"I can't risk you" she told him
Daniel thought for a moment "So is this about my lack of superpowers or is this about Spike?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Buffy
"You were upset about Angel sure, but the second Spike was mentioned the waterworks came" he shouted
"Wouldn't you? If Stacey came back and didn't tell you… wouldn't you be upset?" She asked
"I would" he admitted "But Stacey won't be coming back and I am in love with you. I don't want anything to jeopardise our future Buffy"
"It won't" she told him
"You're telling me that the second you see him you're not gunna fall into his arms?" He asked
Buffy stood silent.
"That's what I thought…" he chuckled bitterly "I'm not enough for you am I?"
"What? Don't say that!" She admonished
"I don't have superpowers, I'm more brains than brawn. And I'm not a blond vampire" said Daniel
"Hey! Listen to me!" She yelled walking over and grabbing his shoulders "We are getting married… I have to go and deal with this. I have to help Angel but when I come back we will be getting married okay?"
"Buffy I love you" he told her
"And I love you" she smiled kissing him gently "But duty calls"
She moved away from him and zipped up her bag throwing it over her shoulder "The mission is what matters"
XXXXX
Buffy came down the stairs bag in hand, the girls along with Willow were waiting at the bottom for her.
"Everybody ready?" Buffy asked
Dawn pulled her sister in for a hug "Tell him, he's a jerk from me" Dawn whispered in her ear
"I will" Buffy smiled "Stay safe"
"You too, don't forget to check in" said Dawn
"I will, I promise" said Buffy "Will you look out for him while I'm gone" Buffy gestured up the stairs
"Of course" said Dawn "Everything okay with you two?"
"I hope so" said Buffy
"C'mon Buffy it's time" said Willow
Buffy and the girls stood around in a circle all holding hands
"I've never teleported before" said Suzy
"Maybe we should get her a barf bag?" Asked Buffy
Willow giggled a little before she joined the girls holding hands and started her incantations.
XXXXXX
Spike paced the lobby of the Hyperion. Angel made his way down the stairs.
"How is he?" Spike asked
"I don't know… it's a pretty nasty wound" said Angel
"Sorry… you've lost a fair few of yours in this" said Spike
"Yeah…" Angel's mind flashed with memories of Cordelia, Fred and Wes. Three of his best friends and now all three were gone.
"We need a plan Liam" said Spike lighting a cigarette and inhaling
"I don't know where to start… it's literally hell on earth out there" Angel reminded him
"We can't stay here, hiding under the covers really isn't my style mate"
Just as Angel was about to respond a bright white light was cast in front of them.
"What the bloody hell!" Spike yelled
As the light began to fade the two vampires saw the group of girls in front of them.
"Willow?" Angel smiled
"Heard you needed help" she smiled back "I brought back up" she said standing aside revealing Buffy standing with her arms folded.
"Either of you wanna tell me how you got into this mess?" Buffy asked
"Buffy…" Spike whispered taken aback
He stared at her, as she tore into Angel about working for Wolfram and Hart and how the rest of the Scoobies thought that he was now evil. Spike barely heard a word she said but he was captivated by her. Her long golden locks were tied up into a slick high ponytail. She was a little more curvy than when he last saw her but she looked incredible.
"And you" said Buffy talking to Spike
"Hello Buffy" he smiled
Without another word she punched him in the nose "That is from Dawn"
"Bloody hell Slayer!" He said clutching at his nose that was now flowing with blood.
"I'll deal with you later" said Buffy
Angel relayed his plan and the consequences to the girls.
"Where's Gunn now?" Asked Willow "I can see if I can heal him some?"
"He's upstairs… I'll take you" said Angel
"Okay… we'll put a plan together later" said Buffy
Angel nodded and took Willow upstairs.
"Okay girls, looks like we may be here for a while. Go grab a room, get a bit of sleep. I'll wake you when we've got a plan" Buffy instructed
The girls went up the stairs as they were told.
"You've got them well trained luv" said Spike
Buffy didn't answer him.
"Not as mouthy as the Sunnydale slayers" he joked
"They're good girls" said Buffy turning to face him.
The two stood in silence for a moment.
"I owe you an explanation" he sighed
Buffy shrugged and sat down waiting for him to explain himself.
Spike took a deep breath "I wish I had some sort of excuse… some sort of reason why I didn't tell you. Honestly? There isn't one"
"How long?" She asked
"Uh 7 months give or take" he told her
Buffy bit her lip, she didn't want to cry in front of him.
"I was a ghosty for a bit…" he told her "when I came back… when I was all solid I bought a ticket I had every intention of just showing up"
"But you didn't"
"No I didn't…" he said softly
"You could've called" said Buffy
"I wanted to but…" he held his hand up to his ear mockingly "Hello Buffy, guess that champion thing didn't stick, how are you?"
"You think I care about that?" Asked Buffy
"Well… yeah…" said Spike quietly
"Champion or not. You died Spike and then you come back and I don't even get a call to let me know you're okay? I mourned you!" She yelled
"You did?" He asked
"I did! Jesus Spike I went back there a month ago! I went back to Sunnydale! I sat there for hours talking to you, filling you in on my life, letting you know just how much I miss you! I sobbed for hours and come to find out you were here. The whole time with Angel!"
Spike shifted his feet uneasy "Not the whole time…"
"How? How could you not let me know?" Asked Buffy shaking with anger
"I thought I was doing what was best for you and judging by the rock on your finger I think I made the right choice!" He said pointing to the ring that Buffy was wearing on her left hand
"That's not the point" said Buffy hiding her hand
"Who is it then? The Whelp?" He asked
"Xander? Ugh gross Spike!"
"Not Harris… is it Andy? Or Wood? C'mon Buffy" he goaded her
"It doesn't matter" she said through gritted teeth
"I've been gone 7 months and you're already getting hitched to some other bloke… yeah you grieved for me" he rolled his eyes
Buffy slapped him hard across the face "If you had of told you were back I wouldn't be engaged to anybody!"
The two of them stood in silence for a moment, Spike rubbed his cheek a little.
"I'm sorry" he said softly
"Me too" said Buffy sitting back down
"Did you guys hash things out yet?" Willow called from the top of the stairs
"No!" Said Spike
"Okay then…" said Willow disappearing
"Look, Slayer… Buffy. I don't know what to tell you" he sat next to her
Buffy sighed heavily. He grabbed her hand and examined the ring on her finger. Buffy squirmed a little in her seat.
"It's a nice ring… what's he like?" asked Spike
"He's kind" she told him "He treats me well"
"That's all I ask" he smiled "Are you happy?"
Buffy thought for a moment "I was…"
"I don't want to complicate things for you Buffy, that's part of why I didn't tell you I was back. You get to be normal now, it's everything you ever wanted and I'm not about to screw it up" he told her "Congratulations Buffy"
He smiled at her, and got up and walked away.
XXXXX
"Well the yelling seems to have stopped" said Willow as she was perched on the bed next to Gunn who she had just spent some time trying to heal his wounds.
"Maybe she staked him" Angel shrugged
"Maybe…" Willow smiled
"So she's engaged huh?" Asked Angel
"Yeah… a month or so ago" said Willow "He's nice you'll like him"
"Hmmm" said Angel
"Well… uh maybe not because of the feelings and uh… but he treats her well and they are happy together" Willow babbled
Angel nodded "How's my guy looking here?"
"He should be okay" said Willow "He'll need some rest of course but he'll be okay"
"Thank you Willow, you got here just in time"
"And you… how are you doing?" Asked Willow
"I'll be better once we restore some sort of order here" said Angel
"I guess things have been kinda crazy here huh?" Willow smiled
"Are you smiling?" asked Angel
"Sorry… it's just been so long since we had any kind of threat… I kinda miss it" said Willow
Angel smirked "C'mon let's get a plan together"
XXXXXX
"Hello?" Faith called out to the empty hotel lobby "Anybody here?"
Faith walked around a little before calling out again "Hello? Slayer here?"
Willow appeared at the top of the stairs "Faith!" She smiled
"Hey Red" Faith smiled back
"I heard you guys needed back up" she smirked
"Really do! Get up here"
"Ready for war" said Faith
XXXXX
"From what Giles said a portal has been opened by The Senior Partners, if we can close it hopefully things will go back to normal" said Willow
"And that huge dragon that's currently bitch slapping everything it come into contact with? What do we do about that?" asked Faith
"Ohh maybe we can vacuum it up?" asked one of the younger girls
The gang looked at the girl with a frown "or not"
"I don't think a vacuum would cut it" said Buffy
"It's not a bad idea…" said Willow "Hear me out… maybe there's a way to suck the demons back into the portal and then close it?"
"It would help, I'm not sure we could take on thirty thousand demons and the dragon" Buffy huffed
"I'll call Giles see if he knows of anything" said Willow
"In the meantime my girls are getting antsy… what about a little recon?" asked Buffy
"Stick to the back alleys and we should be fine" said Angel
"I could do with some violence m'self" said Spike
"Okay so it's decided… Buffy and Spike will go with one half of the girls and Angel and Faith with the other and I'll stay here, keep a watch on Gunn and call Giles" smiled Willow