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Buffy walked down the street, stake in hand, with a determined look on her face. She brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes and shivered slightly. She slowed as she heard the faint snap of twigs underfoot. She cautiously waited, back pressed against the walls, deep in the shadows, stake held poised to stake the next thing to come round the corner. She began to hear faint voices. She strained to hear but couldn’t make much out. The footsteps were getting closer. She held her breath, ready to kill…a couple walking along the street, completely oblivious to the world around them. Buffy let out the breath she had been holding and lowered the stake. She stared after the lovestruck couple and sighed. She’d had that once. But then the guy involved had turned evil and gone on a major killing spree. And now she had Riley. Things weren’t going well with him lately. She sadly looked away and carried on up the road. She could talk to Riley tomorrow. For now she had more important matters at hand. Ever since Spike had had his chip removed he had been a large threat and out for the blood of her nearest and dearest. She gripped the stake more tightly and wandered down the deserted street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the platinum blonde vampire in the dim light of the street lamps and reduce it to a pile of dust. Willow entered her dorm room and collapsed onto the bed with an exhausted smile on her face. She had spent the entire day with Tara and was quite ready for sleep to claim her. She was just drifting off when she heard the door creak slightly and gentle footsteps accompanied by the faint rustle of material. “Tara? That you?” She felt some one sit on the side of her bed and gently brush back a strand of hair from her face. “Tara, what are you doing here?” She opened her eyes wearily, but instead of seeing Tara’s soft features, was greeted with sharp jawbones, bleached blonde hair and icy blue eyes that felt like they were piercing her soul. She went to scream but a firm hand was placed over her mouth to silence any sounds that tried to come out. “Miss me, Pet?” Spike brought his hand back and his pale knuckles were the last thing she saw before her world became black. “Take that!” A living dead body let out a piercing scream as it shattered to the ground and exploded into minuscule fragments. Buffy shook back her gleaming, blonde hair and stared at the residue, hand poised in the air, stake gripped in her clutch. The moon beamed down in a dusky, blue sky. The wind blew her hair behind her as she had picture perfect moment. “Hi Buff!” Buffy almost passed out as she spun around. There, standing happily, smiling was the Scooby Gang’s sex obsessed couple. “Never do that again!” Buffy warned as she kicked the vampire scum at her feet. “We couldn’t help it, you were looking so tough and so daring there, with your, your stake in the air, and you looking all…slayer-ish.” Xander joked, with his hands in his pockets, balancing from heel to toe. They all laughed as Buffy rolled her eyes. “I was having a slayer moment and I was wondering what it would be like to have a slayer moment after our dear friend, Spike erupts into rubble.” Buffy said as she started to walk away from the cemetery. Anya sniggered. Buffy looked at her, questioningly. “What? As if Buffy could get a hold of Spike now that that little chip is not in his head anymore.” Anya remarked, with less tact than ever. Buffy turned her head away in annoyance. “Sure, she could. Buffy could kill Spike; it’ll be as easy as pie! Right, Buff?” Xander defended Buffy, with a huge smile on her face. Buffy smiled back, appreciatively. “Yea, if only pie were that easy.” Anya hit back with another comment as she laughed. Buffy stormed off. Xander looked at Anya as she watched Buffy ahead of them. She looked back and saw eyes on her. “What? I was telling the truth!” Willow woke up and rubbed her eyes. Her vision was all blurry. She felt like someone had punched her in the jaw. No wait…someone had punched her. Spike! She blinked a few times, until her vision was normal and looked at her surroundings. She was in a large stone room, with no windows and a heavy stone door that didn’t look as if it could be moved even if it wasn’t locked, which it probably was. She looked around the rest of the room, hoping to find something to escape with. Table, chair, pretty dress, Spike, picture on wall, curtain with no window. She suddenly too a double take. Spike was sat in the chair, watching her with a look of amusement on his face. She looked at him cautiously. She could remember his words from the year before: “I’d kill you in a heartbeat.” She gulped involuntarily and felt the colour drain form her face. Spike’s grin widened. “Morning, Luv. Sleep well?” Willow said nothing, instead regarding him with hatred. “You won’t get away with this, Spike.” He laughed. “How…original, Red. Been watching a lot of movies lately?” “I mean it! Tara will realise I’m gone and then Buffy will come, and then you’ll be sorry.” Spike stood up and grinned at her. “How very mature, Willow. I’m shaking, honest. But seriously. I doubt Tara will be coming to your rescue right now. Nor will the slayer for that matter. Slutty and her friends will be too busy trying to work out what got to Tara. By the time they realise you’re gone, you’ll be dead…And around to tell the tale.” Willow’s bottom lip began to quiver. Spike pushed himself off the wall that he was leaning against and started to head towards the bed. Willow scrambled off and ran to the opposite side of the room. Spike was by her side in flash. “Don’t fight it, Pet. I wouldn’t waste the energy.” He pushed her shoulders back against the wall with a violent shove, and sank his fangs into her neck. “Hey Giles! Where’s Will? And Tara?” Buffy asked as she entered the magic shop, letting the bell clang. Giles lifted his head and took his nose out of a big, stinky, old, dusty book. What could be so interesting in those skanky, big weights he read all day? “Ah yes, yes. I was going to ask you the same thing. Uh – I found some, uh, some spells that Willow and, uh, uh, Tara might be interested in, to…to, um, see.” Giles shut the book with a bang, clouds of dust erupted everywhere. Giles coughed non-stop and escaped the suffocation. Buffy raised an eyebrow and smirked. Giles stopped coughing and look in irritation at Buffy. Buffy stopped sniggering. “Why you keep reading books, I don’t know…even when they kill you.” Buffy joked. Giles ignored the remark and carried on putting the book away. The same book he had been putting away for the past 3 minutes. The magic shop’s doorbell jangled once again. Giles and Buffy looked to see Dawn. Accompanied by Xander and Anya. Buffy dropped her head in her hands. “Mom…” she whined to herself. Xander and Anya shuffled behind Dawn towards Buffy. Buffy took her hands away from her face and looked at them with narrow eyes. Xander and Anya smiled faintly whilst Dawn stared absently out of a window. “Why is she here?” Buffy asked, annoyed by her little sister’s presence. “Well…your mom asked us to bring her here and so Buffy…we did.” Xander answered. Buffy sighed in exasperation. “Where’s mom going?” Buffy asked, hands on hips. “She was needed at the museum and so asked us to bring her here to you. We listened. So you didn’t have to go get her.” Anya forced a smile, wanting some gratitude. “WHY can’t she look after herself? When I was 15 I could kick a lot of people’s asses! And she is such a…a…a baby!” Buffy almost screamed. “Buffy. I doubt very much that your mother would even, uh, consider leaving, uh, uh, Dawn behind in, um, a town like this. Plus, she isn’t, uh… uh, a slayer.” Giles replied. “I know, but…” Buffy gave up and sank into the nearest chair with a pout on her face. There was another clang as the door opened once more. Buffy turned her head slightly to see who had entered. Her eyes widened and she gasped as the sight before her finally sunk in. Riley was stood in the doorway holding a rather bloody Tara. She had a huge gash across her stomach and down her arm. Her shirt was soaked with blood. Buffy jumped out of her chair and rushed to Riley’s side. “What happened?!” Riley shook his head. “I don’t know. I found her unconscious on campus. It looks like she need some serious medical attention. Buffy nodded and motioned for Riley to bring her to the table. Giles removed the books and folded his jumper for a makeshift pillow. “The wounds are deep, but she should be okay. We’d best get her to a hospital quickly, though.” Riley scooped her up and they all rushed out to Giles’ car. Anya and Xander stayed with Dawn in the magic shop. Dawn looked up at Xander through innocent eyes. “Will she be okay.” Xander looked down and shrugged. “Let’s hope so.” Willow examined herself in the mirror. She smiled and continued smoothing out the material. She was wearing a pair of heavily flared, black leather trousers, a tight leather corset and a pair of hefty Doc Martins. She turned and grinned at Spike through lips painted a dark crimson colour. Like dried blood. He smiled back and grasped her hand. Her nails, painted black, dug into the back of his hand, making him smile even more. He growled slightly in her ear and whispered, “Show time.” “I’ve t-t-told you, I’m f-fine.” Tara insisted. “I’m j-just tired so I’d appreciate some sleep!” Buffy nodded reluctantly. “Well if you’re sure you’ll be okay?” Tara sighed. “Yes. I-I-I‘ll be fine. Go!” Riley tugged Buffy’s arm gently and she allowed herself to be led to the waiting room. Giles looked up from where he was sat. “How, um, how is she?” “She’s fine.” Riley replied, smiling. “The doctors say she’ll just need a while to recover and she needed a couple of stitches.” Giles gave a sigh of relief. “C’mon Giles. Let’s go home.” Giles nodded and followed Buffy and Riley out to his car. Two pairs of heavy black boots walked silently through the corridors of the hospital. Many faces turned to watch as the odd pair made their way through the large double doors marked ‘No entry. Staff only.’ They came out again a couple of minutes later, the red head licking something off of her lips. The blonde reached out his hand and encircled her waist protectively. They finally stopped outside a room and the red head turned to the blonde. “Play now?” She grinned at him and ran a finger down his arm. He stepped closer to her and bent down to her ear. He was aware of the odd looks the pair had been getting. Her arms circled his neck and he growled lightly in her ear. “Go play, pet. Save some fun for me.” She kissed his neck lightly and smiled seductively. “I’ll save some fun.” With that she walked into the room and Spike leant against the wall with an evil smirk on his face, glaring at the passers by. Tara stirred slightly in her sleep. “Tara…” Willow called quietly in a singsong voice. Tara’s eyes began to open slightly. “W-willow? It th-th-that you?” Willow brushed a strand of hair back from Tara’s face. “Willow? Why are y-you here? I thought I told y-y-you all to g-go home.” Willow smirked. “Supprise, princess.” Tara shook herself mentally. There was something about Willow that wasn’t right. She was wearing some very strange clothes and her voice was almost mocking. Tara’s head turned sharply as she saw the door begin to open. She gasped when she saw the blonde vampire walk in. “W-w-willow! S-s-spike!” Tara’s stuttering was getting worse as she panicked. Willow’s head didn’t turn, but instead, she smiled at Tara mockingly. She rose off the bed and took a few steps backwards, until her back collided with Spike’s chest. He placed an arm round her waist. Tara’s eyes began to well up with tears. She was about to loose the one thing she truly loved, to the one thing she truly hated, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Willow tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck to Spike. She’s under some kind of spell. Tara thought. She has to be. Goddess, what has he done to her?! As Spike lowered his head towards her neck he blew a kiss at Tara. She closed her eyes and tried to blink back tears. When she opened them Willow was in no kind of pain. Quite the opposite. She was smiling at Tara as Spike kissed her neck. Tara began to shake her head. “No. N-n-no, W-w-w-willow. Y-you can’t b-be.” Willow’s face morphed into her game face. “Watch me play, Spike.” He released her waist as she began to advance towards Tara’s bed. She pulled out a blade from one of her boots. It wasn’t dissimilar to the knife Faith used to own. Willow twirled it joyfully and her smile widened as she saw a few tears slip down Tara’s face. Willow trailed it lightly down one of Tara’s arms. Tara attempted to brush it away. Willow’s face hardened and she grasped the knife more tightly, point poised on Tara’s windpipe. A loud bang made Willow turn around. Standing in the doorway was Buffy. She had frozen in her tracks when she had seen Willow and Spike. Willow noticed the bag on the floor next to Tara’s bed. “Forget your bag, Slayer?” She smiled at Buffy, who was shaking her head in disbelief. “No. No. You’re not-” Spike moved over to where Willow was standing. “Yes, Slayer. She is. She dead and the Big Bad is back. So you had better watch yours.” With that he grabbed Willow’s waist once more and smashed through the window onto the street below. Buffy rushed to the window, but they were no where to be seen. She turned back to Tara who, as she had expected, had buried her face in her pillow as tears slipped silently down her face. Dawn paced as she touched objects, books and inspected. A glass ball dropped at her feet and smashed into little tiny fragments of blue and violet. Anya and Xander look at the floor and then at Dawn. Dawn forged an apologetic smile and giggled nervously. “Oops?” Dawn said quietly. Anya went to fetch the broom, Xander got the bin. Dawn stood, with her hands in the pockets of her jacket, raised her eyebrows, and looked guiltily at Xander and Anya. After throwing the glass safely away. Anya walked up to Dawn with a smile on her face. Dawn grinned back. “Next time…” Anya’s smile faded into a scowl. “DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING.” Dawn’s smile drooped. Anya huffed and turned towards the counter. Dawn made a face. Xander grinned but stopped as soon as Anya faced him. Dawn made pleading motions towards him. Xander knew that Dawn wanted something interesting to do or atleast eat. Xander turned from Dawn to Anya, from Anya to Dawn. “Uh hey, let’s go get some ice cream…” Xander suggested to Anya. Anya sighed. “But the shop’s gonna be left with no one here to meet the others.” Anya protested. “But Anya…” Dawn whined. “Come on! The shop’ll be okay for a while, they won’t be back whilst we go just around the corner for some ice cream.” Xander tried to talk Anya into it. Anya looked around the magic shop, rolled her eyes and half smiled. “Alright, but quick!” Anya said as the bell jangled on their way out. The magic shop stood lonely, empty…until an unusual couple walked in casually, with an evil aura to their steps. Tara sat in the hospital bed, shaking uncontrollably, lip twitching, sniffing and staring straight ahead. Buffy was motionless, all apart from her eyes, darting from here to there. Riley stood, leaning against a wall, arms folded and occasional heavy sighs. Giles stood with one arm tucked under the other and a hand clasped to this mouth, in deep thought. The black clock’s hands ticked around louder than normal. Finally, Riley came away from the wall, took a deep breath and spoke in a hoarse voice. He coughed to clear his throat. “So…what, do we do…now?” He asked looking at the trance that Buffy and Tara were in. Giles stood in silence for a moment and seemed to be lost. He raised his eyebrows, lowered his hand and rested his chin on his hand. He faced Riley who stood, creased forehead, waiting for reply. “Hmm? Oh yes, yes…what do we do now…Uh, I-I have no clue.” Giles answered, unsure of the possible solutions there could be. He looked towards the shook up and shocked girls. Buffy’s eyebrows knitted as her eyes ran around the room. Her lips parted, her eyebrows raised, her eyes filled with tears to the brim. “Willow’s Spikes…he made her his…” Buffy sobbed.
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