Disclaimer: All Buffy characters belong to Joss and Co. I did create a few originals here and there but I release them into the Buffyverse. Fly, be free!

Author’s Note: Flashbacks are indicated by brackets [ ].

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“Aldric, have you gone mad? I did not kill Colin Bixby!” Lydia had sunk into the nearest chair, her legs rendered shaking and useless from the shock of her brother’s accusation.

“Lydia, I saw you. You were calling me, he came up to you. You had words. He seemed frightened, which I thought was odd. He waved the dagger at you. I was afraid he was going to hurt you, and I was just coming to help you when you grabbed it from him and plunged it into his chest. Lydia, you were smiling when you did it. But when it was over you just walked away like nothing had happened. I used a spell to destroy the videotapes, grabbed the Codex and ran. I was hoping they’d believe it was me.”

“I went looking for you, that part is true, but I never saw either you or Colin. After I looked everywhere I could think of I went back to Quentin’s office. I was there with him when we got word about...” Lydia shook her head at her brother’s dubious expression. “Aldric, something strange is going on here, but I swear I did not kill anyone.”

“I know you believe that, but I’m afraid that you may no longer be aware of your actions. Lydia, it’s the bonding spell. The vampire is taking over, and he’s a ruthless killer. I fear it’s too late to stop it now.” Lydia felt her body begin to tighten with rising fury.

“There is no need. We’re doing just fine!” She couldn’t help but hear the angry note in her own voice. She forced herself to unclench her fists, and continued in a calmer tone. “We only have three more friends to save, and the bonding spell will be broken. I’m much more worried about you. Someone is out to destroy you, Aldric.”

“We both know who is trying to injure me, dear sister. But he won’t succeed. In fact, he’s made his first big mistake.” As worried as he was about Lydia, he couldn’t suppress a smug grin at her look of confusion. “I know Alan was the one who arranged to have the Codex ruined. I had to make certain he believed he’d succeeded.” It took a second for that to register with the young Watcher.

“The prophecies haven’t been destroyed? But...you showed it to me.” The image of her brother shook his head.

“I showed you the false book I had set up in its place. Alan’s ambitions to be Watcher to the next Slayer are legendary. I feared that he might try something to keep anyone from using the contraprophecy, just as I know he turned his uncle against the idea of even trying to use it to help Buffy Summers. I took measures to protect it. It’s safe with me.”

Lydia sighed with relief. *At least that’s one thing that hasn’t gone horribly wrong.*

“You’ll keep it safe?”

“Of course. I must go now, I’ve stayed too long. I’ll be back later. Do me a favor, lock your doors and go nowhere until we speak again.” Lydia nodded absently as her brother’s image vanished.

*I can’t believe he wants to lock me up like I’m some kind of lunatic. But still, there’s the mystery of Colin Bixby’s murder, and why my own brother believes I committed it. I couldn‘t have done it, could I?* She was astonished to find that there was a glimmer of doubt in her own mind. *If it is possible, if I am capable of that, who knows what else I might be capable of? I must know for certain, before something else happens.*

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Spike hugged his knees to his chest, feeling more and more cramped in his hiding place. *Why am I doing this? Why, I ask myself again? Soddin ungrateful brat doesn’t deserve it, none of them do.* He tried not to think about it, but his mind couldn’t help but drift back to the scene at the Magic Box a few hours before. Their hostile voices echoed in his mind...

Spike realized he had put his hands over his ears as if he could block the voices out. He removed them and discovered that there were other voices approaching, one of which was the one he was waiting for.

“Dawn, I don’t believe you!” Spike heard one teenage girl exclaim as they moved towards and then over his hiding place.

“I can’t believe you’re not going to say something to him!” another girl’s voice chimed in incredulously.

“I can’t. It’s too embarrassing. I’d die!” Dawn spoke with melodramatic emphasis that only a fourteen-year-old could manage. Three sets of footsteps echoed as they entered the door marked WOMEN, and Spike made his move. He crawled through the cramped space until he was directly beneath the grating on the floor of the ladies’ bathroom, and listened once more. The girls chatted and giggled as they fixed their hair and touched up their lip gloss. Slowly he began to recite a spell that would compel Dawn to stay. It didn’t even occur to him to wonder where he knew that spell from, it just came to him. The other two girls moved towards the exit, then turned as they noticed Dawn still staring in the mirror.

“You coming, Dawnie?” one of her friends asked.

“Go on without me, I’ll catch up in a sec,” Dawn answered dreamily. The two girls looked at each other, than shrugged and left, the door swinging shut behind them. As soon as Spike was certain they were gone, he removed the grating and pulled himself up. Dawn turned to him, still wearing that faraway expression, then abruptly her eyes cleared.

“You! What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you, nibblet.” Dawn had her hands on her hips in total outrage.

“This is the GIRLS’ room, Spike! You can’t be in here! It’s...it’s...”

“Against the law?” Spike smirked.

“Perverted and gross!” she answered. She began backing away from him, and he realized she was about to go flying out the door. He moved with vampiric speed to block her exit, locking the door in the process.

“I just need to talk to you, girl.”

“What are you doing? I’ll scream Spike, I swear I will if you don’t let me out right now! Buffy’ll stake you twice for this!”

“Once would do the trick, but I don’t see why we have to bring big sis into this at all. This is just between you and me, because we’re pals, right? I know you’re a bit upset with me, but that doesn’t mean you don’t remember the fun you and I had, with the storytelling and the breaking and entering. I certainly do.”

Dawn stared at him for a moment, then her face crumbled and she dissolved into tears. Spike was completely nonplussed, this was the last thing he had expected to happen and he had no idea what to do.

“Y-yes, I th-thought you were my f-f-friend, but y-you h-hurt m-my s-s-s-sister!” Spike sighed.

“I didn’t mean to, Dawn. It’s complicated. Cheer up, now. I brought you something. A present, to make up for how rotten I’ve been.” Dawn looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with tears and her breath still hitching from her sobs.

“A p-present?” Spike quickly took the memory crystal from his pocket and held it before her eyes. “Wow, it’s really pretty!”

“Yes, isn‘t it, pet? You Will Forget.”

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Lydia awoke suddenly as she felt the now familiar tingle of the spell beginning. She closed her eyes and saw the girl, Buffy’s sister, through the vampire’s eyes. She felt him place his arms around Dawn Summers. Together they recited the words of the petition to the Amagandar.

“I beseech you, Amagandar

Protect this innocent soul

From the curse that belongs to another

Remove the affliction

Restore the life line...”

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“...I beseech you, Amagandar

Let not this friend be taken

This plea I make with sincere heart

By my words, let it be true.”

Spike finished the petition, his arms wrapped firmly but lightly around the slender form of the young girl. She felt so fragile to him, like the slightest squeeze would shatter her into a million pieces. *So hard to believe you’re not a real girl,* he thought, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. *But then you are, aren’t you, in every way that counts. You’re her sister, you mean everything to her. And I care about what happens to you, Dawn. I want you to be okay.* Smelling the familiar scents that told him he had been successful, he released Dawn and sat back, smiling. A minute later a loud banging was heard on the door. Spike looked around in panic. *Can’t unlock the door without getting caught, and if they catch me in here with the girl there’s no explanation on earth that will keep either Buffy or Joyce from staking me.* He slipped down into his crevice and replaced the grating above him. After another minute of the yelling and banging on the door, another spell suddenly entered his mind. Closing his eyes, he saw Lydia nodding at him. *Okay, but this better work.* Concentrating hard, he managed to turn the lock just as the woman at the door gave one last huge push. This caused her to unceremoniously tumble into the room, hitting the tile floor hard. Spike had to bite his tongue to stifle his laughter. Dawn’s back was to him, but he could tell she had just come out of her trance state by the sudden intake of breath. She reached down and helped the woman to her feet.

“Mrs. Mullins, what happened?” The woman looked at Dawn, her face turning purple with embarrassment and anger.

“Dawn Summers, why didn’t you answer me when I called? And why did you lock this door?” Dawn had no idea what the woman was talking about, but she also had no interest in sitting in detention for a week because of that. She thought fast.

“I did answer you, Mrs. Mullins, you must not have heard me. And the door was stuck, I’ve been hoping someone would come.” Mrs. Mullins looked suspicious still, but Dawn gave her best innocent look. The woman gave a big harrumph, hardly mollified but unable to form a good argument against Dawn’s version.

“I thought I heard another voice in here. A male voice.” She sniffed the air. “And what’s that smell? Smells like some kind of herb.”

*Great,* Dawn groaned to herself, *now she thinks I’m bringing boys into the bathroom and doing drugs. This just keeps getting better.* To the teacher she merely shrugged.

“I’m the only one in here, as you can see, and as for the smell, maybe they’re using a new air freshener. I like it, it kind of smells like Thanksgiving or something.”

Spike was relieved as the teacher escorted Dawn from the bathroom, he knew he could no longer hold in his laughter. *Now that’s what I need after the day I’ve had!* He sobered as he thought about the box of Buffy’s things that he had put in his car. *The Watcher’s right, I’ve got to move on, but I still have to help the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder, much as they don‘t at all deserve my help. If that doesn‘t prove I love you, Buffy, then what will?*

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Lydia’s mind returned to her flat filled with the giddy euphoria that always accompanied successful completion of the spell.

“Yes, yes, yes, we did it, saved another one, we’ve almost saved them all!” she exclaimed, laughing with unrestrained glee. *The look on that woman’s face when the door opened and she fell in, that was simply priceless.*

“Saved another what, my dear?” The sound of the nearby voice felt like ice water in her veins. She turned and found herself eye to eye with Alan Travers. “Or should I say, saved another who?”