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Chapter 3

"How do you know it's Giles?"

"Because I speak Fyarl, among other things," Spike scoffed, "Besides, Demonic Giles is what Buffy got for her 19th birthday thanks to the Buffy Birthday Curse."

Demonic Giles began to growl out his story to the only person in the room who understood him. Spike nodded as he asked pertinent questions at all the right spots.

"Well, this isn't our Giles," replied the vampire indicating himself and his female companions. "He and his Spike got captured by the Initiative which didn't happen in our dimension. As he was makin' his escape he turned a corner and fell into a vortex before he could stop himself. Then he wandered around until he noticed the high school wasn't blown up. He came in hopin' to find help."

Demonic Giles plopped down on the floor knowing he was too large for the chairs. He spoke something else in Fyarl which caused Spike to raise his eyebrow.

"Tut, tut, Rupes, watch your language," Spike chuckled.

"You all seem to take the wackiness in stride, though," Giles commented. It was weird seeing himself as a demon.

"All the wackiness in the world is attracted to Sunnydale, Giles. You should know this," Anne replied, "And to us, specifically. You would think after the Halloween spell and the band candy you would know better than to go out for a drink with Ethan."

Demonic Giles growled from his seat on the floor. Buffy and Dawn both reached down and patted a shoulder. The two Summers girls felt sorry for the Watcher. His transformation had only lasted just under 24 hours in their dimension. Dawn studied Demonic Giles carefully before whispering in his ear causing him to give her a thankful whimper.

"I can get you home."

"Well, I want to know more about how Angel lost his soul," Jenny quietly demanded.

"Well you would, wouldn't you, gypsy girl? Buffy Birthday Curse strikes again!" Spike replied as he settled down next to Anne, "Your turn, luv, it's your story, not mine."

"We were in love and when we consummated it Angel got really, really happy and Angelus came out to play with our doilies," Anne panned.

"Oi, Slayer, I'm the only one who played with the doilies. Angelus played with the gypsy, the fish and the big rock," Spike interjected.

"You have a pet rock, Deadboy?" Xander deadpanned. He loved to watch the souled vampire squirm. A snarl from Spike caused Xander to gulp and turn his direction.

"Don't go mocking things, Whelp. Ole Angelus didn't have just any pet rock. He had Acathla," Spike informed the teenager.

"Acathla? I thought that was just a legend," replied Giles. He glanced at the faces of the visitors and decided that maybe it wasn't a legend after all.

"It's not a legend. It will be here in Sunnydale at the museum in a few months. It makes the newspaper and everything," Spike asserted.

A voice from the hallway outside the library caused the older Slayer and Demonic Giles to scramble for the cover of the upper stacks. Anne stood in the darkness, her hand over her mouth as she watched her mother enter the library. When Demonic Giles laid his hand on her shoulder, she pulled her hand off her mouth long enough to whisper.

"She dies next year, your time. She has a brain tumor and after the surgery, she had an aneuryrism. It burst and she died. I found her."

Demonic Giles made a sound of sympathy as he pulled her into a close embrace. He wondered if he would be able to save Joyce when he made it home. Demonic Giles watched the older Slayer dry her tears and begin to focus her attention on Spike and Dawn. They didn't appear to be taking it any better than she was.

"Buffy, what's going on here?" Joyce asked as she pushed open the library doors. She saw the entire room turn 'deer in the headlights' looks towards her until the young man on the staircase stood and introduced himself.

"Hello, Mrs. Summers. My name is William Jamison. My assistant and I are here in an attempt to interest the young people in starting a poetry club," Spike's voice smoothed out to cultured English tones reminiscent of Giles's.

"Mr. Jamison, that sounds so cultural. I am so pleased Buffy is showing an interest in such things," Joyce replied, "Do you write your own poetry."

"Yes, I do, but it's bloody awful. And please call me William," Spike continued in his cultured voice ignoring the stunned looks from the other occupants of the room. Only Dawn, Anne and Angel knew that William the Bloody wasn't what he pretended to be.

"Only if you call me Joyce, William. And please do recite me an original poem," Joyce smiled up at the young man. He was so polite... and so familiar, but she just couldn't place her finger on it.

"Be delighted, Joyce."

Buffy watched as a debonair Spike charmed her mother with his dashing, cultured ways. This was not the brash, rude, 'in your face' vampire she was use to dealing with. Is this what the other Buffy saw in the vampire? Buffy looked up at the upper level of the library hoping to catch a glimpse of Anne's face but her eyes couldn't pierce the darkness.

"She walks in the sunlight,
My golden goddess,
Where I cannot follow.
Her secret tears at me,
Cutting me with its sharp edges.
And all I can do is wait in the shadows,
Hoping she comes to me, again."

The room was totally silent after William recited his poem. He knew it was an awful poem because that was all he ever wrote, but he didn't think it was that bad. What William didn't realize was that it wasn't the words that affected everyone, but the feelings conveyed behind it.

"You wrote that when she told you," Dawn stated, "How can you remember a poem you wrote two years ago?"

"Photographic memory, Nibblet. Joyce, we still have some things to go over. I am sure Mr. Giles would be happy to escort Buffy home," William suggested.

"That would be fine, William. I just stopped in to let Buffy know that shipment of art I have been waiting for came in and I have to go to the gallery to check on it," Joyce informed William before turning to her daughter, "You know the rules, Buffy. See you at home."

The interruption stopped the momentum the meeting had previously had, causing everyone to break off into smaller groups. The two Gileses were consulting with Spike as the interpreter. Dawn was speaking quietly with the teenage Scoobies. Angel just sat in his chair glowering at everyone.

"I need a soda. Do you have any change, William?" Anne asked as she walked over and put her hand on his sleeve. William absentmindedly dug around in his pockets till he found some change to hand to Anne. "You want a soda, Dawnie?"

"Sure, get me a Coke. A regular one. Not that diet crap you drink," Dawn replied, before turning her attention back to the conversation she was participating in.

Anne left the library to find the soda machine she knew was in the student's lounge. She was sure that Buffy would follow her. Anne knew her younger counterpart was just dying to ask a whole bunch of questions about William. She knew it must be hard for Buffy to understand how things could have changed so drastically that her life no longer intertwined with Angel's and hadn't for a long time even though she herself had been in denial for most of it. Only Spike's sacrifice had brought realization to the seasoned Slayer. Anne just hoped that this Buffy could learn from the mistakes she had made... or was going to make.

"Why Spike?" Buffy's voice startled Anne even though she was expecting it.

"Why Spike what?" Anne asked in pretended astonishment.

"Why are you with Spike? You know he's just going to turn on you," Buffy replied with total conviction in her voice.

"William has fought by my side for the past four years. I think he's proved his trust for me many times over. Besides he doesn't take off when the going gets rough, and he's taken numerous beatings for the sake of keeping me and mine safe," Anne announced as she popped the top of her Diet Coke and took a sip.

"Four years? Where was Angel during all of that, 'cause I have to say not seeing the team spirit between those two," Buffy muttered the last little bit under her breath. She had seen the utter contempt that Spike had towards Angel; as if Angel was beneath him instead of the other way around.

"And you probably won't, besides didn't you hear William? Angel trotted off to LA and went on with his life without you. Unless of course he stopped by for a visit in Sunnydale. Then he expected you to drop everything and be with him regardless of anyone else," Anne announced.

"You're lying. He wouldn't do that, he cares about me," Buffy cried. She couldn't believe the words coming out of Anne's mouth. What had happened in her dimension couldn't possibly be what would happen here. Buffy, in her youthful innocence totally convinced herself of this fact.

"Yes, he cares, but not enough to stay. Not enough to work things out. Not enough to get the soul anchored," Anne spit out as she watched Buffy convince herself that Angel would never leave her.

"I thought we'd always be together. And you're with Spike, how did that even happen?" Buffy asked

"Honestly? I thought we would be, too. Until I realized I wanted to be loved for all of me, not just the girl. And Spike loves all of me; the girl and the slayer. He isn't scared by my strengths or my weaknesses. He's seen me at my best and my worst and he tells me I'm the one." Anne smiled a sweet little grin as she played the private moment over in her mind.

"Angel loves me! He- He's seen me with leaves in my hair a-a-and wet like a drowned rat! And he isn't scared of me! He loves me! He does! And at least HE has a soul!" Buffy cried. This conversation wasn't going the way she had planned. Instead of finding out this was some sick game Spike was playing she was discovering things about herself and Angel she didn't want to hear.

"Things aren't always the way they appear, Buffy. Besides, I didn't mean physically worst or best. I meant here and here," Anne said as she touched her head and her heart.

"How? How did he change so much that he loves his mortal enemy? What changed?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. You will have to ask him that. It's not like I went out of my way to make him fall in love with me. I was just as disgusted as you are now when I found out. Of course I did say once that hitting Spike was like making it to third base with him. And I did hit him. A lot," Anne replied as she finished her soda and threw the can into the recycling bin.

"But he is an evil, soulless creature. How could you?" Buffy grimaced as her voice filled with utter disgust.

"Spike has his soul. He got his soul for me, to be a better man. He sought it out, fought for it and won it. He won me. Too bad I was too broken to let him know he never needed it. He's not like Angel. There's no curse on the soul and he won't turn on me- on us. He doesn't help me to save his soul. I'm not his salvation. I'm just his. And he's exactly what I need," Anne's voice dropped to a whisper when she saw William, Dawn and Demonic Giles exit the library and come towards the two Slayers, "Besides, you should see him naked. I mean, really."

With that she walked away from Buffy to join her true companions. Anne handed Dawn her soda and linked arms with Spike. She looked up at Demonic Giles and grinned.

"So Giles, didn't you learn your lesson about Ethan after the Halloween spell and me catching you and mom humping on the police car? By the way, you still haven't told me what a stevedore is." Anne's snarky tone of voice caused William to hoot with laughter at the embarrassed Watcher.





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