Chapter 7 - The Clearing

Spike sighed as his tired body hit the armchair.

“What happen?” a sleepy faced Clem asked as he rubbed his right eye.

“Nothing.” The vampire grumbled.

“Nothing, huh? That’s why you come home in the middle of the night and kick me out of the chair?”

“Piss off!” he hissed, not even bothering to look at the demon standing next to him.

“Well, if you’re staying here I’m taking your bed. The deal was you have it during the days and I have it during nights.” Clem started sluggishly dragging his feet towards the lower level of the crypt.

“I wanted to tell her…” the vampire suddenly spoke and the demon stopped and turned to face him. “About the soul.”

“And did you?” Clem started the conversation sitting on the sarcophagus.

“No.” was the simple answer that came from Spike’s dry lips as he stared into the distance.

Clem sighed before continuing: “I don’t understand why you don’t just tell her.”

“I can’t!” Spike suddenly growled, standing up abruptly and pacing around the room.

“Why not?”

“Because I want her to know that I loved her before, damn it! I want her to know that I will always love her, with or without a bloody soul!!” Spike yelled upset.

“Then why did you go through the trouble of getting it?” Clem was starting to get exasperated at the logic of his friend.

“I don’t know! I- I was confused and all I wanted was to give her what she wanted.” Spike struggled with the words as he nervously walked around in circles.

“I really don’t understand.” Clem shook his head from side to side.

“Neither do I.” Spike let out a frustrated laugh as he took his place back on the armchair.

They stayed in silence for a while before Clem broke it with a whisper.

“Tell her.”

Spike sighed and stared at the floppy skinned demon who gave him a comforting smile.

“Right then! Off I go!” the vampire finally said standing up and heading for the door.

“You’re going to tell her now?!” Clem asked incredulous.

“Good’a time as any.” Spike shrugged.

“It’s four in the morning!”

“She’s already gorgeous, she doesn’t need her beauty sleep.” He said stepping outside.

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Buffy jumped into awareness as she heard a strange metallic sound. Standing up from the couch she saw Anya standing by the front door. Coming closer she noticed the dazed look on her face as the demon’s hand jiggled the handle desperately trying to turn it.

Quick on her feet, the Slayer jogged up the stairs into Dawn’s room.

“Dawn! Wake up!” she whispered caressing her sister’s milky arm.

“Hum…?” the young teenager moaned.

“Anya’s being called, you have to go downstairs and watch her while I get dressed.” Buffy explained.

A sleepy Dawn nodded and sat up on the bed rubbing her eyes as Buffy walked out of the room.

While the younger Summers girl dragged herself downstairs, the older one entered her bedroom.

“Willow!” Buffy called the ex-witch.

“What? Where? Who? How?” Willow shouted as she jumped up from the bed.

“Nervous much?”

“Sorry! It’s just this Foris Caliga thing is making me kinda jittery.” Willow excused herself.

“Speaking of it, Anya’s being called, she’s trying to open the front door. I have to get dressed so I can follow her. Will you call Giles and Xander and let them know?” Buffy talked as her pulled her jeans on and started buttoning them up.

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” As she was walking out the door, she remembered: “Could you watch Dawn for me?”

“No problem.” Willow assured her following her best friend down the stairs.

As they reached the end of the staircase, Buffy signalled Dawn to follow her into the kitchen.

“I’ll follow her and see where this thing is. Once I find it, I’ll snap her out of the trance and bring her home. Ok? You stay here with Willow.”

Dawn nodded as Buffy leaned in and gave her a light peck on the forehead. Putting on her denim jacket, the Slayer reached for the door, unlocking it and making way for Anya who immediately started walking out. From behind her she heard Willow’s familiar voice whisper:

“Good luck!”

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“Giles? It’s Willow! Anya’s been called. Yes? They just left the house.” Willow paused for a second hearing a question from the other side of the line. “They were heading south. If you hurry you might still catch them. “ pause “Ok, goodbye. Good luck!” And she hung up.

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Buffy slowly followed the vengeance demon, giving Anya enough room to manoeuvre, when she noticed the familiar peroxide vampire coming her way.

“Spike? What are you doing here?” she asked confused but never letting Anya out of her sight.

“I need to speak to you. What’s she doing here? Where you two off to?” he asked a little out of breath. He had jogged all the way from his crypt.

“She’s been called.”

“Ah!”

Buffy was about to say something when she noticed the strange change on Spike’s face.

“Spike? You did remember to lock Clem up, right?”

“I forgot. I got home and unchained him and forgot to chain him up again when I left.” Spike said a little afraid of the Slayer’s reaction and he was right to be. Immediately, she started waving her arms around and shouting:

“You forgot? How-“

“Hey! You’ll snap Anya out of it and then we’ll never find Clem. Our best hope now is to follow her and hope that we get there before Clem does.” Spike shushed her.

“How could you forget?” Buffy hissed under her breathe as she and Spike walked side by side behind the vengeance demon.

“Well, I-I had other things on my mind.” Spike snapped back in a low voice.

“Other thing? What other thing?” she had a deep furrow over her forehead as she spoke.

“It’s none of your business!” he hissed, giving her a light pout.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

“I need to tell you something.” He started uneasily.

“What now?” she snapped angrily.

She was making this very hard. He wanted to tell her the truth but her haughtiness and stubbornness were really getting in the way, even so he thought it was best to go through with it.

“When I left… before the summer and Willow and… you know?” Buffy nodded as a shadow covered her face at the memory of what had happen. “Well, I went to Africa…” pause. “…there was this demon who could give me anything I wanted if I passed his trials. Eventually I did and he gave me-“

“Buffy! There you are!” Giles’ familiar voice was heard. They looked behind them and saw the watcher step out of his car. “I’m so glad I found you. Is she still…” he gestured towards Anya and Buffy nodded. “Good! I’ll come with you, then.“ and he fell into pace with them.

“What were you saying Spike?” Buffy asked after a long uncomfortable silence.

“Nothing. I’ll tell you about it later.” Spike sighed in frustration.

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“Where are they? They should have come back by now.” Xander pressed his sweaty palms against his chest as he paced around the room.

“Don’t worry about it. Buffy can handle herself.” Willow tried to assure her friend, forcing him to stop and patting him on the back.

He paused for a moment, facing Willow but his gaze buried on the floor beneath his feet. The redhead set her index finger under his chin and tilted his head up to reveal his eyes filled his tears that threatened to spill over his flushed check. Eventually it happened when he blinked as he spoke:

“If something happens to her…”

“Nothing will happen to her. Buffy wouldn’t allow it.” Willow gave him a reassuring smile and she brought him into her arms for a strong hug.

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They walked around for hours until and where now in the middle of nowhere. All around them tall trees softly swayed as a chilly wind brushed over their leaves.

“Where is she going?” Buffy whispered as she hugged herself in a frustrated attempt to keep warm. “We’ve been walking around for-“

“Shush.” Spike hissed as he lifted his head, straining to hear something.

“What is it?” Giles asked.

“Do you hear something?”

“I won’t bloody hear anything if you two don’t shut your gobs.” Spike protested. He paused for a second and then nodded. “I hear chanting and humming.”

“Is it close?” Giles didn’t have to wait for the answer. As they continued to walk he was able to pick up a soft mumbling that grew loader with every step they took.

Eventually, a clearing came into view. A bright white circle of light emanated from the ground and next to it stood a man. With his back turned to them, he was dressed in black and his arms were raised in the air as he chanted over and over. Closer to the trees, a large groups of demons stood, paralyzed, with the familiar dazed look on their faces and a strange humming came from their closed mouths.

“Oh my God!” Giles whispered as he saw the variety of demons before him. “There are all sorts of demonic creatures here. Vampires, fryals, miquots, skyloshs, kung-“

“Giles! We get the point.” Buffy hissed. “We know where it is, now we have to snap Anya… Anya?” she looked around but the demon was nowhere to be found. “Spike, where’s Anya?” She turned to face the vampire but he was gone too.

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