Title: Buffy & Spike, Lost in Cyber-Space Author: Anne Rose Email: anne3rose@yahoo.com URL: http://annerose.cjb.net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=47579 Rating: R (but nothing you haven't seen on the show, at 8pm.) Disclaimer: Joss and Mutant Enemy, etc. own BtVS. No infringement intended. Any resemblance to people living, dead, or undead, or to real life events is all in your mind, is downright scary, and means you seriously need to get a life. Spoilers: Season 6, but story is set after 'Once More With Feeling' where Buffy lives, and a little later in Fic-land. Summary: S/B, Willow has been using her computer to do a little inter-dimensional hacking. Spike finds it and wacky Internet hi-jinks ensue. It gets a bit more serious as it goes along. It's become a retelling of the second half of Season 6. Answer to Challenge from Stephanie Honey. Archive: I would be honored if you want to archive it. Please let me know where so I can visit it. Author's Note: time passes differently in different dimensions. So it can be almost end of Season 6 in one place and Season 5 in another. Oh wait, that's syndication. ;-) And don't get on my case about screen names. I'm just keeping them simple. Thanks to the Buffy Dialog Database (http://vrya.cstone.net/index.htm) and the Buffy Guide (http://www.buffyguide.com/episodes.shtml) for help with research and parts of episodes. Thanks to Clare009, Dakota, and Hubby for beta reading. (c) April 25, 2002 --------------------- [Spoiled_Spuffy] fanfiction group challenge from Stephanie Honey Hey fic writes! I got a challenge for ya'll! Here it is: Requirement 1. Humorous Fic!!! Requirement 2. Buffy and Spike find a fanfic group. And can't believe some of the stuff fans write about them!!! Requirement 3. PG-13 or higher Requirement 4. e-mail it to me at honeymajandra@hotmail.com Option 1. Try to mention these members: Honeymajandra (me- Stephanie Honey), Sophie_limbourg (Sophie), Sarafina120 (Melissa), Lochnoir (Jerri) --------------------- Spike and Buffy, Lost in Cyber-Space by Anne Rose Part 14 ~*~*~ Wesley was just finishing his exposition on the various members and 'friends' of Angel Investigations when he looked up to see Buffy coming down the stairs. He froze with his mouth open. When he found his voice he merely said, "Oh my god!" The rest of them turned, and some stood, as they watched Buffy slowly descending the stairs. Her left arm was behind her as she led Spike down the stairs. The paused at the bottom for a moment, Buffy's eyes darted around the room, eventually landing on Wesley. Spike was also surveying the group, taking in the tight jaws and slowly flexing and loosening fists on several people. "Everyone stay calm. Nobody make any sudden moves," Wesley said. "Who is that?" Fred asked. "It's Spike," Cordelia spit the words out. "Drusilla's boy toy." "As in, Angel, Darla, and Drusilla?" Fred asked, her voice quavering. Cordy nodded to Fred. "Oh," Fred gasped. "He's not with Drusilla anymore," Dawn blurted out. "Hasn't been for years." Suddenly she was very frightened for Spike. These people would stake him before he had a chance to explain. Impulsively, she dashed forward and stood in front of Spike. "He's our friend. All of you back off!" All hell broke lose - shouting and yelling, some trying to dash forward to intervene, and others holding them back. It was then that Dawn realized she was still holding Conner. "Everyone! Calm down!" Buffy yelled, stepping forward. Cordelia nearly had a stroke when she saw Dawn and Conner, now standing between Buffy and Spike. Spike reached out and stroked Dawn's head. "Uh, Nibblet, thanks, but let Big Sis handle this. If you don't get Conner back over to the cheerleader, I think she's gonna have a fit." "But they might hurt you," Dawn pleaded. Spike smiled reassuringly at her. "Go on now. I'll be fine." He pushed her gently back towards the others. Cordelia held her breath as Dawn reluctantly walked back over to her. Cordy snatched Conner away from Dawn and backed up to stand next to Groo. She looked him over carefully. Spike hadn't touched him, but it reassured her anyway. 'Spike hadn't touched him,' she thought about that for a moment. Something was off. "Ok, now that everyone's had a moment, let's all just calmly go back to the living room." Buffy made shooing motions at them, as they slowly moved back. Spike followed her, a couple paces back, still nervously eyeing the others. Between the chip, and trying to be on his best behavior for Buffy, he was out of his element. Buffy came to a stop, leaning against the wall, by the front door, at the entrance to the living room. "Giles, maybe you could explain." "Buffy, I really think you should..." He started to say. "Giles, do you really think they're going to listen to me, or to Spike?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Excellent point," Giles muttered. "Willow, would you please get another glass for Wesley?" "I don't really need a drink, Giles," Wesley said. Buffy reached behind her and pulled Spike forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, and leaning back against his chest. Spike looked stunned for a moment, his eyes darting around the room, then he relaxed a bit and rested his chin on her shoulder. "On second thought, perhaps Willow could bring me a large glass," he said, reaching behind him for a chair and sagging into it. Willow handed him a glass, and Wesley held it out as Giles poured a generous amount of scotch into it. He took a large gulp and grimaced. He took a second gulp and then looked from Buffy back to Giles. "Perhaps it would be good if you did explain, Giles." "And perhaps you all could pass some of that my way," Gunn said taking a glass from Willow. Anticipating this, she had brought out a tray and was passing glasses around. Giles handed her the scotch bottle, as he prepared to speak. "Giles, if you can handle this, I have that other situation to take care of." She glanced toward the back door. "I'm sure everything will be ok in here. Good luck." "Thanks Giles," she said, letting go of Spike and starting to move away. "Oi, don't leave me here alone!" Spike said, suddenly very nervous, more for Buffy's sake than his own. "You want to come out there, with me?" Buffy asked. Spike considered it for a moment, but realized she stood a better chance of succeeding without him. He sighed, "Be careful. He gets crazy when he's angry, even more so when he's jealous. He may not be Angelus, but from what I've heard, he's not the Angel you knew either." Buffy nodded, and kissed him, much to the shock and horror of the LA group. "I think I can handle him, but I'll yell if I have any trouble." She was lying, he knew it, but it made them both feel better. As Buffy walked over to the kitchen and out the back door, Dawn scurried over to Spike and stood in front of him. "I won't let them do anything," she said with a very stern look on her face. It was all Spike could to do avoid laughing - the Big Bad, being protected by the Slayer's little sister. He patted her on the shoulder. "Thanks Nibblet, good to have a friend." Giles had collected himself and began to speak. "It all started when a government agency called the Initiative came to town," Giles began. Spike interrupted. "Not to disrupt your flow there Rupert, but I think it started when I made that alliance with the Slayer, and helped her stop Angelus from sucking this world into hell. Stopped him from torturing you as well, if you'll remember." Giles paused for a moment, "Yes, I suppose it may have started as far back as that." He hadn't really considered that before. Once again he was forced to reevaluate Spike. "All right then, about four years ago Spike approached Buffy and requested a truce..." ~*~ ~*~ Buffy opened the back door cautiously. Angel was sitting quietly on the bench. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or alarmed. She stepped outside, gauging his reaction as she went. He hadn't moved. He just sat there, with his hands on his knees and his head bowed forward, looking at the ground. "I can still smell him," Angel said, without looking up. "I know," Buffy said. "But I just thought..." "I heard." Looking away again he said, "thanks." Slowly, she moved to the bench opposite him. "So, now what? You know I won't let you kill him." "Because you think you're in love with him?" Angel shook his head. "No, because I am in love with him, and I need him." Buffy answered. "You don't know what you're saying, Buffy. Spike's not who you think he is." Angel stood suddenly and started pacing, his voice rising. Buffy unconsciously leaned away from him. "I don't know how he's convinced you to let him... get this close to you, but he's up to something." "For two years?" Buffy interrupted him. "Four, if you count the time he helped me defeat you!" He looked up at her in shock. "That wasn't me, Buffy. You know that." "Looked like you," she snapped back. He grimaced and looked away. "Do you really think he'll be any different?" "Yes, he's already different." She said, her voice softer now. "He doesn't have a soul to lose." She went on to explain about the Initiative and Spike's chip. "That's very nice. But what about when the chip stops working? What then?" Angel argued. "You mean like since I've been back?" She countered. "The chip hasn't worked on me since I died. Apparently Willow's spell altered me just enough to make it not recognize me." "What?" Angel furrowed his brow. "You heard me. Spike could have killed me any time he wanted, but he hasn't. Ask yourself why." "He always was the romantic one in the family." Angel said. "The way he doted on Dru. Made me and Darla sick sometimes." He lifted his head, looking at her again. "What about Dru? Have you considered what will happen when she comes back?" "Been there, done that." Buffy quipped. "She came to Sunnydale not long after you failed to kill her and Darla. Speaking of Darla..." "Speaking of jealousy," Angel interrupted, "Do you think this is about anything other than Spike getting back at me for Angelus taking Dru away from him?" Angel stepped forward and caught her arms, forcing her to look at him. "Think about it. Why else would he be doing this?" Buffy wrenched her arms free, snapping Angel's head back with an angry punch to the face. He staggered back from the blow and it was all Buffy could do to keep from hitting him again. "I'm tired of explaining myself to people who don't want to listen!" She yelled. Buffy reached into a flowerpot and pulled out one of the stakes she kept there for emergencies. Spinning it lightly with her fingertips, she looked at Angel. "Let me simplify this for you. What did I do to Spike when he tried to kill you?" "You dropped an pipe organ on him and broke his back. It put him in a wheel chair for months," Angel recounted. "Right, and he didn't kill you, did he?" Buffy's glare bored into him. Angel shrugged uncomfortably. "Angel, if you harm Spike, I will kill you." She said menacingly, then her voice dropped to a whisper. "And I will hate you for making me do it." Angel stepped forward, but Buffy put out a hand to stop him. "Just promise me you won't try to hurt him." She pleaded. Angel bowed his head and his shoulders slumped along with it, "I can't do that." "Fine, then we have nothing more to talk about." She said quietly, spun around, and dashed back into the house. ~*~*~ TBC...