Willow now gave her best friend a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Buffy.” She hesitated. “I guess I can’t really blame Spike for being hurt, but still, as your best friend, I have the right to be upset on your behalf.” She suddenly lit up. “Hey, if you want, I could try to do a spell to make him forget he was ever angry at you. That, or I could turn him into a toad!”
Before Buffy could say anything, Tara spoke up, an annoyed look on her face. “Willow, we talked about this. When are you gonna learn that magic is not something that should be taken lightly? Someone could really get hurt.”
Buffy frowned. “Tara, I’m pretty sure Willow wasn’t serious about turning Spike into a…”
“That’s not the point.” Tara interrupted her, something that was very out of character for the usually timid girl, and suddenly everyone’s eyes were on her. “Magic is serious business and not something to joke about. The sooner Willow will realize that, the better, for all of us.” With that, Tara got up from the chair and left the room, leaving the others to stare after her. Willow kept her eyes on the floor, suddenly looking ashamed.
“Okay, I think I speak for everybody when I say… what the hell was that about?” Xander looked around the room for an explanation, but everybody seemed to be just as shocked as he was.
Finally Willow spoke up, quietly. “I think she might still be upset with me for something that happened before we got here. But seriously, I didn’t mean…” She stopped as tears started filling her eyes.
Her own problems suddenly forgotten, Buffy gave her friend a look of concern. “Willow, what happened?”
Willow sighed. “I guess I’ve been going a bit overboard with the whole magic thing lately. But I just wanted to do something nice for Tara. Only, it didn’t turn out quite the way I had planned.” She glanced down at her hands, embarrassed.
It was now Giles’ turn to give Willow a worried look. “Willow, would you be so kind and tell us what you did?”
“It wasn’t my fault! Not really, anyway. I was just going to surprise Tara and fix us some lunch!” Willow pouted. “I didn’t mean for the spell to set the whole kitchen on fire.”
Xander let out an amused snort, then turned serious after seeing the look of disapproval on Giles’ face. “I mean… Willow, that was wrong. Shame on you! What were you thinking?” Willow slumped back in the chair, a miserable expression on her face.
Dawn was clearly uncomfortable with the sudden tension in the room. She turned to Buffy with a small smile, obviously eager to lighten the mood. “Hey, who needs spells, anyway? If you want, I can just open a portal to another dimension and send Spike there, making him sorry for the way he treated you.”
Buffy actually smiled a little at that, but shook her head. “It wasn’t really his fault, Dawn. Spike has every right to be upset with me for what I did.”
“I guess so.” Dawn gave Buffy an apologetic look, then the smile was back on her face. “But can I still open a portal, just for fun?”
“No portals!” Xander gave his sister a warning look. “Do I have to remind you of what happened last time, huh? Portals equal badness! And don’t you ever forget it, missy.”
Dawn rolled her eyes. “You’re just still upset about the time I accidentally sent you to the world with nothing but shrimps when I cut myself, shaving my legs. I said I was sorry, didn’t I? Besides, it was your fault, really. You didn’t have to walk into the bathroom when I was still there.”
“You had been in there for almost an hour and I needed to pee!” Xander glared at her. “And why did you have to shave your legs at my place, anyway? Or, at all? You’re only fourteen!” Dawn crossed her arms over her chest, sulking.
“It was very traumatic for him.” Anya reached over to pat Xander’s hand tenderly before turning back to the others. “Poor Xander had nightmares about giant shrimps chasing him for a week. It really affected our sexual life.” Xander groaned in embarrassment.
“And on that note…” Giles cleared his throat. “Buffy, I’m quite certain that Spike will come around eventually. He just needs some time.”
“I hope so.” Buffy sighed and got up. “Now, if you guys don’t mind, I think I’m gonna head out for a quick patrol. Do a sweep over the cemetery, since Spike won’t be able to do it tonight.”
Giles frowned. “Buffy…”
“Giles, I need to kill something!” Buffy gave him a pleading look. “I can’t just sit at home feeling sorry for myself. Plus, been doing this for years, remember? I’ll be fine, really.” She put on a strained smile.
“I suppose.” Giles still looked a little worried, though, but tried not to let it show. Then he nodded. “Very well. But please, do be careful. Drusilla is still out there.”
Buffy nodded. “I will.” She gave him a grateful smile and grabbed her jacket and a stake before leaving the room.
For a moment, the room was silent. Then Xander gazed at the others, a hopeful look on his face. “So, anyone up for pizza?”
Spike entered the bedroom, fully aware of what he would find on the other side of the door. Still, seeing Drusilla pose to him as Buffy made him see red and he clenched his fists, furiously. “When I get my hands on that bitch…” Not wanting to watch the vampire trying to come on to him again, he turned away from the scene and glanced at William. He frowned a little, noticing that his cousin suddenly had become very quiet. “What’s wrong?”
William seemed to snap out of it. “Nothing.”
Not totally convinced, Spike casted a brief look at him and ‘Buffy’ before turning back to William. He hesitated for a moment, not sure of how to ask the next question, but knew it had to be done. “So, what’s your story?” William looked confused, so he clarified; “You and Dru. You knew her, too, right? She tried to do the same thing to you or something?”
William didn’t respond at first, and Spike was starting to think that he wouldn’t. Then he just shrugged. “Or something.”
Spike raised a brow. “Care to be a little more specific, mate?”
“It’s not relevant.” William suddenly didn’t want to meet his eyes. “Besides, this is about you, not me.”
“Oh, come on!” Spike was not ready to give up, realizing that this might be his only chance to find out the truth, once and for all. He took a deep breath. “She made it sound like the two of you had something going on, but I know you couldn’t have shagged her, her soul still being intact and all. So…”
William finally looked at him. He let out a sigh. “All right. What do you wanna know?”
“Did you…?” Spike swallowed. “Did you let yourself get killed?”
Sighing again, William was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. “Yes.”
Spike had suspected as much, but hadn’t been completely sure. Now he was almost afraid to ask the next question. “Why?”
William looked him right into the eyes, and Spike realized that he already knew the answer. “Because if I had seen Drusilla again, she would’ve tried to turn me. And more importantly; I would’ve let her.”
TBC