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

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“Don‘t be daft. You‘re not losing me.” Aldric shook his head bitterly at her dismissive declaration.

“Lydia, I love you, but I know more than you do about these things. Bonding spells...they change people, even temporary ones. This has already gone too far. I need to see the ritual you used, see if there’s still time to stop this.”

“Aldric, no! I will not void the bonding. We need to do this.” This time Lydia was firm and composed, secure in her own mind that she was right. “What I am doing, right now, is the most important thing I’ve ever done. If we never do anything else, we will have saved these people, and they’re good, decent people who have put their own lives on the line again and again to save the world from annihilation. How can you ask us to stop? If we allow you to break this spell their lives may be forfeit.” Aldric put his hands over his eyes, knowing he would never be able to convince his sister to do what he knew was necessary. *Everything she’s worked for, her sanity, her very soul in the balance...and I can do nothing to stop her.*

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The Watcher’s Council Building was dark and quiet and bitterly cold. This was necessary for storage of many of the antiquities and enchanted items. There were always some people about, but at this late hour it was quiet and had the feel of a cavernous mausoleum, he thought gloomily as he picked up the phone and exchanged brief pleasantries. This call was risky, but necessary. Everything was coming together, but they were at a critical point. Nothing could go wrong now.

“Has it been taken care of?” The voice on the phone was crackling with static and barely audible. It made him wince. *I hate those airplane phones, give me a headache.*

“Not yet, but soon.” He had to repeat himself several times, afraid to raise his voice and risk being heard.

“It had better be soon, you know what’s at stake.” Despite the gravity of the situation, he had to smile, albeit grimly.

“No pun intended, I’m sure.” The man on the plane sighed. He had often been told he had no sense of humor, and at times like this he knew that indeed he did not. Developing a sense of humor was a useless, indulgent enterprise, and he had no interest in it.

“This is no laughing matter. Make sure everything is taken care of before I arrive. No suspicion must be placed on me, do you understand?”

“Of course. What about Lydia?” A long pause and static greeted his question, and then the explosion of an almost shouted reply.

“You said Lydia wasn’t a problem!”

“She has made no move to contact either Giles or Buffy Summers, she’s being watched and the phones are tapped. She‘s made no calls. But if Aldric is involved, we can’t be certain...”

“If need be, I’ll handle Lydia. You handle the rest.” The coldness of his tone seemed to drop the temperature in the room even further, and the man shivered and swallowed hard.

“What will you do?” Again a long static-filled pause. “Hello, are you still there?”

“I’ll do whatever is necessary. To stop Lydia or anyone else who gets in the way.”

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Spike had quickly found that the stolen Cloak of Darkness was more trouble than it was worth at a college party. Drunken students kept nearly bumping into him, and several frat boys had spilled their beer on him already. He slipped out to the small porch on the side of the Commons and stuffed the cloak behind one of the potted plants. Straightening up, he looked around to make sure none of the students had noticed this or that he had suddenly appeared, and was glad to see that the porch was deserted.

*This may be a good place to bring Willow’s girl, or Xander,* he thought speculatively. It was fairly secluded, and while not without risk, it was the most private place he’d found thus far. Glancing back inside, he saw that Buffy and her friends had just arrived together. Buffy and Willow were greeting some women, obviously chums from school, and Xander had immediately pulled Anya to him to dance. He was amazed at his good fortune. Tara had wandered in his direction, and was admiring some kind of decoration that was hanging just outside the door. Spike stole one quick look at the other Scoobies, and when none of them were looking -

“Mmmmph!” Tara tried to cry out when the hands unexpectedly grabbed her, but the one over her mouth kept her from making a sound loud enough to be heard over the party music. The coldness of the hands made panic set in. *Oh, God, vampire, vampire, oh Willow, Buffy, anybody, help me!!!!*

She was pulled outside and shoved behind some plants into a corner, and only then did she see who had taken her. Her expression shifted from terror to confusion to annoyance and back to less fear. Spike moved his face close to hers so he could talk to her in a low tone.

“Look, I’m not going to hurt you, you know that I can’t, right?” At her quick nod of agreement, he continued, “I just needed to talk to you, just for a-yeeow!!” The last came when Tara suddenly bit two of his fingers. He instinctively pulled his hand from her mouth and she instantly started to scream. He jammed his hand back over her mouth before she could manage more than a short shriek. Spike pressed her further back into the corner while glancing around wildly to see if anyone had heard. After a few tense moments, he looked back at her again.

“Don’t do that again, or I might have to bite you back.” Tara’s expression showed her contempt for that statement. “Well, I would, if it weren’t for the bloody chip, now wouldn’t I? Now I’m going to let you go, promise not to scream again?” Sudden inspiration struck. “I need to tell you something, it’s about Willow, and it’s really, really important.” At the mention of Willow’s name, Tara nodded vigorously, and Spike released her. As he reached into his pocket for the crystal, Tara grabbed his other arm anxiously.

“W-what about Willow? Is s-something going to h-happen?” Spike held the Stone of Mnemosyne in front of her face and she looked at it, puzzled. “Is Willow-”

“You Will Forget.” Spike picked up the fourth talisman and placed it on Tara’s forehead, then pulled the dazed girl into his arms. As with Willow, he felt power emanating from her, but it was not as vibrant and strong, more like the pull of a slow flowing river. It felt oddly peaceful. He closed his eyes, smelling orchids laced with strawberries, and gathered himself. Feeling Lydia’s mind had joined him, he took an unneeded breath.

“Oops, dude, sorry! Didn’t realize this corner was in use! My bad.” Spike turned his head to see a boy in an atrocious Hawaiian shirt pulling an obviously tipsy brunette coed behind him. The boy’s face was as red as his hair. The girl was stroking his arm, weaving on her feet.

“Well, damn right it’s occupied! Find your own corner and leave us to our business.”

“Keith, leshgo.” The girl mumbled, pulling at him, and the two headed back inside. Spike put his face back in Tara’s hair. *Too close, too close.* He felt Lydia’s calming presence almost immediately, and as he closed his eyes again, he could see her face. It was starting to feel natural to see her, as if she had always been there like this, another part of himself. They began to chant the petition as one.

“I beseech you, Amagandar

Protect this innocent soul

From the curse that belongs to another

Remove the affliction

Restore the life line

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 didn’t know the witch very well, but that peaceful energy was comforting. *I know they need her, don’t let her die.* The smell of sage and rosemary once again wafted on the wind, and Spike and Lydia sighed from different parts of the world. It was all coming together, and at that moment they felt like nothing could stop them.

Willow had noticed that Tara was missing a few minutes ago, and now the Scoobies were searching the party for her with varying degrees of concern. Xander and Anya stopped Keith and his girlfriend as they were coming back inside.

“Hey man, we’re missing a friend, you didn’t see a girl out there about yeah high, dark blonde ponytail, pretty with big doe eyes?” Anya glared at Xander’s description.

“Pretty? You think Tara’s pretty?” When Xander rolled his eyes at her, she quickly added. “Of course you do, because she is very...pleasing...I am not threatened, because you love me.” Xander had basically ignored this statement because he was waiting on the couple to answer his question.

“There’s a girl out there, I’m not sure what color her hair is, she’s making out with some guy.”

“Thanks, man.” Xander nodded and stepped aside to let them pass.

“That’s not Tara, she’s very gay,” Anya piped up loudly, but the couple had already walked away. Seeing Willow waving for their attention, Xander took Anya’s arm and dragged her in that direction.

“Any luck?” Willow asked, real alarm in her voice. The others shook their heads as Buffy walked up. “Buffy?”

“It’s a big place, Will,” Buffy said comfortingly. “She’s here somewhere, we’ll find her, or she’ll find us.” Although they were searching the room for any sign of their friend, none of them saw Spike slip back inside the party.

“Y-you don’t think, a vampire might have, have grabbed her, because this isn’t somebody’s home, they wouldn’t have to be invited, this is a common place, it’s called the Commons, you don’t get more common than that, and she could have been taken, couldn’t she, I mean she was there one second, and then the next she was gone, and oh, God, Buffy-”

“Hey, what’s going on?” At the sound of Tara’s voice and the feel of the hand on her shoulder, Willow whirled and gathered her girlfriend in her arms, giving her a very passionate, very public kiss. Buffy sighed in relief. Seeing Xander watching their two friends with a glazed expression, she elbowed him in the ribs.

“Xander, come dance with me. Before I have to hurt you, or your girlfriend does.” Xander tore his eyes away from the kiss to look down at Buffy, then at Anya, both glaring at him. He gave them a sheepish grin as Willow released Tara.

“Wow, honey, what-” Tara began dreamily.

“Tara, where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere, I thought something happened.”

“I was...mingling, and then I went...outside, I guess I needed air for a second. I didn’t think I was out there that long.” Tara didn’t actually remember going out on the porch, in fact she didn’t remember arriving at the party at all. Thinking about Willow’s strenuous denials about having a reason to go to the loft in the Magic Box that morning, she began to wonder if something strange wasn’t going on. *I don’t want to worry Willow about it, though, she’s already upset. Not until I know something’s wrong.* She let Willow bring her to the refreshment table as Xander took Buffy onto the dance floor. After getting drinks for Willow and Anya, and studiously avoiding the leers of some of the more drunken fraternity brothers, they watched Xander dance with the Slayer. Unseen by them, Spike was watching the same thing, his eyes narrowing.

A short while later, Spike watched as Buffy coyly approached and flirted with another man, this one the same one he had seen her talking to at the Bronze. *Looks like another boy like Captain Cardboard. This one doesn’t even seem that manly. And what kind of shirt is that? That‘s just horrible.* The boyish man walked away, and now Buffy was all alone, waiting. Vulnerable. Approachable. Spike hesitated. He knew what would happen if he went over there. Buffy was really angry with him still about the kidnapping, and that business with Dru, and she would make sure he knew how furious she was. The fire would be in her eyes as she told him to stay away. Her nostrils would flare ever so slightly with distaste. He closed his eyes, a small shiver of anticipation running through him. The image of Lydia’s face frowned at him disapprovingly. *This has nothing to do with your prophecy, pet. Stay out of it!* he thought to her. He wasn’t sure if she could understand him, but the image went away. Spike licked his lips and headed over to her. He watched her for a few moments before stepping up next to her. She turned and looked at him stonily, with the hatred he had known he would see.

“Small world.” Spike smirked. She stared daggers at him, saying nothing. “Oh dear, if looks could stake. Are you having fun, pet? Trolling for your next ex? Gotta say, you could do better.” *Ah, yes, there’s the fire, the hatred, God I love you Buffy.*

“I told you I wo-”

“You think I was gonna leave town? Free country. Free party.” He reached into a nearby snack bowl nonchalantly. Maybe he could actually get her to grab him, push him, hit him, touch him. “You want me to leave you can put your hands on my hot tight little body and make me.” He popped a piece of the snack in his mouth and chewed, waiting. *Hmmm, salty.*

“Get away from me.” Buffy’s spit out the words through teeth clenched as tightly as her fists. She was maintaining control, not moving towards him. Oh, well. Another time. They stared at each other a moment longer, then Spike inclined his head and moved away from her, enjoying the knowledge that she would watch him go.

When he looked back, though, he was disappointed to see that the stupid boy in the stupid shirt had come back. *Drat. Oh God, is that...his number? Buffy don’t take it!* He saw her take the scrap of paper tentatively, he could tell she was nervous but interested. They talked for a bit more, then Buffy smiled at the loser. *That’s it then, two can play this, Slayer. How will you feel when I hook up with a bird of my own?* He moved through the crowd hastily, approaching an extremely attractive girl standing where he knew Buffy would have a good view.

“And who are you, darlin’?” he asked loudly, looking across the room at Buffy. *Ah, you looked, Buffy, you can’t help yourself.* The pretty girl looked at him earnestly.

“I’m April. I’m looking for my fella.” *Quaint turn of phrase, this is a queer bird. But she’s certainly pretty enough to make Buffy squirm.*

“Maybe you just found him,” he answered in his sexiest voice.

“Really? Where?” Spike leaned in to her and whispered in her ear.

“Why don’t you let me be your fella, luv? I’ll kiss you for days and make your blood boil.”

What happened next was a blur. The girl pulled away from him snarling, and grabbed his shirt. His feet left the ground, he heard her shout something about not being her boyfriend, and then he was flying through the air. He felt glass shatter as he flew through the window, and landed hard outside. He winced at the feel of new cuts on this hands and face. His hand automatically went to his pocket to make sure his magick possessions were safe. Assured, he stood shakily and looked back through the now empty window frame at the girl and the gaping partygoers behind her.

“Bloody hell! You threw me through a window!” He stared at her incredulously. “What’s that about?”

“You cannot make those suggestions to me. I have a boyfriend. Warren is my boyfriend.” Spike began to feel angry. Buffy had rejected him, this weird girl had thrown him through a window, the Watcher had somehow gotten stuck in his head. It was all too much.

“Know what? My bleedin sympathies to Warren!” He limped away with the little dignity he had left, heading for his crypt. *That’s it. I’m calling it a night. There’s still two days left to get this bleedin prophecy averted, and I don’t know if I even care to do it anymore. Like Buffy deserves to be happy after the way she’s treated...bloody hell!* His mind instantly flooded with the painful images of three deaths, particularly Dawn’s, and Buffy’s tearstained face. He was driven to his knees in anguish.

“I’ll save them! I will! Please, no more, for pity's sake!” He cried out into the night, and the feeling instantly went away. He took a moment to gather himself, then stood up and traveled the rest of the way home without exhibiting any emotion at all. Somehow he knew that half a world away, Lydia was weeping for the both of them.