Warning- if you can not handle a bad willow, don't read this story. Willow will not look for, attempt to earn, or be made to, reedeem herself in this story.
This story will be dark and unfornately, Buffy will have to pay for Willow's spell time and time again. But there will be a light at the end of the tunnel because I hate a sad ending, so don't worry.
Also, I will warn you of the chapters that are really dark and provide summarys at the beginning of the next chapters.
Chapter One
Spike sat against the headstone and gazed up at the stars. Tears filled his eyes that he either did not notice or choose to ignore. His voice was soft as velvet being carried across the grounds on little gusts of wind. He told about Dawn’s nightmares and how they were finally going away. He told about her first week at school, Xander’s and Anya’s engagement, Willow and Tara moving in with him and Dawn, and how Giles moved back to England.
He had just finished talking and was taking a moment to enjoy the peace and calm that he was only able to find at her grave, when he heard it. Pounding, crying, and they were coming from Buffy’s grave. He sat there in shocked silence thinking that he was imagining it. He was jerked back to reality at the sound of wood breaking and started digging. Halfway down, a hand broke through. Spike grabbed her hand and pulled her the rest of the way out.
“Buffy, luv, is that really you?”
“Spike you have to stop her, don’t let her bring me back, please.”
“Who, Buffy, who am I to stop?”
“She will be found lacking and selfish. She will cause me to be punished.” And with that Buffy sat down regressed into a child.
“Sunshine, sunshine, why do you cry? Because I’ll never see the stars in the sky. You like it, I just made it up. Do you like it?” The child looked up at Spike with Buffy’s eyes.
“Why, poppet, I think that is the sweetest poem I have ever heard.”
“Will you keep me safe?”
“Keep you safe from what?”
“Her. She fixes what is unbroken, and brakes what needs no fixing. You can not stop her.”
“I can try.”
“But if you do, you die.”
“If it will keep you safe, then a worthy death.”
“But you are already dead so maybe you will live.” She teased. “I will do it to help her but if you do not get there then we both will be punished. I can only do so much, and even that will not be enough. She will need you, you know.”
“Who poppet?”
“Why, her of course.” With that pointed to the body below them in the coffin. A decayed body that was slowly knitting itself back together. At the same time a white mist could be seen rising out up towards the heavens. Then he noticed that a golden thread connecting the body to the child. Then she wasn’t a child anymore but Buffy again.
“Willow will be found undeserving and selfish, but she read the spell wrong. She thinks that should that happen, the spell will just not happen. The truth is Buffy will be deemed the price for attempting this spell. It will restore her body, and spirit, and then steal her youth. I have joined our essences in hopes of slowing that down. Because of that, I am regressing also. William, I claim you as my protector, Spike I claim you as my mate. Please I implore you, help us. Soon, Buffy and I will be one, and then I will no longer be able to help.” As she said this, she drifted over the now breathing body of Buffy, both slowly shrinking to a child once more. “William, hurry! Please, go and smash the jar!”
“Who are you?”
“I am the slayer.”
Spike sat straight up on the couch. For a moment he could not remember the dream, just an urgency to hurry. Then, with a force that stole his breath, he remembered He jump up and ran out of the house without even bothering about clothing, wearing only his jeans. He gave no thought of what to do, or how to do it, only got to save Buffy, got to save Buffy, chanting in his mind.
When he made it to her grave the screen shocked him to a stand still. Tara, Xander, and Anya were sitting in a semi-circle with blank expressions on their face, chanting “Unworthy, unworthy, unworthy, unworthy.” Willow completed the circle and was writhing as snakes, one after another, forced their way out of her mouth. It took only a second to process this before he was back in motion. Quickly he picks up the jar in the middle of the circle and mashed it. Then, not even sparing a glance at the others, he vamped and started to dig. Reaching the coffin, he tears of the lid and throws it out of the hole. There before him lies Buffy, breathing, crying, and a child.
“Oh Red, what have you done?” Spike whispers as tears of blood fall down his face.
Chapter Two
Spike went to reach for her when he noticed his claws, jerking his hands back. Taking a breath and shaking of his demon face, he reached out once more.
“Buffy?” He whispered softly not wanting to scare her.
“Spike?” she asked “You came?” She whimpered keeping her eyes closed tightly.
“I said I would.” And with that he gathered her into his arms. He rocked her in his arms gently as he made cooing sounds. Who he was trying to comfort, he could not tell.
“I am so tired Spike.” She whispered.
“I got you Slayer. You just rest.” He pulled her closer to him with her head resting on his shoulder. Just as he was starting to stand, he felt the sharp pain of fangs entering his neck. His eyes rolled back with a pleasure he thought that he would never feel again. Before he had time to comprehend what was happening, it was over.
“Mine! My champion, my protector, my mate.”
“Yours,” he answered in awe. The Slayer then sagged in his arms, resting secure in the knowledge that he accepted the claim and would do his best to protect her.
“Yeah, right then, let’s get you home, and then we straighten everything out.” Gathering her tight within his arms once more, Spike jumped out of the hole. He looked around at the scene before him. Tara was down on the ground with Anya and Xander holding her. All three had tears running down their faces. Spike looked over towards Willow. She laid spread out over the ground. Even with his enhanced hearing he only barely made out what she was saying. He growled low in his throat. He stormed over to her ever mindful of his cargo.
“That’s right Red, you did do it. You did such a bloody good job, that you almost sacrificed Buffy’s soul. Great job.” His gazed turned to the others. “Bloody great job, I hope your ‘appy.” And with that he stormed off.
“Oh Willow, what did you do?” Tara’s voice broke the silence.
“I brought her back! I did what you, all three of you, refused to do! I brought Buffy back to where she belonged! And it would have worked if Spike,” Willow spat his name out, “had not interfered! So do not look at like I am the one who did something wrong. I did what needed to be done!” Willow sat there holding her head up high, giving no thought about the consequences of her actions.
Upon hearing Willow’s words, Tara grew outraged.
“What we refused to do?! What we refused to do was pull Buffy out of heaven. Her life was done, over. She had finally found the peace and rest that she could not ever hope of finding as the slayer. That is what we refused to do.” Tara struggled to her feet. Xander and Anya stood quietly watching, both in shock from Tara’s outburst and the magnitude of Willow’s actions actually consisted of.
“And when I proved she was in heaven, and not in need of being rescued from hell, that was not good enough, was it? Of course not. Miss Willow wasn’t allowed to be hero, With Buffy dead, and the slayer in LA, Spike was able to handle the demon activity on his own and did not need magical help. You could not handle that could you? Goddess Willow, I don’t even know you anymore! Right now, I can’t even stand to look at you!
Xander, Anya, let’s go, maybe there is someway we can help Spike with Buffy. Plus we need to explain to Spike and Dawn that we were magically forced to help Willow.” And with that Tara, standing taller and stronger than anyone had ever seen, gracefully walked away determined to make her way home.
Xander stood a moment staring at Willow, before he also turned to follow Anya and Tara.
“Xander, wait. I need help standing and most likely need help getting home. Phew, that spell really took it out of me, but I knew that I could.” She reached out a hand towards Xander. She tilted her head when he made no move to help her. “Xander, are you okay?”
“Do you really care if I’m okay?”
“Of course I do! Now come here and help me up.” She reached for him once again.
“And if I don’t? What then Wills, are you put some mojo on me and make me?” Xander’s voice never rose. It was calm, cool, and detached.
“Xander be reasonable, I could not perform a spell right now. I’m too drained.” Willow huffed.
“So, if you could, you would?” Xander asked in the same monotone voice. Willow’s eyes hardened.
“If it needed to be done, and you refused, then yes I would.”
“You are no longer my Wills are you? I wonder where she went.” And with that, Xander once again turned to walk away.
“I did what need to be done!” Willow yelled. He stopped and turned back to her.
“No, you did what YOU wanted done.”
“Why is everybody suddenly treating me like the bad guy?” Willow raged.
“Oh, I don’t know Willow, maybe because this time you are.” Xander turned away one last time and started making his way to the house on Revello.
Willow watched him walk away in disbelief. How dare they! Buffy was needed here. Giles had moved away, Spike had somehow gained custody of Dawn, and there was no demon activity. Yea, they all had good excuses.
Giles was on a “quest” to reform the council, determined that all slayers would get a support team like Buffy did, instead of only one watcher. He wanted to extend the life expectancy of the slayer, even if only by a year or two.
Spike had Dawn under some sort of thrall, and she refused to believe otherwise. He was up to something she was sure. There was no way that a soulless demon wanted to raise a teenager. Even Tara and she, who had souls and were human, did not want to raise her. Although Tara refused to admit it to anyone, even her, but she knew what Tara need and wanted, and it was not to raise Dawn. That was Buffy’s job.
And the demons, everyone seemed content to believe that they were all flocking to LA were Faith was fighting with Angel and his crew. She knew the truth, the demons were planning something. They still received vampires and the odd demon drawn toward the hellmouth. Giles believes that they are scared of Spike. He destroyed over half of the demon population the weeks following Buffy’s death. Willow believed that this was part of Spike evil plot.
So see, Buffy was needed even if nobody believed her. Buffy was going to be so thankful; well, she would be after she fixed whatever Spike had done to the spell. And the nerve of him saying it was her fault. She didn’t mess up spells. Well, she did but this time it was NOT her fault. She wouldn’t hurt Buffy like that, but he would. Maybe HE did something to the spell. Yea, he did do something. He knew that this would happen and this way he would not need to deal with the slayer! That was it! She KNEW that she did not do the spell wrong. Well she would show him! When she fixed Buffy of this mess he caused, Buffy would stake him and the last thing he would see would be Willow’s smiling face.
Willow stood up and started walking out of the cemetery, trying to think of a way to “fix” Buffy. She would go see Rack. He was the one who had been helping her this past couple of weeks and he was the one who gave her the spell to bring back Buffy. He would know what to do.
Chapter Three
Author's Notes:
Alright, here is the atmepted rape sceene, but it is not bad. There is nothing graphic, just the entent to rape.
Also, lets pretend that Giles knows about Whistler.
Every few seconds Spike would stop and listen for her heartbeat. He had to be dreaming, Buffy was breathing with her heart thumping away. He pulled her more smugly into his arms. When he made it to the house, he stopped outside the door. Drawing and holding a breath, he looked down at her for the first time since he pulled her out of the coffin. His chest hitched with a sob. No, not a dream, he thought to himself, a nightmare. He silently slid to his knees and began to rock the bundle in his arms, his body curling around her as if it would shield her from what had happen. So absorbed, he did not notice the sudden flash of light. This new being took in the sight before him and his own chest began to shake.
“Oh god, I was too late.” After taking a moment to get his emotions under control, Giles cleared his throat.
“Spike,” he said in hushed tones. He took a step closer and kneeled beside the vampire rocking a small bundle in his arms. Gently he placed his hand upon the other’s shoulder.
“Spike?” Spike lifted his head and looked at Giles.
“You know, it was okay knowing she was finally at peace, hard but okay. Then this happen and it almost destroyed her soul. It would have been gone completely, no peace, no rest, just gone. I could not handle that.”
“I know, that would have been unbearable.”
“What are you doing here Rupert?”
“The seers saw what was happening. I came to try to stop it, but I was too late.”
“Yea, well she came to me in a dream asking for help, and I failed her. I also was too late.”
“Spike, if I may, who are you holding?”
Spike looked Giles in the eyes. His breath hitched at the intensity that Giles saw there. Maybe he didn’t want to know.
“Come in Rupert; let me tell you what happened.”
~*~
Giles looked at the little girl in amazement. A girl looked no older than five. A girl who by all rights should be twenty. This little girl, who weather she was five or twenty, was now The Slayer.
“You know this is now bigger than Buffy don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“If The Slayer has merged her demon with Buffy’s soul, then this is the end of the slayer line. There will no other slayers called if Buffy dies, and Faith has most likely lost her powers. I am not even sure if Buffy will be able to grow up now.”
“Oh goddess, what has she done?” Both Spike’s and Giles’s heads whipped to the door. There stood Tara, Anya, and Xander. Spike started growling.
“Don’t you mean what you all have done?”
“Spike please, w-we didn’t h-h-have a choice. Willow for-forced us to...”
“Yeah right, a bloody excuse if you ask me.” Spike interrupted.
“She is telling the truth.” Five sets of eyes swung around to the newest being in the living room, a demon. Spike vamped and moved in front of Buffy, who was lying on the couch.
“Whistler, it must be bad if you’re here.” Giles said while standing up.
“You don’t know the half of it. Listen Ripper, you are right about the slayer line and Faith. You were wrong though about Buffy not growing up. Right now, Buffy has all of her memories, and she has all the Slayer’s memories. What many don’t know about the first slayer, she was a very powerful witch.”
“I knew,” Anya said, raising her hand.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Giles asked.
“Before, Buffy was only given physical strengths. Now, they are one, which means they share everything.”
“Why would not every slayer have the same attributes?” Giles asked Whistler. Anya once again got excited.
“I know that one too. The slayer line was brought on by a vengeance wish.” The room, with the exception of Anya and Whistler, sat stunned.
~*~
Willow entered the room lost in thought.
“Strawberry, back so soon? I thought that you and your friends would be rejoicing the return of the slayer.”
“That vampire messed everything up.” Willow sat down and pouted. Rack sat down beside her, placing his hand on her stomach and inching it down inside of her pants.
“I not in the mood for this Rack, I need to figure out how to fix this.”
“Sure you are, besides you do your best thinking then.” Rack replied while entangling his other hand in her hair. “And it is not your place to tell me no. There is only one reason to come here. So shut up and enjoy.”
“Rack, I said no!” Willow said while trying to stand. Rack pulled her back down by her hair, kissing on her neck.
“And I said yes!” Willow started to feel the magical high that she normally felt when he touched her, but instead of calming her down, she grew enraged. Eye color disappeared and her hair bleeds black. Using an energy bust, she through him across the room.
“You Bitch, what do you think your doing?!”
“What I should have done along time ago.” As she was talking, Willow raised her hand. Slowly a mist started to rise from Rack and float towards Willow, entering her hand when it reached her. It became thicker and faster, leaving Rack to wither and age. By the time no more came out of him, he looked like an Egyptian mummy.
Willow straightens her clothing and smoothed her hair down while the black faded away.
“Well I certainly feel better, thank you.” And with that she left.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.