| Mazzy & Prebuffy present |
| ****Prebuffy**** Buffy paced around the living room in a circle, rubbing her temples so hard she threatened to poke straight through them. Dawn watched warily from the couch, wondering what heartbreaking sacrifice her sister would have to make this time. Of course, it would help if someone would explain what had just happened. And why a simple dream had them all freaked out so much. Didn�t Buffy have the prophetic dreams?? Who cared what Cordelia dreamt, when she couldn�t even remember the names of the people in the dream! Dawn shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts, but they kept coming. Spike, Spike possibly feeding again; Spike with a soul and still possibly feeding again; Spike liking feeding again! It was all too much. She stood shakily and proclaimed an executive decision. �I am so not going back to bed. I will probably never be able to sleep again. So, anyone want hot chocolate??� She turned to Cordelia. �Asprin?� Cordelia smiled a little and shook her head with a grateful look. She still couldn�t figure out why she felt such a connection to an old semi-friend�s little sister, but the sight of Dawn in her pink Nick & Nora jammies, complete with pictures of teddy bears with curlers in their hair, made her smile. But smiling kinda hurt, so she stopped. She really wished Buffy would stop pacing. She was making her dizzy. Just as she was about to suggest an alternate plan of anxiety attack, preferably one that wouldn�t wear a hole into the carpet, the door flew open. Oh, goody, she thought. Loud noises. �Cause nothin� fixes a hangover like loud noises. Xander and Company strolled in, arms full of supplies from �Anya�s Magic Box,� and chattering excitedly about some pending development in her case of freaky demon-related amnesia. Why, oh why, couldn�t this be something different? Maybe she just fell off of a boat or something. Or was in a mysterious explosion. And this was all a bad, coma-related, morphine-drip induced nightmare. �Hey, kids, how�s it goin�?� Dawn gave him a pained look and exited for the kitchen, where it was safer, and she could possibly just flood the sink, or cause a fire. She really didn�t like being around Buffy when she was in Slayer mode. She got all one-wordy and irritable. Well, more one-wordy and irritable. Not that her exodus would stop her from peeking around a corner and watching as the magic got underway. She didn�t care what anyone said, Willow was cool while she did magic, a little scary, but very cool�ya know, as long as she didn�t go all veiny and try to return her back to her green-ball-o�-energy former self. Xander continued his cheerful foray around the room, handing everyone something. Buffy got an iced-latte-caramel-thingy. Willow got the five-inch thick book she had fetched from the Magic Box. He peeked around the kitchen door and threw Dawn a candy bar, admonishing her�one, not to tell Buffy that was breakfast, and two, to stop lurking around doorways. Then he stopped in front of Cordelia and handed her a yellow legal envelope. �These are some old pictures of us, prom and stuff. I thought you might like to see them.� He stepped back, a little red in the face, and smiled through the uncomfortable silence. He could feel Anya�s eyes on his back. He knew she was probably fuming inside. Oh, I am so gonna pay for this one. I can hear it now. Xander, why do you still have pictures of your old girlfriend? Xander, did you give her orgasms too? Xander, you�re an ass. Xander, I hate you. Blah, blah, blah. Ugh. Kill me now� He backed away from Cordelia, still smiling at him, and made his way to Buffy, standing near the staircase, staring into her coffee with a dejected look. �Looking for some answers? �Cause I hear you have to do that with tea.� She smiled the world�s smallest smile and grabbed his hand. �Thanks. I�m okay, really. Just a lot going on.� He squeezed her hand and put on his �understanding face�. He may not be a card-carrying charter member of the Spike Fan Club, but he didn�t like to see his friend in pain. �You don�t have to fake brave with me, Buff. I know you�re dying inside, not knowing what�s going on up there in Hell-A. But I�m pretty sure someone would call if anything went wrong. Unless Angel killed him before anyone even saw him. But then, we�d have gotten a call saying he never arrived. Unless Angel met him halfway and�� He saw Buffy�s eyes grow wider and he cringed. �I�m going to stop that now.� Buffy�s mouth moved, but no sound came out. So, he hugged her instead. �I�m positive everything�s fine. It�s gonna be alright.� She let go of him. �It is?? Is it really? �Cause I can�t take anything happening to him. Not after all he�s been through. But then I feel guilty, �cause Angel, and, this is all bad, this is all very bad.� �Okay, let�s try to breathe, okay?� Xander took the coffee and set it on the railing. �Look at me. Spike is not going to bite anyone. Angel would never let him. And the sooner we find out what�s going on with Cordelia, the sooner we may get some answers. So hang in there with me, okay. It�ll all be over soon.� Buffy looked at him sadly. �Don�t you get it, Xan? It�s never over. It�s never freakin� over! After this, there will be something else. And something after that. And something after that.� Xander�s forehead creased with worry as he searched for the right answer. �Maybe so. But we can take it on. It�s what we do. And Spike will be right by your side. It�s what he does.� Buffy sniffled and smiled. �Yeah. He is kinda Buffy-adhesive, isn�t he?� Xander rolled his eyes with mock disgust. �Irritatingly enough, yes. He�s one half of the Velcro of Weird-Buffy-Relationship number two.� Buffy smiled wider. �Just the two?� Xander gasped with fake horror and cast a horrible semi Giles-ish British accent. �Dear God, let�s hope so. Or else the world is doooooooomed!� Buffy punched him in the arm. �Shutup. Let�s go fix Cordelia so I can get my man back.� �Ow! Yes, let's. Then you can pick on someone your own size.� ********* Angel and Spike trudged through a murky sewer underneath Inglewood�s City Hall Building. As they passed the charred remains of a nest of demon eggs, Spike held his nose in disgust. The smell was putrefying. He would have given anything to smell good ol� Sunnydale sewer, radioactive, rat-infested, and all. The two pairs of yellow eyes, much more effective in the dank corners of the dark hallways than their plain ol� human ones, scanned the underground. They found nothing left alive. �I don�t see anything,� Spike sighed. �If there�s another nest, it certainly isn�t here. Which means we have another mother Swagger somewhere too. Why don�t we find Sir Wesley, or that brat of yours and see what they�ve some up with?� �He�s not a brat. He�s a teenager,� Angel replied. �And he can track almost as well as I can.� �Well, then, we agree. Find the kid.� �It�s not that simple,� Angel countered. �We�re not exactly on the best of terms right now.� �Are you on �the best of terms� with anyone right now?� Angel looked at him out of the corner of his eye. �Just you. And that�s under duress.� �Well, what is it then? Why are you isolating yourself from your friends?� Angel stopped in his tracks. �You know why, Spike? I am tired of living with everyone�s memories. I have to remember the day I was human. I have to remember making love to�her. I have to remember all the people I tortured and killed. I have to remember Connor when he was a baby. I have to remember hell. I have to remember looking at Buffy as she shoved as sword into my lungs. I have to remember everything. And I�m tired of being the keeper of the memories. I don�t want them. They all suck.� �So, you fix that by�what?� �Not making any new ones.� Spike snorted. �That�s brilliant mate. I dunno how you came up with that bit of insightful genius. Maybe we can all do that. Maybe we can completely shut down and refuse to ever try to make things right. Boy, you learned as much from Buffy as she learned from you. When in doubt, push everyone who cares about you as far away as you can.� Angel faced Spike with a snarl. �What�s that supposed to mean?� �You�re yellow, Liam. Bright yellow. You got a streak running so far down your back you could wipe your ass with it. Quit being a goddamn idiot. I changed my mind. I am not doing this soul thing for Buffy. I�m doing it for you. Maybe you can hate me enough to develop some sense of competition. And you�ll give a flying hoot about things you care about again.� �Maybe I�ll start with Buffy,� Angel sneered. �Now that she�s all ripe and I�m all ready, we can make a go of things.� Spike smiled. �There�s my boy! Try it, and I�ll rip your throat out.� Angel straightened and took a breath to punctuate the silence. He peered at Spike through disbelieving eyes. �You really love her?� He shook his head. �I know how you are when you want something. You�ll never stop. You�ll never abandon her like I did. I broke her heart. You put it back together. Every time I break something you come and pick up the pieces. Why?� Spike shrugged. �I dunno.� Angel started walking back towards the hotel. �I should probably thank you.� Spike followed, jauntily steeping beside him. �Yeah. But you won�t.� Angel stopped. �I will. I�ll get you back where you belong. �Home.�� Spike thumped him on the back. �All the thanks I need.� ******** Xander surveyed the pattern of candles on the basement floor. �Okay. So. How are we gonna work this?� Willow stuck the mechanical pencil in her mouth and gestured with a free hand. She was rather proud of this spell. She had even altered it so that the star had six points instead of five, a little homage to her being Jewish. Geez, even pagan rituals were biased. �The power inside Dawn will provide enough energy to open a pathway to the other Cordelia. Hopefully, the Key opens more than one door! So, she�ll be the center of the star. Anya will use her powers to guide me. I�ll sit on the tip of the second point of the star, with Cordelia on the opposite, and everyone else occupies one point. The rest of you just need to make sure that you stay in your respective places. If our lines are broken, you�ll have a big mess to fix.� �And that would be bad, right?� Anya interjected. �Now what about me. Where do I sit?� �On the other side of me. Xander will be your anchor. Buffy will be mine.� Buffy frowned. �Why are we anchors? What are we anchoring?� �Well, I�m using Dawn as a conduit to get inside Cordelia�s head and talk to her before she lost her memories. Anya is helping me locate that exact same moment we witnessed before, when Cordelia asked for help. But we need to be able to have a way back. Sort of like the fishing line in the maze.� Dawn shook her head. �I think I missed that day in Math Class.� Willow grinned. �The Minotaur�s Cave, Dawnie. Oh, never mind. Spike would get it.� At the mention of Spike, Buffy bristled. Dawn didn�t notice, and kept talking. �Yeah, he knows all that stuff. Once, he told me a story about�� Buffy interrupted, arms crossed over her chest, frowning. �Is this like when I went into coma-ville? You�re just going to traipse around in her head??� �Well, yeah. But I�m also going to focus on one particular event, so I don�t have any invasion of privacy issues. Is that okay with you?� �It�s fine,� Buffy snapped and turned on a heel to fetch her baggie of herbs from the kitchen upstairs. Willow followed her and grabbed her arm. �Look, I�m sorry, okay. But I can�t do this with you doubting me all the time. I need some faith, some strength. Do you remember when we did the joining spell against Adam? You�re the strength. Please be supportive. I�m only trying to help.� Buffy faltered, then slumped into a chair. �I�m sorry too. I don�t mean to be so� so� well, me-ish. But there�s a lot riding on this. If we don�t get Cordelia back, I may not get Spike back. Worse, I may have to kill him. And I don�t know if I can.� �Oh, don�t worry,� Willow replied. �I�m sure Angel would be happy to do it for you!� Buffy tried to suppress a grin. �Not funny! I need him to be okay. I also need Dawn to be okay. If something happens, my mother is going to come back from the dead, just to kill me.� Willow squeezed her arm. �I won�t let anything happen. Neither will anyone else. This is going to be fine.� Buffy sighed. �Alright. Let�s see if there really is any information in Cordelia�s head other than what the ten best dressed are wearing this month.� Willow giggled. �Be prepared to be surprised.� They walked back, arm in arm, to the six-point star. Everyone else had taken his or her designated position. Buffy sat down, Indian-style, and Willow headed over to her spot. As she sat down, the rest of the Scoobs began softly chanting. Willow removed a clear pink crystal from a small bag and put it in the center of the star. As the Scoobs chanting grew unified, the crystal grew darker. The room stilled and each Scooby felt the zing of electricity scourging through their bodies. Their eyes blackened and they sat still as sentinels, not breaking the chant, and the star began to glow with the same eerie white light that had delivered �Higher-Being� Cordelia to them the last time. Apparition-like, the same figure, dressed in the same robes, rose from the stone and regarded them all with a smug air of superiority. �You rang?� Willow jumped up and regarded Floaty-Cordelia with disgust. �I thought you needed help? You don�t look like you need help!� �I do,� the apparition replied. �Do you have any idea how bored I am? I couldn�t get Angel to get me out of here, so I got a second opinion. And viola, here you are.� Willow�s eyes softened, but she remained irritated. �You don�t like it up there?� Floaty-Cordelia rolled her eyes. �What�s up here to like? There are no malls and I�ve been wearing the same thing for four months. What is this anyway?� She looked down. �A reject from the JC Penny �Mature Womens� Summer Collection? I look like a tent.� Willow smiled. Yep, this was definitely the right Cordelia. Time for some Q & A. �If you�re still up there, who�s she?� She gestured towards Cordelia. �And why is she so good at being you?� Floaty-Cordelia buried her face in her hands. �That is me. Some of me anyway.� Willow looked confused. �Could you vague that up for me?� �I screwed up.� She moaned. �You guys actually weren�t my second opinion. You�re the third. I asked a shaman for help and he told me what to do. But I screwed it up!� �I�m still confused,� Willow replied. �Ummm, I need details. Ya know--who, what, when, where? That kind of stuff.� Floaty-Cordelia swayed closer to where Willow was standing. �Okay, here�s what happened.� She took a deep breath. �I�m in love with Angel. I see Spike and Buffy doing their thing here and I figure, �Why not help them out a little, and help yourself at the same time.� So, I gave Spike his soul back.� Willow gasped. �You what!?! Whatdya mean YOU gave his soul back?� �Well, I used Dawn as a portal. After he fought this demon thing in Africa, the demon was going to kill him. But I intervened. So, I did a good thing, right?� Floaty-Cordelia looked a little scared, as Willow fell back to the floor and sat with her mouth open. �Spike was in Africa? You used Dawn as a portal to give Spike his soul back? Ew, you saw them doing it? Wait, you�re in love with who?� Floaty-Cordelia grimaced. �One thing at a time, okay, and no hyperventilating. Yes, I used Dawn. But I didn�t hurt her. Remember when she said she wasn�t feeling all that hot the day you guys were patrolling outside the school? That was when it was happening, just a little fever and a headache. No biggie.� Willow sat still for a moment. �I think I�ll leave that part out when I tell Buffy. I�m already using Dawn to get you here. She�ll �Higher Being� herself just so she can kill you!� Floaty-Cordelia frowned. �Good point. I�m okay with that.� Willow frowned at her. �That doesn�t leave you off the hook! What gave you the right to interfere in everyone�s lives like that? And you�re in love with WHO?� Floaty-Cordelia rolled her eyes. �Hello, Pete, this is Repeat. I told you. I�m in love with Angel.� Willow looked like she was gonna throw up. She put her face in her hands and moaned. �This is SO not good. Let�s leave that part out too, �kay?� Floaty-Cordelia got a little defensive. �That�s not fair. Buffy and Angel are not perfect for each other anymore. She�s moved on to Spike. Their relationship may not be that great, yet, but they�re working on it. That�s why I though I was helping.� Willow stuck her lower lip out. �Yeah, helping yourself! And how did you think that was gonna work anyway? You weren�t, well, aren�t, well, you get the point. You�re�floaty.� Willow stuck her hand through the apparition for emphasis. �I know,� Floaty-Cordelia moaned. �That�s where I screwed up. I was making my way back when I was caught. My body is back. My mind is still here. It�s like I got split in half.� Willow sighed. �Xander got split in half once, so I guess I understand. How can we help?� Floaty-Cordelia turned around. �Here�s the thing. In order for me to get back in one piece, I have to�well, I have to take Spike�s soul back. That�s the price for my indiscretion. And even then, I still don�t know what happens to me. I don�t think they�ll let me stay up here. But since I want to go home so badly, I think they�re probably working on a way to keep that from happening too. So, you see, I really need help.� �Crap,� Willow replied. �You really do.� *********** Angel lifted his head to the wind and took a deep breath, inhaling unnecessary air and the odors of the entire city. Filtering out what he didn�t need, he turned his head ever so slightly and inhaled again. Spike watched him with fascination. I guess I�m not the only one who finds loved ones that way, he thought. And now I see why it�s kinda creepy. �Move to the left,� Angel mumbled. Spike obeyed. Mere seconds later, a wily figure dropped into the sewer. Spike turned to Angel. �Guess you found him.� Connor surveyed the two with obvious disgust. He turned to his father and sneered out a reply of sorts. �Hmph. Only because I wanted to be found.� Angel sighed. �Lucky us. Let�s get right to the point, shall we? Where are the rest of the Swagger hatchlings?� Connor crossed his arms and circled the vampires with a pompous glare. �Why should I tell you? Maybe I�ll just take care of it myself.� Spike rolled his eyes. This could take forever. �Or� You could tell us, we�ll kill them, and tell everyone you did it. Then, your daddy will give you a cookie and read you a bedtime story. All better now?� Connor�s mouth tightened into a feral look of disdain, and he turned on a heel. �Whatever. I just thought you could use some help. Ya know, do something good for once.� He strutted off into the distance and after hesitating a moment, Spike and Angel followed. Spike suppressed the urge to laugh. �Kid really puts the hell in hellspawn, doesn�t he?� Angel shrugged. �He�s a teenager.� Spike snorted. �He�s the devil. And he�s definitely yours.� Angel looked annoyed. �What�s that supposed to mean?� Spike opted for the non-combative route. �Nothing. Look. We�ve stopped.� Connor came to a break in the sewer line and made a left. Standing there waiting, sword in one hand, rifle in the other, was Welsey. �Right this way, Gentlemen.� He gestured towards an opening in the stone walls of the sewer. Just inside lay a fresh batch of Swagger eggs, and one huge mother of a Swagger Demon. It drooled a sticky orange goo over the eggs to keep them warm. As soon as it saw the men approach, it reared back a bug-eyed head, complete with feelers, and ambled over towards them. The men took their fighting stances and prepared to attack. Spike and Angel instinctively moved in opposite directions, intending to take the rhinoceros sized demon from both sides. Connor maintained his position in the front, as Wesley swiftly moved towards the eggs to bust them open and kill the hatchlings. The mother saw the action and swerved to head him off. Spike and Angel struck instantly, both moving in simultaneously to cut the legs from beneath the mother. It screamed and spit goo at them, but they effortlessly moved away. Falling back on useless hind legs, the mother extended the feelers towards the eggs and began to stimulate them to hatch, rocking them back and forth. And the movement started to work; the babies were coming! Unable to get around the massive tentacles, Wesley backed up, shooting the hatchlings as they began to emerge from the eggs. Spike let out a holler of excitement and charged the eggs. Angel rolled his eyes and rolled ten feet to the side to retrieve Wesley�s sword. As he and Connor chopped the mother into pieces, starting with the feelers, he noticed Spike out of the corner of his eye. He looked like he was having a bit too much fun. As the mother slowly gave up its fight for life, Angel and Connor turned to help dispatch the remainder of the eggs. But Spike had killed them all. He was standing in front of the pile of bodies, grinning and dripping with the goo from the mother. Sword in hand, he was grinning maniacally, poised to strike. Oh, no, Angel thought. This cannot be good. Spike arched his back and dove for Wesley. Angel headed him off and slammed him to the ground. �What the hell do you think you�re doing?� Spike closed his eyes hard and reopened them. He teared up and covered his face with his hands. �I don�t know, I don�t know,� he sobbed over and over. �I don�t know.� Angel picked him up off of the floor. �We have to get him back to the hotel. You two stay away from him. Until we find out what�s wrong, I don�t want him near anyone alive. He needs to feed, and he�s dangerous.� Connor backed away from the rest of the group. �No need to worry about that.� And then he was gone. Angel looked at Wesley. �What about you? Are you gonna vanish too?� Wesley picked up Spike�s abandoned sword and began to walk in the direction of the hotel. Angel hoisted Spike up and threw an arm over his shoulders. �I guess that would be a no.� |
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| Note: The following story takes place prior to Buffy season 7 "Selfless" and prior to Angel season 4 "Spin the Bottle". This commences an AU B7/A4 |
| PART X |
| SWITCHED ON |
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