This time no one recognized where they were at first. They were in a small room, clearly Victorian. It was pale pink with a couple of pieces of Victorian furniture in it.
“This looks like where I grew up, except this isn’t a room in my house.” Spike said looking around confused and trying to recognize the place.
“Oh!” Buffy said suddenly aware and beginning to look scared.
“What?” Spike looked at her worried. It then became clear that the person she was most afraid of seeing this was Spike. She looked at him with more fear in her eyes than he’d seen in a long time, possibly ever.
It was then that Darla reappeared and addressed Buffy directly. “You’re missing it, we’ve already talked, you left the room already.”
“You?” Angel asked her.
“Is this just a Victorian house?” Spike asked, “’cause the furniture…and the light fixtures…it all looks very authentic.”
“No, it’s not just a house from then, we are then.” She told him looking at Darla almost pleadingly.
Darla looked as though she felt bad for the first time, “it won’t be for long, and you’re missing it, now go.” She pointed toward the door and people made their way out to what seemed like a party. A party in the 19th century, but still a party.
There were a group of people talking and they quickly saw Buffy in a beautiful Victorian dress standing with them looking awkward. They were talking about recent murders in the area and she watched them not participating and fidgeting with her dress evidently uncomfortable in it.
“This was an exercise for Buffy,” Darla began to explain to the mostly confused crowd. Faith and Dawn both seemed to suddenly understand the situation, though they weren’t letting anyone know. Spike and Angel noticed this from the two, but didn’t say anything, both deciding they were probably doing this for a reason. Darla was continuing with, “This wasn’t something that she had to watch, she had to participate. Spike I assume you recognize this now? Sans Buffy of course?” She turned to Spike.
“More or less, I remember these people.” He told them all with contempt.
“I was instructed, more or less, to bring Buffy here and she was to stay here until they, the powers that be that is, saw fit to bring her out of it.”
“This is my life yes?” Spike asked her.
“Yes.” She answered.
“And if I remember correctly this is the night I died.”
“Yes.”
“Why wouldn’t I remember her? Buffy I mean.”
“Because this never happened.” Darla stated simply.
“What?” Angel asked confused.
“Buffy was to go back, change things, she will go on to save you from dying tonight. Though at the end when she’s brought out it goes back as if she was never a part of it. She remembers it and it affects her, but it officially never happened.”
Buffy was staying quiet watching herself be uncomfortable and also looking scared.
“Why do you look scared Buffy?” Conner asked pointing at the Buffy in the memory.
“Because I know where I am. I know that Spike, or William I guess, is about to show up and I’m not scared I’m anxious.” She had gone back to not even glancing at Spike, no matter how badly she wanted to.
“I guess I’m not needed right now.” With that Darla disappeared again and they all quieted to watch the scene play out.
A brunette woman was speaking slightly animatedly, “I mean to point out that it’s something of a mystery and the police should keep an open mind.”
At that the onlookers as well as the party group noticed Spike, or William walk by. Buffy spotted him and a breath was caught in her throat as she stared at him. William hadn’t noticed her while another man in the group asked, “Ah, William! Favour us with your opinion. What do you think of this rash of disappearances sweeping through our town? Animals or thieves?”
William looked back at him and slightly earnestly stated, “I prefer not to think of such dark, ugly business at all. That’s what the police are for.” After a brief pause to look at another brunette he continued, “I prefer, placing my energies into creating things of beauty.” He finished and held up a small journal-like book.
Buffy was looking at him calmer now, though slightly incredulous at his appearance and behaviour. She had known he was a poet, but she wondering why he was such a ninny.
At this another man snatched the book out of William’s hand mocking him with, “I see. Well don’t withhold William.”
The woman who had first spoken piped in just as mockingly with, “Rescue us from a dreary topic.”
William looking worried and embarrassed stepped forward trying to take his book back, almost begging, “Careful, the inks are still wet. Please it’s not finished.”
The man pulled the book back and stood on the stairs looking back at him clearly getting ready to read one of his poems, “Don’t be shy.”
With this Buffy looked at William incredulously. This time he noticed her and simply asked “What?” angrily under his breath while the man started reading his poem.
“My heart expands, tis grown a bulge in it…” he began.
Buffy wasn’t paying attention and asked William. “You just let him do that?”
William looked more embarrassed and quickly became angry at Buffy. Seething he told her, “This is none of your business.” He spun around seeming to be looking for someone as the man finished.
“Inspired by your beauty, effulgent.” He stopped and looked very amused before he outright made fun of William asking, “Effulgent?” as if it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard.
William was now watching the brunette girl retreat before he spun around and took back his poem, only briefly looking at Buffy before following after the girl that Buffy seemed to just discover she recognized.
The people standing around were outright making fun of him now as Buffy began to follow after William without drawing attention to herself. “And that’s actually one of his better compositions.”
“Have you heard? They call him ‘William the Bloody’ because of his bloody awful poetry.”
At this Spike looked at the ceiling annoyed, “I could have gone forever without people knowing that.”
Most of the rest of the onlookers laughed slightly just before the man who had stolen his poem told the crowd, “It suits him. I would have a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!”
Buffy who was leaving simply looked at him amused and told him, “You really shouldn’t have said that,” before continuing on.
Spike laughed at that though Buffy still wouldn’t look at him. He however could tell that she was masking her continued amusement at the man’s statement. They all followed after Buffy at Willow’s suggestion. Buffy began to look afraid again, before they suddenly got the queasy feeling again and were thrust into the next memory.
They were all standing in a graveyard. It only took a second to see that Angel and Buffy were sitting in front of them on a blanket leaning against a tombstone.
Buffy was explaining, “It's gonna be fun. Will and I are going to go on Saturday to check out the campus. I'm hoping Mom will let me live there. It's too far to come home every night. Plus the whole lack of cool factor. Either way, I'll be close to your place. I don't know what the Mayor was talking about. How could he know anything about us?”
Angel answer was a simple, “Well, he’s evil.”
“Big time. He doesn't even know what a lasting relationship is.”
Everyone was beginning to see that they were protesting just a little too much.
“No.” Angel responded, agreeing with her was overcompensating enough for the broody vampire.
“Probably the only lasting relationship he's ever had is with…evil.”
“Yeah.”
“Big stupid evil guy. We’ll be okay.” Buffy tried to reassure both of them.
“We will.” At this Buffy leaned on Angel and everyone could see that both of them were not thinking they were going to be okay.
With that once again they were on the move.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay so new chapter is up. I've begun to work on my supplemental story so I wanted to get this chapter out to see if people are interested in the story I want to tell. It is of course what happens continuing the first memory they watch. Let me know what you think, both the chapter and the story idea.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far. You guys are great. Keep 'em coming folks! I luuurve them!