Disclaimer: Joss owns the characters of BTVS. I am not making any money off of this fic. Please don't sue me. Beta'd by AtheneHahn

A/N: Written in answer to Redwolf50's Challenge 109. Challenge details at the end.

by Jackofspikes

Chapter 45

"I've been thinking about it and I just don't understand," Buffy said. Noting the look of confusion on his face, she was quick to elaborate. "Oh! Not about the whole Xander and the encroaching darkness thingy. I mean the memory thing. That, I don't get. They're from a different dimension or something, so why are their memories changing and how does this whole claim-y thing work? It just seems like a big step to take when we haven't known each other very long. Not saying no," she rushed to assure him. "But, you know..." she trailed off in confusion.

Wolfie regarded the miserable girl with sympathetic eyes. She was so very young. So much love to give to the world and yet unable to cope with the constant barrage of loss that life would throw her way, or, as in Joan's case, had already thrown her way. He couldn't help but believe that the introduction at this point in time of a loyal Spike might just make all the difference. She might still know heartbreak, but maybe now she wouldn't have to go through it alone.

Taking a deep breath, the clear seeing Sasquatch attempted to clarify things for the confused slayer.

"I'll try," he told her, smiling. "You are the Buffy of Joan's past. But Joan may not be the Buffy that you are to become. I want you to imagine that you are sitting at a desk and in front of you on the desk are an apple and an orange. You have four main choices; take an apple; take an orange; take neither; take both. Let's say you choose the apple and move away, but when you look back, there is another Buffy facing the same four choices. This continues until there are four Buffys, each with a different choice. You look around and you notice that it's not just Buffy that this is happening to, it's everyone. Every time there are different possibilities, a new dimension is created. The Buffy that sat down at the desk originally is the past Buffy to the other four, but the Buffy she will become will be determined by her choices and the consequences of those choices.

"Joan's choices so far have altered events already. They have affected your choices. And in turn, your choices affect Joan because you are her past. If you do anything differently than what she did when she was you, the new memories replace the old ones. However, when you reach the point in time where you choose the apple and she chooses the orange, the separation will be complete. She will continue on with her new timeline as will you with yours."

"But Xander and Jonathan said that that was in about four years. Wouldn't that also change if we're changing events? You know; making different choices?" Buffy asked ingenuously.

Wolfie's eyes shot wide open with the implications of her simple question.

"Shit!"

Buffy watched in amusement as the Bigfoot raced towards the library. She idly wondered if he would remember to return to her so they cold finish their talk.

~*~*~

"The circumstances have changed." Wolfie spoke directly to Xander as soon as he re-entered the library.

"Huh?" Xander sensed this was important, but he was a little lost on the subject matter.

Wolfie took a deep breath; a much needed pause so that he could gather his chaotic thoughts. "The dimension that Joan and William are from wasn't created until a certain number of other dimensions came into being first. But that's all changed now. We have no idea how long it will take for the dimensions to split again."

"How does this affect Joan and William?" Joyce demanded. One good look at her daughter and she knew that the older version of her Buffy needed to be first priority.

"Um...well, it's potentially good news," Xander replied with exaggerated zeal.

"Potentially?" William asked, eyebrow lifted in derision as he stubbornly clung to his knowledge that the whelp treated him like dirt and no visit down memory lane was going to stop that.

Xander and Spike shared a look, neither understanding the animosity that they both felt clearly coming from the pure vampire.

"Potentially, your dimension could split off at any time from now on." Glancing quickly away from Joan, he told them the rest. "But it also means that you could be stuck here for longer than four years, too. There's just no way to know for sure. We can probably come up with couple of theories, but nothing concrete."

One look at Joan's stricken face was enough to tell them all that leaving the situation as it was, was just not acceptable.

~*~*~

"Sorry about that," Wolfie apologised to the little blond slayer as he returned to her side.

Buffy smiled before asking how her question had effected the situation.

"It means that Joan and William could either leave us at any time, or they could be stuck here for longer than four years." Wolfie informed her honestly. He was of the opinion that the teenager was not one to be patronised.

"Oh! She's so not gonna take that well," Buffy responded sagely.

"No," the representative from the Powers That Be replied sadly. "So, where were we?"

"Well, I think I'm covered with the whole dimension confusion, and I sorta get the memory thing, but not quite all up with the why it's getting worse or anything to do with the claim. I don't really get why it's so important or what the difference is going to be or how it's done." Buffy blurted out with a rush. It was times like this that she really wished that she had more Willow-like smarts. Hell, she'd take Xander-like smarts at this stage...as long as she didn't have to dress like him, that is.

"The problem is caused by a group of factors. The memories are just a part of it. The other parts are what you can help with by claiming Spike." Wolfie tried to make it easier for the girl to understand. "As it stands, the claim that Joan placed on William is sort of amplifying all that's coming from you and Spike. Everything that you're saying or doing is being delivered to the both of them in surround sound and at aggravated levels." The Sasquatch needed to ensure that she totally understood what her older self and the pure vampire were experiencing. "If this continues for too long, they will become so inundated with memories that they will end up in a coma-like state."

Buffy's horror was genuine. She silently berated herself for her complete self-absorption. She'd had no clue that things had been so difficult for the older couple. She had been too busy coping with the wigginess that was Angel and the total hotness that was Spike. The fact that they were apparently in deep trouble had never even crossed her mind.

~*~*~

"I claim you, Spike of Aurelius, in the name of the Summers women." Buffy's voice was strong and firm, drawing all eyes to her. Joyce and Dawn moved swiftly to her side and the three Summer's women faced the gobsmacked vampire. "You are ours."

His whispered "yours" echoed clearly through the room.

Joan sighed in relief, just before she fainted.