Second the First

By Heather Martin

Rated- PG13 (bad language mostly)

Disclaimer- Joss owns everything important in this life (Buffy TVS and Angel)

Summary- Sequel to Replay. It has been months and Spike still hasn’t come home from his journey to Africa. Buffy goes in search of him, not only because of her aching heart but also because he is vital against the battle with the First. When she finds him, will he be the Spike she knew?


Chapter 5- It Starts

Xander laughed. He gestured toward Dawn. “Our kidder. Dawn always says stuff like that. Just yesterday she called me a leprechaun because I was wearing green.” He forced some more laughter and then abruptly ceased it.

There was a span of silence. Everyone eyed each other with uncertainty.

Anya jumped up off Xander’s lap. “Oh come on!” she snapped. “They deserve the truth. Secrets and lies lead to bad things. And not just to men, but women as well. I’ve heard stories about what male vengeance demons do to women who lie.”

“They have male vengeance demons?” Willow asked. She shifted in her seat.

“Of course,” Anya said. “But they aren’t clients of D’ Hoffryn. They’re more of an opposition actually. I remember this one time right after I made this guy’s penis shrivel up he called upon a male vengeance demon to make his ex’s breasts burst to get back at her. Seriously, little pieces-“

“Ahn!” Xander shrieked. “Maybe one of us would like to eat in the next few hours.”

Anya shut up. She looked sheepish and sat back down.

Buffy’s hands shook from the tension in the room. She stuffed them into her pockets and scanned the place wildly. Dawn looked horrified, Willow and Tara were uncomfortable, Xander was miffed at Anya, Anya was upset about having to be silent, Velvet was unreadable, and William had this expression of . . . comprehension? Enlightenment? He was okay with the news.

“I was going to tell you eventually,” Buffy said.

William turned his head.

“I didn’t want to scare you.”

“I should be,” William said. “But for some reason I’m not. I was more scared when I didn’t know.” He glanced at Velvet. “Now we know what was going on.”

“What was going on?” Buffy asked.

Velvet opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“I sucked the blood from her cut finger. And my eyes turned golden. Funny, though. I always thought vampires were creatures of darkness.” He touched his chest. “I have a heartbeat and don’t feel evil.”

“You went to Africa to get a soul. Or at least that’s what I thought. But something more must have happened. You’re like an alive vampire, I guess.”

“Dear lord.”

Xander laughed. Everyone looked over at him.

“Sorry,” Xander said. “But he said it exactly like Giles.”

Buffy shook her head. She turned her attention back to William. “What you remember is true, but it is your life before you got turned. Somehow the last hundred and twenty-something years got wiped clean.”
“But you think you can retrieve them?” William questioned.

“We can try.” Buffy signaled to Willow and Tara. “That’s Willow and Tara, they’re witches. They might be able to come up with a spell to retrieve your lost memories.”

Buffy was amazed at how well William was handling this. She wondered if somewhere he knew things. If that was true, then all they had to do was surface that knowledge. Velvet, on the other hand, wasn’t dealing.

“Are you all right, Velvet?”

Velvet jerked. Her body trembled. William stepped over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Velvet?” William asked softly.

A dam broke and tears slipped from Velvet’s eyes. Most people fainted when they learned about vampires and demons. Buffy never saw anyone react this way. She watched William soothe his friend with gentle touches and murmurings. A pang of jealousy rose up inside Buffy. She couldn’t help but wish that his arms were around her instead.

If he never remembers. . .? He was sorry for hugging me when we first met. Will he ever want to be close? Buffy bit her lip.

“It’s still me,” William told Velvet.

“That’s not it,” Velvet confessed. “It’s just- I watch the news and see people getting murdered. We don’t need demons in the world too.”

“That’s why we fight,” Buffy declared. She took her finger and waved it around and all the scoobies. “We’re the vampire dusters.”

Velvet stared blankly.

“Vampires go poof,” Willow said.

“Buffy does most of the work,” Tara added.

Buffy looked at everyone meaningfully. “I’m just the muscle. Everyone has an important part to play. Speaking of parts, where is our book-wormy part?”

“Giles is watching the store so I won’t lose money,” Anya said. She glanced at her watch. “He should be closing it now.”

“He’s also reading up on the dead-one’s issue.” Xander paused. “Guess I can’t call him that anymore.”

“Is there anywhere Velvet can rest?” William inquired.

Velvet shrugged off his arm. “I’m fine!” she protested.

Stretching, Buffy said, “Well, I think I’m going to catch some z’s. It’s been a big two days. Velvet can sleep on the couch. And William . . .”

“Don’t go to much trouble,” William said. “Anywhere is fine.”

Buffy wanted to grab his arm and haul him upstairs. She knew he wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t even sure if he wanted to have that sort of relationship with her. For all she knew he could have a thing for Velvet.

“We have a cot downstairs.” She couldn’t believe she what she was saying. She promised herself Spike would never end up in the creepy basement again.

She led him downstairs, grabbing some sheets and a pillow on the way. The cot was shoved in the corner. She dragged it out and unfolded it. Then she started to make it up.

The basement was dark and chilly. There were a few cobwebs near the ceiling. There were boxes against the other wall that they hadn’t touched in years. The scene was fitting for Spike the first time around, but now Buffy felt guilty for putting him up down here. What if he feels like I’m wanting to get him out of way?

“I can do that,” William said. “Don’t bother.”

“Are-Are you sure you won’t be too cold down here?” My bed is all toasty warm. My floor is warm too.

“I’ll be fine.”

Her heart squeezed from disappointment and longing. “Oh. Ok. But if you need anything . . .”

“Thank you.”

She forced a smile. She turned to leave.

“Good night.”

“Good night,” she whispered.

Buffy hurried upstairs and shut the door. She pressed her palm against the barrier and began to cry. She wanted her Spike-Spike back. She wanted him under the covers with her. She wanted the smell of tobacco again. She wanted his rich accented voice, not this proper and polite language.

I never should have let him leave, Buffy thought. She pried herself away from the basement door and towards her room.

* * * * * * *

William thought himself a light sleeper. Now he realized it was his vampiric hearing that awakened him so frequently. His eyes fluttered open. Murmurings filtered down from above him. He couldn’t make them out, but he recognized them as feminine. He rolled over and decided to go back to sleep. He lay there for awhile but couldn’t drift off again.

His mother used to heat milk up for him whenever he had a bad dream as a child. Maybe warm milk would help him relax enough to go back to sleep. He swung his legs over the cot and got up. There was no light on but he found his way to the steps with no trouble.

Why didn’t I realize my potent senses before? he asked himself.

The voice became clearer as he ascended the stairs. He halted at the top. He knew then that it was Buffy speaking.

He heard her give a great sigh. “Yes, it was the same dream. She got stabbed and I heard ‘From Beneath you it Devours’. We have to gather the girls now, Giles.”

Giles? That was the bookish man they had mentioned earlier. She must be on the phone with him, William reasoned.

“Willow and Tara can keep investigating Spike. You focus on the potentials.”

William pressed his ear against the wood. Potential what?

There was a moment where Buffy didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know,” Buffy finally said. “We haven’t tested him. But I can’t picture him handling a weapon even if he has the strength. He’s not Spike, Giles. I need Spike back. Not just for me. He’s important in this battle. I’m not sure we can win against The First without him.”

William sucked in a breath. He was useless. He always knew it, but to hear her say it. . .

Let me out.

“What?” William said outloud.

She needs me, not you.

William looked around, but saw no one there.

I’m not out there. I’m in here, you git.

“Who are you?”

William could feel the presence then. It was full of strength and cockiness.

Allow me to introduce myself. Name’s Spike.
______________________________________________

*Evil laughter* Any ideas as to what is going on with Spike yet? If not, it’ll be explained later.