Title: Long Story Short

Author: Jeanny

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Season 6 Through Smashed

Feedback: Please. jeannygrrl@hotmail.com

Distribution: I don't mind, just credit me and let me know where it's going.

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Inc., UPN and any one else with a legal binding claim to the shows and/or characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Buffy, Spike, the real Big Bad and serendipity. A playful Season 6 wrap-up.

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"I still can't believe it," Xander said for the hundredth time.

"I know," Willow agreed. "It felt like me the whole time. I mean I know I was out of control, but I thought I was in control of being out of control, you know."

"Should I be scared that I understood that?" Buffy asked after a moment.

"Classic Willow-speak," Oz said, reaching out and squeezing Willow's hand. The smile he got in return was tentative but real, the first real one he'd seen since returning to Sunnydale. It was a good sign his Willow was coming back from the deep depression she'd been in ever since coming back to herself. While he knew he no longer held her heart, he was happy just to have her back in his life. Even if it was only as friends.

"You need to stop blaming yourself," Buffy chastised her friend.

"But it was my fault, in a way. If I hadn't started using black magic to fight Glory, this thing would never have found a way to use me to do its bidding."

"You meant well. You wanted to help Tara," Xander said, pausing awkwardly. The two women glanced at each other then immediately looked away. Tara and Willow still weren't back together. A lot had happened between them, and they were taking their time. They still loved each other, and he knew they'd make it if Willow could ever get over her guilt and give them a chance.

"I wanted revenge. That's what brought the demon here, right?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't you," Riley said, causing everyone to start. They had forgotten he was even there, so quiet he had been since discovering Spike and Buffy were...whatever they were. "It was Ethan Rayne. He's confessed and everything. He summoned him from his prison cell."

"You know, if you hadn't have mentioned him in passing, I would never have even thought of Ethan Rayne. But the pieces started to fall into place."

"The chaos, you mean," Xander said.

Anya chimed in from his side, "Cause there was lots of chaos."

"And mass hysteria," Xander concurred.

"And fiery explosions," Anya added.

"And Buffy boinking Spike," Xander said cheerfully, then off of the look from the vampire and the Slayer, muttered, "Sorry."

"And some death," Anya finished brightly.

"I'm sorry," Willow squeaked meekly.

"Will, please stop. No one holds you responsible for that."

"Not anymore, anyway," Dawn chimed in happily, then stared at her sister's frosty glare. "What? It's true. Until Tara and I found that reference to the demon and Spike talked to Willy and found out someone brought it here for revenge and it had control of Willow and was making her all loopy with dark magick and she was gonna hurt people and Riley called and you told him about Spike and he got all mad and you thought it might be him and then he said something about Ethan and you realized that he might have summoned the demon and you went looking for it with Spike and then we couldn't find Willow cause she kidnapped Tara and was draining her power and setting things on fire and Oz came back and helped us track them down and Willow nearly killed us all but then just like that she was kinda okay and you showed up with Spike and told us the demon was dead and Riley came and said Ethan confessed the whole thing. By the way, how?" Everyone was staring at Dawn in astonishment except for Oz, who was nodding enigmatically.

"Wow," Riley and Tara said in unison.

"Nicely nutshelled, pet," Spike said with a small grin, leaning back and putting his arm around a stunned Buffy's shoulder. "Think you stupefied your sis here."

"Did she even breathe during that?" Anya asked Xander in a stage whisper. He shrugged, glancing at his long time friend.

"Think you just lost your babble crown, Will."

"I think so too," the witch answered, still dazzled herself by the lightning-fast recap. Dawn was looking at her sister impatiently. Buffy shook herself out of her stupor.

"How what?" she asked. Dawn scowled at her sister's lack of comprehension.

"How'd you kill the demon, of course?"

"Yeah, you never did tell us that part," Xander said eagerly. "Tell us of the fighting and killing, Buff. It'll make Will feel better." Buffy and Spike exchanged guilty glances.

"It wasn't really much of a fight," Buffy disclaimed, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Nah, your sis sort of did a Dorothy on the wanker," Spike said slyly, earning a look of death from the blonde by his side.

"I've got a stake with your name on it," she hissed.

"Now's not the time for foreplay, luv. Your sis has a question," Spike teased. Everyone in the room except for Oz and Spike looked sickened to varying degrees.

"TMI, people," Xander said with his hands up as if to ward off the mental image. Buffy gave her friends an apologetic shrug, then went back to glaring at the vampire, a hint of affection making its way into her eyes.

"What does did a Dorothy mean? You threw water on him?" Dawn asked with a puzzled frown.

"Not exactly," Buffy said.

"East not west, luv. See, the bloke was holding out in some kind of abandoned house, all rotted out and falling down..."

"Spike," Buffy said warningly.

"And we didn't know that, see, but we saw the house and were feelin' a bit nostalgic..."

"Spike!" Buffy shrieked, then turned to her sister, her face reddened with embarrassment. "We kinda made...the house fell in on him and killed him, okay?"

"You collapsed a house?" Willow squeaked.

"Second one we've-" Spike began proudly.

"Shut up, Spike!" Buffy hissed.

"I still don't get it. How did you make the-"

"I'll tell you later," Buffy said hurriedly. The others were shifting uncomfortably, except for Oz, who was smiling strangely.

"No you won't," Dawn scoffed. Spike was barely holding in his laughter.

"I'll tell you later, nibblet," he said.

"No you won't!" Buffy admonished. Willow noticed Oz's smile and leaned over to him.

"What are you so happy about?" she whispered. He looked at her and shrugged.

"There's no place like home."

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