Willow sat moping alone for a while, after Buffy left the dorm room, and then she decided to go out. She wanted to share her pain. She could hardly seek out Spike in this instance so the obvious confidant, in Buffy's absence, was Xander.
Soon she was sitting in Xander's basement, pouring out her troubles to her old friend, but finding him not totally sympathetic. “Look, Will,” Xander told her. “Spike called and asked her for help. That's not something she can just ignore because you want a girly night in. She is the Slayer, after all.”
“Yeah, Spike called her,” Willow said bitterly. “Not me.”
“You are important to Spike,” Xander reminded her. “He told me you're his best friend after Joyce. Just 'cause he's not all making with the smoochies is no reason to turn against him.”
“Yeah, he's all ‘you're like a sister to me’, and ‘oh, you're such a good friend’. But when he needs someone's help it's Buffy he asks. And when Buffy gets his call she's all ‘Spike needs me’ and it doesn't matter about poor Willow. Well, if they're that important to each other they should just get married!” Once more the flicker of blue light shone within Willow's eyes.
Giles and Harmony came back into the living room to find Buffy and Spike wrapped in each other's arms on the sofa, mouths locked together.
“Hey!” Harmony squealed. “What are you doing with my Blondie Bear?”
“I'm kissing the man I love,” Buffy replied, coming up for air.
“Look, Harm, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I told you a long time ago that it was over and that I didn't love you. I love Buffy. Have done for years.” Spike smiled sadly at the blonde vampire girl.
“What's going on?” Giles asked. He had been unable to see the embrace, but had heard the conversation and was taken aback.
“Giles! See!” Buffy held out her hand, and then giggled. “Oops, you can't see, of course. I'm wearing Spike's ring.”
“You're wearing the Gem of Amara?” Giles asked blankly. “What on Earth for?”
“Not that ring, silly,” Buffy chided him. “This ring. It's an engagement ring. We're getting married.”
“Married?” Giles repeated. “But ... isn't this rather sudden?”
“Married?” Harmony squealed. “You're really going to get married? Oh, that's sweet. Can I be a bridesmaid?”
“I don't know,” Buffy replied thoughtfully. “Not if we have a church wedding. Oh, there's so much to arrange. Ceremony, guests, reception. Oh, I have to tell Mom! Can I use your phone, Giles?”
“Of course, my dear,” Giles replied. He was still stunned. “Wait a minute, Buffy. Are you sure about this? I had no idea you and Spike felt this way about each other.”
“Oh, yes, I'm sure. Giles ... I know you might not approve, what with Spike being a vampire, and my father's not that far away, and he could, but this day is about family - my real family - and I would like you to be the one to give me away.”
“Oh, Buffy. That's so - well, the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I would be delighted to give you away. I have misgivings about you marrying a vampire, but Spike is no ordinary vampire, and my friend. You have my blessing. The only thing that worries me is the suddenness of this decision.”
“Not that sudden,” Spike put in. “I'm not sure when I fell in love with Buffy, but it was long ago. I fell a little in love with her that first moment I saw her, in the Bronze dancing with Xander, her every motion sheer poetry. When I met her at Halloween in her red gown, her hair dark and worn piled high, I saw a beauty and elegance beyond compare. But I think it may have been that night in the old church, when I fought against Buffy and Kendra, that I really fell in love with her. When Kendra and Buffy changed places and I faced her once more I felt a glow of happiness filling every particle of my being. I wanted that fight to go on forever. A blow from Buffy is more joy than a caress from anyone else. A caress from Buffy is delight beyond the dreams of men; her smile is more brilliant than a thousand suns. And her kiss ... well, all I can say is, Westley and Buttercup eat your hearts out.”
Buffy gazed adoringly at Spike. “That was beautiful,” she said softly. “I can't compete with that. I'm just a Valley Girl, words not my thing. All I can say is, helping Willow choose clothes for her try at getting you, sheer torture. She's my friend, I had to be all supportive girl, but what I really wanted to say was ‘Get your hands off my man’. I love you so much.” She leant towards him and they exchanged another long, slow, lingering kiss.
“Ohhh, they look so sweet.” Harmony gazed at them, gooey-eyed.
Giles looked in her general direction with surprise. “I must say you are taking this extremely well, Harmony.”
“Well, it is sweet. True love.” Harmony explained. “They're so happy.” She sniffed. “I think I'm going to cry.”
“I'm going to phone Mom,” Buffy announced when she eventually surfaced from the kiss. “She'd want to be one of the first to know.” She rose and made her way to the phone, followed closely by Spike, who stood behind her as she dialled, his hands on her hips.
“Hi Mom!” Buffy greeted brightly, when her mother answered. “I got news for you.”
“Good news, I hope,” her mother replied. ‘She needs money’, she thought to herself. “You don't call often enough.”
“Oh, I think you'll be pleased. Spike and I are getting married.”
“Buffy! You're what?”
“I'm marrying Spike. We're getting married. I wanted you to be the first to know. Well, apart from Giles.”
“Buffy, I'm shocked. You're not ... well, pregnant, are you?”
“Mom! No way! Anyway, you know Spike can't. We're just getting married. I thought you'd be pleased. You like him, I know you do.”
“Buffy, I do like Spike. And I would be happy for you to marry him, despite his being a vampire, once you have finished college. But I can't approve of you marrying him now, in your first year of college, when you can't even have been going out together for very long.”
“Oh, Mom!” Buffy's face fell, and a tear trickled down her cheek. “You're spoiling everything. Here, talk to Spike.”
“Hello, Joyce. I gather you don't approve.”
“Not at this stage, William. As I said to Buffy, I would be only too happy for the two of you to marry after she has graduated, if you both still feel the same way. But this is far too soon.”
“Yeah, I see your point. I might even agree with you normally. But this is just this special moment, everything seems so right. I've just got to go with the flow, know what I mean? I hope you change your mind; your opinion means a lot to me. Hope you'll still come to the wedding, Joyce, even if you don't approve. Wouldn't be right, marrying your daughter with you not there.”
Joyce sighed. “I hope you change your minds and wait. But if you are set on it and go ahead, I will be there. I am fond of you, William.”
“And I'm fond of you, Joyce. Gonna be a bit strange, y'know, having my best friend as my mother in law.”
“Thank you, William. But I still think you should wait.”
“Can't do that. But I can promise you I will love your daughter, and cherish her, and protect her, and be there for her in every way I can, for the rest of our lives.”
Spike passed the phone back to Buffy, who exchanged a few more words with her mother and then hung up. “She doesn't approve, Spike,” Buffy said sadly.
“She wants us to wait, love. Not the same as not approving. Don't cry, love, she'll come round.”
“Spike! Buffy!” Harmony called. “Come here. I'm getting really worried about Giles.”
“What is it, mate?” Spike asked, going to where Harmony had helped Giles to a seat. “Your eyes are getting worse, aren't they?”
“They are,” Giles admitted. “In fact, I can't see anything at all. I've gone completely blind.”
“Oh, Giles!” Buffy breathed, shocked. “We have to do something.”
“That settles it, mate. I'm taking you to the hospital right now,” Spike announced decisively. “Harm, you seem to have appointed yourself his carer, give me a hand getting him to the car.”
“What can I do?” Buffy asked.
“I wonder if it can be some sort of spell,” Giles suggested. “Medicine's hardly my field, but I don't know of any natural condition which would cause blindness to descend upon me so suddenly with so little warning. However I believe I have read of curses which resemble this.”
“I'll go to the magick shop and try to find a cure, or a general reversal spell, or something,” Buffy decided. “Failing that, I'll go back to the dorm room and get Willow.”
“Right, we've got a plan. Let's get going.” Spike led Giles to his car, assisted by Harmony, and helped him inside. Buffy left in the direction of the shops, and Spike drove off towards the hospital. Harmony was left behind. She shrugged, went back into the house, and settled down with a mug of blood in front of the television.
Willow spent a long time at Xander's. A lot longer than Xander wanted, in fact. Anya arrived, expecting Xander to be alone, and was not at all happy at Willow's presence. Buffy called in at the dorm room, found that Willow wasn't there, and returned to Giles' after scribbling a brief note.
The situation at Xander's became awkward. Xander was trying to be supportive, but felt Willow had brought her pain on herself, and could not bring himself to join in her condemnation of Spike and Buffy. Willow was so used to unconditional support from her oldest friend that she couldn't adjust to his attitude, and felt betrayed. Anya just wanted Willow to go away so that she could be alone with Xander.
“Look, Willow,” Xander said eventually. “I know it's hard for you to see it right now, but everything you are feeling is because of you and Oz. He did you wrong, and you were hurting. But throwing yourself at Spike the way you did wasn't going to fix anything. He did a good thing turning you down. If he'd been a creep like Parker you'd have got hurt much worse. He is your friend, and when you calm down you'll see it. And Buffy is your friend too, and I am. But we can't be there for you every minute. Sometimes you've got to get through these things by yourself.”
“But I'm hurting, and I want to share, and I helped Buffy through it when Parker hurt her. Why wouldn't she just do for me what I did for her?”
“She will. She might be back at the dorm this very minute, waiting for you,” Xander hinted. “C'mon, Will, get back to the dorm and have a girl moment with Buffy. Then get some sleep.” He managed to lead her out of the basement and to the house door. “In the morning you'll see. You'll realise that you've got time, that you'll meet someone else, someone who's right for you, and you'll feel better.”
“Huh, so I've got things to look forward to. So I can have a relationship that's great and trouble free. I don't think so. I think we're all doomed to badness,” Willow sulked.
“Too gloomy, Will. We're not doomed.”
“Oh, yeah?” Willow retorted. “Let's look at your bio. Insect Lady, Mummy Girl, Cordelia, Faith, Anya. You're a demon magnet!” Her eyes flashed yet again.
“Okay, that does it, Will. Less of the insulting of my girlfriend. Go home. Come back when you're the Willow we know and love again.” Xander shut the door firmly in Willow's face and returned to the basement and Anya, feeling horribly guilty at the way he had spoken to Willow, but also knowing that it had had to be done.
Willow stared at the closed door. “Suit yourself. Go enjoy yourself fucking Anya, while I go home alone.” Her eyes flashed one more time; however, as that was exactly what Xander had planned to do anyway, this particular manifestation of the spell passed completely unnoticed.
Buffy and Harmony were browsing a wedding dress catalogue together when Spike returned with Giles. “What did the doctors say? Are you any better?” Buffy asked anxiously.
“They could find no physical cause. They wanted me to stay overnight for observation, but I felt I had better return here to explore the curse theory,” Giles reported. “I have to go back tomorrow for further tests. Any luck at the magick shop? Did you fetch Willow?”
“There is a general reversal spell which might work, but it needs Targas root and they were out. They're getting more in tomorrow. Willow wasn't at the dorm, but I left her a note, asked her to come.” Buffy turned to Spike. “Oh, my love, I've missed you so much.”
“Steady on, pet, it's only been an hour and a half,” Spike chided her gently, and then pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. “I've missed you too. Every minute away from you seems like an hour.”
Buffy looked to where Harmony had again taken over attending to Giles. Seeing that they were fully occupied, she whispered to Spike “I want you to make love to me. Right here. Now. Let's slip upstairs.”
“I don't want our first time to be a quickie, my darling,” Spike replied. “I want to spend hours cherishing you, undressing you slowly, covering each new inch with hot kisses as it is revealed. To kiss my way from your slender neck to your breasts, to take your sweet nipples into my mouth and tease them upright with gentle bites, to lick down the arch of your belly to the cleft between your legs, to lap up your delicious juices, to take that delicate pearl that waits there and circle it with my tongue, and, when you can take no more, to enter you and ride you, hold you, thrust into you, give you my all; and to stop your lips with burning kisses as you call my name. Then to kiss your lids as you fall into a blissful sleep, and to watch over you all night. Until you wake, and we do it all again.”
Buffy gazed at him adoringly. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shone, and her lips were parted. “Then take me home,” she urged. “I want you tonight.” Spike pulled her to him and their lips met in yet another kiss.
At that very moment the front door opened and Xander rushed in, followed immediately by Anya. They seized a bookcase, dragged it in front of the door, and turned to face everyone. “Board up the windows!” Xander yelled. “Barricade the doors!”
“What on Earth is going on?” Giles demanded.
“Demons,” Anya explained. “Scores of them. They just keep coming and coming. They broke into Xander's place. We've been chased all the way here.”
“I think we lost them,” Xander breathed. “For the moment, anyway.” He looked around, saw Spike and Buffy still wrapped in each other's arms, and did a double take. “Hey! Spike. And Buffy. Smooching. Willow maybe not so wrong with the treachery accusations.”
“That's not fair, Xander,” Buffy replied, hurt. “I totally stayed away from Spike until Willow had her shot. It's not my fault that Spike's been in love with me like forever.”
“That's right. I told you I couldn't feel that way about Willow. It's because I was in love with Buffy,” Spike explained. “The last thing I wanted was for Willow to be hurt.”
“I just hope Willow isn't too angry at me to be my chief bridesmaid,” Buffy added.
“Whoa! Bridesmaid? That sort of implies wedding. You're marrying Spike?”
“That's right,” Spike smiled, wrapping Buffy's hand in his. “Xander, you're as good a friend as I've got, except perhaps for Angel, and there's a bit of awkwardness potential there, so - will you be my best man?”
“Will he wear a tux? Xander looks really good in a tux. And does that mean I get to be a bridesmaid?” Anya chipped in.
“No, no, something wrong here. Buffy going out with Spike, not so big surprise. Buffy smoochies with Spike, not so big surprise. Even Buffy making hot naked monkey sex with Spike, surprise, but not huge surprise. But Buffy marrying Spike? Wig Factor Seven, Mr Spock.” Xander turned to Giles. “I spy mojo, G-man. What do you think?”
“I knew it! Me going blind, Buffy marrying Spike, demons chasing you - there is magic at work here.”
“You going blind? You're blind?” Xander waved his fingers in front of Giles' face.
“Please stop whatever you're doing. I'm not totally sure what that smell is, but I have a feeling that I would be better off not knowing.”
Xander blushed crimson at Giles' words, and stuffed his hand into his pocket. “Wait a minute! Married! I know something. What is it..? Everything's so familiar. Work, brain, work! Oh! Oh oh! Willow!”
“What about - mmm, oh, Spike - Willow?” Buffy asked, as Spike nibbled her earlobe.
“Willow and her ‘pity me’ thing. All doom and gloom, nobody loves me - so tired of it,” Xander digressed.
“You mean I don't have to be nice about her any more?” put in Anya.
“We're all tired of it, but what does it have to do with what's going on?” asked Buffy.
“She told me I was a demon magnet. And that you two should get married.”
“And that I didn't see anything!” Giles remembered, and smacked his forehead.
“She did a spell. She told me she did a spell to have her will done,” Buffy remembered. “But she told me it didn't work.”
“It did work. Whatever she says is coming true,” Giles stated.
“And you both were affected. I probably only escaped because I'm the Slayer, and Spike and I love each other anyway,” Buffy put in.
“Hang on, love,” said Spike. “Your mum was right that it would be more sensible to wait. The spell might have affected our timing.”
“Maybe, but I'm not waiting anyway,” Buffy said. “I want you now.” She raised her mouth to Spike and they kissed deeply.
“People! Willow is out there, and she probably doesn't know what she's doing,” Giles reminded them. “If she thinks the spell didn't work, she could say anything.”
“We've gotta find her!” Xander yelped.
“Before someone gets really hurt,” Buffy agreed, releasing Spike. “I left a note asking her to come here, but maybe I'd better call.” She went to Giles' phone and called the dorm room. There was no answer. “Maybe we'd better go look for her.”
“I can't help,” Giles said, apologetically. “I'll stay here in case she turns up. I can call Spike if she does. We really must think about the rest of you getting mobile phones, by the way.”
“I'll stay here and look after Mr Giles,” Harmony offered.
“We haven't forgotten what you did, you know,” Buffy reminded her. “But you're doing a good job. Keep it up and we might call it quits.”
“I've got nearly all the blood out of the carpet,” Harmony said proudly. “And I know this neat furniture polish for covering scratches. I'm sure I can nearly make the table as good as new.”
“What did I miss?” Xander wanted to know.
“Don't ask,” Spike groaned. “Come on. I'll drive.”
Willow never got the chance to read Buffy's note. No sooner had she entered the dorm room than a large blue demon seized her. She had barely begun to scream when he opened a dimensional portal and spirited her away.
The first demon appeared before they had gone a hundred yards. It chased the car for the length of a block before falling too far behind and giving up. They had seen five more by the time they reached Stevenson House.
“Where can she be?” Buffy wondered. “She should have had plenty of time to get back to the dorm room after she left your place, Xander, and then make it to Giles'. I thought we'd meet her on the way. Maybe she's ignored the note and is just refusing to answer the phone again.”
Spike parked the car and got out his cell phone. “Still no sign of her at Giles' place,” he told them after making a call. “Let's check out the dorm. Maybe try the Bronze after that.”
“Oh oh,” Xander muttered as they went into the building and began to climb the stairs. “Willow hitting the clubs, everything she says coming true. Much potential for serious badness there.”
Anya remembered some of the things she said to Xander in romantic situations and blanched. “You're right! We've got to find her quickly!”
They reached Buffy and Willows room, entered, and stopped short. No sign of Willow, but there was a large circular hole burnt into the carpet.
“What on Earth caused this?” Buffy gasped, examining the hole.
“D'Hoffryn,” Anya answered. “The bastard. He's opened a portal here.”
“Who?” Buffy asked blankly.
“D'Hoffryn. He made me a demon 1,120 years ago.”
“Why would he attack Willow?” Buffy wondered, puzzled.
“I don't believe he did,” Anya replied. “I think he might want to recruit her.”
“You have much anger and pain,” the demon told Willow. He was clad in elaborate robes, and his manner was refined and courteous. Willow's initial panic was fading, and she had no sense of being in imminent danger. “Your magic is strong, but your pain - it is like a scream that pierces dimensional walls. We heard your call.”
“I'm sorry,” Willow apologised. “I'll try for a quiet rage. ‘Bye.” She turned from him and made to walk off. Out of the surrounding darkness a horde of demons of all shapes appeared and blocked her path. She turned back to D'Hoffryn, alarm returning to her face.
“Our intention is not to quash your potential. Quite the contrary,” he explained. Willow's alarm faded, and was replaced by confusion. She began to feel intrigued.
“It was during the reign of Erik Edmundsson,” Anya related as they walked out of the dormitory house. “I think it was 880 AD, but we didn't use the Christian calendar at that time so I can't be absolutely sure. Anyway, I was an ordinary girl in a Viking village, living with a wonderful man, or so I thought. But he cheated on me. He was carrying on with Rannveig, and everyone knew it but me. Everyone was laughing at me behind my back. So I turned him into a troll and the villagers turned on him. He was a mighty troll, and he destroyed the village. So he suffered, and they suffered. Very satisfying vengeance. D'Hoffryn was very impressed, and he offered me a job.”
“And you think he's doing the same with Willow? Which involves making her a demon?” Xander was horrified.
“Well, yes. She will be elevated. It's a great honour. Although we'll have to spend the rest of our lives running from these demons, which is bad, so I'd better summon D'Hoffryn and persuade him to bring her back.”
“You can do this, right?”
“Oh yes. I think so. I haven't done the ritual in a long time, but I'm sure it'll come back to me. We need to be in a place of death and darkness.”
“Which is why you're leading us towards the graveyard? Right. I hope you can do this thing,” Xander replied. “Uh oh. Demon.”
A horned demon, humanoid in shape, lumbered out of the darkness towards them. It headed inexorably for Xander. Any thoughts than it might wish only to engage the young man in friendly conversation were dispelled when it snarled and lunged viciously towards him. Buffy spun and kicked low in a leg sweep, bringing it down into a knee and elbow strike combination from Spike, and the demon crashed unconscious to the ground.
Buffy raised her hand for a high-five from Spike, who hesitated. He disliked that particular American custom. Yet he could not resist his beloved, and completed the gesture, then pulled her to him for a kiss. It deepened. She threw her arms around his neck, he moved his down to her buttocks, he pulled her tightly to him and felt himself grow hard. She wiggled her pelvis, grinding against him lustfully, and moaned. They were completely oblivious to their surroundings until Anya grabbed Buffy and screamed into her ear as loud as she could.
“Buffy! Demon!” The couple ended their kiss, and Anya gestured frantically to where another demon had seized Xander round the neck and was lifting him into the air. “Help Xander!”
Reluctantly, Spike and Buffy released each other and leaped on the demon. It dropped Xander and turned to defend itself. Before they had finished subduing it another demon had loomed into view.
“We're gonna need somewhere we can defend,” Spike said between punches. “Crypt, maybe. Can you do this summoning in a crypt, Anya?”
“A crypt would be ideal. This way!”
The four made their way to a crypt, broke in, and barricaded the door behind them. Anya knelt on the floor, drew a circle in the dirt around herself, and began to chant an incantation. By the time she had reached the third phrase a demon was battering on the door. Another one reached through the crypt's window, caught Buffy round the neck, and began to throttle her.
“Let this space be now a gateway to the world of Arashma'har, where demons are spawned,” Anya chanted. Spike rushed to Buffy's aid; behind him the crypt door came open and a demon began clawing at the materials of the barricade.
“Fascinating,” D'Hoffryn mused. “The pain and suffering you have brought upon those you love is inspiring. You are ready to join us here in Arashma'har. Observe!” He raised his hand in a commanding gesture and drew a circle in the air. A shimmering disc formed. Shapes appeared within, and coalesced into a view of events on Earth. Giles' apartment. Giles was being guided to the bathroom by Harmony.
“Are you sure you can manage?” Harmony asked. “Need any help?”
“Bloody Hell, woman, I'm blind, not paralysed,” Giles expostulated. “I can use the bathroom by myself.” His voice softened. “But I would be grateful for your assistance in getting back downstairs, thank you, Harmony.”
“Oh, the humiliation,” D'Hoffryn observed. “A Watcher, dedicated to the annihilation of all of vampire kind, forced to rely upon one for assistance with the basic necessities of life. Magnificent!”
“I don't understand. I did this?”
“Of course. And this.” D'Hoffryn gestured, and the scene in the portal changed to the crypt, where Buffy's party were in peril. Two demons had grasped Spike's arms and were holding him against the crypt wall, while a third had lowered its head and was butting him in the stomach. Another was engaged in a furious exchange of kicks and punches with Buffy, whilst yet another was tearing off Xander's shirt.
“Oh God! But I didn't mean to!” Willow cried.
“But you did. This is the result of your power. You will make a fine vengeance demon.” D'Hoffryn smiled. “Your revenge upon William the Bloody will be a particularly fine example to us all.”
“No! Please! You have to help them,” Willow entreated.
“They are not my concern. You are my interest in this matter.”
Willow gulped. “Really ... no offence intended ... I mean, you've been super-nice and everything, but ... I don't want to be a demon. I just wanna go back and help my friends.”
“Is that your final answer?” D'Hoffryn looked stern.
“It is,” Willow choked out.
“I'm sorry to hear that. Oh well.” D'Hoffryn's tone lightened. “Here is my talisman. If you change your mind, give me a chant.” He passed her a medallion and began to draw another mystic circle with his hand.
Buffy finally knocked out the demon she was fighting. She saw Spike's predicament, and raced to his aid, clotheslining the demon who was molesting Xander as she passed. She kidney-punched the monster who had hold of Spike's right arm, and it arched its back in agony, letting go of Spike, who immediately rabbit-punched the demon who was butting his stomach. It dropped limply to the ground, and he turned on the one who held his other arm. Buffy grabbed the horns of her opponent and wrenched, breaking its neck, then made to attack Spike's last antagonist. He had already dealt with it, and she caught hold of Spike instead.
“My darling, I was so scared for you,” she told him.
“And I for you, my treasure,” he replied. They embraced, and once more the embrace turned into a passionate exchange of kisses.
The demon beside Xander picked itself up from the floor, rose groggily to its feet, and made for Xander again. Another appeared at the crypt door. Spike and Buffy remained oblivious to the new threat. Anya broke off from her chanting and moved to assist Xander. Suddenly Willow materialised in the crypt beside them.
“Let the healing power begin. Let my will be safe again. As these words of peace are spoken, let this harmful spell be broken,” Willow chanted, and a flash of lightning illuminated the crypt. The demons vanished. Xander and Anya found themselves flailing furiously at thin air. Buffy pulled away from Spike.
“Uugh!” she exclaimed. “Spike lips! Lips of Spike!” and wiped her hands across her mouth, then looked into Spike's eyes.
And wished she hadn't. She had seen an expression like that only once before in her life. When she had thrust the sword through Angel's heart and sent him into Acathla. Pain. Shock. Accusation of betrayal. Hurt. “Buffy...” Spike pleaded, raising his hand towards her, and then letting it fall limply to his side.
“Hi, guys,” Willow greeted everyone brightly, and Xander and Anya turned to her. Buffy ignored her friend's arrival and her gaze remained fixed on Spike.
“It was all real to you,” she said wonderingly. “Everything you said. It was real.” She remembered her reaction and would have given her right arm to be able to take it back. “God, Spike, I'm so sorry. So very, very, sorry.”
“No problem, Slayer,” Spike told her, in a voice so brittle with false cheerfulness that it was cracking. “I'm just an evil soulless thing. No real feelings to hurt here. Spell's broken, all's right with the world.”
“What's up?” Willow asked. “I fixed it, right? I did wrong, I know, but it's over now.” Then she looked into Spike's eyes and faltered. “Isn't it?” She turned her gaze to Buffy.
Buffy shot her best friend a glare of such venom that Willow took a step backwards in alarm. “Spike,” Buffy said, turning back to the vampire. “The lips thing - I didn't mean it that way. I would have said the same if it had been Xander I found myself kissing. You're a friend. You're not repulsive. Don't take it the wrong way.”
“I said it was no problem, didn't I, Slayer? Not hurt. Can't feel anything real, can I? Mind, after that little lot, I think I could use a cig.” The brittleness was gone from his voice, replaced by a calmness that was almost eerie, and belied by the way his hands shook as he took out and lit a cigarette.
“You can feel, I know it, Spike,” Buffy tried again. “The things you said to me - they were so beautiful. It was just - we hadn't even - I had no idea you felt that way. But if you give me some time ... we could perhaps go out on a date?”
“No need to lower yourself out of pity, Buffy. I know I'm beneath you. You could never be my girl. I just let myself hope for a while. Bloody stupid of me, but that was the spell. Don't worry about it. In fact, forget about it. Don't want it to spoil us being friends. Come on, let's get back to Giles', make sure he's okay now.” He turned and walked from the crypt.
Buffy and Xander followed him out; Buffy looking worried, Xander looking confused. Anya turned to Willow. “Congratulations,” she commended the witch. “I think you've broken Spike. I don't think I've seen a neater work of vengeance in 1,120 years. Except for the part where he didn't deserve it, of course.” She followed the others from the crypt, leaving Willow standing stunned behind her.