Buffy was lying on the soft confronter, she was very frightened. She had another dream about Juliet and Emma. She was beginning to worry about them. Spike and Giles had gone to England to visit the Watcher’s Council to see if they could make heads or tails of the dreams. Dawn walked in and saw Buffy laying there in the bed.
“Buffy you okay?” Dawn asked, “I heard you scream.”
“I’m fine Dawn, I just had another dream,” Dawn opened her mouth to say something, but then Buffy said, “Really Dawn, I’m fine I just had another nightmare that’s all,” she hugged Dawn and sat up. “Let’s go fix us something to eat Dawn okay,” she walked downstairs with Dawn.
Willow and Tara came home from the grocery store with a lot of microwavable food because even though there was a slayer, two witches, and the key and none of them could cook. Of course, Emma and Juliet did not count. They walked into the kitchen and almost hit the floor; Juliet and Emma were sitting in the floor covered in flour and egg, laughing. Willow walked over to Emma and asked her, “Where is your mother?”
Emma looked at Juliet and they both looked back at Willow and Tara and said very sweetly and innocently, “She’s sleeping.”
Buffy saw Willow and Tara cleaning up something in the kitchen she walked in there and asked them, “What happened in here guys,” She got a mop and started cleaning up the egg and flour.
“Juliet and Emma decided that their momma wouldn’t make them breakfast, so they made it themselves,” Tara said smirking.
“Oh, I was sleeping but Dawn was awake; she could have made them something to eat, in fact I was going to fix them some pizza,” Buffy said wringing out a mop.
Willow looked at Buffy and smiled three years ago, she could not imagine Buffy even knowing how to use a mop, but a lot had happened over these last few years. This is that story…
Three years ago
Xander and Anya were working at the Magic Shop tonight so Giles could patrol with Buffy while she slayed the Cantor demon that was terrorizing Dawn. The door opened and Tara came running in.
“Guys Buffy is gone,” Tara, said panicking. Xander came over to her and tried to calm her down and reassure her. While all this was going this demon with green misty stuff surrounding him came in and he bought a spirit ball, (used to change people’s destinies), from Anya. She sold it to him, (or it), reluctantly. He walked out of the store quickly.
“Who was that Anya?” Tara asked suddenly very calm. She was sitting on one of the round tables in the store. Xander walked over to her and looked at Anya.
“Yeah Anya who was that,” Xander asked, “I mean he looked kind of freaky with all the green mist surrounding him, and all the green lights floating around him,” Xander quickly added putting his arms around Anya and kissing her.
Anya looked up at him, laughed gently, and asked, “It was a jancaru demon, and he wanted a spirit ball, so I sold him one. That is how consumer economics works, right Xander?”
Xander looked at her and smiled, “Yes Anya, but ask me before you sell another demon a spirit ball.” She nodded to make it known she understood what he meant. “By the way Anya what is a spirit ball?” Tara asked looking up from the book; she was so interested in reading.
“A spirit ball is something demons use to change humans’ destinies and to resurrect ancient demons,” Anya answered. Suddenly Giles came in carrying a very bloody Buffy. Everyone came running over to him and Xander and Tara took Buffy out of Giles arms and laid her on the table to clean her up. Buffy started moaning about Spike and asking them if he was ok.
"What happened to her Giles,” Tara asked while Anya went to get her some gauze and tape to dress Buffy’s wounds with. Xander was trying to find Willow now, so she could help treat her wounds and find the demon that did this. In addition, Dawn was with her, so it was important for Willow to bring her there.
“The Cantor demon was incredibly strong, and incredibly smart; it outsmarted both of us,” Giles said rubbing his glasses repeatedly. “He did some sort of weird spell that made Spike glow and he could not even drink animal blood without puking it back up, it was kind of like he was human again.”
Willow ran in the door with Dawn and Spike, they were all very tired from running, “We got here as soon as we could,” Willow said. Dawn and Spike were more concerned with Buffy then anything else now. “Is she going to be okay,” Willow asked as she walked over to Buffy and placed Dawn’s hand. Dawn started crying and Spike put his arms around her and started whispering to her that he loved her.
Tara walked over to Dawn and Spike and told them that they would have to leave if they wanted her, and Willow to try to fix her up better. Spike turned around and looked at the lavishly decorated shop, and thought that this might be the last time him and Buffy were together so he wanted to stay with her through everything. “Look Tara I love Buffy, and I’m staying with her till she dies; now if somebody wants to take Niblet here home,” Spike said motioning towards Dawn, “that’s fine with me.” Then Spike started feeling nauseated again and he quickly ran to the bathroom.
Buffy started to wake up and she moaned for Spike to come over to her and help her get up. He was in the bathroom puking. Tara walked over to Buffy and took her vitals. Then she helped Buffy sit up. “Tara where is Spike, is he here, I want him here with me,” Buffy said whining.
“Spike is here, but he’s sick,” Tara said motioning toward the bathroom, “he’s been in the bathroom puking almost ever since Giles brought you in here, we think the demon put a spell on both of you.”
Spike came out of the bathroom a little while later looking paler than usual (even though he is dead). He sat down across from Dawn and curled up in a ball. Dawn walked over to him and offered him some doughnuts, but just the thought of them made him start to feel nauseated again so he ran to the bathroom quickly.
As soon as Spike finished dry heaving, he decided to take his frustrations out on something. He grabbed his leather jacket and headed out the door into the night, not knowing Buffy had awakened.