It was nearly midnight when Willow finally turned off her computer. She'd been researching most of the day, trying to find out something, anything, on this Dagon Sphere that Buffy had found the previous night while on patrol. As it was, Willow had been researching until her eyes hurt and was no closer to having any real idea what the sphere was and what it was used for. She had finally found a few random bits on a site that dealt with collectible artifacts, but nothing that indicated what the sphere would be used for. She'd shared her information with Giles and he'd called Buffy. She'd listened to his half of the conversation, not at all surprised when he hung up and confessed that the slayer had sounded a bit off. Willow hated feeling so helpless, knowing her best friend was having a horrible time and she couldn't do anything to make it better.
Tonight, Buffy had been trying a ritual to see if she could discover what had been making Joyce so sick. The slayer assumed the illness was something supernatural, which would explain why all of the mental illness wards in the hospital were overflowing. Unfortunately, Willow wasn't so certain that it was going to be that simple this time. She'd tried some spells, herself, and not found any signs of magic surrounding the woman that was like a mother to them all. She'd been watching as Joyce had gotten more and more sick, all of them unable to stop the progression of her illness. Joyce was going to doctors and having tests done, but, so far, there had been no results, good or bad. Buffy was having a tough time dealing with the idea that Joyce was sick and that it was natural. Buffy could slay demons and fight evil, but there was nothing that any of them could do if it was a real medical problem except hope that it was caught in time and was something that could be treated and fixed. Willow sighed as she ran a hand over her face, knowing in a part of her mind that it wasn't going to be able to be fixed.
A few weeks ago, she had done a minor spell, trying to get answers that would be helpful for Buffy. She'd only managed to completely confuse herself and get the nagging thought in the back of her mind that Joyce was really sick and that there was nothing they could do for her. She hadn't mentioned the spell to anyone, not really knowing what to say about what she'd been shown. She had first thought that she'd messed the spell up, that something must have gone wrong. Tara had noticed her mood that evening when they'd met for dinner, but she hadn't told her good friend about the spell she'd done or the results of said spell. How was she supposed to tell Tara that, according to this clarifying spell, Dawn didn't exist until a few months ago. She had been expecting some sort of vision letting her know if someone had placed Joyce under some sort of magic spell. Instead, she'd been shown memories of years without Dawn, chanting words in a language she didn't understand, and then recent memories with Dawn. She'd thought about asking Giles, not sure how to approach the subject, the idea that Dawn hadn't existed in their lives until recently, that the girl she had come to care about like a kid sister wasn't really Buffy's sister. She'd put off that conversation, concentrating on Joyce and Buffy and the new arrival of some blonde woman that had somehow managed to kick Buffy's ass. She loved Dawn, knew the girl wasn't a threat, so she put her energy where it was more needed at the moment. She left the Magic Box to run home to pick up a book for Giles. She'd borrowed it a few days before and hadn't had a chance to read it yet, but the watcher seemed to think it might be helpful with the Sphere research.
The walk home had been uneventful, the night quiet and rather pleasant. Willow had taken her time walking home, enjoying the night air and the ability to walk and move around after hours of looking at the computer. She'd found the book easily, flipping through it and seeing the section that Giles had mentioned. He had been right. There might be something helpful in the book. She grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge and left. As she closed the front door, she felt something around the edge of her senses. Since hanging around with Buffy, she had learned not to ignore her sixth sense. Cautiously, she turned, her eyes scanning the darkness. With a sense of fear mixed with anticipation, she pulled out her stake from her back pocket and peered into the shadows that littered her front porch from the low branches of trees that grew nearby. Frowning when she didn't see anything, but knowing someone was there, she decided to cheat. She swallowed and pulled with her magic at whoever was behind the tree. There was a curse and someone stumbled out.
Willow's eyes widened in surprise as she lowered the stake, "Spike?"
"Hey, Red," Willow looked on in confusion as Spike took a quick drag of his cigarette and dropped it beneath his boot, crushing it with his heel. He looked almost sheepish and awkward, his voice husky.
Willow had no idea what Spike was doing around here at this time of night and frankly was too tired and in too much of a hurry, to get back to Giles and decipher this thing before things got really bad, to care. Maybe Giles had sent him to escort her back to the shop. But, that didn't make sense. With a sigh, she said, "Don't take this the wrong way, Spike, but what are you doing here?" before he could open his mouth she put her hand on her hip and added, "Five words or less, okay? I really don't have a lot of time."
Spike saw the tired look in her green eyes and heard her sigh, knowing that she wasn't intentionally being rude, even if her words were rather curt. He held up a hand and started counting off the words on his fingers, "Out…for…a…walk…witch." He paused and smirked at her, seeing the look of amusement that flashed in her eyes as she leaned against her porch railing, curiosity flashing in her eyes before she responded.
"Out for a walk at night by my house." She raised her eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously, wondering if she would ever really understand Spike. Deciding that she didn't have time right now to try to decipher his actions because she really did need to get this book to Giles and had wasted a lot of time during her leisurely walk home and now had taken longer than planned. She shook her head, saying, "I really don't have time for twenty questions, Spike. I'm guessing that Giles didn't send you over to walk me back to the store so I'll just let it go for now. He's waiting for this book and I've already been gone a while."
"On your merry way, then." He said almost piqued, a bit curious as to what was so important in that book that she had to ignore him to run back to the watcher, and also annoyed that she'd caught him watching her. He continued, not wanting her to realize that he'd been watching her house, his words rather sharp as he said, "You know, contrary to one's self-involved world-view, your house happens to be directly between parts... and other parts of this town. And I would pass by in the day but I feel I'm outgrowing my whole 'burst into flame' phase."
Willow eyed him silently, wondering he was so defensive. God, he was acting even weirder than usual, which had been rather weird the last couple of weeks. "Fine. Go on then. Sorry I stopped you. I'll let it drop, cut you a break. Have a good night. Bye." She went to walk away but Spike stopped her by stepping in front of her
"Oh, yeah. Cut me a break? Okay, let me guess... you won't get Buffy to kill me? Woo... the whole Crowd-pleasing, little shadow, threats-and-swagger routine. How stunningly original. Why don't you try threatening me yourself, for a change? You know, I'm just passing through. Satisfied? You know, I really hope so because God knows you need some satisfaction in life besides being the blonde bimbo's sidekick and… I never really liked you anyway and... and you have stupid hair," Spike moved past her, deliberately knocking into her as he walked by, inhaling her scent and enjoying the brief contact before stalking away. He frowned as he walked, trying to remember what he had said, groaning when he realized he'd just acted like an immature moron. Stupid hair? What the hell had he been thinking? He hadn't been thinking. That was the problem. He'd been looking into her gorgeous green eyes and become annoyed that she hadn't bothered telling him what was happening at the Magic Box and asked him to help join the research party and had chosen to dismiss him with a good night and a bye, as if she didn't care.
Willow watched as he turned and stalked off into the night, his duster flowing behind him. She was a little worried about his mental health and more than a little perplexed. She looked down and noticed a dozen or so Cigarette butts lying beneath the tree. She looked back up, seeing that he was gone now. Looking back at all the cigarette butts, she shook her head, muttering, "He needs to cut down," before she started the walk back to the Magic Box.
Spike watched as she walked away, once again leaving the safety of her house for the darkened streets. He moved from his spot beside the house where he'd stopped, knowing she wouldn't be able to see him. He let a huge sigh escape his lips and rummaged around in his jacket for a cigarette. He couldn't believe the little witch had caught him watching her. If he hadn't been so impressed with her, he would have been embarrassed. As it was, it was nice to know that his girl could take care of herself. His girl? No. he shook his head, frowning as he started to follow behind her at a distance large enough where he could see her without being seen. Ever since that bloody dream, the girl had been on his mind, all hours of the night and day. If he didn't know better he'd say that she had put a spell on him, but she seemed oblivious to the torment that he was in. He had never really looked at her before- no that wasn't true, he had always noticed her. She had fire and passion and was cute as hell. Spike followed her at a discreet distance until she got to the Magic Box where Giles was waiting for her and then he turned on his heel and left. He'd been close to her, smelled her, touched her. That was enough for now. Spike growled to himself as he realized what he had been thinking. Ponce. He had to get this chit out of his mind before he went stark raving bonkers.
Buffy had been trying a ritual to see if she could discover what had been making her mother sick. She thought that it was something supernatural which would explain why all of the mental illness wards in the hospital were full; it was bound to make her a little odd. Willow had just gone back to her house to pick up a book which Giles felt might be very helpful and was heading back to the Magic box. As she closed the door she felt something around the edge of her senses.
Since hanging around with Buffy she had learnt not to ignore her sixth sense and so it was with a sense of fear, and yet anticipation, that she pulled out her stake from her pocket and peered into the shadows that littered her front porch from the low branches of trees that grew nearby.
She swallowed and pulled with her magic at however was behind the tree. There was a curse and someone stumbled out.
�Spike?�
�Hi, Willow.� Willow looked on in confusion as Spike took a quick drag of his cigarette and dropped it beneath his boot, crushing it with his heel. He looked almost sheepish and awkward, his voice husky.
Willow had no idea what Spike was doing around here at this time of night and frankly was too tired and in too much of a hurry, to get back to Giles and decipher this thing before things got really bad, to care.
�Don't take this the wrong way but what are you doing here?� before he could open his mouth she put her hand on her hip �Five words or less, I don�t have a lot of time.�
Spike held up and hand and started counting off the words on his fingers
�Out�for�a�walk�witch.� He paused and smirked at her.
�Out for a walk at night by my house.� She raised her eyebrow sceptically; she really had to get this book to Giles �No one has time for this, William the Bloody.� She added his name to let him know that she was serious.
�On your merry way, then.� He said almost piqued �You know, contrary to one's self-involved world-view, your house happens to be directly between parts... and other parts of this town. And I would pass by in the day but I feel I'm outgrowing my whole "burst into flame" phase.�
Willow eyed him; he was acting weirder than usual.
�Fine. Keep going, I cut you a break.� She went to walk away but Spike stopped her by stepping in front of her
�Oh, yeah. Okay, let me guess... you won't get Buffy to kill me? Woo... the whole Crowd-pleasing, little shadow- sidekick, threats-and-swagger routine. How stunningly original. Why don�t you try threatening me yourself, for a change? You know, I'm just passing through. Satisfied? You know, I really hope so because God knows you need some satisfaction in life besides shagging the blonde boring bimbo and� I never really liked you anyway and... and you have stupid hair.�
Willow watched as he turned and stalked off into the night, his duster flowing behind him. She was a little worried about his mental health and more than a little perplexed. She looked down and noticed a dozen or so Cigarette butts lying beneath the tree.
�He needs to cut down.�
Spike watched as she walked away, once again leaving the safety of her house for the darkened streets. He let a huge sigh escape his lips and rummaged around in his jacket for a cigarette. He couldn�t believe the little witch had caught him, if he wasn�t so impressed he would have been embarrassed. As it was it was nice to know that his girl could take care of herself. His girl? No. he shook his head, ever since that bloody dream the girl had been on his mind, all hours of the night and day. If he didn�t know better he�d say that she had put a spell on him, but she seemed oblivious to the torment that he was in. he had never really looked at her before- no that wasn�t true, he had always noticed her. She had fire and passion and was cute as hell. Pity she had such unfortunate taste in partners, that Blonde witch was as dull as dishwater. Cute but dull. Spike followed her at a discreet distance until she got to the Magic Box where her friends were waiting for her and then he turned on his heel and left. He�d been close to her, smelled her. That was enough for now.
Spike growled to himself as he realised what he had been thinking. Ponce. She had a girlfriend for hells sake; she thought she was gay- he had to get this chit out of his mind before he went stark raving bonkers. Harmony was back at the crypt, she do for now.
check out the first part on my other site and the third piece next.