Disclaimer: All Buffy characters belong to Joss Whedon and Co. I did create a few originals here (Colin, Aldric, Geoffrey and Alan) but I release them into the Buffyverse. Fly, be free!

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

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“Alan’s coming? He can’t be. That’s not possible.” Lydia fought the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her.

“He’s already on his way.” Aldric had begun pacing, running his fingers absently through his sandy hair. This was characteristic of him when he was working out a problem. “If he sees you, he’s going to know something’s different.”

“Maybe I can avoid him.” Lydia knew it was out of the question, but she had to say it. Aldric shook his head, still pacing.

“He’s coming all the way from Australia to see you. At least that’s part of the reason he’s coming. You can’t not see him, they‘ll know something‘s not right.” Aldric suddenly stopped pacing, turning to look at his sister, now desolately staring into her tea cup. “You’ll have to undo the bonding. It’s the only solution.” Lydia stared at him, stunned.

“Impossible. That can’t be done. Not without one of us being destroyed.” Aldric shook his head, gesturing animatedly.

“No, no, no, most spellcasters think that, but it’s wrong. There are ways to negate some bonding spells without harming either party. I’ll need to consult some of the texts, and I’ll need the spell that you used, but I’m fairly sure it can be done. At the very least we can try.”

“No.” The word was spoken quietly, but firmly. “I won’t undo the bonding. I can’t.”

“Lydia, you aren’t thinking clearly-”

“Spike needs me. To help with the prayers to the Amagandar.”

“If the vampire really needed you, then there would be something in the prophecy about you, wouldn’t you think?” The combination of exhaustion and agitation fueled Lydia’s fury. She strode to her brother and slapped him hard, leaving him completely stunned. Out of reflex he grabbed her hand to keep her from striking him again.

“Aldric, YOU are the one whose always telling me that the future is uncertain, that prophecies are not always complete! You can’t know that he doesn’t need me.” Tears began to well up in her soft blue eyes. “I know he does. I can feel it. I have to help him save them. I can’t explain, I j-just know I d-do.” She dissolved into broken sobs at the end, and Aldric gathered her in his arms. He sighed in resignation.

“Very well, Lydia. I won’t mention it again. But this does leave us with a major problem to solve.” He sighed again, seeing how completely worn out she was. “Which we won’t get to the bottom of tonight. You need to get some rest. I’ll take the sofa, and we’ll tackle this again in the morning.”

Lydia felt too drained to do more than nod. *Sleep really is what I need...I just hope Spike doesn’t attempt the ritual again for a few hours. I‘ll find a way to deal with Alan tomorrow.*

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Spike stirred restlessly in his hiding place in the Magic Box. Tara had left to walk a sulking Willow to class. Giles had unfortunately found her in the loft moments after she had come out of her trance and had subjected her to a twenty minute lecture on forbidden magicks and their dangers. Willow’s expression had moved between confusion, shame and annoyance throughout, her mouth working like a fish, wanting to object but having no idea what to say in her defense. Spike had found the entire thing highly entertaining.

With Tara and Xander gone, and no sign of either of the Summers girls, there was nothing to do but watch Anya and Giles. That comedic exercise had lost his interest hours ago. Plus he found the spell he had used on Willow left him drained and hungry, and the last bag of blood had only slightly taken the edge off. The afternoon rush was over and the shop was relatively free of customers, so he decided that it was time to move on. There was still the sun to worry about, but the stolen Cloak of Darkness would protect him better than his usual blanket. Just a few feet to the sewers and he’d be home free.

Moving stealthily, he slipped soundlessly by Giles, engaged in an animated discussion about ancient Babylonian myth with an man who was elderly enough to possibly have known them firsthand, then by Anya, counting money in the cash register in an almost ecstatic state. He followed a very goth-looking wicca on her way to the door. No one observed that the door remained open a bit longer than normal when she left.

A few hours later, fed, rested, and dressed for the party, Spike contemplated his next move. *Three down, four to go. The mouse and the whelp will be at the party tonight...and my bloody lame sire’s going to have to be last, isn’t he? Which leaves little sis.* Spike had overheard Giles on the phone agreeing reluctantly to watch Dawn while Joyce and Buffy were out that night. *So the Nibblet’s probably at home now...but so is Buffy. Probably making herself all fancy for tonight, wearing her little robe while she picks out something to wear, standing before her window parading her wares for all the world to see...*

Minutes later Spike was standing under the tree in front of the Summers house, smoking a cigarette with the Cloak of Darkness still wrapped around him. The sun had nearly set, but he wanted to watch unobserved. Dawn was chatting vivaciously with her mother in the living room. Joyce seemed especially edgy, and kept moving about, whereas Dawn seemed to be highly amused. Spike knew he could no longer enter the house, but planned to use the spell he had used earlier to induce the girl to come to him. He should be watching Dawn closely for an opportunity...but there was light in Buffy’s window. Despite all of his best efforts, he couldn’t stop himself from constantly trying to catch a glimpse of her. He was startled when Giles seemed to suddenly appear on the porch and almost revealed his presence.

*Damn, I didn’t even sense him coming. Got to focus, mate,* he admonished himself. Joyce had greeted Giles warmly and they had moved back to the kitchen leaving Dawn alone at the table, chewing on an pencil as she worked out some math problem. Spike knew he had to seize this opportunity. He closed his eyes and focused on Dawn, repeating the simple word in his head that worked the spell *Gubbaghey... gubbaghey... gubbaghey...* Maintaining focus, he opened his eyes as Dawn slowly stood and began moving towards the front door. She got to the door, took a step out and hesitated. Spike realized she was resisting the spell and concentrated harder. *gubbaghey ...gubbaghey...*

One step towards him...

*...gubbaghey...gubbaghey...*

Another, she was closer, but not close enough.

*...gubbaghey...come on, girl...gubbaghey...*

A few more steps, she was almost there, he could almost reach-

“Dawn!” Spike gasped, and his concentration broke. Dawn whirled to confront the voice.

“Mom?” Joyce walked over to her daughter and began pulling her back towards the entrance. Night had fallen, and she scanned the area for danger.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked in bewilderment. Dawn shrugged.

“I guess I needed air, I just felt like coming outside,” Joyce didn’t reply, she almost seemed to be listening to something. Dawn looked at her with a touch of worry. “Mom, is everything...?

“Everything’s fine, Dawn. Mr. Giles went up to talk to Buffy. Go in and finish your homework, I’ll be in in a minute.” Dawn grinned.

“You just want to keep an eye out for your dream date.” Joyce blushed slightly but smiled indulgently back at her daughter.

“Go on, move it.” Still smiling widely, Dawn bounced back into the house. Joyce left the door open, but moved away towards the front of the porch. She spoke out into the night.

“I know you’re here. Come out where I can see you.” Spike reeled and instinctively moved closer to the tree. *She knows...how can she...* He hesitated for a long moment, then came to a decision. Removing the cloak, he moved into the light, looking up at her.

“Hello, Joyce,” he said evenly, noting that she looked not even remotely surprised that it was him. “You look quite fetching this evening.” He thought flattery couldn’t hurt, and actually it was true, she did look lovely dressed up for her date.

“Spike.” The iciness in her tone actually made him shiver. “Why are you here, and what do you want with my girls?”

“Well, you see, Joyce...“ Spike had known that the question was coming, but was still struggling to come up with an answer. The truth was out of the question. *I came to put a little hex on your youngest so that she won’t die in a couple days time thus sending your older girl into an emotional spiral that will get her killed...see, what a good guy I am?* As he struggled to come up with another explanation, Joyce sighed.

“Oh, Spike. This has got to stop. I won’t have you upsetting Buffy and Dawn this way.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he lied, looking down at his feet. He was unable to meet her gaze.

“We both know you do. Buffy doesn’t want you here, Spike. And you can’t use Dawn to get to her. I’m warning you, keep away from my daughters,” Spike looked up at her, having a sudden flash of memory.

“You haven’t got an axe, have you?” Joyce stared at him for a moment, then completely astounded him by laughing. It was genuine laughter, and Spike found himself joining in. After the laughter died down, he cocked his head at her. “This thing with Buffy, I love her, Joyce, but it has nothing to do with you and me.” Joyce regarded him sadly.

“The funny thing is, Spike, I like you. In another time, another place, maybe if we were both alive, we might have been friends. But here and now, I have Buffy to think of. And you say you love her, but you almost got her killed and you’ve frightened us all badly. You have to go away, you can’t be around us anymore.” Spike was surprised at how truly distressing her words were to him.

“No, it doesn’t have to be that way.”

“Yes, it does. Spike, when Buffy ran away, I thought I’d lost her. When she started college, she was still around, but it was like I lost her again for a while. Now she’s here, and the crisis with me has past and we’ve gotten so close again. I won’t do anything to risk my relationship with my daughter, and she’s clear that she wants you gone. I know that Dawn is very fond of you, but I won’t let you use her or drive a wedge between them. If you really love Buffy, as you say, you will leave us in peace.” Hearing Buffy and Giles voices approaching as they descended the stairs, she made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go now, before Buffy sees you here! Hurry!” Spike felt numb as he gathered up the Cloak hurriedly and vanished into the night. Joyce watched him go, knowing she had done what was necessary, but still feeling guilty somehow. She turned at Buffy’s approach.

“Mom, whatcha looking at? Is there something out here?” Joyce smiled back at her daughter nervously.

“There’s nothing. I’m just keeping an eye out for Brian.” Buffy smiled indulgently at her mother, but placed a firm hand on her arm to draw her inside.

“I get it, Mom, but I think that your date would rather make small talk with the you that still has all your blood. Inside waiting is the standard recommendation for Sunnydale dating. Also, make sure this Brian guy comes into the house before you go without an invitation so I don’t have to worry, ‘kay?”

“You’re right, honey, of course.” Joyce allowed herself to be brought inside, giving one more glimpse into the darkness. *Goodbye, William. I hope you find some peace.*

Spike stood and watched the house for a long moment before turning to head for the party. *Goodbye, Joyce. I will find a way to get to Dawn, and I’ll save both your daughters. I swear on my love for Buffy.* He shook his head and chuckled to himself. *God, I am turning into such a poof.*

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Lydia stirred restlessly. Despite her exhaustion, she had only managed a few fitful hours of sleep. Her mind kept straying to Alan’s impending visit. Which meant actually thinking about Alan, which was something she had been trying to avoid doing for some time.

She would have liked to say that she loved Alan, but it wasn’t true. When they had first met at Cromwell, the school where all Watcher families shipped their children for education, she had been a gawky, impressionable fourteen year old and he had been eighteen, the head of his class and so attractive and charming. Like all the girls at school, she had had a major crush on Alan, and had swooned when he had picked her over girls so much older and prettier. She thought she would never be happier, but then she discovered the truth. Alan‘s declarations of love were a lie. Their relationship had been arranged behind closed doors between Quentin Travers and her father. Geoffrey Stokes-Martin recognized that Alan Travers would yield considerable influence, and his ambition led him to promise his only daughter to the man in exchange for more power. And Alan went along with the plan. Lydia’s heart was broken, but she dutifully accepted his proposal seven years later, not seeing that she had any other choice. She had never been able to defy her father or the Council. But secretly, in her heart, Lydia knew she had committed the ultimate sin against them all. She had fallen in love with someone else. A vampire.

It happened when she was doing her thesis. She had originally decided to study madness and vampires, and had been doing work on Angelus and Drusilla. Becoming fascinated by William the Bloody, she shifted gears. Everyone found her dedication to her studies admirable, never suspecting that she was enthralled by the stories of this horrible killer. No one, least of all Alan, ever imagined that when she was kissing her fiancee she was fantasizing about the vampire. Only Aldric suspected that she had stronger than normal feelings, but it was inconceivable to him that they could actually be love.

And then her fantasy had become reality, and she was now bonded to Spike. She suddenly sat up, anticipating another spell. Minutes went by, and the feeling went away, replaced by a wave of sadness.

“No!” Lydia didn’t realize that she’d cried out until a sleepy Aldric appeared at her bedside. She took hold of her and wiped her tears with his palm.

“What is it? What’s happened?” She shook her head.

“I don’t know, something wrong. We’re...he’s sad, I think he lost a friend.” At Aldric’s look of alarm, she quickly amended. “Not one of the seven, some other kind of friend, someone we...he cared about very much. But he’s determined he’ll win her back.” Aldric’s face was a mask of gloom.

“It’s already begun. I‘m losing you.”