Spike and Dawn sat quietly on the couch as the others entered from the kitchen, carrying the ingredients for the spell. They laid everything out on the carpet, how Tara instructed them to. Then they sat in a circle, with Tara at the head, all of them linking hands. Tara had asked if she could draw strength from all of them, as the freezing spell had taken a lot out of her. They had all happily obliged and now Tara sat, with Buffy on one side of her, followed by Spike, then Dawn, then Xander, who was next to Anya. Giles was next to her, on the other side of Tara. They were ready.
Buffy was very aware of Spike’s cool palm in her hot one. She was sure she wasn’t imagining the tinglies she was feeling in that hand, or the ones that were sparking from where their crossed knees were touching each other. She shivered, the recognition of the fact that Spike was the only person who had ever physically effected her so strongly undoing her just a little. But she was definitely warming to the fact.
* * *
Beads of sweat were rolling down Willow’s face as she constantly tried to break the bounds that held her with every ounce of her strength, but to no avail. She was acutely aware that time was of the essence - in that there wasn’t a whole lot of it left. She looked up and into the face of the Spider Trio leader, having not even noticed that the now-woman had approached her.
“Your struggling is a waste of your strength. Save it for the feeding,” she ordered, a cruel smile contorting her pretty features.
One of the lackeys stepped forward at that point, cocking her head to the side and watching Willow with interest. “Let her speak.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we don’t have time to listen to her beg for her life.”
“But since we’re about to take that life from her, along with her power, she should be honoured with the right to some last words,” the second lackey was now saying, from the back of the cave.
The leader frowned, not liking the way her authority was being undermined. “Fine,” she said tersely, waving her arm nonchalantly at Willow.
Opening her mouth to speak for the first time in more than a day, Willow gasped in fresh lungful of air, but noted with dismay that her body was still tightly bound in place.
The leader narrowed her eyes at Willow in expectation, then rolled them impatiently. “Well, speak now, or forever hold your peace.”
“I - how - what are you?”
The leader released a small groan of intolerance as her two lackeys watched Willow with something akin to curiosity. “Didn’t we already go through this? I do NOT have the patience for insolence.”
“I know you’re called Arachardim, I know you come from another dimension and that you can morph into - spiders, but I mean, like, what are you, exactly? In, y’know, human terms? How do you breed? Like humans or -or spiders?” Willow knew she was grasping at straws with stupid questions, but she knew she needed to buy herself some time, come up with something resembling a plan, before they took away her ability to speak again.
“Asking these things you do not care to know about won’t buy you any time. I suggest you question us for things you really want the answers to.”
Damn these stupid, smart spider-people.
“But since you asked, we can breed as either spider or human, depending what form we take at the time of consummation.”
Willow nodded. “Right. Ok then. How did you bring me here? I don’t remember anything.”
The leader smiled. “It wasn’t hard. We approached you in the shopping mall and since it was utter chaos in there, we put a thrall over you and made you come with us willingly… then we knocked you out.”
“Well, that explains the dull achey in my head,” Willow grumbled. “My truth spell! It went all kablooey, were you guys responsible for that one too?”
“No,” she replied. “That was something you achieved on your own. You were being a careless, sloppy witch. We were watching on and saw it happen, but we did not interfere. Merely let nature take its course. But we soon realised it was a blessing in disguise, an opportunity not to be wasted. So we seized upon it and used it to our advantage.”
Willow was impressed, despite herself. “Wow, very resourceful, that’s what ya are.”
If only she still had her psychic bond with Tara. It was something they had forged after Oz had left (again). They had used their powers to tune into each other’s psychological frequencies and hold conversations with each other over long distances. At first it was a neat novelty. If one was cooking something for dinner and missing a vital ingredient, she could just speak into the other’s mind and as her to pick it up on the way home. Very much with the convenient and so much more cost effective than the telephone. Eventually it had become kind of grating, though. Like when Willow had been in a lecture, furiously note taking and Tara’s irritated voice had come into her brain, chiding her for not letting out the kitten in the morning, since she had now peed on their bed. After that, they had made a mutual agreement to only use the connection in emergencies, to call on each other for help.
‘Too bad she must’ve cut the connection when we broke up the other night,’ Willow thought to herself wistfully. ’Help me Tara, I need you.’
* * *
Tara gasped, dropping the candle she now held in her hand and spilling hot wax on Spike in the process.
“Ah!! Jeez Glinda, bit off your game?!” he scowled.
“S-sorry. It’s Willow,” she whispered.
Buffy’s eyes widened in confusion. “Huh? Where?”
Tara looked at her, the surprised expression still on her face. She pointed at her temple. “Here. The connection. S-she hasn’t broken it.”
“Ahh, call me simple here,” Xander started, then looked to Spike, who was just opening his mouth to make a smart retort. “That wasn’t an invitation to you, Captain Peroxide.” He turned back to Tara. “But what connection are you talking about?”
Tara smiled slightly, lost in a memory. “We linked our minds psychically, so that we could call on each other if we ever needed to.”
“And she spoke to you just now?” Giles questioned, slightly impressed.
Tara nodded.
“Well, what you waitin’ for luv, find out where she is,” Spike urged, not forgetting the matter at hand.
Tara nodded again, closing her eyes. ’Will? Can you hear me? I just heard you. Are you ok?’
‘Tara! You heard that? I thought you’d severed the link! Where are you guys? I’m soon to be sacrificed in a weirdo spider ritual, could really use a hand!’
‘We were just doing a revealing spell to find you, do you know where you are?’
“Well, gee, haven’t been outside in, what, two days, but I’m pretty sure it’s the caves in the forest. The ones up the hill from the clearing, you know where I mean?’
‘Yes, we’re coming.’
Tara opened her eyes to six expectant faces peering at her anxiously. “You w-were right Buffy, it is a cave in the forest.”
“But where? We need specifics or we’re gonna be too late,” Buffy replied.
Tara shook her head. “I know w-where it is. We can drive most of the way, b-but we’ll have to go by foot for the last part.”
“Awesome, let’s go!” Dawn cried enthusiastically, jumping to her feet and heading for the front door.
Buffy’s arm was in front of her, blocking her path in mere seconds. “Not so fast, Nancy Drew. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Buffy! I’ll help, I’ll be good!”
“Nu-uh. You plus spider demons equals big distraction for us. We need to concentrate on getting Wil out, not worrying about you, ok?”
Dawn frowned indignantly. “You wouldn’t have to worry about me, ‘cause I’d be with you guys. Common Buffy, I’m not a kid anymore! When are you gonna let me be a part of things?!”
“I work hard to keep you away from all this, Dawnie. I’m trying to give you a normal life. The life I didn’t have. Please don’t make this hard, just stay here with Xander and Anya. Please,” Buffy begged softly, not wanting to waste anymore time.
Xander jumped in at the right moment, distracting Dawn so that Buffy, Spike, Giles and Tara could slip out the door. “Common Dawnster, it’s way more fun hanging out with us. Who else do you play The Game Of Life with that asks to trade her children in for more money?”
Dawn just scowled at the door her sister had disappeared through just moments before. “Whatever.”
* * *
Giles removed his keys from his pocket as the group approached his car, but was held back from unlocking the door by Spike thrusting his hand out.
“Ahem,” the blonde vampire said, indicating that Giles should hand over his keys.
Giles raised his eyebrows. “You’ve got too be kidding.”
“Just gimme the keys Rupes, we don’ have time to stuff around.”
“Over my dead body!” Giles scoffed.
Spike sighed. “That could be arranged. Look, don’ be a git, we all know that if you get behind the wheel, we won’ get there ‘til tomorrow. And we’ve got to get Red out, yeah?”
“Spike, you are seriously deluded if you believe I’m going to let you drive the convertible!”
“Bloody hell, stop bein’ a self righteous wanker and just gimme the sodding keys!”
“I think not! You -”
Finally, Buffy intervened. “Both of you shut up! We don’t have time for this machismo crap! We have to get Willow and we have to do it NOW.”
Giles nodded in agreement.
“Now give Spike the keys, Giles,” Buffy went on and Giles promptly stopped nodding and scowled.
“It’s my bloody car!” He protested.
Buffy sighed, rolling her eyes. “Yes, we all know it’s your car, but for now, Spike is driving it. No arguments! Let’s go.”
Spike was smirking ridiculously as he plucked the keys from Giles’ hand.
Giles was cursing under his breath as he climbed into the back seat, but Spike could make out the words “insipid, arrogant fool.”
Unable to help himself from rubbing extra salt in the wound, Spike turned around to face the elder Brit. “Yeah, I’m the moron when you’re the one who’s filled your sodding record collection with Stiff Little Fingers vinyl over The Clash.”
“Here we go,” Buffy muttered, closing her eyes momentarily. The pair continued, having not even heard her.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me, Rupes.”
Giles could barely contain his anger as Spike turned back to the front and turned the ignition over, revving the convertible. “And you believe that that is a mistake on my part, do you?”
“Bloody right I do!” Spike scoffed, shaking his head as he pulled away from the curb and sped down the street, tires squealing for added effect.
“How can you possibly favour The Clash over Stiff Little Fingers? That is pure insolence, Spike.”
Spike laughed again. “You must’ve been on a hell of a lot of shrooms back in the day, Watcher. SLF were nothin’ but mediocre Clash-wannabes. They sang with half the passion and played with a third of the talent. Gotta say, I’m disappointed in you, Rupes.”
“Half the passion?! YOU must’ve been on some rather strong psychedelics yourself if that’s the way you see things! Stiff Little Fingers had just as much talent as The Clash - and by the way, I also have some of their records, it’s not like one must choose between the two,” Giles argued, frowning intently.
Spike‘s comeback was sarcastic: “Not at all, only those who have a sense of musical decency.”
“Musical decency?! Why, you were just-”
“Ok, enough is enough. I don’t want to hear another single word about The Clash or - or those finger guys again! Just shut up, we’ve got bigger issues tonight,” Buffy interrupted.
There was silence for a further two minutes, until Spike brought up The Buzzcocks, at which point the two men began to bicker once more. The rest of the bumpy drive was filled with talk of various British rock and punk bands.
Finally, Spike pulled up to the track, which Tara claimed led to the caves where Willow was being held.
“Right then Glinda, since you know where we’re actually goin’, I suggest you take the lead, luv,” Spike said, ushering the shy witch forward.
“And I’ll lead with you,” Buffy added, stepping forward as she glared at Spike and Giles. “You two British morons can follow behind us. And no more punk band talk, we’re going for stealth here.”
Spike looked positively indignant. “I have to go with this git? Bloody brilliant.”
“Well, I’m less than thrilled too, you know,” Giles added, crossing his arms over his chest.
Buffy sighed, making her way up the start of the track, Tara by her side. The witch was nibbling her lower lip, her eyebrows almost meeting in the centre of her forehead.
“She’ll be ok, I promise,” Buffy consoled her, forcing a smile that she hoped was convincing.
Tara’s eyes were glazed with unshed tears. “I-I hope so. It would just be so awful if she - and if the last thing I said to her was - you kn-know?”
“Believe me, I do. But that isn’t going to happen, we’re going to get her out of there before anything else happens. You have my word on that.”
“Thanks Buffy. I’m worried about the magic, she does need to stop, b-but I really want us to make things work.”
“I know you do, and they will. It just takes time.”
The group were accompanied by silence for the remainder of the trek. They finally came upon the entrance to the cave, at which point Buffy whipped around to face the others.
“Ok, this is how we’re going to play it. Spike and I will go in first, so we can take out any ginormous spiders that might come at us. Giles, you and Tara stick close behind, have whatever you think you might need ready for usage, k?”
Giles nodded and turned to the witch beside him. “Tara, if these creatures get beyond Buffy and Spike’s control, do you have the strength to initiate another freeze?”
“I-I think so. Since the spell’s already been cast, I can initiate a kind of renewal over it, which won’t drain me n-nearly as much as casting it did. Plus, a few demons is a lot less than an entire town,” Tara explained.
Buffy pursed her lips in anticipation. “Good, let’s do this.”
“Hang on a minute there, luv,” Spike said, grabbing her arm. “Forgettin’ something?”
Buffy looked confused. “Huh?”
Spike stared into her questioning eyes and pulled her closer. He leaned into her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, before bringing his lips down on hers. The kiss was tender, saying all kinds of things for which words would not suffice. But when they pulled apart, Buffy was trying not to meet the shocked gaze of Giles, whose mouth was literally hanging open.
Giles made a quick recovery. “What on earth is going on?!”
Spike looked hopefully at Buffy. “Tell him.”
“No.”
“What? Why the bloody hell not?”
Buffy tore her hand from his grasp. “Because this isn’t the time! Willow needs us and she needs us NOW.”
Spike tried unsuccessfully not to look as crushed as he felt. “Sure luv, any excuse is a good one, huh?”
Buffy was suddenly ignited by a fury she couldn’t contain. “You really think that’s why? God, you’re such an ass sometimes! Are you forgetting that I actually can’t lie, even if I wanted to? You want me to do this now? Fine, here it is.” She turned to face Giles. “Giles, Spike and I are together. As in, together together. Yep, we’re all with the togetheriness.” She turned back to Spike. “Happy?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” he smirked.
Buffy rolled her eyes, but reached for his hand whilst doing so.
Giles looked positively mortified. “How? Why? How?” Was all he could utter. “And why?”
Buffy sighed. “Lots of reasons. Spike has changed. A lot. He’s been there for me in a way that no one else could’ve been since I came back. He’s looks after Dawn like she’s his own. And he loves me. I swear I haven’t gone off the deep end,Giles, you just have to trust me. ”
“Loves you? Buffy, he hasn’t got a soul.”
“Maybe not in the literal sense, but he feels. In many ways he has more emotional depth than Angel had with a soul. I know his love is real, because I can feel it whenever he’s around me,” Buffy explained, smiling warmly at Spike as she did.
Spike returned the smile, squeezing her hand in a gesture of support.
Giles cleared his throat. “There is a significant difference between love and obsession, Buff-”
“It’s not obsession. Believe me, I know. Things are different now. He can make me happy, Giles. Can you please try to respect that?”
Giles’ frown faded. To hear Buffy mention being happy was worth just about anything - even the notion of her being with Spike. And she was right: Spike had done a lot of good. “I‘ll do my best.”
Tara chose this moment to intervene. “I t-think it’s great. It’s been kind of obvious for awhile now that y-you both have feelings for each other.”
Spike nodded. “Thanks Glinda, means a lot.”
Tara smiled. “But I th-think we need to hurry.”
“She’s right, let’s go,” Buffy agreed, making her way through the entrance, Spike by her side. She was hit by the realisation that this was exactly how she wanted things to be: her and Spike, together. The knowledge warmed her heart from the inside out.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm sorry it's been so long between updates! Between moving and uni, I just haven't had the time. Enjoy!