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[A/N: Gods, the reviews have just been . . . thank you all so much. More than I ever expected. There are few immutable laws of nature – what goes up comes down – what goes round comes round – etc. One of the most important is for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is going to be effectively demonstrated shortly. And yes, when they wrote that line “magic always has consequences” they weren’t joking. It always does. Quotes as attributed, disclaimers still working.]

Previously: Everyone now know Buffy is back and how. Everyone but Willow, who is about to find out. This is the next morning.

18. Reckoning.

Goodness shall be repaid with goodness, and
Evil repaid with evil, never fear, the day of
Reckoning will come soon.
Chinese proverb

Truth is truth to the end of reckoning.
Measure for Measure, act v, sc 1




He didn’t think he’d ever been so tired in his life. The emotional turmoil alone would have been enough, couple that with nearly twenty-four hours in a plane, then adding in the considerable time changes, Rupert counted himself luck he was out of bed at all.

It had been surreal. Giles woke up thinking he’d dreamt the whole thing, only to find himself staring not at his own bedroom ceiling, but at subflooring. Where in hell am I? Was quickly followed by the abrupt realization that he was in a basement. Right, then hadn’t been a dream at all.

He’d flown halfway round the globe just to make a bloody phone call and come right back.

Wincing a bit at the stiffness of his aching muscles, Giles wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep. But he had no idea of the time and no doubt Spike was in need of his bed.

Better he get up now anyway. He had to call London before too much time passed. Travers expected him yesterday, had known Giles had gotten on a plane and probably his welcoming committee had reported on his subsequent immediate turn around. He was a little surprised that Travers hadn’t already called him.

Finally getting up, Giles located his cell phone and harrumped at it when if flashed ‘you have six messages’ at him. No doubt every last one was from the Council. Giving in to the unavoidable, Giles hit play and listened while Travers ranted.


******************************** ******************************


Sleep had been elusive. Truth was, she didn’t want to sleep. Sleep meant nightmares she couldn’t control. Sleep meant reliving it all over again. It was hard enough being awake with the memories, shouldn’t have to fight them off while sleeping.

She’d stayed awake for hours, just watching Dawn sleep. Listening while everyone in the house settled down for the night. It was nice, being able to do that. But being alone was hard too, because those memories kept surfacing. They were hard to face. So she fought against sleeping, until in the late hours of the night, long past midnight, when everything was still and silent, after she heard the back door open then close, when she knew he was home did she close her eyes.

His footsteps had been nearly silent as he ascended the stairs, but she could hear them, could feel him coming closer.

Pretending to be asleep when he opened the door to check up on them hadn’t worked. She hadn’t really expected to fool him anyway. Hadn’t expected him to let it slide either.

“Know you’re awake. You okay kitten?” His voice was low, full of concern laced with a tiny bit of humor.

“Can’t sleep.” Her voice was equally low, not wanting to disturb the teenager slumbering next to her.

“Can’t or won’t?” He countered, calling her on her avoidance of the truth.

“Okay, won’t. Don’t want to, I don’t want to hurt Dawn if I get caught in another bad dream.” Which was enough of the truth to satisfy him, despite the fact they both knew the other reasons.

“I’ll watch now, if you want.” She almost responded negatively, like before, but stopped herself in time.

“You’d do that for me?” Such a silly thing but it went a long way to making her feel safe and comfortable.

“Yeah. Don’t even have to ask really. Should know I’d do it.” God he sounded so young and unsure. Buffy wondered for the first time if this was what he might have been like before Drusilla turned him.

Of their own volition, Buffy’s eyes closed again, this time she yawned before speaking, “I’d like it if you stayed.”

Spike settled into the chair they’d moved last night from the wiccans’ room kicking off his boots before answering her. The last thing she heard before her brain shut down was “sure thing kitten. You just rest.”


******************************* *******************************


He’d stayed awake like she’d asked, watching over both of them. There’d been more than a few of these – him guarding over Dawn night after night. Only thing different was . . . hell.

She’d asked him for a favor. Asked him to stay and watch over her. Trusted him to do it. Well. Didn’t expect that. He wondered if this was because of her time away or because she’d been leading up to this before she jumped. Didn’t matter. Either way was fine. But damned if it didn’t feel good.

Lacing his hands behind his head, Spike slouched down, prepared for a long night.

The first nightmare didn’t hit until the sun was rising, but it seemed to be the trigger. By the time Rupert was waking up two floors below them, Spike was stretched out in the middle of the bed, Dawn curled up with her knees in the middle of his back and Buffy clasped firmly in his arms.

Twice he’d had to pull her clawed fingers away from her sister’s flesh and once from his own. Both he and Buffy slept fitfully. Every time she twitched he moved to soothe her, humming low in his chest.


******************************* *******************************


Dawn had no idea what woke her up, but before she opened her eyes she thought that the fact she was curled up next to a cold purring lion might be the reason she was now awake.

Opening her eyes didn’t help either, until she was awake enough to realize the big purring kitty cat in bed with her wore only black. Ooooohhhhkkkaaayyy. No kitty. Just Spike. Who purrs. Spike purrs. Dawn’s giggle nearly erupted into full blown laughter when she realized the blackmail potential of this information.

Holding onto her laughter, Dawn got up and started her day.


******************************* *******************************


Tara had laid in bed for hours unable to sleep. It was weird sleeping next to Willow, who was unresponsive and totally out of it. What was strange was the idea currently gripping her. She didn’t want Willow awake and aware. The anger that had been simmering for almost a day was nearing the boiling point.

The eruption was not going to be pretty. Willow had stolen time from her, exactly what Glory had done. Not on the same scale, but still, the effect was the same. Her mind had been tampered with, her thoughts taken over by someone else. There was absolutely no comfort in the fact the person violating her was her girlfriend. If anything it made what Willow’d done worse.

It made sleeping next to her difficult.

So it was kind of understandable that she snapped at Giles when he knocked on their bedroom door around eleven.

It was so out of character that Giles was taken aback. Tara had apologized through the door, asking Giles to give her a little bit more time.

Her request actually fell in with Giles’ natural inclination, so he’d agreed then suggested, after asking where Spike was, that they wait until the vampire woke.


******************************* *******************************


After an hour or so of internal debate, Giles had gone back to his own apartment. He needed a shower and clean clothing. And since none of the inhabitants of the house were stirring, he figured it wouldn’t matter one way or another.

Every one of them was exhausted beyond measuring.


******************************* *********************************


Spike finally woke up just before three. Dawn was long gone, but Buffy was still curled up next to him. Her head was tucked underneath his, hands between them. Warm breath wafted across his neck and Spike realized he hadn’t been this warm in . . . well, decades. It was just gorgeous, lovely . . . he’d give almost anything to be able to have this all the time. But that was a fantasy he wasn’t going to allow himself.

Rolling away from her, Spike ignored her sleepy whimpers of protest. Oh yeah, he wanted to go right back to her arms, but he wouldn’t. At least not yet.

Maybe soon.


******************************* *******************************


Wasn’t long after five when Giles made a round of phone calls, telling everyone to gather at the Summers’ house, because he wanted to wake Willow.

His announcement was met with an astounding lack of enthusiasm.


******************************* *******************************


Everyone was assembled, sitting in various placed in the living room. Willow’s still form was perched in the armchair, having been carried down earlier by Xander.
“Tara undo the binding please.” Giles requested while noting the girl keeping her distance.

Getting up from her spot on the floor, Tara moved behind Willow. Chanting briefly in a soft undertone, she then made a motion with her hands and immediately Willow slumped forward a small noise escaping her.

They waited watching the redhead come back to herself. It took no more than ten minutes by the clock, but to each one of them it was either far too long or far too short.

Opening her eyes the first person Willow saw was absolutely the last one she wanted to. Giles was standing with his back to the fireplace, his eyes intent on her. “Giles? Why are you . . I thought you went back to England?”

“Apparently events transpired here that required my immediate attention.”

Uhoh. Big words and frosty tone. Not of the good. Her eyes flicked around, looking for some help. Nope. None there. Dawn’s face was grim, Xander looked confused, Anya was curious and Spike looked pissed off. Where was Tara? “Tara?”

“Right here Willow.” Her girlffriend’s voice came from right behind her sounding strong and steady.

“Hey baby, what’s going on?” Willow was genuinely confused. Giles should be in London, why was he back?

No one answered her, until Spike shoved away from the wall he was leaning against. Sharing a look with Giles, he moved into the kitchen. He was back quickly, on arm behind him. And following him was . . . Willow’s eyes bugged out and her mouth dropped open.

“Buffy?” She cried out, moving to get up from her chair, when Tara’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Oh my gods it worked! When? Where did you come from? Oh goddess I did it.”

Her babbling died off when she realized she was the only one excited. “Guys, what’s wrong?”

Giles cleared his throat, preparing to speak when Tara’s voice broke the sudden silence. “We know what you did Willow. All of it.”

“Tara? What do you mean you know? A note of rising hysteria entered her voice, but Willow couldn’t help it.

Giles finally spoke. “Yes Willow, we know. “ he paused, gathering his thoughts. This wasn’t an inquisition, at least not yet. “Almost all of it. What were you thinking?”

“What was I thinking?” Willow couldn’t believe this. “What was I thinking? I was thinking that my best friend was trapped in a hell dimension and no one was worried about getting her back. I was thinking that I would rescue her, because no one else was.” Willow’s voice gained in anger and defensive outrage. How dare they do this, don’t they know I did it for Buffy? To help Buffy? “I was thinking I could rescue her.”

“Right, Red and did you think about the bloody consequences?” Spike couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“What consequences? Actually getting Buffy back? Yeah, I thought about them” the sarcasm she flung at him was biting.

“No Willow. The other ones. The consequences of opening a major portal. The consequences of going against the natural laws, Willow – those consequences. “ Giles’ tone was no less biting than hers.

“Yeah. I thought it would be okay.”

“Did you? Did you have a plan on how to close the portal? Or a back-up in case something went wrong?”

Giles held up a hand for silence when it looked to become a free-for-all after Xander started to defend Willow.

Tara’s low voice was again the one to break the silence, “what about the Rede Willow, you know, do what you will, an’ it harm none?”

The only one to remain completely silent was Buffy, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk. The urge to blurt out just where Willow had pulled her from was overwhelming, it was practically screaming itself in her head. Her unconscious hand fidgeting got so frantic Spike had to reach out to pull her hands apart. The look she shot him was half resentful and half regretful.

“Willow the forces you invoked were extraordinarily powerful, but, and this is a big but, you were unable to control them. The portal was open and unprotected for an unknown amount of time. You were all knocked out by the force of the energies emanating from it.”

“Gee, Giles, you make it sound like I didn’t know what I was doing.” Willow almost snarled at him.

“I have to assume you really didn’t.” Giles the kindly Englishman was gone, replaced with a much scarier Ripper-in-tweed. “You attempted to harness powers you had no business dabbling with. Your execution of the spell, was, as most of your efforts, severely lacking. You have no regard for the laws of nature or of magic and frankly, I’m appalled that you tried something of this magnitude.” He snapped out every word like a whip across her back.

“Clearly, while you may be quite powerful, you are still a child and lack the required maturity to perform such magics.”

Willow rocketed to her feet. “I lack maturity? Well at least I haven’t lost my nerve to use my power coz one spell went wrong like some people!”

“You arrogant little girl. You have no idea what you’ve done. No idea at all.” Giles’ tone was both condescending and regretful. “Don’t think for one second I lost my nerve. I’ve at least got the sense to weigh my actions against the consequences. You haven’t even got that.”

“I’ll show you consequences.” Willow’s eyes flared black, but Giles countered with a flick of his wrist and Willow was surrounded by a soft bluish light.

“Don’t. You’ve no idea. You arrogant . . . you think because you can call up that much power its that simple to harness it – to control it. Its no simple matter – it takes years of training and practice. Two things you clearly lack.” Giles flicked his wrist again freeing Willow. “Magic isn’t always about the raw power. It’s about knowing when and how to use it. And just because you can call up that much power doesn’t mean you should.”

“How can you say that? You don’t want Buffy back? You can’t stand here and tell me you aren’t happy she’s here.” Willow wasn’t listening to him at all.

“You have no idea how I feel about Buffy being back. How any of us feels. But you haven’t a clue about how she came back and I wouldn’t’ve wanted that ever.” Giles’ voice grew soft as he continued “even at the cost of having her back.”

“Wasn’t right, what you did. Not to me or Tara or Buffy.” Dawn’s voice cut through the tension. “Buffy shouldn’t have had to dig her way out.”

It took a moment, but Dawn’s meaning finally penetrated Willow’s self-absorption “oh gods I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Didn’t mean it? Too late for that now isn’t it?” was Dawn’s response.





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