maryperk73703 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chapter 5

Willow bends reality, and gets canon, which is changed by her presence.

Chapter 5

Willow found the spell she needed to alter reality. She gathered the ingredients together as she thought about exactly where to do the spell. She finally decided on a crypt in the Restfield cemetery that would work quite nicely she decided.

Willow set up for the spell. After she uttered the words, she realized the crypt had changed. It was still dusty, but there was a fridge, a television, and an armchair there now.

The door swung open, and Willow was surprised to see Spike saunter in with a smoking blanket. She gulped in panic when the vampire's face hardened at the sight of her magic components.

"So, Red, bad enough you pulled Buffy from Heaven and made us all lose our memories," Spike sneered. "Now, you're plannin' something else? In my home?"

"Spike?" Buffy entered the crypt behind the vampire. She looked at Willow and the magic paraphernalia with a hurt expression on her face. "I thought you were going to stop. Wasn't Tara leaving a good enough wake up call?"

"Tara left me?" Willow asked in a small, lost voice. What was going on? This reality was supposed to be better.

"Did you do another memory spell?" Spike gave the witch a contemptuous look. "If it wouldn't give me a headache, I'd smack you."

"Won't give me a headache," Buffy said with a small snarl. This was really too much.

"I-I... Can I talk to... um... Jesse?" Willow stuttered.

Buffy gave Spike a startled look. "Will, you know Darla turned Jesse that first week I was in Sunnydale, and Xander ended up staking him."

Willow whimpered. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. "Faith?"

"The psycho bitch is in jail. You know that." Buffy gave Spike a raised eyebrow. "I think we need to get her back to the house."

"Too bad it won't be her own home," Spike muttered. He gathered Willow's things while Buffy helped the redhead to her feet. He didn't want her tainted crap in his home.

"Now now, Spike," Buffy murmured. She knew the vampire wasn't happy with Willow's lack of contributions to the household.

"You're dating Spike?" Willow was confused. Buffy and Spike were together in this reality too? How?

Buffy gave a deer-in-the-headlights look at the witch. Then she sighed. "Maybe. You gonna go wiggy on me?"

Willow shook her head. Maybe there was more between the Slayer and the vampire than she had first anticipated since they were together in two realities.

"One down, pet," Spike said with a grin.

"Way too many to go," Buffy grumbled. The three of them left the crypt.

"Well, I'm sure the Bit will be excited," Spike drawled. "Maybe we should stop at the Quick Mart for earplugs."

"Ha, ha. Her squeals aren't that loud." Buffy stuck her tongue out at the vampire. She felt a bit freer now that Willow hadn't freaked over the idea of Spike and her as a couple.

"Maybe not to you, Slayer, but a vamp's hearing is mighty sensitive."

"I doubt Anya will care, but we'll have to endure the orgasm questions," Buffy replied thoughtfully.

"I'm sure Glinda won't care either." Spike gave Willow a cool glare. "She's not as prejudiced as some of your soddin' Scoobies."

"Yeah, Xander could be a problem." Buffy chewed on her lip. "Hopefully he'll be too busy with the wedding to notice us?" She looked hopeful.

"Sometimes you're swimmin' in it as deeply as he is, luv."

Willow was confused by everything that was going on. She was so sure that this reality would be so much better than her own. She figured that she would be great friends with Faith, but the dark-haired girl was in jail. It seemed that Jesse was dead, Tara had left her, and Buffy was still dating Spike.

"My memories are patchy for some reason," the witch said softly. "Jesse's dead, and Faith's in jail. What about Giles and Angel?"

"Giles left for England. He said I needed to grow up." Buffy rolled her eyes.

Spike snorted which caused the two women to stare at him. "He just couldn't handle the fact that you were in Heaven, and now you're not. The poofter's in Los Angeles with the cheerleader and the other ex-watcher."

"Huh?" Willow looked at Buffy for translation.

"He's teamed up with Cordelia and Wesley." Buffy looked around the streets, ever on the alert.

"Cordelia's not with Xander?" Willow felt odd. She was amazed at how similar, yet different things were here.

"She was until the brain trust here kidnapped the two of you so you'd do a love spell on the ho-bag. Cordy and Oz caught you kissing Xander." Buffy gave the vampire a cool look. "And don't think I've forgotten about the whole chaining incident, pet."

Willow was surprised to see the vampire was actually embarrassed by whatever had happened.

"About that... Dru mentioned that Darla was resurrected and among the unliving again when she was here last time."

"What?" Buffy stopped in the middle of crossing the street. "Why hasn't this been mentioned before?"

"Your sweetie bear's been here twice, Slayer." Spike shrugged. "When your mum died and when you came back."

Buffy sighed. "Number one, he's not my 'sweetie bear' anymore now is he? Number two, I don't think either of those situations were exactly a time to say, 'Hey, Buff, guess what? My bitch of a sire's back. Surprise.'."

"Guess I shouldn't mention what's circulatin' on the demon grapevine then." Spike turned up the front walk of Buffy's Revello Drive house.

"I think you better start talking, Spikey."

Spike chuckled at the Slayer's snarly tone. "Rumor has it that Darla's preggo ... with the poofter's child."

"Is that possible?"

"Prophecy or something." The vampire opened the front door for Buffy. "Are you upset, pet? I always seem to tell you the bad news about the ex-boyfriends."

"Why would I be upset, Spike?" Buffy bowed her head as she slipped past him into the house. "He's moved on. I've moved on. That meeting we had when I got back was awkward at best."

"Where's Oz and um... Lawson?" Willow asked softly.

"Who told you about Lawson?" Spike gave Willow a calculated look. The whole situation was getting ridiculous. There was no way that Willow could know anything about Lawson. His suspicions were confirmed when he sniffed the air around the witch. Her scent was off. "What did you do, Willow?" He grabbed Buffy, and he pulled her away from the witch.

"Spike, who's Lawson?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Lawson was a submariner that Angel turned during World War II." Spike reluctantly told Buffy. He wasn't sure how the Slayer would react to yet another secret. One secret too many, and she might stake the messenger. He wasn't trying to hide anything from her. He hadn't thought about Lawson in a couple of decades.

"He had a soul then," Buffy whispered.

"I didn't know that till I got to Sunnydale, but yeah. Angelus was a little too protective of the pulsers. That should have clued me in, right there. You've met Angelus, luv. You know how he operates." Spike sniffed the air again. He looked at Willow. "Who are you, Red? You're not our Willow."

"Things were supposed to be better," Willow said quietly. The events of the spell were finally catching up with her. "I wished Faith back from the dead, and she had to crawl out of her grave."

"Yeah, well, been there, done that." Buffy moved closer to Spike. "Can't say the experience is all that much of a thrill, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"So, you decided what, Red? To play with our lives?" Spike pulled Buffy into his arms.

"No... I just thought..." Willow's eyes filled with tears.

"No, you didn't think. You share that trait with our Willow," Buffy replied. "Make it right. Now."

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SOMEPLACE ELSE IN THE SAME REALITY

Oz stepped into the clearing. Tonight he was going to welcome a new member to the pack. Her name was Dot Hill. Oz was leery about having her in the pack because of her close, but totally unwanted, association with the Initiative. He hadn't forgotten his own incarceration by the military group.

Dot stepped into the clearing. After years on the run from soldiers with a brief stint as a guest of the Immortal, she was finally with her own kind. Life hadn't been easy on the young woman. It showed on her lean muscular body. There wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere on her, including her breasts.

"Hey," Oz said.

"Hey," Dot replied.

"So, um, welcome to the pack." Oz nodded. He had no idea what to say to the young woman.

"Uh, thanks. I'm Dot." The woman glanced around the clearing.

"Oz."

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"R-right." Willow twisted her hands together. "Um, Let this healing be begun, let this spell become undone."

A flash of light streamed through the house. Both Spike and Buffy had to close their eyes against the brightness.

"What was that?" Willow came through the door from the kitchen. "I thought I heard voices."

"Another Willow who doesn't think about the consequences of her actions," Spike grumbled. He rubbed his eyes. "You okay, luv?" he asked Buffy.

"I'm okay, Spike," Buffy reassured the vampire with a hand squeeze.

"You're holding Spike's hand," Willow sputtered.

"Yeah, I am." Buffy gave a small, tight smile. "I plan on doing a lot more than that too."

"Oh, um, okay, I guess." Willow looked back and forth between the Slayer and the vampire. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, Spike makes me as happy as I can possibly be." Buffy's smile turned luminescent.

"Okay." Willow stuck out a finger at Spike. "But if you make her unhappy, I'll hex your parts."

Spike shifted uncomfortably and nodded. He was just thrilled that Buffy hadn't shoved him back in the metaphorical closet. If he ever saw that other Willow again, he'd have to thank her.

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Willow found herself back in the dusty crypt. She realized how much Spike must have cleaned it up.

"This reality is okay with me," the redhead whispered. "That one was even more screwed up."

Across Sunnydale at the hotel, Oz and Dot stared at each other. They both felt something strange happen, but they were unsure of what it was.

"That was weird," Oz said.

"Yeah, like we met twice, you know," Dot nodded. "Once here, and then again someplace else."

"Yeah, like we're meant to be." Oz nodded too.

"Meant to be. I like the sound of that." Dot held out her hand. "Wanna go out for a walk?" She smiled happily when Oz grinned in return and took her hand.