Fic: Murphy's Law (3/12)
Title: Murphy's Law
Author: gabrielleabelle
Rating: R
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Just the canon ones for Season 6.
Disclaimer: Not mine. It all belongs to Joss.
Warnings: Character death. Really and seriously, this is not (and will not be) a happy or lighthearted fic. Note that this warning applies for the entire fic.
Summary: What if Giles hadn't killed Ben in The Gift? It is now mid-season 6, and the Scooby gang is falling apart when Ben awakens from his coma, letting loose an angry Glory. Buffy, dealing with post-death depression, bills, an "evil" Trio, and a faltering support system, now has to contend with a vengeful hellgod. Just when things couldn't get worse.
Author's note: Continued thanks to those who have commented and to those who have simply enjoyed reading this story. I appreciate it.
Previous Chapter | Chapter List | Next Chapter
Chapter Three: Oversight
"You didn't try to put out the fire?" Anya asked.
Spike rolled his eyes, pacing across to the far end of the room. They had safely made it to Buffy's house and met with Xander, Anya, and Dawn. Spike was still a little fuzzy on the details of all this. The Slayer hadn't been very forthcoming once The Magic Box had gone up in flames.
"We had to get to safety," Buffy said. "Where's Dawn?"
"Upstairs," Xander said. "She's kinda…not taking this all very well."
"Oh," Buffy crossed her arms.
Spike suspected that the Little Bit wasn't the only one who wasn't taking this all very well. Giles being dead somewhat explained Buffy's behavior these past couple days. Though he was still not sure where he stood with her.
"Are we safe here?" Spike asked. "Cause we've apparently got a brassed off hellgod after us."
"I did a protection spell," Anya explained. "It probably won't do much, but it should hold her off for now until Willow gets back to do something stronger." She paused. "Okay, my spell wouldn't help us at all if Glory attacked. We'd all die."
"Wait, where is Willow?" Xander asked. "It's almost morning. Shouldn't she be home?"
Buffy shrugged, "I don't know. She was with Amy."
"And you aren't worried that Glory will go after, oh, I don't know, the one person that isn't with the group?"
"He's right," Anya said. "She'll pick off the strays. Take us out one by one." She rocked back and forth on her heels. "It'll be very unpleasant."
Strength in bloody numbers. Hadn't they already done this dance? Spike allowed his gaze to settle on Buffy. This shouldn't have to be her responsibility again. If the damned Scoobies had left her to her heaven, she wouldn't have to be dealing with this. But, no, they had to have their fucking hero back to fight for them again. Selfish pricks.
Leaving the bunch to their panic, Spike went upstairs. He hadn't seen Dawn much since Buffy had come back. Probably wouldn't do to leave her alone right now. Not after the way Glory had went after her before.
Her door was closed, and Spike had to fight the urge to just walk in. Manners were something Dawn had been trying to drill into him over the summer. He knocked on the door, calling her name. She didn't answer. When he cracked the door to check on her, he saw she was sleeping.
He grinned as he shut the door, leaning against the wall in the corridor. She hears that a hellgod is loose and out to kill people, and the bit just goes to sleep. Suppose it's better than running around like headless roaches like the ones downstairs are doing.
Spike fingered his cigarettes, wondering if Buffy would mind him lighting up inside the house. They hadn't killed Glory the last time. They hadn't been able to. He knew and they knew that there was only one way to kill Glory. They had to kill Ben.
Not that any of the wankers below him would have the stones to do it.
***
Willow had woken up in the alley. Which was sorta disorienting because she had passed out in Rack's place. But his place had moved when she woke up, and she hadn't gone with it.
It had taken her a while to get her bearings and calm the trembling of her body. She still felt a buzz from the…whatever she had been doing last night. She didn't know what it had been. It had been powerful, though.
It was not yet morning, so nobody was around to see when she stopped outside a shop to check out her appearance in the reflection in the window. Pallid complexion. Ratty, tousled hair. Black eyes.
Black eyes.
Willow braced herself against the shop window, squeezing her eyes shut and panting, trying to get her eyes back to normal. She somehow managed to touch the magic in her and get it to recede. She knew that the magic in her had grown last night, but she still had control over it.
When she opened her eyes, they were somewhat back to normal, though her pupils were unusually large. She hoped nobody would notice. Actually, she hoped everybody would still be asleep when she got home. She didn't want to chance walking in looking like that.
Feeling slightly more confident, Willow continued home. She was surprised to see Xander's car in the driveway. Maybe there'd been an emergency. Maybe Dawn had hurt herself. Maybe Buffy had -
Buffy! Buffy probably did something to herself because of Giles!
Panicked, Willow ran into the house, rushing into the living room. "Xander, is Buffy -"
Xander, Buffy, and Anya look at her with varying degrees of relief and apathy.
"Oh, so Buffy is okay," Willow smiled. Then she thought again. "Dawn! Is Dawn alright?"
Xander came forward, putting an arm out. "Dawn's fine. We were about to go out looking for you."
"He was about to go out," Anya clarified. "Buffy and I agreed that it would be suicide."
Willow looked past Xander to Buffy, who was sitting down on the sofa, obviously distracted by something.
"Suicide?" Willow asked. "Suicide how?"
"Glory's back," Anya spoke up before Xander could even open his mouth. "She killed Giles. And we're pretty sure she's going to try to pick us off one at a time. We thought you'd be next."
Willow's eyes filled with tears as the room spun. This had to be some after-effect of the magic. Anya couldn't be telling her that Glory was back.
She shook her head. "How do you know? I mean, Glory. She's just…she can't!"
"Will, we know," Xander said. "She burnt down the shop earlier tonight. We need you to do a spell to protect the house. Everybody's here."
"Everybody?"
"Yes," Anya said. "Us four, and Dawn and Spike are upstairs."
That wasn't everybody.
"What about Tara?" Willow asked.
She'd never heard such deafening silence.
Without much of any thought or plan in her head, Willow turned and ran back out the door.
***
"Willow, wait!"
Xander's call spurred Spike to head back down the stairs. Harris had one foot out the door, and his girlfriend was grabbing his arm.
"No!" Anya yelled. "Glory will kill you. Stay here. With Buffy. It's safer."
"What happened?" Spike asked.
"Willow went to get Tara. Glory might have gone after her," Xander explained.
Spike nodded, glancing over at Buffy who was still sitting, watching the events with an apathetic eye. The Slayer wouldn't be helping. Having him and Harris as back-up wouldn't make much of a difference in a fight with the hellgod. "Red can handle her own," he said. Willow could probably handle herself even moreso now than she could before. He didn't say that, though. "'Sides, Glory might well be lying low for now. Hardly seems likely she'd know where Tara is. You forgot about her?"
Xander's mouth opened in protest but no words came out. He looked to Anya and Buffy but saw that there would be no support from them. Finally, he said, "Yeah. We forgot about Tara. In case you haven't noticed, there's been a lot going on. I didn't see you mention her."
Spike shrugged. "Just along for the ride, mate."
Anya turned her boyfriend away from the door and shoved him back into the living room. "Sit down," she said.
"Willow," Xander turned.
"She'll be fine," Anya smiled. "And if she's not, better just her dead than the both of you."
***
Willow had done this before. Months before, running to save Tara from Glory. She'd been too late then, and Tara had lost her mind. She couldn't be too late now. Tara would lose much more this time. There was no question in her mind that Tara might not be in danger.
There was a blind panic inside her spurring her to keep running, even though she was exhausted from the night before. Her legs were numb from the effort, and the trendy sandals she was wearing weren't working well for her in her mad dash.
The sun was coming up, and she had to start dodging people on the sidewalk on the way to the university dorms. Tara had moved back in after leaving her. Willow thanked the Goddess that Tara had thought to leave her new address, just in case.
Once she finally reached the dorm hall, Willow fought through a throng of students getting ready for the day's classes. Every step she took was blocked by somebody with their toiletry bag or with a stack of books. Willow gritted her teeth in frustration, wishing everyone would get out of her way.
As if on command, the hallway cleared before her as the students were pushed to the wall. Cries of confused protest filled the corridor, but Willow didn't pay any attention to it. They were in her way.
Her path clear, Willow was able to move much faster. She reached Tara's door quickly and didn't bother knocking. As Willow raised her hand, the door flew open, and she ran inside.
Tara looked up sharply at Willow's entrance, but Willow's eyes were immediately drawn to the other woman in the room.
The air was thick with power already, and it practically sparked lightning once Willow entered. There were cracks along the walls from some attacks used before she'd gotten there. Tara must have already been putting up a fight. Still, Glory stood in the center of the room, completely unscathed, while Tara was backed into a corner. Blood red lips curved into a wide smile as Glory saw Willow.
"Hey! It's like a reunion!" Glory said.
"Will?" Tara said, backing away from the hellgod. Willow got between her and Glory, desperate to protect Tara.
"Well, look at you!" Glory exclaimed, sizing up Willow. "You've gotten a little stronger, now haven't you? But you know," she started walking leisurely towards Willow. "You also look a little tired. Long night?"
Willow's legs were shaking from the pure exertion of her long run and the magic she'd used in getting to Tara. She bit her lip. She hadn't even realized she'd been using magic to get those students out of her way. It had just happened. And now, after everything, she felt drained.
Glory rolled her eyes at Willow's hesitation. "Yeah, yeah. You think about that for a bit."
Willow was suddenly struck across the head by what was easily the hardest punch she'd ever taken. Not that she'd often taken punches, and now she knew why. The force sent Willow careening back into the wall, away from Tara, her head snapping back on impact.
She wasn't out, though she couldn't move for a few moments. Blood filled her mouth from a tooth that had gotten knocked loose. She could hear Tara trying to get a spell out, but she knew that none of Tara's white magic would make a dent on Glory.
Glory laughed at Tara's effort, and something sparked inside of Willow. It felt like when Rack had touched her and had stirred her magic. Her power was growing inside her. And right now, she didn't see any reason to force it down. Instead, she let it grow and took control of it as best she could in her exhausted state.
Willow opened her eyes and got to her feet as Glory was walking briskly towards Tara. Willow reached her hand out, and the air in the room charged, winds whipping around. Glory was thrown back, much like Willow had been, though Glory managed to go through the wall.
The hellgod was standing in no time, however, and she wasn't laughing now. In a blink, she was in front of Willow, hand around her throat, squeezing tightly.
"Fine!" Glory said, eyes wild. "I'll take care of you first, then."
Willow couldn't breathe, but she didn't need to right now. She grabbed the wrist that was holding her throat and allowed the magic to do its work, attacking her assailant.
It was the darkest magic she'd ever felt. She didn't know where it was coming from in her, and a part of it frightened her. But another part, a larger part, wanted more. She knew that this power was what she needed. She knew she could keep it under her will and make it work for her. Like she was doing right now.
There was a shriek, and Willow was released immediately, stumbling backwards as the lights went out in the dorm. The entire room began to shake from the force of the powers fighting. Dark magic versus the power of a hellgod.
The entire dorm was falling around them, and alarms sounded distantly through the chaos. Willow lost sight of where Glory had gone, but she didn't much care. Her nose was bleeding, and she knew she wouldn't be able to withstand another attack from the goddess.
As the ceiling came down, Willow rushed to Tara, who was staring wide-eyed at the fight. She grabbed Tara's hand, and then they were gone.
Teleportation used to be difficult for her. Not anymore.
As soon as they appeared in the alley, Willow came down from the fight. The magic that had been boiling inside her calmed almost instantaneously, and Willow was left holding onto the wall in disorientation. She fought to keep from collapsing as her strength seeped from her, wiping the blood from her nose and trying hard not to pass out.
"Willow," Tara's voice made her look up at her girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Why did Tara have to look so beautiful? Even wearing pajamas and with bed head that had been through a battle, she was still the most gorgeous woman Willow had ever seen.
Willow turned, leaning back against the wall, trying for casual, though it was difficult when she was panting so hard. "Good timing, huh?"
Tara was staring around her in distress. "What are….your aura…it's so dark."
"Dark?" Willow pushed away from the wall, finding some last strength to keep standing. Tara couldn't even admit, now, that Willow's magic was a good thing? "That 'dark' aura just saved your life! I took on Glory, Tara!"
Tara looked about to argue back, but then she nodded. "Thank you. I'd heard on the news. I was about to go to you guys when…"
"We're setting up base at Buffy's. It's best if we all stick together," Willow explained.
"Right," Tara glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the house. They weren't far. "This is…you and I are still…"
Of course. Tara could thank her for saving her life, but she couldn't apologize for leaving Willow. Even after Willow had risked everything for her.
Willow frowned. "I know," she said. Her voice was ice. "We're still broken up. After all, you obviously can't trust me anymore."
Pushing away from the wall, Willow began to limp down the street, trying hard to look like she wasn't about to collapse. She knew that she'd be sleeping for a long while after doing the protection spell.
***
Willow had returned with Tara to the relief of just about everyone, though both were bearing some scrapes and bruises from the fight. Willow looked as if she were ready to drop, but the importance of doing the protection spell kept her going. Buffy remained on the couch, watching the events around her. She was miles away from what was going on. They were discussing, planning, working to try to find a way out of this. But she couldn't join them.
Spike had told her that she'd come back wrong. That he could hit her was proof. She'd been so afraid that she was missing something ever since she'd come back. Like she'd left something in heaven when Willow had resurrected her. A part of herself that just wasn't there anymore.
Now she knew. She'd been right. She was wrong. She couldn't possibly fight Glory again. Not while she was like this.
"Do you need to go back to the shop to get supplies?" Anya asked Willow, who was shuffling through what Buffy had managed to save from The Magic Box. Willow's hands were shaking from exhaustion, and her pupils were still dilated from the dangerous magic she'd been doing earlier.
"Ahn," Xander interrupted. "I don't think we should go back there. Odds are, nothing survived, and Glory will pick us off if we try. Unless it's absolutely necessary -"
"But it is necessary!" Anya protested. "There might still be magic supplies. And money. Something might have survived the fire. And besides, it's my shop. And Giles put me in charge before he left." Anya looked around, her voice getting more uneven. "I failed Giles! I didn't take care of his store, and I failed him! And he won't ever come back to glare at me in disapproval or scold me. Why can't he come back to scold me?"
Buffy watched Xander pull Anya into a hug. Tara quietly left to go upstairs, and Willow turned her attention back to the magic supplies. Spike was nowhere in sight.
Buffy looked down at the carpeted floor. She felt like she was separate from everyone else. Stuck behind glass. Watching them but not involved.
She'd won last time only by dying. Spike was right. Things were different now. She'd come back wrong. Glory was going to win.
***
Spike tossed a couple pillows onto the cot in the basement. Xander and his girl had gotten the master bedroom. Buffy and Willow were bunking up, which left Tara and Dawn to room together. Spike had been relegated to the basement.
Course, he'd probably have to sneak out to his crypt sometime to grab some stuff. He hadn't expected to take refuge in the Summers' home like this.
The witch had done some spell on the house. No demon or hellgodly type would be able to find them unless one of the group told her where to look, even though Glory already knew where the house was. Pretty advanced magic, actually, though that didn't surprise Spike. Willow had been getting stronger and stronger with the powers. If it were up to him, he'd grab Buffy and Dawn and make a run out of town and leave the little Scoobies to fend for themselves.
But it wasn't up to him. Grabbing a smoke, Spike sat down on his cot, wondering if Buffy had a TV he could bring down here. Or he could just grab the one from his crypt.
He heard the door open as he inhaled, savoring the taste. He was half-expecting it to be Buffy coming down to see him, but he wasn't too surprised to see Dawn walking down the steps.
She didn't pause. She walked right over to the cot and sat down next to him. He looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"Can I try a smoke?" She asked.
He smiled. He knew there was a reason he liked her.
"Not sure your sis would 'preciate that," he said.
She shrugged. "I don't think Buffy really cares right now."
She had a point. He passed the lit cigarette to her and watched as she held it awkwardly between her fingers. She stared as if trying to figure out how to work it, and then she put it to her mouth, breathing in heavily.
Spike chuckled at the rasping cough she let out in response.
"Ugh!" Dawn choked. "What…why's it minty?"
"Is menthol, pet. Not your thing?" He held his hand out to get the cigarette back.
"No!" Dawn put the cigarette back to her mouth, making a slightly more successful attempt this time at inhaling. "I like it." She coughed.
Spike gave her a skeptical look but reached for his pack to grab another smoke for himself. He pretended not to notice when Dawn tried to adjust her cigarette to mimic how Spike was holding his.
"What brings you down here, Nibblet?" Spike asked.
Dawn shrugged, watching the ash form at the end of her cigarette. "Just don't wanna be up there."
"Scared?"
She shook her head a bit too quickly. "No. I mean…a little. Are you scared?"
She was putting on a brave act for him, alright. She may not be the Key anymore, but odds were that Glory bint would be more than ready to go after her again.
"Told you before," he said. "I promised to protect you, and I will." This time, he would. Not like last time.
"I don't think we can depend on Buffy this time," she said quietly.
Spike nodded. Buffy'd been doing better. Well, she'd been trying to be better. She'd seemed to have given up since this all happened. He couldn't rightly blame her. She'd already fought and died over this battle.
"I'll talk to her," he said.
"Yeah," Dawn grinned. "Cause she's so receptive to you."
"Hey! I'll have you know, she let me get a full sentence out before shutting me down last time," he joked back.
Nibblet had a point, though. Buffy wasn't very open to him. But she had come to him when she'd first been brought back. That's something he could treasure, even as it frustrated him to be so close to her and, yet, still not be with her. However, no matter what little ditties he sang about her staying away from him, he couldn't not be there for her. She needed someone right now.
Of course he'd be there. No matter how much she pushed him away.
Dawn dropped the cigarette that had somehow never made it back to her mouth to the floor and ground it out. She drew her feet up onto the cot and rested her head on Spike's shoulder.
"I'm not bugging you?" She asked.
"Course not," he said.
"Good."
Spike let her doze beside him for a few hours. He knew she'd need the rest for whatever was to come.
TBC...
Final AN: The protection spell Willow does on the house is loosely (okay...more than loosely) based on the Fidelius Charm in the Harry Potter books (The Secret-Keeper spell that protected Harry's parents). I had to do something to make things difficult for Glory. :)
Previous Chapter | Chapter List | Next Chapter
Author: gabrielleabelle
Rating: R
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Just the canon ones for Season 6.
Disclaimer: Not mine. It all belongs to Joss.
Warnings: Character death. Really and seriously, this is not (and will not be) a happy or lighthearted fic. Note that this warning applies for the entire fic.
Summary: What if Giles hadn't killed Ben in The Gift? It is now mid-season 6, and the Scooby gang is falling apart when Ben awakens from his coma, letting loose an angry Glory. Buffy, dealing with post-death depression, bills, an "evil" Trio, and a faltering support system, now has to contend with a vengeful hellgod. Just when things couldn't get worse.
Author's note: Continued thanks to those who have commented and to those who have simply enjoyed reading this story. I appreciate it.
Previous Chapter | Chapter List | Next Chapter
Chapter Three: Oversight
"You didn't try to put out the fire?" Anya asked.
Spike rolled his eyes, pacing across to the far end of the room. They had safely made it to Buffy's house and met with Xander, Anya, and Dawn. Spike was still a little fuzzy on the details of all this. The Slayer hadn't been very forthcoming once The Magic Box had gone up in flames.
"We had to get to safety," Buffy said. "Where's Dawn?"
"Upstairs," Xander said. "She's kinda…not taking this all very well."
"Oh," Buffy crossed her arms.
Spike suspected that the Little Bit wasn't the only one who wasn't taking this all very well. Giles being dead somewhat explained Buffy's behavior these past couple days. Though he was still not sure where he stood with her.
"Are we safe here?" Spike asked. "Cause we've apparently got a brassed off hellgod after us."
"I did a protection spell," Anya explained. "It probably won't do much, but it should hold her off for now until Willow gets back to do something stronger." She paused. "Okay, my spell wouldn't help us at all if Glory attacked. We'd all die."
"Wait, where is Willow?" Xander asked. "It's almost morning. Shouldn't she be home?"
Buffy shrugged, "I don't know. She was with Amy."
"And you aren't worried that Glory will go after, oh, I don't know, the one person that isn't with the group?"
"He's right," Anya said. "She'll pick off the strays. Take us out one by one." She rocked back and forth on her heels. "It'll be very unpleasant."
Strength in bloody numbers. Hadn't they already done this dance? Spike allowed his gaze to settle on Buffy. This shouldn't have to be her responsibility again. If the damned Scoobies had left her to her heaven, she wouldn't have to be dealing with this. But, no, they had to have their fucking hero back to fight for them again. Selfish pricks.
Leaving the bunch to their panic, Spike went upstairs. He hadn't seen Dawn much since Buffy had come back. Probably wouldn't do to leave her alone right now. Not after the way Glory had went after her before.
Her door was closed, and Spike had to fight the urge to just walk in. Manners were something Dawn had been trying to drill into him over the summer. He knocked on the door, calling her name. She didn't answer. When he cracked the door to check on her, he saw she was sleeping.
He grinned as he shut the door, leaning against the wall in the corridor. She hears that a hellgod is loose and out to kill people, and the bit just goes to sleep. Suppose it's better than running around like headless roaches like the ones downstairs are doing.
Spike fingered his cigarettes, wondering if Buffy would mind him lighting up inside the house. They hadn't killed Glory the last time. They hadn't been able to. He knew and they knew that there was only one way to kill Glory. They had to kill Ben.
Not that any of the wankers below him would have the stones to do it.
***
Willow had woken up in the alley. Which was sorta disorienting because she had passed out in Rack's place. But his place had moved when she woke up, and she hadn't gone with it.
It had taken her a while to get her bearings and calm the trembling of her body. She still felt a buzz from the…whatever she had been doing last night. She didn't know what it had been. It had been powerful, though.
It was not yet morning, so nobody was around to see when she stopped outside a shop to check out her appearance in the reflection in the window. Pallid complexion. Ratty, tousled hair. Black eyes.
Black eyes.
Willow braced herself against the shop window, squeezing her eyes shut and panting, trying to get her eyes back to normal. She somehow managed to touch the magic in her and get it to recede. She knew that the magic in her had grown last night, but she still had control over it.
When she opened her eyes, they were somewhat back to normal, though her pupils were unusually large. She hoped nobody would notice. Actually, she hoped everybody would still be asleep when she got home. She didn't want to chance walking in looking like that.
Feeling slightly more confident, Willow continued home. She was surprised to see Xander's car in the driveway. Maybe there'd been an emergency. Maybe Dawn had hurt herself. Maybe Buffy had -
Buffy! Buffy probably did something to herself because of Giles!
Panicked, Willow ran into the house, rushing into the living room. "Xander, is Buffy -"
Xander, Buffy, and Anya look at her with varying degrees of relief and apathy.
"Oh, so Buffy is okay," Willow smiled. Then she thought again. "Dawn! Is Dawn alright?"
Xander came forward, putting an arm out. "Dawn's fine. We were about to go out looking for you."
"He was about to go out," Anya clarified. "Buffy and I agreed that it would be suicide."
Willow looked past Xander to Buffy, who was sitting down on the sofa, obviously distracted by something.
"Suicide?" Willow asked. "Suicide how?"
"Glory's back," Anya spoke up before Xander could even open his mouth. "She killed Giles. And we're pretty sure she's going to try to pick us off one at a time. We thought you'd be next."
Willow's eyes filled with tears as the room spun. This had to be some after-effect of the magic. Anya couldn't be telling her that Glory was back.
She shook her head. "How do you know? I mean, Glory. She's just…she can't!"
"Will, we know," Xander said. "She burnt down the shop earlier tonight. We need you to do a spell to protect the house. Everybody's here."
"Everybody?"
"Yes," Anya said. "Us four, and Dawn and Spike are upstairs."
That wasn't everybody.
"What about Tara?" Willow asked.
She'd never heard such deafening silence.
Without much of any thought or plan in her head, Willow turned and ran back out the door.
***
"Willow, wait!"
Xander's call spurred Spike to head back down the stairs. Harris had one foot out the door, and his girlfriend was grabbing his arm.
"No!" Anya yelled. "Glory will kill you. Stay here. With Buffy. It's safer."
"What happened?" Spike asked.
"Willow went to get Tara. Glory might have gone after her," Xander explained.
Spike nodded, glancing over at Buffy who was still sitting, watching the events with an apathetic eye. The Slayer wouldn't be helping. Having him and Harris as back-up wouldn't make much of a difference in a fight with the hellgod. "Red can handle her own," he said. Willow could probably handle herself even moreso now than she could before. He didn't say that, though. "'Sides, Glory might well be lying low for now. Hardly seems likely she'd know where Tara is. You forgot about her?"
Xander's mouth opened in protest but no words came out. He looked to Anya and Buffy but saw that there would be no support from them. Finally, he said, "Yeah. We forgot about Tara. In case you haven't noticed, there's been a lot going on. I didn't see you mention her."
Spike shrugged. "Just along for the ride, mate."
Anya turned her boyfriend away from the door and shoved him back into the living room. "Sit down," she said.
"Willow," Xander turned.
"She'll be fine," Anya smiled. "And if she's not, better just her dead than the both of you."
***
Willow had done this before. Months before, running to save Tara from Glory. She'd been too late then, and Tara had lost her mind. She couldn't be too late now. Tara would lose much more this time. There was no question in her mind that Tara might not be in danger.
There was a blind panic inside her spurring her to keep running, even though she was exhausted from the night before. Her legs were numb from the effort, and the trendy sandals she was wearing weren't working well for her in her mad dash.
The sun was coming up, and she had to start dodging people on the sidewalk on the way to the university dorms. Tara had moved back in after leaving her. Willow thanked the Goddess that Tara had thought to leave her new address, just in case.
Once she finally reached the dorm hall, Willow fought through a throng of students getting ready for the day's classes. Every step she took was blocked by somebody with their toiletry bag or with a stack of books. Willow gritted her teeth in frustration, wishing everyone would get out of her way.
As if on command, the hallway cleared before her as the students were pushed to the wall. Cries of confused protest filled the corridor, but Willow didn't pay any attention to it. They were in her way.
Her path clear, Willow was able to move much faster. She reached Tara's door quickly and didn't bother knocking. As Willow raised her hand, the door flew open, and she ran inside.
Tara looked up sharply at Willow's entrance, but Willow's eyes were immediately drawn to the other woman in the room.
The air was thick with power already, and it practically sparked lightning once Willow entered. There were cracks along the walls from some attacks used before she'd gotten there. Tara must have already been putting up a fight. Still, Glory stood in the center of the room, completely unscathed, while Tara was backed into a corner. Blood red lips curved into a wide smile as Glory saw Willow.
"Hey! It's like a reunion!" Glory said.
"Will?" Tara said, backing away from the hellgod. Willow got between her and Glory, desperate to protect Tara.
"Well, look at you!" Glory exclaimed, sizing up Willow. "You've gotten a little stronger, now haven't you? But you know," she started walking leisurely towards Willow. "You also look a little tired. Long night?"
Willow's legs were shaking from the pure exertion of her long run and the magic she'd used in getting to Tara. She bit her lip. She hadn't even realized she'd been using magic to get those students out of her way. It had just happened. And now, after everything, she felt drained.
Glory rolled her eyes at Willow's hesitation. "Yeah, yeah. You think about that for a bit."
Willow was suddenly struck across the head by what was easily the hardest punch she'd ever taken. Not that she'd often taken punches, and now she knew why. The force sent Willow careening back into the wall, away from Tara, her head snapping back on impact.
She wasn't out, though she couldn't move for a few moments. Blood filled her mouth from a tooth that had gotten knocked loose. She could hear Tara trying to get a spell out, but she knew that none of Tara's white magic would make a dent on Glory.
Glory laughed at Tara's effort, and something sparked inside of Willow. It felt like when Rack had touched her and had stirred her magic. Her power was growing inside her. And right now, she didn't see any reason to force it down. Instead, she let it grow and took control of it as best she could in her exhausted state.
Willow opened her eyes and got to her feet as Glory was walking briskly towards Tara. Willow reached her hand out, and the air in the room charged, winds whipping around. Glory was thrown back, much like Willow had been, though Glory managed to go through the wall.
The hellgod was standing in no time, however, and she wasn't laughing now. In a blink, she was in front of Willow, hand around her throat, squeezing tightly.
"Fine!" Glory said, eyes wild. "I'll take care of you first, then."
Willow couldn't breathe, but she didn't need to right now. She grabbed the wrist that was holding her throat and allowed the magic to do its work, attacking her assailant.
It was the darkest magic she'd ever felt. She didn't know where it was coming from in her, and a part of it frightened her. But another part, a larger part, wanted more. She knew that this power was what she needed. She knew she could keep it under her will and make it work for her. Like she was doing right now.
There was a shriek, and Willow was released immediately, stumbling backwards as the lights went out in the dorm. The entire room began to shake from the force of the powers fighting. Dark magic versus the power of a hellgod.
The entire dorm was falling around them, and alarms sounded distantly through the chaos. Willow lost sight of where Glory had gone, but she didn't much care. Her nose was bleeding, and she knew she wouldn't be able to withstand another attack from the goddess.
As the ceiling came down, Willow rushed to Tara, who was staring wide-eyed at the fight. She grabbed Tara's hand, and then they were gone.
Teleportation used to be difficult for her. Not anymore.
As soon as they appeared in the alley, Willow came down from the fight. The magic that had been boiling inside her calmed almost instantaneously, and Willow was left holding onto the wall in disorientation. She fought to keep from collapsing as her strength seeped from her, wiping the blood from her nose and trying hard not to pass out.
"Willow," Tara's voice made her look up at her girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Why did Tara have to look so beautiful? Even wearing pajamas and with bed head that had been through a battle, she was still the most gorgeous woman Willow had ever seen.
Willow turned, leaning back against the wall, trying for casual, though it was difficult when she was panting so hard. "Good timing, huh?"
Tara was staring around her in distress. "What are….your aura…it's so dark."
"Dark?" Willow pushed away from the wall, finding some last strength to keep standing. Tara couldn't even admit, now, that Willow's magic was a good thing? "That 'dark' aura just saved your life! I took on Glory, Tara!"
Tara looked about to argue back, but then she nodded. "Thank you. I'd heard on the news. I was about to go to you guys when…"
"We're setting up base at Buffy's. It's best if we all stick together," Willow explained.
"Right," Tara glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the house. They weren't far. "This is…you and I are still…"
Of course. Tara could thank her for saving her life, but she couldn't apologize for leaving Willow. Even after Willow had risked everything for her.
Willow frowned. "I know," she said. Her voice was ice. "We're still broken up. After all, you obviously can't trust me anymore."
Pushing away from the wall, Willow began to limp down the street, trying hard to look like she wasn't about to collapse. She knew that she'd be sleeping for a long while after doing the protection spell.
***
Willow had returned with Tara to the relief of just about everyone, though both were bearing some scrapes and bruises from the fight. Willow looked as if she were ready to drop, but the importance of doing the protection spell kept her going. Buffy remained on the couch, watching the events around her. She was miles away from what was going on. They were discussing, planning, working to try to find a way out of this. But she couldn't join them.
Spike had told her that she'd come back wrong. That he could hit her was proof. She'd been so afraid that she was missing something ever since she'd come back. Like she'd left something in heaven when Willow had resurrected her. A part of herself that just wasn't there anymore.
Now she knew. She'd been right. She was wrong. She couldn't possibly fight Glory again. Not while she was like this.
"Do you need to go back to the shop to get supplies?" Anya asked Willow, who was shuffling through what Buffy had managed to save from The Magic Box. Willow's hands were shaking from exhaustion, and her pupils were still dilated from the dangerous magic she'd been doing earlier.
"Ahn," Xander interrupted. "I don't think we should go back there. Odds are, nothing survived, and Glory will pick us off if we try. Unless it's absolutely necessary -"
"But it is necessary!" Anya protested. "There might still be magic supplies. And money. Something might have survived the fire. And besides, it's my shop. And Giles put me in charge before he left." Anya looked around, her voice getting more uneven. "I failed Giles! I didn't take care of his store, and I failed him! And he won't ever come back to glare at me in disapproval or scold me. Why can't he come back to scold me?"
Buffy watched Xander pull Anya into a hug. Tara quietly left to go upstairs, and Willow turned her attention back to the magic supplies. Spike was nowhere in sight.
Buffy looked down at the carpeted floor. She felt like she was separate from everyone else. Stuck behind glass. Watching them but not involved.
She'd won last time only by dying. Spike was right. Things were different now. She'd come back wrong. Glory was going to win.
***
Spike tossed a couple pillows onto the cot in the basement. Xander and his girl had gotten the master bedroom. Buffy and Willow were bunking up, which left Tara and Dawn to room together. Spike had been relegated to the basement.
Course, he'd probably have to sneak out to his crypt sometime to grab some stuff. He hadn't expected to take refuge in the Summers' home like this.
The witch had done some spell on the house. No demon or hellgodly type would be able to find them unless one of the group told her where to look, even though Glory already knew where the house was. Pretty advanced magic, actually, though that didn't surprise Spike. Willow had been getting stronger and stronger with the powers. If it were up to him, he'd grab Buffy and Dawn and make a run out of town and leave the little Scoobies to fend for themselves.
But it wasn't up to him. Grabbing a smoke, Spike sat down on his cot, wondering if Buffy had a TV he could bring down here. Or he could just grab the one from his crypt.
He heard the door open as he inhaled, savoring the taste. He was half-expecting it to be Buffy coming down to see him, but he wasn't too surprised to see Dawn walking down the steps.
She didn't pause. She walked right over to the cot and sat down next to him. He looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"Can I try a smoke?" She asked.
He smiled. He knew there was a reason he liked her.
"Not sure your sis would 'preciate that," he said.
She shrugged. "I don't think Buffy really cares right now."
She had a point. He passed the lit cigarette to her and watched as she held it awkwardly between her fingers. She stared as if trying to figure out how to work it, and then she put it to her mouth, breathing in heavily.
Spike chuckled at the rasping cough she let out in response.
"Ugh!" Dawn choked. "What…why's it minty?"
"Is menthol, pet. Not your thing?" He held his hand out to get the cigarette back.
"No!" Dawn put the cigarette back to her mouth, making a slightly more successful attempt this time at inhaling. "I like it." She coughed.
Spike gave her a skeptical look but reached for his pack to grab another smoke for himself. He pretended not to notice when Dawn tried to adjust her cigarette to mimic how Spike was holding his.
"What brings you down here, Nibblet?" Spike asked.
Dawn shrugged, watching the ash form at the end of her cigarette. "Just don't wanna be up there."
"Scared?"
She shook her head a bit too quickly. "No. I mean…a little. Are you scared?"
She was putting on a brave act for him, alright. She may not be the Key anymore, but odds were that Glory bint would be more than ready to go after her again.
"Told you before," he said. "I promised to protect you, and I will." This time, he would. Not like last time.
"I don't think we can depend on Buffy this time," she said quietly.
Spike nodded. Buffy'd been doing better. Well, she'd been trying to be better. She'd seemed to have given up since this all happened. He couldn't rightly blame her. She'd already fought and died over this battle.
"I'll talk to her," he said.
"Yeah," Dawn grinned. "Cause she's so receptive to you."
"Hey! I'll have you know, she let me get a full sentence out before shutting me down last time," he joked back.
Nibblet had a point, though. Buffy wasn't very open to him. But she had come to him when she'd first been brought back. That's something he could treasure, even as it frustrated him to be so close to her and, yet, still not be with her. However, no matter what little ditties he sang about her staying away from him, he couldn't not be there for her. She needed someone right now.
Of course he'd be there. No matter how much she pushed him away.
Dawn dropped the cigarette that had somehow never made it back to her mouth to the floor and ground it out. She drew her feet up onto the cot and rested her head on Spike's shoulder.
"I'm not bugging you?" She asked.
"Course not," he said.
"Good."
Spike let her doze beside him for a few hours. He knew she'd need the rest for whatever was to come.
TBC...
Final AN: The protection spell Willow does on the house is loosely (okay...more than loosely) based on the Fidelius Charm in the Harry Potter books (The Secret-Keeper spell that protected Harry's parents). I had to do something to make things difficult for Glory. :)
Previous Chapter | Chapter List | Next Chapter