Across town, the group were growing ever more bored of the endless search for a way into the nerds’ cameras. Willow was engrossed in her task, eyes never leaving the screen for a moment, but the others were much less enlivened. Xander and Dawn sat slumped on their chairs, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. Every now and again, you would hear the tapping of a foot on the floor or a hand on the table – but Willow would look up sharply and the guilty party would stop and resume their weary wait.
Buffy had deserted them what seemed like ages ago and those left behind began to envy her swift escape. Dawn, growing impatient, got to her feet – and just as she did, Willow gave a small cry of triumph. Dawn and Xander exchanged a quick look and then they both rushed to Willow’s side, gazes fixed eagerly on the screen.
“Well?” Dawn asked.
“I’m into the system. There’s a bit more security to get through before I can see the cameras… but I’m getting somewhere.”
As one, Dawn and Xander let out a sigh of disappointment and trudged back to their chairs, earning them a sheepish look from the witch.
“I’m really almost there,” she reassured them and they nodded tiredly.
Long minutes later, Willow made another excited sound that drew their attention and when she quickly looked up at them, they both jumped to their feet again and rushed around to her end of the table.
“I’m in. Look, it’s the lounge.”
As she spoke, windows kept popping up, revealing images to them of places regularly visited by Buffy. Dawn couldn’t help but give a shiver when she realised just how well they had spied on her sister’s every move. They had cameras everywhere.
“Hey, that’s my flat!” Xander exclaimed in outrage.
“And the Doublemeat Palace,” Willow added, flicking from one window to the other.
“Is that Spike’s crypt?” Dawn asked, leaning closer to try and make out a dark graveyard scene.
“I think so,” Willow answered with a frown, “And look, the Magic Box.”
She opened the window and three pairs of eyes went wide with surprise.
“What happened to the shop?” Xander asked in shock, “It’s trashed.”
Sure enough, the table was upended and the
contents of several shelves lay on the floor, along with a number of books. The camera itself – hidden on a shelf by the look of it – was at an odd angle, as if it too had taken a hit.
A second later, a flash of black went flying past the camera lens and moments later, they made out Buffy’s figure, dragging what now turned out to be Spike to his feet. He broke out of her grip though and spun, throwing her into the ladder. She caught it, holding herself upright just enough to kick him in the chest when he reached her, sending him to the floor.
She followed him, attempting to pin him to the floor but failing and they struggled for several long moments. And back at Revello Drive, they could only watch on in complete astonishment at the fight playing out in front of them.
“They… they’re fighting,” Dawn got out, unable to tear her eyes away from the screen.
“Yeah, like, really fighting,” Xander added with a frown, “As in, yay-I-haven’t-got-a-chip fighting.”
His words were a sharp reminder of why they hadn’t seen anything like this in a long time and the both girls’ eyes went wide with horror.
“No, he… he wouldn’t,” Dawn got out helplessly, even as she watched him throw her sister into the glass counter, shattering it.
A few long seconds passed before suddenly, Xander was startled into motion and raced into the living room. Both girls followed him and paused at the door when they found him rifling through Buffy’s weapons chest.
“What are you doing?” Willow asked.
“He’s dangerous and Buffy’s in trouble. What do you think I’m doing?”
“Xander, if he’s got the chip out, he’ll kill you.”
Dawn, still struggling to process what was going on, stumbled back, shaking her head. Spike wouldn’t do that – she knew he wouldn’t. He was different now. There had to be some good reason why he was fighting her sister. She just wasn’t sure what.
She found herself standing in front of the computer again, staring at the screen as the two blondes fought, frowning as she noticed the twin looks of intense anger and something like pain.
“Guys?” she called out shakily, still not taking her eyes off the screen, something starting to become very clear as she continued to watch.
“Guys?” she called again, louder.
Still arguing, Xander and Willow answered her call and returned to the dining room, watching her worriedly.
“What is it, Dawnie?”
“Come look at this,” she said absentmindedly, tilting her head as if it would help her better understand what was happening on the screen. Xander and Willow soon joined her and studied the screen for a long moment before Xander spoke up.
“What?”
“Look at the way they’re fighting,” she said, pointing at the screen.
“Yeah I see it, Dawnie,” Xander answered with a tiny smile, “Fight to death and all that.”
“No,” she cut in, “It’s not.”
“Dawnie?” Willow asked curiously.
“Look at them. You’ve seen both of them fight…”
Xander and Willow both leaned in, watching intently, still with puzzled looks on their faces.
“…But have you ever seen them fight this lamely?”
Two pairs of eyes turned to the teenager in confusion and she glanced between them before returning her eyes to the screen.
“They’re not even really trying to get any hits in. They just seem to be throwing each other around a lot.”
“Dawnie, what are you trying to say?” Xander asked, “That they’re, I don’t know, playing nice.”
“Yeah,” she answered plainly, with a quick glance at Xander’s bewildered look, “Well, not nice… but they’re holding back. Both of them.”
There was a long silence, but then Xander moved again, shaking his head and heading for the lounge once more.
“I don’t care if they’re holding back, Buffy needs our help.”
The sound of him rifling in the weapons chest could be heard again and Willow threw Dawn a worried look before dashing after her friend. Dawn could not move from her spot though and sank into a chair, eyes fixed on the two blondes.
She frowned, watching every move – every one of which only showed her that she was right and that for some reason, this fight was not the serious disaster Xander seemed to think. She heard the sounds of Xander and Willow arguing in the background but all she could do was stare at her sister and her friend, wondering just what might have driven them to trade blows. And how on earth Spike wasn’t in agony from doing so.
“Right, I’m going,” Xander exclaimed and she heard the sound of the door, propelling her to her feet and drawing her eyes from the screen for a split second.
“Wait, Xander, come on,” Willow said, trying to stall him, “We don’t know what’s going on.”
“All I know is that Spike’s dangerous again and we need to deal with it.”
Dawn’s eyes flicked from the doorway back to the computer screen and she froze, Willow and Xander’s voices fading into the background. After a long moment, during which her voice was stolen in surprise, she spoke up.
“Guys? I think you might want to see this.”
Two heads rounded the door, matching looks of worry on their faces.
“What is it?” Willow asked worriedly, even as she and Xander rushed forward.
“Erm, they’re not fighting anymore,” Dawn murmured, even more shocked as she watched this latest twist, “They’re, erm, kissing.”
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