E-MAIL: daschus@adsnet.com
SUMMARY: Buffy is forced into a prophecy involving Spike. Can they both survive it?
DIST/ARCHIVE: Ask first
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Spike, and co. don't belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This version has been toned down from it's original NC-17 version for the purpose of posting it on this site. However, it still uses bad language and mature subjects and so is rated PG-15, please read at your own discretion.
"Giles, where are you?" Buffy said upon entering the library.
"Oh, good, you're back," Giles said, coming out of the stacks on the second floor. His nose was in a book, as usual. "I've been cross-referencing this prophecy with…" he trailed off when he saw Spike standing next to her. "You are aware of-of the fact that Spike is, er, standing beside you?"
Buffy looked at the vampire, then back at Giles. "I know," she said, annoyance in her voice. She went over and sat heavily on a chair. Spike leaned against the checkout counter. "Have I told you how much I hate prophecies?"
The bell rang and students filtered out into the halls. Buffy looked at the clock, then over at Spike. "You might want to move. Xander and Willow will be here any second."
Spike shrugged. "So? It's not bloody likely they'll do anything to me."
"Overconfident much?"
"Uh, Buffy," Giles said, walking down the stairs. "W-would you mind explaining why Spike is-is here, in the library…during the day?"
Buffy opened her mouth to answer when Xander and Willow walked in. "Hi, Giles. Hi, Buffy," Willow greeted. "Hi, Spike." She did a double take of the vampire leaning casually against the counter. "Spike!"
Xander whipped out a cross. Spike winced, but did nothing else.
"Xander, put that away," Buffy said in a tired voice.
"But…"
"Now," she said more sharply.
Xander acquiesced, walking well around the vamp to the table. Willow had already scurried past him and was sitting nervously in front of 'her' computer. "Wait a minute. How can Deadboy Junior be here…in the day?" Xander asked.
"Ask Professor Prophecy," Buffy answered. Spike snickered at her slur towards her Watcher and she glared at him.
"Oh, my," Giles said, understanding what she meant. He removed his glasses, looked at Spike, then back at Buffy. "Oh, dear. You mean that-that…"
"Without going into the gruesome details, you can thank Blondie over there for shoving me into the prophecy trap," Buffy said.
"Uh, do you want to explain to the rest of the peanut gallery?" Xander said.
"Giles, read the good news," the Slayer instructed. Giles nodded, replaced his glasses and retrieved the book. As he reread the prophecy, her eyes started to water again. Shoving back her chair, she ran out of the library.
"I'll, uh, go after her," Willow said, following quickly behind her friend.
Spike could feel a cramp starting in his mid-section and rubbed it uncomfortably. *This could get old real fast,* he thought.
"Quick, Giles, give me a stake," Xander said.
"Don't even try it, mate," Spike said. "You kill me, you kill her."
"What?"
"Xander, as much as I loath to admit it, Spike is correct," Giles said. "According to the prophecy, if one dies, the other dies as-as well."
The vampire shifted on his feet, trying to get rid of the pain in his side. "Will you get that damn Slayer back here," he demanded, pressing on his side. "This is bloody annoying."
"Fascinating," Giles said, removing his glasses again. "'Pain when separated…'"
*****
Buffy was sobbing in the ladies restroom when Willow found her. She was sitting under the window, arms clasped around her knees, and rocking back and forth. The pain in her side was nothing compared to the emotional pain she was feeling.
"Buffy?" Willow said timidly. "Are you ok?"
"No," she answered between sobs. "I'm not."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Willow asked, sitting next to her friend and putting her arm around Buffy's shoulders.
"Oh, Willow," she cried, leaning against the red head. "What did I ever do to deserve this? Was I so awful in my past life? Did I offend some big deity?"
"I'm sure you didn't," Willow comforted.
"Then how is it that Spike got to fuck me and I'm the one who's going to die?" Buffy asked in a harsh voice.
"He did what?"
"Had sex with me, raped me, screwed me," she answered. "And whatever other synonyms you can think of, the bastard."
"I'm so sorry, Buffy," Willow said, holding her friend as she began to cry again.
Xander popped his head into the bathroom after knocking. "Hello? Male coming in." He stepped through the door and, upon hearing his closest friends crying, hurried over to them. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Spike raped her," Willow told him.
Xander swore, then sat down on the other side of Buffy, putting his arm over Willow's on the Slayer's shoulders. "Do you want me to do anything?" he asked softly.
"No," Buffy said, calming down. "If he dies, I'll die. I want to postpone that for as long as I can." The pain at her side was becoming more noticeable. She turned her tear streaked face to Xander. "Why are you here, anyway?"
"Oh, um…Spike was threatening bodily harm if I didn't get you back to the library," Xander answered.
Buffy nodded and stood. She turned on the cold water and splashed her face. Red, puffy eyes stared back at her from the mirror. "Damn. I don't want him to see me like this." She winced and held her side. "But I can't hang around her any longer. C'mon, you two. I have a bone to pick with Spike and I need you, Willow, to enroll him for all my classes, starting tomorrow."
"Why?" Willow asked as the trio headed back to the library.
"Because of this stupid prophecy," the Slayer explained. "It seems that I can't be too far away from him without some major owies."
"But what about the sun…oh, hey! He was already in the library, in the daytime!" Willow said.
"Yeah, another fun bonus," Buffy said sarcastically. "Sun-proofed vamp."
The three entered the library and the pain was immediately gone. Buffy went right up to Spike and punched him hard in the face. His head flew back in impact, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. She did it again, then went for a third strike when the vampire caught her fist.
"You want to have a go at it, Slayer?" he asked, shoving her arm away. "Fine. I'm game."
"Good," Buffy said, taking a step back. They both got into fighting positions, then began to pummel each other. Willow, Giles and Xander all watched as the two tried to beat one another to a pulp. Finally, both exhausted and barely moving, Giles cleared his throat.
"If you two are finished?" he asked. They glared at him, but nodded. "Very well. Buffy, I have taken the liberty of calling your mother. She has arranged for you to be off school for the remainder of the day. I suspect you might want to go home and inform her about the prophecy, seeing as you two will need to share living quarters."
"What!" Xander exclaimed. "She's got to bunk with that blood-sucker? After what he did?"
"Xander, don't," Buffy said, slowly rising to her feet from the library floor. "It happened, there's nothing that can change it, so drop it."
"But…"
The Slayer shut him up with a murderous glare. "Will, call me when you get Spike enrolled."
"Uh…what name should I use? And birthday? And where is he from? What school did he go to?" Willow asked, mouse already moving to open her bookmark for the school records.
"Your call, Spike," she answered, looking at him.
"I don't bloody care," Spike answered. "Pick some school in Brazil. That's what you told that troll in the hall. As for my name, it's William Chapman."
"Got that?" Buffy asked Willow. The hacker nodded. "Good. Giles, do you still want me to patrol tonight?"
"If you could," Giles answered.
"And what am I suppose to do, Slayer?" Spike said.
"Sit on your thumb, for all I care," she snapped back at him. With that, she turned and walked out of the library.
Spike gave the others a smirk. "Well, that was a bit uncalled for," he said, then left as well.
The three stared at the swinging doors, then looked at each other. "Is it true that Buffy's going to die?"
"If the prophecy is-is correct, it is a-a-a foreseeable possibility," Giles answered.
"The we'll just bring her back again," Xander said. "Like with the Master."
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple, Xander," Giles said. "If I am reading it correctly, Buffy has to-to die in order for the child to save the world from…whatever it shall need saving from."
"Well, I won't let it," Xander declared. "Not if it's in my power to stop."
"Do you think we should tell Angel?" Willow asked softly. Xander snorted at the mention of the soul-filled vampire's name, but Giles nodded.
"I think we had better," he said. "Perhaps Xander is-is correct in trying to prevent Buffy's death. If so, we could use all the help we can find."
"I'll go and tell him after school," the red head volunteered. "While it's still light outside."
"And I'll go with you," Xander said. "So Deadboy won't try anything funny."
"Then it is settled," Giles said. The bell rang, signaling the end of third period. "Willow, if you will please stay and finish enrolling Spike here in school. I shall give you a pass to your next class. Xander, you should go ahead to your own class."
"Ok," the boy replied. He picked up his backpack and slowly headed to the door. "See you at lunch, Wills."
After Xander left, Willow turned to Giles. "Spike raped her," she said without preamble.
Giles nodded. "I figured as much. I would kill him myself if it wouldn't end Buffy's life, as well. I-I-I guess I had better get back to-to my books. Maybe there is some way to prevent her from dying at all."
