Sunshine & Shanshu
By: Larilyn
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Takes place after the Buffy ep "As You Were," and the Angel ep "Loyalty". "Hell's Bells" and "Sleep Tight" and every thing after haven't happened and won't happen in this little fic-verse.
Disclaimer: Buffy belongs to Mutant Enemy and UPN, blah, blah, blah. Angel belongs to Mutant Enemy and the WB, yada, yada, yada. Its Joss's toy box; I'm just raiding it for fun.
Summary: Quick recap in case it’s been a while since you read the rest of the series. In "Moonlight & Mohra" Spike is made human by a Mohra demon. He runs to LA for help from Angel, Wolfram and Hart brings back Lothos (The Big Bad from the movie) and send Dru to turn Spike back, Spike kills Dru, Buffy kills Lothos, Anya & Xander elope to Vegas, Willow & Tara patch things up, and Spike and Buffy live the love. In "Twilight & Temptation" Spike starts having visions (a nice parting gift from Dru) for the newly paroled Faith. In order to survive the visions; Spike has some of his demon restored. Buffy has a cow. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy releases a genie and inadvertently wishes Spike into a coma and Angel into Angelus. Faith nearly sacrifices her life for Buffy’s and Tara saves the day. Buffy asks Faith to move into the house on Revello Drive. In "Menorahs & Mistletoe", Anya saves the world from the demon Santa, and Spike pops the question.
Now, it’s wedding time for Spike and Buffy, unless the end of the world gets in the way.
Classification: S/B, A/C, Wes/Faith
Notes: Thanks to the now apparently defunct Plague of Demons for the pic of Abbadon and for a laugh, be sure to read "The Teletubbies of the Apocalypse" at www.teemings.com/issue01/teletubbies.html
Sunshine & Shanshu part two
Giles looked over the texts that Wesley had placed in front of him. With a sigh he removed his glasses and obsessively cleaned them, "This is bad."
"I wholeheartedly agree," said one former Watcher to the other. "Perhaps we should call everyone together." After a pause he asked, "William & Buffy?"
Giles shook his head. "There is no mention of them in the texts, let them enjoy their honeymoon." While he spoke, Giles moved to answer the door, upon which someone was furiously pounding.
He revealed Cordelia, panting and pale, "We have to call William and Buffy!"
All Giles was able to vocalize was, "Wha.." before she continued.
"I had a very, very bad vision."
***
Spike picked up Buffy’s bag and then promptly dropped it in disgust, "Good god! What in hell is in this thing? The bloody kitchen sink?"
"Just a few things. A few pairs of shoes, my curling iron, straightening iron, hair dryer, clothes iron."
"I am not carrying this!" He argued in the middle of the crowded airport.
Buffy rolled her eyes at her husband, "It’s not that heavy."
"Then you carry it, too many irons for me."
"But I’m the girl…" she pouted.
Spike threw his arms up in frustration, "You’re the Slayer, for crying out loud, I’m just a human."
"With vampire strength! I’m not carrying my bags on my honeymoon. Its the husband’s job."
"Ridiculous!"
"Chivalrous."
He picked up the bag and walked away from her, "Fine, but if I’m too sore to perform my husbandly duties tonight, I don’t want to hear any complaints."
"Wait, you’re talking about sex, right?…. Give me the bag."
He chuckled as he handed her the bag. Suddenly, his face began to morph.
"No!" She complained as she shielded his face from passers by until the vision passed. "No visions on the honeymoon."
"Don’t have a lot of control over ‘em, love. We better find a pay phone."
***
Anya watched as Giles turned the Magic Box’s Open sign over. She frantically inquired, "What are you doing? The customers can’t come in if the sign says, ‘closed’."
Calmly, Giles explained, "We need to have a meeting."
"Well use Buffy & Spike’s empty office. Its empty!"
"Its too small."
Anya whined toward the assorted Scoobies, "Look at this… I’m not going to make any money today."
Wesley Wyndam Price cleared his throat and began the meeting, "Mr. Giles and I have called you together today because of these texts. They seem to echo the prophecies of St. John the Divine, however, they do not appear to be exclusively Christian in origin."
Xander yawned dramatically and asked, "Can we cut to the chase, please?"
Giles looked dismissively at Xander and said, "Apocalypse."
Xander pointed at the younger Watcher and voiced, "I liked what he was saying better."
Angel piped up, "What exactly are we talking about here?"
"You must face the four horsemen of the Apocalypse," Wes explained.
"And Satan himself." Giles added.
Gunn exhaled sharply, "Five to one? Crappy odds."
"Not necessarily," Wes explained, "According to the texts, Angel will be accompanied by four warriors." Reading from the text, "The Champion’s Seer will confront the Horseman War. She is Love."
"She is overjoyed," Cordelia cracked.
Wes continued, "The newest Champion, she who seeks knowledge, will use it as her weapon against the Horseman Pestilence."
Faith sighed, "Peachy."
"The descendant of the slaves, the bringer of charity…"
"Oh that’s just great," interrupted Gunn, "As if my people haven’t been through enough! Now a brother has to save the world."
"Actually," Giles explained, "In this case, the slaves referred to are probably the Jews."
"Oh," Gunn turned to Willow, "Sucks to be you."
Wes glared a bit at Gunn before he continued, "As I was saying, ‘The bringer of charity, the child of the Goddess, she will face Famine.’ Finally, ‘the Key to all dimensions, she who is Life itself, she will face Death."
At this, Tara leaped to her feet, "No, no and no."
Dawn begged, "Tara."
"Emphatically no. She has no powers, no way to protect herself."
Dawn tried again. "Tara."
"She’s just a little girl." Even Willow’s hand on Tara’s arm, could not calm her.
Dawn insisted, "I’m going." To Tara she said directly, "I almost caused the end of the world once. I want a chance to save it."
Angel spoke up, "What about the rest of you? None of you have to do this."
Faith said sourly, "Of course we do." Everyone’s eyes were on her and so she added, "Relax, I’m totally in."
"Cordelia?" the vampire asked.
"I’m with you every step of the way, Angel. Besides, I’m vision girl."
Angel’s gaze, along with everyone else’s was now on Willow. She simply nodded, and Tara stormed out the back.
***
"Hey," Willow said to her lover, who had retreated to the alley behind the Magic Box, "You okay?"
"No," Tara pulled her knees in closer to her body, hugging herself as she sat on a wooden crate.
"Are you worried that I’ll use magic?"
Tara turned to Willow, looking her straight in the eye, she said, "I’m worried that you are going to get killed." She sighed and returned her gaze to the alley wall, "If you have to use magic to defend yourself…"
Willow slid her arm around Tara’s shoulders and soothed, "It’ll be all right baby."
"Not even one little part of this is all right."
***
"You all right, love?"
Buffy laid across her husband’s bare chest, panting. "I never thought it was possible, but I think you actually wore me out."
"Nonsense, the honeymoon’s just getting started." He drawled as he ran his fingers through her golden locks.
"Mmm," Buffy snuggled in closer to Spike’s warm body; "This is Heaven."
"Are you speaking from experience?"
"Yep. Heaven’s just like this. I’m warm and loved… and kind of tingly." She giggled, "Let’s just spend the rest of the honeymoon here."
"Nope." Spike rolled his wife off of him and climbed out of bed. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "There’s so much I want to show you."
"So we have to do touristy stuff?" She pouted.
"Absolutely. That’s why we flew all the way to London, love. If we were just going to stay in bed, we could’ve stayed in Sunnydale."
"As if anyone in Sunnydale would have let us. They’re probably planning the next Apocalypse, just so they can drag us home."
"Hmm," Spike mumbled. He had called Sunnydale after his vision and Giles had insisted that he had everything under control. Spike had a strong suspicion that Giles was lying.
***
"I think my eyeballs are gonna fall out," Willow moaned as she pushed the book she was reading away from her.
"Anything?" Giles asked both to Willow and to everyone assembled in the Magic Box, researching the coming Apocalypse.
"Nothing in this book," Willow answered.
"I got nothing." Gunn slapped his book shut and watched Fred as she worked on the laptop.
"And there before my eyes was a white horse, and its rider held a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth, conquering and to conquer ... And out came another horse, all red. To its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make men slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword ... And there, as I looked, was a black horse; and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales ... And there, as I looked, was another horse, sickly pale; and its rider's name was Death, and Hades came close behind. To him was given power over a quarter of the earth, with the right to kill by sword and by famine, by pestilence and wild beasts. Revelations 6:1-6. Ugh, they so didn’t look like that in my vision. No horses, no scales, no sword. Just icky demons." Cordelia shut her book with a grimace.
Angel grabbed the book from her and glanced at the cover, "The Holy Bible."
She snatched it back and asked, "Well what have you come up with?"
"Absolutely nothing," Angel leaned back and closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.
"I’m not really research girl," Faith declared as she shut her book and hopped off of the counter top. "I’m gonna patrol."
"Now?" asked Giles.
"Well, yeah. There are still big bad vamps to slay, right?"
"Yes of course," he conceded.
Dawn asked hopefully, "Can I go?"
Simultaneously, without raising their eyes from their work, Tara, Xander and Anya all said, "No."
"I never get to have any fun."
Still not looking at the Slayer’s sister, Tara said, "Slaying is not fun."
"Of course it is." Faith leaned over Dawn’s shoulder and baited, "The adrenaline pumping, the heat of the battle, God, it’s better than sex. But then you wouldn’t know anything about that either." She stood and sauntered out of the shop, leaving Dawn shocked and hurt.
A stunned Fred asked, "What’s wrong with her?"
"Excuse me." Wesley grabbed his coat to follow Faith.
Before another comment could be made about Faith, Willow exclaimed, "Hey Xander’s reading a comic book!" The red head held it up for everyone to see his guilt.
"But its research!" He protested, "See? X-men versus Apocalypse. Here’s War & Death & Pestilence & Famine!" He feverishly pointed to the pictures as he spoke. Giles grumbled and handed the young man a book. "Demons for Dummies?" Xander asked.
The Watcher explained, "It seemed appropriate."
"Hey, I’m not proud. You guys can sift through the whyfores and wherefores, I’ll be happy reading good old American."
Giles glanced at him snidely.
"English." Xander corrected sheepishly.
The older Englishman turned to Fred, "Anything on the Internet?"
"Not unless the four horsemen are the Teletubbies."
"Somehow I doubt it." Giles leaned over the girl, reading the text on the screen. "A convincing argument, though."
***
I've been a bad, bad girl I've been careless with a delicate man And it's a sad, sad world When a girl will break a boy Just because she can Don't you tell me to deny it I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins I've come to you cause I need guidance to be true And I just don't know where I can begin What I need is a good defense Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal And I need to be redeemed To the one I've sinned against Because he's all I ever knew of loveWes watched as Faith threw herself around the dance floor, surrounded by appreciative men. Heaven help me for the way I am Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand but I keep livin' this day like the next will never come
He fought his way across the dance floor, grabbed the Slayer by the arm and dragged her off the floor.
"What is your problem?" She accused as she wrenched her arm from his grip.
"I thought you were patrolling?"
"Always lots of vamps at the Bronze… No rule against me having a little fun, is there?"
Oh help me, but don't tell me to deny it I've got to cleanse myself of all these thoughts that I'm good enough for him I got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm beggin' you before it ends just tell me where to begin
She glanced back at the four men that she had left on the dance floor. "Jealous Watcher boy?"
He refused to take the bait. "Why don’t we talk about what’s bothering you?"
"You think I’m gonna throw myself into your arms and break down just cause I got a little sappy the other night?" She heckled.
"Faith…" he warned.
"Not going to happen." With a wide, fake, smile she stretched her arms out, presenting herself, "I’m five by five babe. This is me."
"I can help."
"Yeah," she mocked, "Cuz you’ve done such a good job in the past."
"I thought we agreed..."
"Fine. We agreed. Can I go now?"
She started to walk away but he grabbed her arm and whipped her around again. "I won’t let you push me away."
She shifted gears and eyed him seductively, "Who’s pushing?" Faith slid her hands up Wesley’s chest and murmured in his ear, "Wanna dance?"
He gripped her upper arms and pushed her back a step. "I want to talk."
With a predatorial grin she slid her hands back up and twined them behind his neck. "Yeah. I like to talk dirty too baby." Wes again pulled her off of him and held her arms twisted behind her back. With a chuckle, she charged. "I knew you’d go in for the kinky stuff."
"Bait me, insult me." He crossed his arms in front of his chest in a gesture of his resolve, "I’m not going any where."
"Good," she pressed herself against him; "I have you right where I want you."
"That’s enough." He growled in frustration, "I’m taking you home."
"I don’t want to go home! Don’t you get it? I just want to be left alone!"
He took in the pain that flew from her eyes in waves. Before he turned and left, he said softly, "You know where to find me."
Let me know the way before there's hell to pay Give me room to lay the law and let me go I've got to make a play to make my lover stay So what would an angel say
the devil wants to know
***
Tara was perusing the bookshelf when Willow tentatively approached her lover. "Tara? I was thinking." She hesitated, knowing that what she was about to ask was difficult, "Maybe you could bind me? Bind my powers?"
"Willow…"
"I’m afraid that I’ll slip… and use magic… let you down."
"You may have to." Fred called from across the room. "Use magic I mean. Sorry about the eavesdropping but… See, I’ve hacked into the Watcher’s Council’s files. I was looking for stuff about this prophecy, which, be they way, they have nothing on. I was kind of disappointed. So I was poking around and I found a lot of files pertaining to witchcraft and a file on Willow too."
Giles nearly gagged, "You did what?"
"She does it all the time." Gunn assured.
"Did you say they have a file on Willow?" Tara asked.
Fred read from the screen, "Ms. Rosenberg appears to be a natural witch of immense power. Her use of black magic is a cause for great concern. Observation must be maintained."
Stung, Willow asked, "They think I’m a bad guy?"
"No." Giles had moved behind Fred and was reading over her shoulder, "They think you will hurt yourself." He explained, "Black magic can completely consume a witch."
"I’ve cross referenced natural witches…" Fred tapped a few keys. The reflection of the shifting information scrolled across her eyeglasses.
Gunn read, " ‘A natural witch, or white witch, has an abundance of magical power.’ But according to this, ‘if they dabble in the black arts adverse reactions can occur.’"
Fred asked Willow, "When you do spells, do you feel sick? Headaches? Nosebleeds?"
"Oh yeah."
"It’s a natural reaction to an unnatural force."
Giles mumbled, "You’ve been doing the wrong kind of magic." Louder he explained, "Black magic is easier, quicker. But ultimately harmful."
"Like the tree." Everyone looked strangely at Gunn until he elaborated, "In the Empire Strikes Back."
Crestfallen, Willow declared, "I’m Darth Vader."
"So we teach you to be Luke Skyflyer." Smiled Fred.
"You did start out on the right path magically," Giles consoled.
"I’m sure floating a pencil at the demon will be really effective." She grumbled.
"I’ll teach you." Offered Tara.
"All of you should bone up on your self defense and basic magic." Giles glanced around. Xander and Anya were both sleeping with their heads resting on the Scooby table. Cordelia was curled up with her head resting in Angel’s lap. Only Dawn and the vampire were still researching. "It’s late. We’ll start again tomorrow."
***
Wesley opened his hotel room door. He knew as soon as someone knocked whom that someone was.
Faith stood there, eyes downcast; "I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know myself."
"Perhaps that is what the prophecy was talking about. The knowledge you seek is self awareness."
"Well anyway," uncomfortable, she turned to go, "I came to apologize and I sort of did that so…"
He stopped her with, "Would you like to come in and talk?"
"Can I come in and not talk?" She shifted nervously, "I mean, I could watch you work or something."
***
Angel carried his sleeping friend into her hotel room. He didn’t have the heart to wake her when she fell asleep at the Magic Box, and she didn’t seem inclined to wake on her own.
"Mmm. Sleeping. Go away." Cordelia mumbled as Angel deposited her on the bed.
"Shh, go back to sleep." He whispered to his seer.
"Don’t want to do research," she pouted in her sleep.
"Then dream. Dream of sunshine, Princess."
He kissed her forehead and slipped away from her room.
***
Buffy & Spike listened to the tour guide in Hampton Court palace as he explained, "This is the haunted hallway. According to legend, Catherine Howard, Henry the Eighth’s fifth wife was being held in this room, pending her execution for adultery. One day, she broke free from her guards and ran screaming down this very corridor, where she pleaded with Henry through the chapel door. They say her ghost still haunts these halls."
Buffy rolled her eyes and snorted a laugh of disbelief.
Spike elbowed her in the ribs and gave her a disapproving glare.
Another woman in the tour group asked, "Does anyone else feel cold?"
The tour guide amused the group by saying dramatically; "It may be the ghost of Catherine Howard."
"Oh please," Mumbled Buffy.
Spike scolded, "Buffy…" But before he could finish the sentence, Buffy’s eyes rolled up into her head, and she passed out cold.
***
"Mmm Hmm," Cordelia nudged Angel in the ribs with her elbow, slightly gesturing with her head towards the door of the magic shop where Faith and Wesley entered together. "I told you so."
"That doesn’t mean anything," he argued.
"So it’s just all about the timing? Coming in at the same time? Please, they did it."
"You don’t know that, they could have come at the same time."
Cordelia tried to suppress the surge of laughter that came over her. At the sight of her blood red face, Angel scowled at her.
Wesley headed straight toward Giles. Faith came over to Angel & Cordy, who were sitting at the Scooby table, already perusing the texts.
Cordy pried, "So…Wesley followed you out of here last night…" she began nonchalantly. "Did he find you?"
Faith quickly guessed the implications of Cordy’s question. She shrugged. "Weird shit happens on the hellmouth." Faith enjoyed the fact that both Cordelia’s and Angel’s eyes widened visibly. She plopped down in the seat next to Angel and admitted, "Nothing happened. Perfect gentleman."
Angel scoffed, "Well yeah. Its Wesley."
"You’re one to talk Curse Boy." Shot the seer.
"I dunno," Faith speculated. "It wouldn’t surprise me if Wes was into the kinky stuff."
"Ew…ew….ew….EW!" Cordelia handed Angel a pencil. "Here poke out my mind’s eye with this, would ya?"
"Cordelia?" A voice across the room called.
Caught, Cordy sat up straight and yelled, "Nothing! I mean…" she smiled sweetly, "Yes Wesley?"
"I may have found something. Is this the demon from your vision?"
She joined the witches and the Watchers at the counter. Cordelia studied the engraving of the rotund little man, "That’s one of them."
"Are you certain?" he asked.
"Oh!" Willow chimed in over Wes’s shoulder, "He’s so cute!"
Giles looked at his former student with complete and utter frustration, "That is Abaddon, Demon God of Destruction. His innocent face hides a heart of pure malice. He is not cute."
"Aw…" cooed Tara, "look at the little guy."
As he wiped his glasses, Giles murmured, "Oh how very frustrating."
From the Scooby table, Angel called out. "I may have something too. Cordelia described the demons to me. This may be one of them."
He brought the book over for Cordelia. She nodded in confirmation, "That’s the yucky elephant guy."
Wesley also studied the engraving, "Cordelia, are you certain?"
"Why are you always asking me if I’m certain? I’m certain already. This is the guy."
"Behemoth the Glutton." Wesley informed Giles and the others.
"Bloody hell, I should have known," Giles muttered as he wiped the lenses of his glasses. "Willow, he will be your opponent."
***
"You sure you’re feeling all right, Goldilocks?"
Buffy had been strangely quiet since she had fainted at Hampton Court.
"I am well." She mumbled.
"You are well? Since when do you say, ‘I am well?’ Been spending too much time with Giles lately?"
"I am…fine." Buffy walked around their hotel suite, fingering her things as if she had never seen them before.
"Do you want to head back out, love? Maybe check out the Tower of London?"
A look of cold horror passed over Buffy’s face, "No!" she cried. Then visibly calming herself, she added, "I need to rest."
Spike eyed her suspiciously as she entered the bedroom.
***
The petite blonde eyed her reflection in the mirror. She glared disapprovingly at her ensemble. "I look like a harlot."
She dug through the shopping bags sitting on the bed and pulled out a long floral dress. She held it in front of her and smiled approvingly. "This is lovely." With a smile and a relieved sigh she murmured, "I am finally free."
A voice behind her asked, "Whassat love?"
She turned to the man that had accompanied her new body back to this place and avoided his question with a devastating smile.
He nodded to the dress in her hands, "I thought you bought that for Faith."
She nervously folded the garment, "Faith. Yes of course."
The blonde man grabbed her by the shoulders fiercely and bellowed, "Who the hell are you?"
"Unhand me! I am your wife!"
"Yeah?" He asked, "What’s my name then?"
The woman wearing Buffy’s body withered under his gaze, "How did you know?"
"For one thing…" he gestured to the dress on the bed, "Faith would never wear that. Who are you?"
She raised her chin a notch. "Her majesty, Catherine Howard, wife of Henry the Eighth, King of England."
"Crap."
***
"It’s not fair!" Whined Dawn as she joined Fred, Gunn, Xander, Anya and Lorne at the Scooby table. "The rest of the chosen four are getting to train!"
"As you would be if you hadn’t bloodied my nose!" Giles said through his bloody handkerchief.
"Wimp." Muttered Dawn. Louder, she pointed out; "You don’t hear Wesley complaining… and he’s training a Slayer. I guess we know who the tougher Watcher is."
"Faith knows to pull her punches when training. You will wait for Angel to finish with Cordelia. He can let you bruise him."
"Do vampires bruise?" asked Dawn innocently.
With a resounding thunk, Lorne’s green head hit the Scooby table. Giles, Dawn, Anya and Xander twisted their heads to look at him. Even Gunn & Fred looked up from the computer. "My brain is fried! Research and the Green Guy are like oil and water."
"Anya and bunnies." Nodded Xander.
Anya glared at him, "Xander and housework."
"Giles and my fist," giggled Dawn.
Lorne added, "Tina and Elton."
Dawn sang a snippet, "Rolling on the river…"
"Whoa!" Lorne looked at Dawn in wonder. Still staring at Buffy’s sister, the host told Giles, "This kid’s got some serious mojo working."
Dawn shrugged. "It’s the Key thing."
"We can use this."
Giles became very interested, "But she can only open the portal at a certain time, and then only with the ritual…"
"Maybe to Glorificus’s dimension, but there are lots of others to play with. Believe me, I know a little something about dimensional portals. If you don’t mind, I could work with the Peanut here."
"I don’t know…"
Dawn piped up, "Think of it Giles! I could just banish the demons to another dimension. Please. I can do more than just research."
***
"Damn!" yelled Willow as the rose fell to the ground again. "I’m never gonna get this."
Tara sat across from Willow in the alleyway. Quietly she said, "Relax. We can try again."
"I can’t even float a rose."
Tara sighed in sympathy and frustration. She put an open book in front of Willow and said, "Let’s try something else."
Willow read the spell, "Gentle Mother, I ask for nothing for myself. I beseech thee that my companions be granted the wisdom, protection and love that only you can give them. As I extinguish this candle, the spell will be cast. Blessed be." Willow snuffed the candle and waited. "Tara?"
Tara sat still across from her. Her eyes shut tightly. "Shhh."
"Tara nothing happened."
"Patience."
Willow sighed heavily, "It was so much easier to just…"
Tara’s eyes flew open. "It was hurting you."
"Maybe we should try the rose thing again.. or…" Willow shuddered as a wave of white light came over her. "Tara?"
"Let’s try the spell again."
As the women clasped hands, the rose levitated and gently twirled. Willow withdrew her hand from Tara’s as the petals pulled loose from the flower and swirled in a gentle vortex. Each landed in Willow’s open hand. From out of nowhere, a butterfly alighted on Willow’s finger.
"Tara? Why didn’t you tell me?"
"You were so powerful, and this is so much more difficult."
"But it’s worth it." Asserted Willow as the butterfly flew to Tara.
"How do you feel?"
"Alive." Willow smiled. "I’m buzzing."
"All the positive energy that you put out is coming back times three."
Willow gave her lover a sexy smile. "Gotta love this selfless magic."
***
"Giles?" Asked Xander. "Who is Merihim?"
Giles read the passage from Xander’s book over the young man’s shoulder. "Demon God of Pestilence."
"You read over my shoulder? Mr. Big Brain read over my shoulder?"
"Keep researching, Xander. We need to know more before Faith has to face him."
Tara and Willow burst into the Magic Box from the back alley, breathless, "We’re going for motherwart." Willow said.
"We have motherwart here." Protested Giles.
Tara dragged Willow out of the store, explaining as she went, "Its special motherwart. We’ll be back."
Anya came in from the street, dropping the gang’s lunch on the counter, she said, loudly, "Xander. Its time to have sex now."
"Ahn…" warned Xander.
"I’m ovulating. Its time now." To Fred and Gunn, she explained, "We’re trying to have a baby." Back to her husband, she demanded, "Its time now."
"Ahn. I can’t just leave."
"Well, we could tell Faith and Wesley to get out of the back room. We could have sex there."
Giles groaned. "Go home. Please."
As the ex-demon dragged Xander out of the shop, Giles turned to Fred and Gunn, "Fred I need you to…" He stopped when he saw Gunn and Fred kissing passionately. "Ahem!"
The couple pulled apart and looked at Giles like misbehaving children.
"Fred. I need you to look up Merihim on the Internet."
"I’m on it."
"I’m going to look in on Faith and Wesley."
***
Faith furiously punched the bag as Wes held it still. "Thanks for this."
"Thanks for what?" The Watcher asked, before he added, "You’re dropping your elbow."
"For not making me meditate or some shit. I hate meditating."
"It wouldn’t be a bad idea. It may improve your concentration."
"There is nothing wrong with my concentration. Ask Mr. Punching Bag here." With one vicious punch, the bag pulled loose from its anchor and landed on top of Wesley. "Oh God!" Cried Faith. "Are you okay?" She rolled the bag off of him and straddled his prone form. "You’re bleeding!" True enough, blood seeped threw his shirt, where he had been injured before the wedding. "Let me see."
She yanked his shirt up just as Giles walked in. "Wesley, I…" seeing the compromising position, Giles cried out, "Oh bloody hell!" Before he turned and left.
***
"Concentrate." Directed Angel, "Now. Let it go."
Cordelia shot an orb of white light across the basement, knocking over the empty bottle that Angel had set up as a target.
"Bullseye!"
"Good." Angel said with no emotion. "Again."
Cordy shot another energy ball, knocking over another bottle. "Hoo Ya! Don’t fuck with glowy girl!" With a bright smile, she turned to the scowling vampire. "What? Why the broody?"
"You aren’t taking this seriously."
"I seriously can kick ass, Angel. Relax."
He came back at her with his most scolding tone; "You need to focus."
"And you need to tell me what’s going on in your head. Angel…" Cordelia approached him with patience. "What’s wrong? I mean besides the whole Apocalypse thing?"
"It’s nothing."
She reached for his arm, and he shook her grip off. Cordelia repeated the gesture. "Talk to me." As the white light reached out from Cordelia and consumed Angel, it told her what he wouldn’t. "Oh Angel. You didn’t drag me into anything. Every step I took with you, was my choice. I don’t regret a second. Not one second. Every moment we’ve been together has been a gift."
As the energy around him abated, Angel fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around his seer’s waist and pressing his cheek against her stomach. "What if you die?" he choked.
"Then I’ll die by your side. There’s no where else I’d rather be."
***
"You are going back!" Spike demanded, pacing the room in frustration.
"I will not!" Catherine insisted. "I have searched for centuries for a body that could contain my spirit."
Spike growled at her.
"Besides," she reasoned, "Tours of the palace are over for today. How will you return me?"
"I’ll think of something. I’m bloody well not spending my honeymoon with you."
"You desire your wife?" She asked.
"Hell yes, I desire my wife."
She slid her hands up his chest seductively, "Then use this body to satisfy your manly urges."
Appalled, Spike took her by the upper arms and pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length. "Are you completely daft?"
"Well why ever not?" She asked, "It is after all, your wife’s body."
"But you are not my wife." Spike stalked away from her.
"Are you certain?" She ran her hands down Buffy’s thighs, "It is a lovely body."
Growling with frustration, Spike grabbed a pillow and blanket from the bed and headed for the couch.
***
"Whoa, "Lorne gasped as he and Dawn re-entered the Magic Box. "There are some serious happy joy vibes in here."
"Yes," admitted Giles. "Willow has been practicing."
"I like it." Dawn said. "I feel all…loved and stuff. Is it really okay? Willow doing magic?"
"Its really okay." Giles assured her.
"Speaking of magic…show him Peach Pit." Lorne stood back and gestured for Dawn to show her new skills.
Dawn recited a few words in Latin while holding her hand out as if she were telling someone to stop. Where the palm of her hand was, a small portal opened. "Amplifico!" With her command, it widened.
"Holy shit!" Giles turned to see Faith and Wesley, mouths agape with amazement.
"Don’t get too close," Lorne warned. "Its like a Dirt Devil on steroids, it’ll suck you right in."
All around the shop, papers floated on the wind created by the portal. Everyone’s hair blew around his or her heads, but around Dawn, who stood directly in front of the portal, it was still.
"Why isn’t Dawnie getting sucked in?" Faith asked over the din of the furious wind.
"Because she’s the Key." Giles speculated.
"Hey, Cupcake!" Lorne yelled to Dawn. "You want to shut that now? It’s getting kind of breezy."
"Strictum." She commanded. As soon as the portal closed, Dawn turned to them with a satisfied smile. "Pretty cool, huh?"
***
Spike sat on the couch in the hotel suite. In the other room, Catherine the body snatcher, picked through Buffy’s clothes. He impatiently waited for someone to pick up the phone at the shop.
Finally, someone answered, "Magic Box."
"Faith…"
"Hey Wills!" In her best British accent, she asked, "How’s merry olde England?"
"You sound like Julia Child. Where’s Giles? He wasn’t at the house."
"Yeah, about that…I can’t believe you asked Giles to watch Dawn. I know I’ve had some irresponsible moments in my past but I thought we were past all that."
"Faith!" Spike interrupted impatiently, "Giles?"
He heard her inform someone, presumably Giles, "Wills is on the phone."
"William?" Giles’s refined voice came on the line. "I didn’t expect to hear from you. Are you two enjoying yourselves?"
"Not exactly… I have a problem."
***
"No way!" Dawn exclaimed. "Buffy’s been possessed?"
"I’m afraid so," Giles admitted.
"She’s gonna be so pissed!" Faith laughed. "What’s Wills gonna do about it?"
"I put him in touch with someone who can take care of the problem. In the meantime, your concern is Merihim."
"You’re going to tell me to hit the books, aren’t you?"
"I most certainly am."
"There’s no time." Angel declared as he entered the room.
At his side, Cordelia explained, "I had a vision. Its time to go save the world."
***
Catherine emerged from the bedroom, dressed in the floral print dress that Buffy had bought for Willow.
"Buffy bought that for a friend, put it back."
"It is the only garment befitting a lady."
"There are plenty of clothes that befit my lady just fine. So why don’t you give her back and get the hell out of here?"
Catherine sighed at Spike. "I told you, I’m not…"
Her sentence was interrupted by Spike vamping out from a vision. He saw Faith, Dawn, Cordelia, Angel and Willow, all battling a series of demons. He saw Easter Island, Stone henge, and a ruined city in a jungle. When the vision passed, he realized that Catherine had fled the room in horror, and she had taken Buffy’s body with her.
"Oh…bloody hell!"
End Part Two
