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And With This Power

Chapter Three: Expectations


It was only a few days after the resurrection. The ghost-type thing that was created by Willow’s spell was defeated and everyone was trying to get Buffy’s life back on track. Thing is, she already had it on track.

They were delighted that she was recovering so quickly, but they had no idea why.

Why was this so easy for her?

It was night, and they were all in the kitchen- minus Spike.

“Anyway, I was thinking that maybe we could take over patrol until you’re ready,” Willow suggested.

“No. I should probably do it,” Buffy replied.

“But Buffy…you need some time getting on your feet…” Dawn said softly.

“You mean after lying flat on my back?” Buffy kept a straight face, though she wanted to laugh. That was one of her better death jokes from before, and she wasn’t going through this reality without using it. But, then she saw the horrified expressions of her friends. “I can do it guys. I don’t want to rest any more. It’s what I’ve been doing for the past few months.” Oops…did it again.

They were cut off by Spike walking through the door. He saw that everyone was looking at him kind of funny. He figured it was because of the kindness Buffy had been showing him lately.

He gave Buffy a short smile before sitting on the counter top.

Buffy just looked around the room. She hadn’t really had time to look around at the people she loved so much. For the first time, she found her eyes locked with Tara.

Tara blushed and looked away as Buffy smiled. No matter what, she would not let her die again.

Then her gaze fell to Anya. She too would live now.

Finally her stare fell on Spike, and everyone noticed but didn’t say anything.

He was here…granted, without his soul.

Crap…without his soul. When he didn’t have it he was pig-headed and such a jerk.

Sure, he still loved her. But he was stubborn and acted like some jerk you’d meet at a bar.

Doesn’t mean she couldn’t try to make him the way he was. After all, here he was, practically creating his own soul.

He had it in him to be good, and she knew it. Even without the soul he could be a good man.

No matter how soulless he was.

“Buffy?” Xander said, finally breaking her stare from Spike.

Buffy tore her mind from thoughts of Spike and thought of Tara. “Willow, there are three guys I need you to find for me.”

“Okay…sure, Buffy. Can I ask why?” Willow asked sweetly.

“No. I mean…it’s just…find them for me okay?” Willow nodded. “Warren, Jonathon, and Andrew. Jonathon is the one from high school. I need you to get me their addresses. But…um, Warren is kind of more important to find.”

After all, he’d been the mastermind behind it. Maybe if Buffy got to him before he teamed up with Andrew and Jonathon, they wouldn’t have to deal with the trio at all.

After a while of talking, the others slowly went to bed, leaving Spike and Buffy alone.

“When’s your watcher coming in?” Spike asked, breaking the silence.

“Oh, um…Willow called him. He’s should be here soon.” Buffy remembered Giles’ reaction when she came back, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Another awkward silence followed.

“Spike,” Buffy started finally. She was making things right this time. “I want to thank you. For helping with Dawn…and keeping the demon population down while I was…well down.”

He nodded and gave her a small smile as his head tilted to the side. She was being so nice to him, for reasons he didn’t know. But he didn’t care. She was finally caring about him.

“What?” She finally asked. She soon wished she hadn’t. Spike’s eyes traveled up her body, and she rolled her eyes.

“You know what,” he said, getting up and stepping closer to her.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes again. “Ass,” she muttered.

“What did you just call me,” he said, meaning to sound terrifying, but Buffy wasn’t buying it.

“You heard me.” Great, old times playing themselves out.

Spike looked irritated as he stepped back, placing his hands on his waist. “What is your bloody problem?”

“My problem?!” She stood up, eyeing him with impatience.

“Yes,” he replied, loving how he was annoying her so much.

“You! You. Are. My. Freakin’ problem!” She practically yelled. “I was so stupid…” she said remembering her earlier thoughts. “You couldn’t be like that again…”

If not for vampire hearing, he wouldn’t have heard the last part. “Be like what again?” He asked with some rage in his voice.

She realized she probably shouldn’t have added that comment.

“What the bloody hell do you want from me, Buffy!?” She looked a bit bewildered. “Since you’ve been back, you’ve been treating me like someone I’m not! Not that I’ll complain,” he added. “But you’re expecting things from me, and-”

“Damn right I expect things from you!” She yelled back. “You say you love me so much? Prove it, Spike! Prove me wrong from all those times I said you couldn’t love. Prove. Me. Wrong!” Spike looked confused. Was she asking him to love her. No…couldn’t be. Suddenly her look and tone of voice softened. “Sorry…it’s been a long night. I think you should just…go,” she said and looked down.

Spike sighed and muttered curses under his breath as he walked out the door.

Later as Buffy was thinking, she let her mind wander to the trio. Why hadn’t they made their appearance yet? It should’ve happened already. Maybe it was a later meeting than what she thought.

Yep. She was just a few days ahead of herself. Willow would get Warren’s address and she’d find them all.

She couldn’t help but find it her responsibility to lead Andrew to his redemption again. He’d been happy there in the end. And hey, now she could do the same thing for Jonathon.

Warren however…she didn’t know if she could bring herself to forgive him. He’d killed Tara…or had in the reality she first lived in. No. Warren had to be stopped. Before he killed Katrina. Before he tried to kill Buffy.

Buffy sighed and then thought of Spike. If it was the time when she was fighting the First, she would’ve gone to him already to ask him to hold her. But it was too soon for that.

First, redeem the vampire. Then…go from there.

The thing was, she had no where to go from there.

But this time, things would be right.


TBC…





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