REPLAY



Note- Okay, I know that the crystal in Tubula Rasa probably only effected everyone because they were in one place. Let’s overlook that, shall we. How about it works because Willow is trying to banish all the bad events of late, and they were all involved in them.



Warning- This has spoilers for What’s My Line Part 1 and 2







Chapter 14- Uh Oh



It took a moment for Giles to respond.



“I came back as quickly as I could. I had no idea coming back -”



“No! Not when you went away after my jump.” She swallowed. “Before, when . . .”



Giles searched her eyes. “I don’t understand.”



The tears fell then. They slid slowly down her face and she made no attempt at brushing them away. Buffy forced herself to speak slowly in order to get things out right.



“Dawn accidentally did something. She sent us . . . We came . . . This all happened before, Giles. Some things were different, but I’ve been through this all before.”



“Are you saying-?”



“Yes. I’m from the future.”



That was the watcher’s prompt to take hold of his glasses and rip them off. “Dear lord.”



+ + +



“Willow, come on, are you ready?” Dawn shouted up from the foot of the stairs. Tara stood beside her.



Willow appeared. It looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. She had a towel around her body and another around her hair. “Not so much. You go ahead. I’ll just be a sec behind.”



Annoyed, Tara said, “Fine. Come on, Dawn.”



Dawn hesitated. Then she followed the blond outside. She came to a halt on the porch.



“Tara, wait. I think we should go back in. I have a bad feeling. We have to go back and check on Willow,” Dawn said.



Tara processed her words. She nodded. “You’re right, Dawnie. As much as I’d like to trust Will . . . You’re right.”



Both girls went back inside. They stepped into the living just in time to see Willow get up from her crouch by the fireplace. She quickly stuffed something into her pocket. Tara glanced from the smoldering fire to her girlfriend.



“What have you done?” Tara demanded.



There was a long silence. Finally Willow answered.



“I’m fixing things.”



“How? By playing with our minds? I can’t believe that you’d do this. Right after you promised. A week? You can’t even go a day.”



Willow’s eyes flashed. “Don’t you want to be happy again?”



Tara stared. Then she shook her head. “This is hopeless. I thought maybe . . . “



“Willow, you have to reverse whatever you did,” Dawn pleaded.



Willow’s face was hard. “You won’t feel this way after it’s done. No one will remember we even had a fight.”



“Is this how it is going to be? Whenever someone pisses you off you’ll do another spell?”



Dawn gaped. Tara had cursed.



“Maybe,” Willow spat. “I have the power and I don’t plan on wasting it.”



Oh God, Dawn thought. She didn’t recall Willow being this nasty the first time around. Could it be they had managed to intensify Willow’s negative emotions?



Tara held out her hand. “Willow, give me the crystal,” she commanded.



Willow’s eyes widened. She seemed surprised Tara knew which spell she had performed. Her hand cupped over the bulge in her pocket. A blue glow formed around it with protection.



Electricity sparked in Tara’s palms. She held them out.



“Hypocrite!” Willow yelled.



“This is my last resort,” Tara said. “Just give me the crystal willingly. I don’t want to hurt you.”



Willow laughed. “Like you could.”



Dawn took a step back. She wished she had some magical ability besides sending people through time. But she didn’t. She was destined to watch her favorite couple fight, physically.



Then suddenly the world went blank.



+ + +



Spike rushed into The Magic Box. He tossed his raggedy blanket to the floor, stomping on it. Smoke lifted off it. When it disappeared he straightened. He wore a proper brown suit, adorned with a bowtie. A ridiculous padded hat was on his head, also covering his ears.

“Oh, it’s you.”



Spike turned his head. His eyes fell on Anya. She stood at the counter, punching something into the calculator. She barely looked at him. If she noticed his unusual apparel she made no hint of it.



“I thought maybe it was somebody important. Like Xander or a customer,” she went on.



“Right. Sorry to disappoint.” Spike stepped further into the store. “Where’s Buffy?”



Anya swatted her hand in the direction of the backroom. “She’s speaking with Giles about something. I wouldn’t bother them. I got the impression that it was something intense.”



Just then everything spun. Spike and Anya collapsed to the ground.



+ + +



Buffy woke up first. She slowly sat up with a moan.



“Huh?” she muttered, scanning her surroundings. She didn’t recognize the room.



She picked herself up. She opened her senses for anything supernatural. They didn’t pick up anything. She noticed the still form of her watcher.



“Giles!?”



She knelt by his side and shook him.



“Giles?”



It took awhile for Giles to become fully awake. He moaned and opened his eyes.



“Buffy?”



“Giles, something major wiggy is going on. Do you know where we are?”



Giles lifted himself up on his elbows. He glanced around. There were mats on the floor, a pommel horse, and a swinging dummy. He narrowed his eyes.



“No,” he answered slowly.



She offered a hand and helped him get to his feet.



“The last thing I remember is walking back to class. What do you remember?” Buffy questioned.



He thought for a moment. “I was sorting through the watcher journals.”



Rolling her eyes, she said, “You so need to get a life. Didn’t I give you a suggestion to go to the movies once in awhile?”



“I prefer the classics.”



“Come on, My Best Friend’s Wedding is a must see.”



Her watcher looked horrified at the prospect.



There was a scream. Buffy took immediate action. She ran out of the room toward the sound.



Buffy came into an open area. There were shelves of books, herbs, crystals, and archaic statues. She made herself focus on the owner of the scream. It was a woman with blond hair. She wore a pink skirt and colorful printed blouse. She searched blindly for something at her throat. It obviously wasn’t there. A familiar form loomed over her. He quickly made for the neck. Then something unexpected happened. He shrieked, let the woman go, and clutched his head in pain.



“Bloody fucking hell!”



“Spike!” Buffy shouted. She fell into a combat stance.



Spike turned toward her. His features were deformed into that of a monster. He studied her with golden eyes.



“Slayer?”



Laughter spilled out of Buffy. She laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.



“What is so funny?” Spike demanded.



She pointed at him. He looked down and for the first time realized what he was wearing. He snatched off the tweed jacket.



“Might want to loose the hat as well,” Buffy managed to get out.



Spike removed the dreadful hat.



“What is going on?” Spike muttered.



“Good question. I thought I was done with you. You’d think an organ would take your kind out of commission. At least for a little while. You’re like an unlucky penny, you keep coming back.” She paused. “How can a penny be unlucky? I thought all pennies were lucky.”



Her words made Spike freeze. He contemplated their meaning. Dawning spread over his face. He lifted his head and gave her a menacing look.



“You dropped an organ on me,” he accused.



“Don’t act so surprised. That’s what enemies do.”



“You’re going to pay for that,” he snarled.



He flung himself at her. He was stopped by a cross. Giles held it out, defending his slayer.



“I suggest you leave,” Giles said. “As much as I’d love to watch Buffy put an end to you we have a direr situation.”



Spike growled. He hesitated for a moment before bolting the shop.





I’ll try to write more later tonight.