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A/N: I tried to put this up last night also, but couldn’t get it up till now. I just didn’t want to leave it where I had.

Also, I should probably tell you that this is definitely not going to follow the season 6 outline anymore…it started out like that, but it’s going very AU. So, don’t expect any more of the baddies from season six.

And With This Power

Chapter Ten: Hurt


No.

Everything was fine.

Just because she hadn’t seen Willow or Spike for two days now didn’t mean that anything was wrong.

She’d gone to his crypt a few times to discover that he wasn’t there, and she had no clue what to think.

But what wigged her out even more is the fact that Willow had yet to come home or even call.

Tara had offered a simple locating spell because of how worried Buffy was getting, but Buffy didn’t take her up on it.

But now she was seriously considering it.

As she arrived home from yet another patrol, she felt aches all over her body.

“Dawn!” It was only a few seconds after Buffy called for her sister that she remembered Dawn was staying with Anya and Xander. Tara had offered to continue living there until Willow came back, and Buffy guessed that she was upstairs sleeping.

Setting her jacket on the couch, the slayer started for the kitchen and almost jumped out of her skin when Spike suddenly appeared from the kitchen doorway.

After calming herself down, Buffy sent a glare Spike’s way that was followed by a confused look.

“Scare ya, pet?” He asked with a smirk.

Glaring, she answered, “No. Where’ve you been?”

“Why miss me?”

“Spike-”

“I just went out for a few days. Needed some space is all.”

“Oh. Well, you should’ve said something…I was getting worried.”

With a roll of his eyes, Spike sighed. “Why, didn’t think you’d be able to handle all the new big bads on your own?”

“I love you…you know that’s why,” she answered, looking slightly hurt.

“Right. You love me. See while I was out, I thought about a few things. You end up saying you love a bloke right before you take him to your bed…and they leave soon thereafter. So I’m thinking something must be wrong in that department. See, I thought I loved you…and I do. I love the part of you that fights. I love the slayer. Not Buffy. Just a bit too clingy and whiney for my tastes.” Smirking, Spike walked past her, then stopped to look at her again.

Buffy had unshed tears in her eyes that she refused to let fall. Suddenly, Spike started laughing and then morphed into a mirror image of Buffy herself.

Realization hit Buffy and she didn’t know if she felt relief or grief at the moment. “Get out,” Buffy said coldly to herself/the First.

“Oh, come on. I love getting you all worked up like that. I guess Spike’s a sore spot for you. It’s gonna hurt when he doesn’t come back, isn’t it?” The First then changed into Angel.

“Come on, Buffy…you’re working yourself too hard here.” As Angel/ the First smiled at her, the front door opened to reveal Dawn, Giles, Xander and Anya. They had all come over to discuss the disappearance of Willow.

Because they honestly didn’t care that Spike was gone.

Well, Dawn did…but the others didn’t seem to worry about it.

“Angel?” Giles asked; his eyes narrowed.

The First turned to face Giles. “Hey, how ya been lately? Got any new schoolteachers I can break?” He asked with a smirk.

“Angelus,” Giles corrected himself and took a step back.

“Get out!” Buffy’s scream had everyone turning to face her.

The First once again morphed into Buffy and sighed. “Fine, ruin my fun. You think you can win? You think just because you got to see the future that you can beat me?” The First smiled and laughed a little. “Guess what. I got to see the future too,” she said in a taunting voice. “So any advantage you thought you had over me…forget it. I’m way ahead of you. In fact…” The First morphed first into the potential, Amanda and then into Kennedy. “I’ve already got some of your warriors down. Pick up the pace, Slayer.” Kennedy/the First vanished, leaving four confused Scoobies and one pissed off slayer.

“Buffy?” Giles asked, stepping forward.

“I don’t guess you want to explain all of that?” Xander questioned, also taking a few steps toward her.

[Same time]

Willow walked out of a small building, a smile on her face. She was doing better. It had only been her first day with the woman who promised she could help the redhead.

Willow had left Sunnydale, knowing she had hurt the one woman who would do nothing to harm her. With the knowledge that she needed help, Willow had gone to see a powerful Wicca she’d heard of, in hopes that she could learn to be responsible for her power.

[Same time]

Spike was determined to do this. No matter what Buffy had said, he knew that she wanted a souled Spike.

So that’s what she’d get.

Speaking of…

“Buffy?” He asked in disbelief as she walked in front of him. “What? How?”

“What do you think? I followed you.” Of course he didn’t know, but this was the First.

“Um…why?”

“To stop you from doing something stupid. This soul thing? Don’t do it.”

Spike didn’t know how she knew what he was doing, but he still looked confused. “Why not?”

“Because if you get the soul, then I’d have to feel all sorry for you and then there’d be no way I could leave.”

“Leave?” Spike tried his hardest not to let the hurt be evident in his voice.

“Yeah. Leave…as in leave you. Come on…you honestly think we’d work out? I had demon poison in me when I proclaimed my love for you. And believe me…there’s nothing I regret saying more.”

Spike pushed all hurt aside and masked it with anger. “Slayer-”

“I don’t have time for this. Or you.” She turned to walk away. Suddenly turning back around, she sighed. “And if you decide to come back home…there’s no longer a standing invite,” the First lied and turned.

Spike could only watch as she turned the corner to walk through a trail in the woods. He couldn’t see her anymore, but he had too many emotions running through him to move.

The First/Buffy stopped walking when she came to the man who had been waiting for it.

“Go for it, Caleb. Get me a new soldier,” she said with a smirk that Caleb returned.

Caleb walked out to where Spike was still standing.

“Ain’t that just like a woman? Make the promises and then turn her back on you.” Caleb made the ‘tsk’ sound as Spike eyed him wearily. “A war’s about to begin. Against the Slayer and all her friends. There’s no doubt that they will lose. And the Slayer’s pretty little neck will get to crack in you hands…if you want it.”

Spike wasn’t this stupid. He was mad, yes. But he loved Buffy still; there’s no way he’d help kill her. “Sorry, don’t think so,” Spike said, taking a step forward.

“Ah,” Caleb started, a smirk on his face. “That, my boy, is where you don’t have a choice.” Before Spike had time to contemplate what Caleb had said, Caleb’s hand was brought down on Spike’s shoulder and a bright light surrounded them both.

And Spike could only scream in pain at the magics that tore through him.

The magics that took all his love for Buffy and Dawn away.

The magics that made the demon in control of the man again.

The magics that took all the good there was out of him.

And the magics that made him the First’s newest recruit.

As the light died down, Spike lifted his head with an evil glint in his eyes. Turning to Caleb, the vampire could only smile.

Spike’s smile turned into a smirk as he asked, “Didn’t you say something about cracking someone’s neck?”





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