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Day 4

Buffy woke up and sighed. Oh yeah, there was no mistaking that smell. Maybe she should just go to sleep at the bus terminal in the first place. At least that way she’d be sure to wake up where she went to bed.

Stretching out the kinks that sleeping on the bench had given her, Buffy forced herself to face the fact that that only thing she’d managed to do the day before was save Forrest and get really pissed at Riley, and unless she did something majorly different this time, she just had more of the same to look forward to.

Damned men.

She ran through her options in her head. Well that was a short trip, she thought sarcastically. Guess its back to Giles, maybe with more talking and less yelling. Unless, of course, there was liquor involved, which would mean a little yelling, but mixed with some understanding and listening. Hopefully.

Wearily, she walked through the streets of Sunnydale. She watched as normal, happy families went about their day, oblivious to the fact that they would just be living the day over again in a matter of hours.

Somehow oblivion seemed kinder.

The trip to the watchers apartment seemed to take twice as long as before. Whether the weight in her feet came from grim acceptance of the situation or sheer exhaustion, she didn’t know.

When she arrived, she again explained her situation. Once again Giles reached for the bottle, and once again she lost her temper, barely reining it in just short of the explosive replay of day number two- or was it three?

Okay, so Buffy with the patience and understanding…well she’d have to work on it. Hey, slayer here! She was supposed to be with the quick reactions. It was just that snap judgments and friendships weren’t so mixy, but people could change. They could.

Two phone calls to the other scoobies later, she and Giles were sitting in stiff silence awaiting the arrival of the others. Maybe ‘alcoholic’ and ‘lush’ weren’t the most understanding words she could have used, but it got him to put the bottle down.

Xander was first, dragging a sullen Anya behind him. Buffy watched as the ex-demon plopped down on the couch, acting as if her whole day had been ruined. Well, join the club. She should try a bunch of ruined days. No, Buffy, she reminded herself. Remember…patience and understanding…both of which are going out the window if that girl rolls her eyes one more time. It took many deep breaths later but she was calm once again. This patience thing was a lot harder than she had anticipated.

Oh, well, they would do the research…or the other scoobies would anyway. They would figure out what was happening and then she would slay it. Then she could get back to concentrating on Adam and how to defeat him.

Simple.

She refused to think that this could be something slayer strength couldn’t handle. Relief filled her when Willow finally arrived. Buffy stood, gathering her thoughts on how to explain the situation.

“Hi, guys. Here’s the deal…”

Several hours later and it still felt like she was on a slow walk to hell. Xander was all Star Trek and sci-fi theories. Anya was sure she was part of a vengeance wish, and she was a little too enthusiastic about the idea for Buffy’s liking. Willow was busy switching from proclaiming her innocence to searching for spells which could have caused the loopiness.

Giles had been very quiet most of the time, only speaking to ask short pointed questions or occasionally offering Willow suggestions for books to check. She wasn’t sure if it was from this morning’s argument or from contemplating her situation. She hoped it was the former.

The group was startled out of their research by the front door swinging wide as Spike made his now daily entrance to the watchers home. Surprise lit his face as he looked up to see the impromptu scoobies meeting.

“What are you doing here?”

“What the bleedin’ hell are you lot doing here?”

Both blondes called out in unison as vampire moved slowly toward the still open door and away from the advancing slayer. She had just made it within striking distance when the phone on the wall began to ring. Glancing in disgust at the vampire once more, she reached for the phone.

“Hello? What? Who is this?” She held the receiver toward the bleached blond as if it was contagious. “It’s someone named Herbie for you,” she said, arching a silently questioning eyebrow.

“Herbie? I don’t’ know any bloke named Herbie.” He frowned in confusion but accepted the phone anyway. “ello? Spike, aka William the Bloody, here.” He grinned as the slayer rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Sometimes aggravating the bint was the most fun he had that didn’t involve gallons of liquor and a bar brawl.

“What? Sure.” He responded to Buffy’s questioning look by stating that “Herbie asked me to hold.” That caused the slayer to mutter under her breath about irritating vampires who treated other people’s homes like hotels.

“What? You mean like you and the scoobies do? Descend on the poor watcher, eat his food, make a mess of his flat, and then run off to let him do the cleanup. Right nice of you, that. By the way slayer, you keep rolling your eyes like that and they’ll fall right out of their sockets. I’ve seen it happen.” He turned his head to hide the smirk as the petite blond turned a nice shade of red.

“Hello…Dru?” Spike’s eyes widened as he heard his sire’s voice floating across the circuits and wires. His thoughts raced as he tried to think of what the insane chit would possibly be calling him for, especially at the watchers place. “How the bleedin’ hell did you know I was here? How’d you get the number, for that matter?”

Drusilla smiled sweetly at the chaos demon holding the phone just away from her face. Technology and the dark haired vampiress just didn’t mix. The last time she had actually held the phone herself, she’d sworn that she felt her essence being sucked through the phone line and had refused to touch the device since.

“Miss Edith has her ways, dearest. You should know that. You have to ask the right questions, my Spike, or the answers will play hide and seek in the autumn leaves like little naughty children. Switches and canes, that’s what they used on naughty children back in the day. They need more canes and switches, dear William. The cries and whimpers are oh, so delightful.”

The vampire started to roll his eyes until he noticed the slayer watching him intently. “Right, canes and switches. Why do I think this isn’t a social call, Dru?” he asked sarcastically.

“Such manners. I should scold you and send you to bed without supper, you naughty boy. Miss Edith and I have been so busy trying to make sure you have your pretty sunshine. It’s burns to the touch, but it shines bright for an effulgent heart, like my brave knight. He’s bright like the moon shining its light, but the moon doesn’t make its own light does it, William? It can only reflect the light it receives from the sun.”

“Look Dru. I realize you’re off your nutter, but the bloody cryptic tripe is getting old. Just say what you want me to know so I can get on with my bloody wonderful day,” He snarled his tone angry and defensive.

“Tut tut. No cake for you. If Miss Edith didn’t insist, I would make Herbie hang up this phone right now,” she pouted, stomping her foot even though she knew he couldn’t see her.

“Dru!”

Sighing loudly to show her displeasure, she continued, “The tree. She sought to weave and bend. I only used it as a foundation to reach out for the burning baby fishes, swimming all around. They bathe in the shallow water and the light. They gleam and glisten. Shiny backs and slippery fins. Oh, so pretty they are.”

Spike sagged against the wall, banging his head lightly. “You did a spell. That’s what all this repeat-o nonsense is. I swear to bleedin’ hell Dru, you could drive a bloke as batty as you are with this shit!”

The slayer moved closer as soon as he uttered the word ‘spell’, her heated gaze burning a hole through him and the phone he was clutching. “So, this is all your lame-o ex-girlfriends fault?” she hissed.

“Don’t be so fast to judge, love. I think she may have had an accomplice.” He glanced quickly as the couch where Willow was perched on the arm. She squeaked softly when she heard the vampires’ words and felt the stares from the two blondes.

“B-but I haven’t! No spells, not a one!” she denied. The witch felt both indignant about the accusation and guilty about the spells she had been researching for the past week, but she definitely hadn’t performed any spells recently. It’s not like she would forget if she had.

Turning his back to the living room Spike tried to think of the best way to get information out of the insane brunette. “Dru, princess, what is it that I need to do to make this stop?” he asked softly, leaning his head on the wall. He didn’t want to anger her until he had his answers, knowing how fickle both Dru and her sidekick could be.

“Poor William, you need only to see the truth and the sunshine of course. She must see the truth as well. Only then will Miss Edith allow the spell to break. She laughs, Miss Edith does. Laughs and giggles over you both. She so enjoys knowing that you’re spending your days over and over and over again.”

Her manic laughter grated on Spikes nerves. Damn Miss Edith anyway! He should have burned that damned doll decades ago. She had been nothing but trouble since the day he brought her home. He had gotten her to appease Dru while being stuck indoors after a particularly nasty incident with a local dressmaker. Apparently, the chit had tried to fit her in something unfashionable and she had decorated the shop with the girl’s entrails.

“Yes, I’m sure she’s right enjoying herself. So, the spell, Dru. Can the tree fix the spell?” Desperation and hope filled his voice.

It was one thing believe the witch botched up another spell. It was quite another to know his insane sire was involved. There was no telling what kind of side effects or repercussions she could conjure up to go along with this…what? Supposed revelation? Spiritual enlightenment?

Bugger that!

Would the manipulation by the women in his life never end? It seemed he was forever at the mercy of females, no matter if they had been the one that turned him loose or not. Dru no longer wanted him, but she felt the need to interfere with his bloody unlife at her whimsy.

Oh, he knew what she was implying. The same tripe that she had spouted while he was in South America with her- that his obsession with the slayer was about more than in just killing her.

It’s wasn’t that the chit was unattractive, but he was a one woman vamp. Even if she did look like a bloody Valkyrie when she fought, he never would have forsaken his dark princess. His being cast out and alone with no family for the first time since his turning still brought a pang of grief and longing when he focused on it too long.

The thing was, he enjoyed being around other people, and his time spent with Rupert yesterday had been an eye opener on how things could be if he just opened up a bit and let them in. Being around the slayer was both fun and frustrating at the same time. He loved the witty banter and trading quips with her, but being reminded of his inability to be the vampire he had once been was a torment he didn’t need.

“Spike!” the slayers voice hissed. He shook his head to clear it of his wayward thoughts. He must have dozed off a bit during his reflections. His eyes rose to meet her worried gaze.

“I’m trying to get some answers, luv. Keep your knickers on, alright?” He turned once again, this time with his back to the slayer. It probably wasn’t the smartest move for a vamp, putting himself in this position while within easy striking distance, but he figured if she hadn’t staked him by now that she wouldn’t over such a minor snub.

He could almost feel the slayers breath on his neck as she moved closer trying to hear what was being said. His grin was evil as he leaned slightly into her. He stretched his senses beyond the walls of the apartment, any second now…he shifted even closer as the knock sounded at the front door.

He felt the slayer tense, knowing that she also had a good idea as to who was waiting on the other side of the flimsy barrier. Still, she didn’t move away, more concerned with the phone call than whoever was at the door.

The watcher rolled his eyes and stood up from the table filled with research books on magic and dimensions. “Please, by all means, let’s ignore the door we’re standing not two feet away from as if there were no one knocking,” he muttered. He swung the door open wide, making sure to leave plenty of room between himself and the threshold. One could never be too careful in Sunnydale, after all.

“Angel.” His surprised voice registered loudly in the room. Willow and Xander both tensed as the visitors’ presence was announced. Anya merely reacted to her boyfriends’ discomfort and asked if the broody vamp was evil again in a voice too loud to be a whisper.

Still the blondes ignored the room of people, treating them as if they didn’t exist. Spike was still trying to coax information out of the giggling Drusilla and Buffy was doing her best to listen in on the conversation.

“What the hell is Spike doing here?” Angel asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion. He knew of his family member’s chipped state from both his Thanksgiving visit and from Buffy on the day he had taken back by the oracles.

However, knowing of his newly neutered lifestyle and seeing him lounging at the watchers home, using his phone as if it was an everyday occurrence, was something else entirely. And why were the two blonds standing so close together? They looked almost…intimate. Or at the very least, fairly comfortable with each other.

Finally, frustration got the best of the slayer and she grabbed the phone from Spikes hand. “Listen you insane bitch, whatever you did…undo it. Now! Stop laughing…I mean it!” Shoving the receiver back into the vampire’s hand, she paced the floor. “I can’t believe she hung up on me.”

She turned to scan the room and came face to face with Angel. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Irritation lit her eyes as she was reminded of his presence. “You! This is all your fault! You just had to drive her crazy before you vamped her. Couldn’t be like everybody else and just bite her. No, you had to go for the gusto.”

Her yelling ceased only to bring her fist quickly to meet his face. She watched with satisfaction as he sailed backwards to land on his ass. Well, if she couldn’t get back at the vampire that was causing her problems, she could at least get the one who made her.

She didn’t bother to wait for her ex-boyfriend to remove himself from the floor. Instead, she immediately turned back to Spike. “Well, did she tell you anything useful? How to break it, what it was, or why the hell she did it in the first place?”

“Slow down, Slayer. Thanks to your wonderful people skills, she hung up. Didn’t get much except I know it had something to do with Red here.” Both blonds turned accusing eyes toward the young Wicca.

“What? No, I haven’t done any spells. I swear, Buffy. No spells.” Willow’s frantic denials were almost enough to make the slayer relent. Almost.

“Then why did she name you, Will? I swear; if you did it, I won’t yell at you. Just tell us so we can fix it.” Buffy was practically begging at this point, the craziness of the last several days enough to make pride a non-issue.

The redhead was distressed that everyone was so quick to blame her at the smallest suggestion of her involvement. And it seemed no matter how much she denied it they would believe the worst. Tears began to well up in her eyes. “Buffy, I swear I didn’t do this.”

“Hold up, Slayer. What about looking at spells, Red? Any spells you’ve been researching? Thinking of trying any spells out?” the blond asked with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“What are you thinking?” Buffy asked. She felt that they were so close to an answer, but she would have sworn that Willow was telling the truth.

Turning to face the slayer, Spike tried to work through his idea in his head. “What if she hasn’t done the spell yet?”

“Huh? How is that possible? If she hasn’t done it, then how did it happen? That makes all the kind of sense that’s not.” Her mind was trying to follow his line of reasoning.

“Think about it, love. We’ve both done all sorts of things the last several days, things that we haven’t done today. Things that we could do and it would never make a difference on tomorrow. We wake up and it’s like it never happened.”

“Yeah? And?” Aggravation was getting the best of her and if he didn’t get to the point soon, she was so going to lose it.

Sighing loudly, he began to pace the floor, using his hands to exaggerate his point as he moved. “So, let’s say she did the spell the same day everything went wonky, the same day we’re having over and over. Of course she hasn’t done the spell yet in our time. She wouldn’t do it until later tonight.”

Once again the pair turned to face the witch. This time the blush spreading across her face was enough to signal her guilt.

“Willow?” Buffy asked, disappointment clouding her face.

“I swear it’s just research, Buffy. Healing stuff, renewal and restoration magic’s. White magic’s only a-and I haven’t even done anything. Just research and reading. No actual s-spells.”

“Well, Red, obviously you went from research to casting sometime later tonight, which will soon turn into tomorrow,” the vampire snarked as he banged his head lightly on the wall behind him. He couldn’t’ help but direct his anger towards the witch. After all, if she hadn’t gone about casting spells all willy-nilly, then they probably wouldn’t be in this mess. Some people never learned control, and he had a nasty feeling that the small redhead would be one that would learn the hard way too little, too late.

Turning his attention back to the issues at hand, he moved toward the living area only to come face to face with The Great Brooding Hulk.

“Angelus,” he acknowledge before moving on to the couch and plopping down with a loud sigh.

Reminded of her ex once again, Buffy wearily made her way over to the brunette. “Angel, if you’re here because of the fight; its fine…over and done with, you can go back to LA with a clear conscience.”

“Is everything alright? Things seem kind of crazy around here. Can I help with anything?” he asked concerned.

“No, we’re just having some issues. We’ll work it out. Thanks anyway,” she assured as she led him to the door.

“If you’re sure.” He stepped through the threshold and turned around, his best woeful expression in place.

She refrained from rolling her eyes and stated sarcastically, “Very sure, thanks again, and come back again next time you feel the need to beat the crap out of my boyfriend.”

“How did you…? It just happened. It was an accident.” He tried to smooth things over even as he wondered how she had found out so quickly.

“I know. You didn’t mean to, his face just jumped in front of your fist, it happens. See ya later, Angel. Like tomorrow,” she muttered, slamming the door in the dark vampires face.

Twenty minutes later and they still hadn’t found any solution to the spell from hell. Willow was gathering her things to make a trip back to the dorm to pick up her spell books when a frantic knock sounded on the front door.

Buffy tensed and looked around wildly. “Oh, God, it’s Riley. I’m so not in the mood for this right now. Willow, I’ll go get your spell books if you get rid of Riley. Tell him I’m not back yet, or I’m with my mom, or I died in a horrible accident. Anything! Just get rid of him,” she hissed out the last as she grabbed Spike’s duster sleeve, dragging him behind her as they made their way to the back of the apartment.

Giles didn’t have so much a back door as it was a large window, but desperate times called for desperate measures. They made it several blocks before Spike finally broke the silence surrounding them.

“So, Slayer, what’s with the Houdini escape route we just had to take to avoid the boyfriend? Trouble in paradise?” He worked hard at keeping his expression neutral. The last thing he needed right now was a broken nose.

“It’s none of your business, Spike,” The petite blond huffed as she picked up her pace.

“Right. And here I was thinking we were in this thing together. My mistake. Sorry ‘bout that. It won’t happen again. See ya ‘round, Slayer.” He veered off the sidewalk to the road and began to cross before she caught his arm, spinning him around to face her.

“Alright, look. Riley has some jealousy issues to work through. Take one super strong girlfriend, add in a calling that takes up most of my time, and throw in a ‘my girlfriend slept with a super strong vampire’ and mix until foamy. It doesn’t exactly make for happy boyfriendy thoughts, and the ‘lets make Buffy crazy loopy day from hell’ isn’t helping either.” She lowered her eyes, looking at the pavement as if it held all the answers she was looking for.

“The first time I just tried to brush it off and go on. After a couple of times, though, I started to lose my temper and things were said. I have to think part of it is him reacting to my anger. It has to be. He’s just crazy right now.”

“Or maybe you’re finally getting to see a side of the boy that you haven’t until now,” The vampire offered quietly, dipping his head to look her in the eye.

Buffy turned her head to avoid his gaze. “Can we just not do this? We have a spell to break remember?” She finally looked up to meet his measuring stare with a pleading one of her own. Between Angel and Riley and the constant explaining to the Scoobies, she didn’t know if she could take it if the irritating vampire started in on her, too.

“Sure, pet. Let’s go get those books.” Once again, they started down the street and Spike let his thoughts drift. He had wanted to call her on her statement of him belonging, even if in the most marginal way, to the scoobies. Whether by default or design, he had thrown his proverbial hat in with the slayer and her gang the moment he had went to them for help.

As much as he still tried to proclaim his evil nature, he hadn’t really done anything more immoral than petty theft in the last several months. Well, except plotting with Adam, which he would need to think about later. Sure there were lots of wicked things he could have done to entertain himself, but the truth was, without the violence and mayhem to back it up, his heart just wasn’t in it. If fighting demons was the only way he could get his quota of fists and fangs, well then, demons it was.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, both individuals lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until the trip back to the watchers that the blond vampire had a sudden revelation.

“Bloody hell, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before,” the vampire exclaimed. With his excitement lighting his face he seemed much younger to Buffy, almost childlike in his enthusiasm.

“I’ll go to Dru, make her lift this crazy curse, and we can move on with our lives…or unlives as the case may be.

Buffy laughed mockingly. “Yeah, great plan genius. You really think that will work? What happens when the day resets? We don’t even know for sure what time it happens. You don’t even have a clue. You’re not the one waking up next to a bucket of old mop water in a crappy little seat at the bus station every morning.”

“Well then, no harm no foul. I’ll wake up in my nice comfy bed all snuggled up in the blankets. But, if it does work, then presto! No more spell. Maybe it’s only affecting us in Sunnyhell. If I can get far enough away maybe the spell won’t be able to affect me. It’s worth a shot anyway. We got nothing to lose.” He smirked at the slayers irritated look when he mentioned waking every morning in his own bed. It wasn’t his fault she took a siesta in the bus station that fateful morning. Maybe next time she’d be more careful where she took her little catnaps.

“Yeah, whatever. Like you said; no harm, no foul. Lets get these books back to Giles and see if we can find anything tonight, or else I’ve got a date with a nice plastic chair in the morning,” she mumbled the last.

Life so wasn’t fair, here she was the chosen one waking up every day in a torture device while the evil vampire woke up in his nice soft bed. Why couldn’t she have the bed? Not that she wanted to wake up in Spike’s bed, because, well...she didn’t. It just wasn’t fair.

Spike smiled when the slayers face broke into a full blown pout. He hadn’t even needed to wind her up much this time around. He lived for the little moments like these. Unlife was good.


The morning dawn was bright and clear, just like the last several before it. Of course it helped that it was the same damn day. Spike stretched lazily in his comfy bed before remembering the mission that had been decided the night before.

South America.

He had some demon friends in L.A. with a small charter plane that he planned to call in a few debts for. With any luck, he could be there in a few hours and put and end to the never ending day.

He packed his leather duffel as he reviewed all the fun that he had over the last couple of days baiting and leading the slayer’s little pals on. He would almost be sad to see the fun end.

But a vampire could not live by derision alone, he thought as he grabbed the bag and headed toward the sewers.





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