Replacement by sus

Author: sus
Summary: They were meant to be. The council thought they knew better than The Powers, as well as her friends. An enemy from the future changes the past.
Author's Note:
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Violence, Adult Language, Sexual Situations


Chapter 36: Replacement

Spike woke first. Dreams had plagued him throughout the night, maybe nightmares were a better word. They could be a reaction to Buffy’s tale, or maybe they were sent by The Powers, to show him what could have been, if she hadn’t been attacked. The dreams were something he would have to think about. They had given him even more details than Buffy had provided.

Spike had turned in his sleep. He was now on his side, facing Buffy. He watched her slumber in his arms.

Buffy used an arm as a pillow, the other was around her waist. She sweetly wrinkled her nose, as a strand of hair tickled her.

Spike smiled and removed it, letting her sleep. While he watched Buffy sleep, his mind worked in high gear. He asked himself: could he live without her? Without waking up with her in his arms? And why should he be without her?

Buffy had said, it was up to him. Leave or stay. Nothing was written in stone, they weren’t together in the other time line. After hours of thinking back and forth, he knew that he couldn’t leave her. The question was did he love her enough to claim her? To stay with her forever? To never be with another woman?

Spike hadn’t noticed that Buffy had woken, and was observing him. He was far away.

Buffy closed her eyes again and snuggled into Spike’s body, her nose poking his throat.

Absently, he tightened his arm around her waist.

They didn’t hear Merrick letting Joyce in an hour later, or The couple leaving the house together, not long after.

Soon after, Buffy woke again, she stretched.

"Morning, luv," Spike drawled.

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked sleepy.

"Some."

They locked eyes. Slowly, without thought, their heads moved closer. Spike looked down at her lips and back up.

Buffy moved her hand up his back and licked her lips,as she moved closer.

Spike moved in and nibbled at her lips. He gently pulled her to his chest, giving her an opportunity to pull away.

Instead of moving away, she repaid his nibble with one of her own. Soon they were sharing a soft kiss, that gradually developed into an exploration of each other's mouths.

Spike had started the first kiss; Buffy the second. After that there was no way of telling who started the numerous kisses they shared. It didn’t seem as if they could get enough of each other.

Finally, they broke away, both panting, brows touching.

"I..I don’t want this to go any further, until you know with your mind and heart, that this is what you want," she said breathless, "I want this more than anything. I want you to want it too, and not just because of sexual attraction." She swallowed visibly. "Do you understand?" she asked almost pleading, cupping his cheek.

"I do, and thank you for keeping a clear head." He placed a kiss on her nose. "I think I’m falling in love with you, but I want to be sure. A claiming is forever, not something you can revoke the day after."

Buffy felt as if her heart could explode any minute now. The happiness she felt was overwhelming. "Take as long as you need." She moved onto her back. "I need a shower." Buffy smiled shyly, as she got off the bed. In the shower Buffy got the alone time she needed, and let her tears of happiness run down and mingle with the water.

Spike had given her more than the crumb he had asked for, once upon a time. Buffy had hope, that with time he would be hers, as she was his. She had all the time in the world to wait for him.

They talked, watched a movie, and sparred with each other throughout the day and into the evening. Eventually they both left, Spike for Willy’s and Buffy for Revello Drive.

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In the library, research had begun again as soon as the bell signaled that school was over for the day.

Angel had been at the books night and day. He wouldn’t accept what Giles said, or what he read in the book with the prophecy.

Angel believed that if the prophecy was true, there had to be a way to correct it, and turn Buffy back into the normal girl she was before.

When Willow and Xander entered the library, Angel was pacing. He had a book in one hand, and was running his other hand through his hair.

Oz was sitting on the stairs, calmly watching the show. He had arrived an hour earlier. Giles had caught him on his way out of his last class and convinced him to come and watch the others. The watcher was worried that they were going to do something stupid, but was exhausted. He had hardly slept since Kendra had found the book. Oz wanted to go home, but he had a bad feeling about this.

That was how Oz came to be reluctantly sitting in the library, occasionally turning a page, pretending to read.

"What’s up, dead boy?" Xander automatically let out when he saw Angel. "What's made you this agitated?" He got a look at Angel’s normally impeccable hair, and let out a snicker.

Angel turned and growled at him, his eyes flashing yellow. "Quit it, boy."

Xander jumped back a little; that was a reaction he wasn’t used to. When he saw Angel take a seat at the table, he carefully inched to a chair at the other side, as far away from the vampire he could get.

Angel inhaled deeply, enjoying the intoxicating smell of fear he was getting from Xander.

"What have you found?" Willow asked, pulling out a chair, making sure there was one between her and Xander.

"Only confirmation." Angel slammed the book close. "Giles seem to be right."

Xander had jumped in his seat. To cover it, he mocked, "Have you read all the books?" as he swept his hands over the table, piled high with stacks of books.

Amgel looked at Xander through yellow demon eyes, lips were pulled up in contempt. His eyes had turned back to brown when they looked at Willow. "We have to do something. Buffy thinks she's going to find a suitable mate, but he'll kill her when she turns her back to him." He ran his hands through his hair.

Xander had to raise his book, so he could hide behind it, while he tried to stop the laugh that was worming its way out.

"What about something temporary?" Willow was wringing her hands.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked, his good mood gone.

They were both looking hopefully at Willow, Oz forgotten.

"A spell, just until we find where it all went wrong," she said nervously, "then we can correct it and remove the spell."

"Yeah, she’ll be so grateful. Not being forced to be with a demon," Xander said dreamily. Xander was convinced Buffy would be so grateful, that she would fall into his arms and they would end up dating, maybe even end up married.

"Willow, can I talk with you?" Oz was standing at Willow’s side. "In private, please."

Willow looked up, startled. She had forgotten Oz was there. "Now?"

"Yes, now, in the hallway, please." He walked ahead, positive that Willow would follow.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently, "I don’t have the time."

Oz stared at her, no smile or affection on his face. "Do you think it’s alright to put a spell on a person, without their knowledge or consent?"

"Wh....what?" She wrung her hand. "What do you mean?"

"You heard me!"

"It’s for her own good," Willow said pleading. "We can’t let her get hurt."

"Please, don’t do this." He placed his hands on her arms and started to rub them.

"I have to help her."

"Are you really going to place a spell on your friend, without her knowledge or permission?" he asked softly.

"I have to," Willow claimed.

Oz removed his hands and stepped back. "Then we are over. I can’t be with somebody who would do something like that. See you around." Oz turned and walked away, leaving her standing there.

She desperately called out for him to come back. He didn’t react to her plea. When he turned the corner, she looked at the doors to the library and back to where Oz had disappeared, torn. In the end, she decided to go back to the library.

Oz hurried to his van. A short drive later he was knocking at Giles' door.

A disheveled Giles opened the door, and Oz barged past him, into the living room.

Giles had never before seen Oz this agitated. Normally he was the most collected young man Giles had ever seen. “What happened, Oz?" He showed him to the couch.

Oz sat down on the edge of a cushion. "I just broke up with Willow."

"I’m sorry, Oz." Giles patted him awkward on his shoulder. "What about a cup of tea?"

Oz ignored his offer. "They want to place a spell on her."

"On who?"

"Buffy." He looked up from his hands. "That’s why I broke up with Willow." He looked down again.

Giles got up. "I’ll call Buffy.”

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In the meantime, Angel, Xander and Willow had agreed on a spell, one that would let her forget everything from the day she should have met the master. Buffy would believe she was a normal girl with friends and family, and a calling to save the earth.

They found the correct date, and then they were ready to place a spell on the soul that inhabited the body of Buffy Summers. There was just one thing left to decide: Who would do the spell?

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Buffy’s response to Giles' warning was: "Not again."

"They have done this before?" he asked, pulling off his glasses.

"You, Willow, Xander and Angel have done it before."

"Oh...I..I don’t know what to say. Maybe, I’m sorry would be appropriate?"

Buffy sighed. "How do we make them understand? That Everything is as it should be."

"I don’t know, Buffy, but putting a stop to the spell they are doing right now should be our top priority." Giles rubbed his brow.

Buffy closed her eyes. It was too similar to her memories in the other time line. It hurt. It felt as if somebody had slammed a fist into her chest, and squeezed her heart. "It won't be a problem."

"How can you say that? You can’t just lay down and take it." Giles was getting angry.

"I won't. What I mean is, they won't succeed with the spell. It’s impossible to place a spell on me."

Giles could hear the sadness in her voice. "You sound sad, shouldn’t you be happy about it?"

Buffy sighed, she had just told her life's story to Spike and now this. "It reminds me of why I got the protection spell placed on me. Not something, I want to remember."

Giles cringed. "That bad?"

"I don’t think you want to hear about it, since it involves you."

"I’m sorry."

Buffy could hear his sincerity.

"What now?"

"Now I’m going to stick to my plan for the night. Kendra and I are going to the Bronze in a little while. What do you want to bet that they’ll be showing up there? They always go there to celebrate."

"Yes, you are quite right. May I join you?"

"At the Bronze?" Buffy asked, astonished.

"Yes, at the Bronze. May I offer a ride?"

"Yeah, sure, but why?"

"I want to see their faces, when they realize the spell, they cast didn’t work." Giles was desperately trying to polish his glasses, without dropping the phone. At the moment it was pressed between his shoulder and jaw. "When should I pick you up?"

"Come when you want. Maybe I can convince mom to make you a cup of tea, before we leave." Buffy looked over at her mother, who nodded. "Maybe talk a bit."

"I would be delighted."