DISCLAIMER: The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel characters are the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and Fox Studios. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2001 by Djinn. This story is Rated PG-13.

Gravity

Part 8 – Payback

by Djinn

"Come on, put your back into it. A Watcher scoffs at gravity." – Giles to Spike, Restless

It was dark and stuffy. Amy tried to move but her body wouldn't cooperate. Magic, she thought dully.

"Help me," she tried to scream. It came out as a croak.

The door opened. Someone stood in the door; a misshapen body was silhouetted in the light that came pouring in. A voice that Amy had hoped never to hear again said mockingly, "Something I can get you, dearest?"

Amy whimpered.

"Didn't think so." The door slammed.

Amy tried to reach out with her mind to Willow and Tara. The way was blocked, warded against just such an attempt. She tried again anyway, made her mental scream as loud as she could. Nothing. "Help me," she whispered again as she lost consciousness.

-------------------------------

"I feel responsible." Giles was pacing.

"It wasn't your fault," Willow assured him. "It was a good plan. We didn't know she'd disappear."

"Think that deratting spell went bad?" Spike asked. He hated to think of Amy running around LA as a rat.

"No." Willow frowned at him. "It's not that kind of spell."

"She didn't want to go," Tara murmured. "I made her get out of the car."

"It's not your fault either," Willow looked around the room. "We don't know that anything bad has happened. There might be a perfectly good reason for her to have dropped out of sight for a while."

The eyes that met hers were skeptical. She shut up.

Faith looked up. "Can't you do some kind of magic to find her?"

Tara shook her head. "We already tried that. It didn't work."

"But it's not like we had that big a connection to her," Willow replied sharply.

"You kept her as a pet for two years, that's not a connection?" Faith seemed to think it was the witches' fault that they couldn't find Tara.

"Well if you know so much about it, you're welcome to try."

"I'm just saying." Faith held up her hands. "Don't get all defensive, Red."

Willow just glared at her.

Giles' voice was gentle. "Faith does have a point. Shouldn't you be linked by the spell you did to resurrect Buffy? That kind of magic bonds people."

Willow shrugged.

"So what do we do?" Xander looked at Spike, then Giles. "Do we go find her?"

"Not till we hear back from Cordelia." Giles sighed. "Hopefully soon."

"I thought she was vision girl now. How come she's not getting anything on this?" Buffy was annoyed.

Giles shrugged helplessly.

Spike looked over at Buffy. She had chosen to sit across the room from him. Her eyes rose to meet his. She gave him a half smile. He returned the smile then forced his face back into a more serious expression.

The phone rang. Willow was closest. "Hello?" She looked surprised. "Hi. Yes I do know who you are. No, I understand. It's ok." She glanced over at Tara. "Yes, she's here. Hold on." She put her hand over the mouthpiece, said to Tara, "You might want to take this in the kitchen."

Tara got up quickly. Willow hung up as soon as Tara started to talk, then she walked into the kitchen.

"Weird time to take a personal call," Faith observed.

Spike tended to agree with her. Who was on the line? He couldn't remember Tara ever getting any personal calls. Strange...although he'd never thought so until now.

Willow returned from the kitchen, looking even more worried. "This is worse than we thought."

"Who is that on the phone?" Giles asked.

"Just a friend. A witch friend. She said there's been some really weird stuff going on in LA. Someone really powerful is doing some very dark magic."

"And this has to do with Amy how?" Buffy looked from Willow to Tara who had just come back in the room.

Tara nodded at Willow, who asked, "Anyone remember Catherine Madison?"

Giles, Xander, and Buffy looked at Willow in disbelief.

"But she's gone. I saw her disappear." Buffy looked at Giles. "She couldn't be back, could she?"

"I don't see how."

"Tara's source thinks she is. Says whoever is doing the magic has a deep tie to Amy."

"How does your source even know Amy?" Anya studied the witches skeptically.

"She doesn't. But she intercepted a cry for help. Very weak, and meant for Willow and me." Tara looked at Giles. "We didn't sense anything. Whoever has her must be blocking her from calling to us."

Willow nodded. "Which explains why we can't find her either." She shot a 'so there' look at Faith. "Anyway, Tara's source says that she can sense a tie between Amy and the person holding her. A familial tie. I guessed it was Amy's mom."

Giles shook his head. "Catherine Madison back? I shudder to think what kind of frame of mind she must be in."

Buffy stood up. "We beat her once. We can do it again. Let's go."

Willow shook her head. Her voice was apologetic, "You didn't really beat her. Magic did."

"I held the mirror that reflected her spell back." Buffy shot back.

Giles cleared his throat. "I'm afraid Willow is right. Slayers really won't be much use in this case."

Spike looked at Buffy. Felt his own insecurity rise. "Maybe there are other reasons for going to LA besides the case?"

Her head snapped up and her eyes met his. "I just want to help."

"You're sure?"

Xander stood up. "Who cares why she wants to go." He looked over at Buffy, gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Buff. But let's focus on what matters. Willow's at least as powerful as that overgrown cheerleader was, right? With Tara and her source, that's three against one."

"We can do it," Tara agreed. She turned to Willow. "We should go now."

The other witch nodded. She looked at Xander. "Can we borrow your car?"

"I'll drive you," he offered.

Anya shook her head. "No you won't. We have a meeting with the minister tomorrow morning."

"Anya, why does an ex-demon want to get married in a church?" Xander rolled his eyes. "Poor Spike can't come in if you do that." He didn't sound very broken up at the thought.

"You believe that old wives' tale?" Spike chortled. "I'll be there."

"An, maybe we should reconsider having that outdoor wedding. You know, the one in the bright sunshine."

She scowled at him. "We're having an evening wedding. I've told you that some of my demon friends won't come out during the day."

"But then Spike couldn't be there either, sweetheart." He smiled winningly at her.

"I don't care. Give Willow the keys before I get my feelings hurt."

He handed them over with a sigh. "I guess we'll be walking to the church?"

She nodded. "The florist is on the way. I can show you the arrangements I've picked out."

"Oh joy." He looked at Willow. "Give us a ride back to our place?"

"You bet. We just need to get some supplies." She and Tara hurried upstairs.

"So no slayers needed?" Faith stood up.

"It would seem not," Giles agreed.

"Can't say I'm sorry to miss LA. Don't have the best memories of that place."

"Me neither," Buffy muttered.

Dawn stood up, looked at her sister. "Well come on then." When Buffy didn't move, Dawn reached down and pulled her off the couch. "Patrol, remember? You aren't getting out of it anymore." She smiled happily.

Buffy grinned back. "Patrol. Wow. I never thought I'd actually be happy to go slaying again. Let me get my stuff." She hurried upstairs.

Faith and Dawn grabbed their own bags. Dawn looked over to where Spike was still sitting. "You coming or what?"

He didn't move. Dawn's question aside, he wasn't sure if he was needed...or wanted. "I think the three of you have it covered."

Buffy heard this as she came back down the stairs. "Afraid to slay with me?" she asked challengingly.

He smiled. "No." He stood up.

"Good." She turned and walked out the door.

He followed her out.

"Good hunting," Giles called after them.

Buffy hung back a bit, let Spike catch up. "You thought I didn't want you with us?"

He shrugged. "Wasn't sure."

"Why?"

He shrugged again.

"Not your normal witty self, are you, Spike. Something wrong?" Her face suddenly fell. "You're not regretting this afternoon, are you?"

He stopped. "God no."

Her relief was plain.

He leaned in. "I could never regret that. Never. Thought maybe you were having second thoughts, though."

"Did I act like I was?"

"No. But I still worried."

She looked at Faith and Dawn. Their backs were turned. She grabbed Spike, kissed him hard. "Don't look for trouble where there isn't any, ok?" she ordered.

He nodded, followed her happily as she hurried to catch up with the others.

Neither noticed the person watching them from the woods.

-------------------------------

"So your mom sounded nice." Willow looked over at Tara who was concentrating on driving. They were going much too fast but so far hadn't run into any police.

"You'll like her." Tara smiled wistfully. "This isn't exactly how I thought we'd all meet though."

"How did your mom know it was Amy?"

"She didn't. She just sensed that the message was for us. And that the person sending it was really scared."

"Poor Amy."

"What do you think her mom is going to do?"

"Last time she stole her body."

"She mentioned that. I sort of thought she was exaggerating."

Willow shook her head. "Nope. She wanted to be a cheerleader again. She was like the best Sunnydale High ever had. They called her Catherine the Great."

"That's scary."

"She's scary, Tara. Where has she been all this time? And why now, why did she come out now?"

"We'll be there soon, sweetheart. Hopefully my mom will know." Tara reached over and took Willow's hand in hers.

Willow thanked her goddesses yet again that she had managed to steal Tara back from Glory. Her lover was too good to be lost that way. "I love you, Tara."

Tara squeezed her hand in reply. They were quiet the rest of the way to LA.

-------------------------------

Light spilled into Amy's prison. A harsh voice spoke several words. Amy could feel control of her body returning.

"Get up."

She staggered to her feet, trying to make legs and arms that had fallen asleep mind her. She stepped out of her prison and looked around. She was in what looked like an apartment. Her prison was a closet. The room she was in connected to a kitchen. Another door led into what seemed to be a bedroom. There were no windows.

"Sit down."

She sat in a straight chair by a wooden table and turned to look at her captor. A gasp of horror escaped her. She turned away.

"Ugly, aren't I?" Her mother pulled her face back, forced her to look at her. Her flesh looked as if it had been melted and reattached to her body. Her features were lumpy and not in the places they should be. She was hideous. "This is your fault. All your fault."

"I didn't have anything to do with it. You tried to kill me and my friends."

"Your friends?" Catherine laughed. "Your friends were responsible for the explosion that made me look like this."

Amy shook her head. "I don't understand."

"God, you are as pathetic as you ever were. Do you know where I went to after that Summers bitch got in the way of my spell?"

Amy shook her head.

"The same place I was going to send you. Into my statue, my award."

Amy gasped in understanding.

"That's right. I had to watch you and the others every day. Then you disappeared. I wondered about that. Thought maybe your father had taken you away." Catherine began to pace. "So I watched the others. Prayed to every dark god I knew that I would be set free. And I got my wish. Did they tell you what happened to the school?"

Amy nodded.

"I thought I was destined to be locked in that statue until someone reversed the spell. I didn't know that if the prison is destroyed, the prisoner goes free." She touched her face. "Only I had to wait till it was destroyed. Metal takes a long time to melt, Amy."

Amy shuddered.

"I was weak but I managed to crawl out of the wreckage before anyone saw me. Found some vampires who brought me here. I've been gaining my strength back since then." She sat down opposite her daughter. "I looked for you as soon as I was strong enough to scry. Saw that you'd gone and trapped yourself in that rat form. Stupid girl. Can't even do a simple spell like that right?"

"I panicked," Amy tried to defend herself.

"You blew it. Just like you screw up everything. I decided to leave you there till I was stronger. But your friends saved me the trouble. They finally figured out the counterspell. And then you came here, to LA, right to me. I couldn't believe my fortune."

"What do you want?" Amy tried not to look at her mother.

"What do I want? What do you think I want?" Catherine grabbed Amy's chin, yanked her face up. "Look at this body. Look at yours. What could I possibly want with you? I think you'll look good in this husk, darling. I know I'll look good in your skin."

Amy sobbed in terror.

"Oh don't worry, Amy. It'll only hurt...forever." She smiled and the expression was purest evil.

Amy tried to rise but her mother's eyes held her captive. "Be still," she ordered.

Amy felt her body again go to sleep. "Don't do this. Please?"

"Don't do this? Too late for that, dear. It's already beginning. Don't you smell the herbs steaming? In twenty-four hours you'll be wearing this grotesque body."

"My friends will help me."

Catherine laughed. "Your friends left you at that shelter all alone. Just how much effort do you think they are going to put out on your behalf? They'll probably be happy that you're gone."

"No, they'll come," Amy argued. But deep down she wasn't sure that they would. "Help me," she thought desperately, suddenly unsure that there was anyone that cared enough to even hear her.

-------------------------------

"Tara, who's your friend?" The young man looked suspicious.

"The reason I can't go out with you, Colin," Tara teased the guard.

"No kidding? Ok, put up your dukes!" He pretended to spar with Willow.

She drew her hand back as if preparing to cast a spell.

"Whoa there, Witchling," he laughed. He turned to Tara as he keyed in the combination to the door. "Your mom's waiting for you in the conjuring room."

"Thanks." She led Willow through the warehouse.

"He seemed pretty mellow."

Tara smiled, remembering how Colin had been one of her first real friends. His easy goodwill had brought her out of the shell that she had erected to protect herself from her family. "Our kind tends to be light-hearted. At least until they need to be something else. Then we can fight."

"Your kind." Willow shook her head. "I still wish you had trusted me with the truth."

"I know." They walked down the stairs. Tara waved at the demons sitting around the communal dinner table. She said several words in her mother's language and a doorway appeared in the wall. They walked through it together. The smell of incense got stronger as they approached an ornately carved door. Tara frowned. "Things must be bad. She's already started working."

Tara knocked three times on the door. Her mother opened it and let them in. Once they had crossed the threshold, she closed the door. "Move toward the middle," she instructed, as she pulled out her athame and rapidly drew a half circle across the door. Blue-green light flared as the half circle joined a bigger circle, completely enclosing them. The woman turned and smiled. "You must be Willow."

"Mrs. Maclay."

"Call me Laurel." She gave Tara a quick hug. "Darling."

"Hi, Mom."

Laurel walked to the altar. "This isn't the way I envisioned us meeting."

"That's because you didn't envision us meeting at all," Willow answered calmly.

"You're right about that," Laurel's smile was genuine. "And not afraid to speak your mind, are you? I can see why Tara loves you." She motioned the girls to the altar. "I've set up a scrying spell. You two can't find the girl, but no one is expecting me to look for her. So let's see what I can find." She pulled a silk cloth off a blackened mirror. Staring intently into it, she began to intone a ritual. "Doerlg euogh ratilssss." The last bit came out as a true hiss as her face morphed into that of a snake.

Tara looked to see Willow's reaction to her mother's transformation. The other witch didn't seem phased, just looked on in curiosity. Then an image began to form in the mirror. They could see Amy as she sat rigidly in a chair. Her voice suddenly rang out. "Help me!"

"Yes, child. Yes, we plan to." Laurel's voice was soft but full of power.

Suddenly someone else was in the picture. Willow gasped as what was left of Catherine Madison peered up at them.

"She can't see us," Tara assured her.

"But she can sense us." Laurel began to chant again. "Cltaith firfsss. Morlkwag!" She yelled the last and the mirror zoomed out to show a neighborhood.

Tara gasped. "That's here. Just down the street. We used to play ball behind that building."

"I guess if you want to stay hidden, you hang where the other people hiding out are." Willow studied the building. "No windows."

"Just the one door," Laurel agreed.

"No sneaking up on her." Tara whispered as the image faded out. "So what now?"

Willow looked down. "We could ask Angel for help."

Laurel shook her head. "Does he have magic?"

Tara shook her head.

"Then we do it alone. The three of us. We can overpower her."

Willow suddenly looked uncertain. "I'm not so good under pressure."

Tara took her hand. "Yes you are. It's just before that you spaz." She grinned at her girlfriend.

"Like now?"

Tara nodded. Then she looked at her mother. "Why are you doing this? All this time hiding, why come out now?"

Laurel's expression was hard. "Because once she finishes with her own daughter, she intends to come after the people that stopped her before. That means Willow, and you too, Tara, if she thinks it will hurt Willow. I swore that I'd never let anyone harm you again. And I meant it." She turned back to the altar. "We have to prepare. What does she want from Amy?"

Willow made a face. "Her body. It's what she's always wanted. Now even more. She looked horrible."

"What happened to her?" Tara's voice was pained.

Willow shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe however she got back here wasn't really meant to be a door? She looked all burnt or something."

Laurel looked up. "I have heard of a sorceress that's been hiring out for dark acts of magic. She's known on the street as Slag." Laurel shook her head in horror. "Now we know why." She looked at Willow. "Your vampire friend may be interested to know that she has been working for that law firm he has gone up against."

Willow nodded. "I'll tell him."

Laurel's face set. "Of course, it will probably be a moot point."

At their looks of confusion, she continued, "She won't give up. I can feel her desperation. This won't end until she has that girl's body. Or until she's dead."

"What if she switches bodies before we can stop her?"

"You know the answer to that, Tara. She'll kill Amy as soon as she's got her body." Laurel's jaw set. "And if that happens, then we will kill her."

"You're so sure we'll win?" Willow asked quietly.

Laurel gave her a strange smile. "Of course we will. We have you on our side."

-------------------------------

Spike had a twitchy feeling. Had been feeling strange all through a fairly uneventful patrol. He looked around again. Nothing looked out of place but that didn't stop him from frowning.

"What's up with you?" Faith looked into the woods he was inspecting. "Is something there?"

He shook his head. "I'm just spooked tonight."

Faith smiled. "Maybe having B along has you all weird."

"Must be." He looked away.

"Or maybe it's because you smell like that expensive perfume she likes so much."

"Guess I got too close when we were sparring." Spike kept his voice even.

"Is that what they're calling it now?" She laughed huskily. "Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. Gotta hand it to you though. Never thought you'd get her."

He gave up on the pretense. "Tricky thing's keeping her."

Faith just nodded. "Sure seems like." She glanced up to where Buffy and Dawn were laughing. "She's in a great mood. If this is what you do for her, keep it up." She grinned wickedly.

He grinned back. "You're trouble."

"Don't I know it." She hurried to catch up with the others.

Spike turned to the woods again. "I know you're out there. I just don't know who you are."

Nothing answered. Not that he'd thought it would. He followed the slayers up the front steps of Buffy's house.

"Something up?" Buffy asked as he walked inside.

"Just a funny feeling."

"You too?" Dawn said. "Like the space between your shoulder blades is all itchy?"

Spike nodded.

Faith looked at Buffy who just shrugged. "No itches here." Fiath looked over to where Giles sat doing his accounts. "Well not that kind of itch anyway."

"Please take her home, Giles," Buffy called.

Her watcher looked up and pushed up his glasses. "What? Oh yes, quite." He gathered up his things. "Much activity tonight?"

"Not much." Buffy shrugged. "Not that I'm complaining. I think I'm out of shape."

"We'll get you back and quick. Like tomorrow when we all start training together." Faith grinned at Dawn.

"Yeah, like I've been waiting all my life to work out with you two." She watched Faith and Giles walk to his car. "See ya," she called.

Dawn ran into the kitchen. "I'm so hungry."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Spike. "I'll be down when she's asleep, ok?"

He nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."

"See that you don't," she said sternly.

He just grinned as he headed for the basement. He could hear the sisters upstairs arguing over something. It was a good sound. He threw his coat over his chair and stretched out on the bed. He lit a cigarette and blew smoke rings up at the ceiling.

He knew Buffy would be a while. It always took Dawn time to settle down after patrol. He let his mind work on whatever had been bothering him outside. He had the feeling that someone or something had been watching them as they patrolled. But in his experience there weren't too many things could trail a vampire and three slayers and not get caught. Whatever this was, it was good. But they were better. Tomorrow night, they'd see who trailed whom.

There was more arguing from upstairs. He strained and realized Buffy was trying to get her sister to go to sleep way before Dawn was ready. "Eager, are you?" he said with a laugh. He was getting antsy himself. He understood Buffy's desire to keep this a secret for now, but he wasn't sure he was going to like all this waiting.

He heard the sisters go upstairs. He waited, then finally he sensed Buffy creeping down the stairs. Feeling mischievous, Spike got up and hid. As Buffy walked in and quietly closed the door, he reached around her neck and pulled her back to him.

She elbowed him hard in the side. He fell back and saw her turn and kick out. He grabbed her leg, pulling her off balance. She landed hard on the cement floor. Without a word she kicked at his leg, knocking him over. He landed just as hard next to her.

"Well that was fun. Is this your idea of foreplay, Spike?" Her eyes were sparkling.

He grinned and pulled her to him. "I think you know better than that." He kissed her, felt her respond to him fiercely. "I like that," he said huskily as she got up and pulled him to his feet.

"You do?" She pulled him to her for another kiss.

Spike felt himself losing control. She didn't have to do anything and he was drowning in her. He stroked her hair. "Want you so much."

"I'm beginning to get that." She removed his clothes, nuzzled him. Her lips on his flesh made him shiver. He decided she was over dressed, took steps to rectify that.

"If it's any consolation," she moaned as he pushed her down to the bed, "the feeling's very mutual."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

"That makes me feel much, much better."

"Thought it might." She pulled him to her.

They didn't say much for quite a while. Just busied themselves with getting reacquainted with each other's bodies and what gave them pleasure. A great deal of pleasure.

"We fit." Buffy's voice was tranquil as she snuggled closer to Spike.

He knew what she meant. Their bodies seemed made for each other. He ran his fingers lightly down her back.

She shivered and nuzzled his neck.

He smiled at her reaction. "Man could get used to this, Buffy."

"So could a woman." She pulled away, studied his face.

"What?" He watched her expression become very serious. "You want to ask me something?"

She nodded. "I was just wondering...how many lovers it takes to get that good?"

He laughed. "Less than you've had, I'd think."

She punched him softly. "No way."

"Who do you think I was out shagging?"

"Well Looney Toons for one."

"Yeah, ok. Dru. For most of my vampire life, I might add."

"You didn't cheat on her?"

"Why would I cheat on her?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Then there was bimbo Barbie."

"Harmony, right." He smiled. "That's two. You make three."

"No."

"You don't make three?" He grinned. "You're just mad because you've had more than I have."

"One more. Big deal."

"And if I hadn't caught that wanker dumping you that day you could claim nothing happened and we were tied."

"You were really not nice to me then."

"I was really not nice to anyone. Bad period."

She snuggled in. He could barely hear her as she said, "It was two more."

"What?"

"Dracula. You forgot him. I know everyone pretty much decided that he was something the monks threw at us to get my blood to make Dawn, but I'm pretty sure I had sex with him."

Spike shook his head. "Doesn't count. He wasn't real. And if you don't have to count him, then I don't have to count the Buffy robot."

"How come? She exists."

"Yeah, but she's not real. Just a machine. You don't really to start counting things with motors, do you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered primly.

"Of course not."

She nodded. "Ok you don't have to count her." She turned over so she could look at him. "There was nobody before you became a vampire? I mean, you were all bad and stuff right?"

"I may have exaggerated the level of my badness."

"By how much?"

He reached for his cigarettes.

"Oh-oh, you're nervous. You always do that when you're nervous."

He lit his cigarette. Offered it to her.

"As if. And don't try to distract me. What were you like before you were turned? Really?"

"Really?" Spike took a deep breath. "I was a failed poet, and a namby-pamby mother's boy."

She started to giggle. "You?"

"Yes." He looked at the ceiling.

"But William the Bloody?"

"The Bloody Awful Poet." He shook his head. "I really don't like to think about it."

She frowned. "So if that's how you were, what made you bad? Was it the demon? "

"What demon?"

She rolled her eyes. "The one that takes over when you become a vampire."

"There is no demon, Buffy. That's a tale the watchers tell you so you feel better about killing us."

She stared at him in confusion.

"Humans don't need a demon to be evil. You should know that by now. It's enough to become a vampire. It makes you strong, frees up all those hormones and urges that people don't normally talk about much less act on."

"So there's no demon?"

He shook his head. "Think about Faith. Did she need a demon to go evil? Or Harmony. Even better example."

"Harmony's an idiot."

"Exactly. What are the odds she'd get saddled with an idiot demon on top of being completely addled already? Pretty slim. The answer is that Harmony stayed Harmony. And because of that, she didn't change all that much."

"Still clueless and basically a weak-willed moron?"

"Now you're getting it. Most of us, when we become a vampire, we can be whatever we want. Can fight back against all the things people mocked us for in the past. Suddenly we're a thing to be feared and that's a heady brew, my lovely slayer. But that's not what made me the way I am."

"What did then?"

"Not what. Who."

"Drusilla?"

He smiled fondly. "No, not Dru. She picked me because she wanted something soft, something that would love her."

"Angel."

"Angelus," he corrected gently. "Bugger beat the crap out of me teaching me to be mean, to be hard." Spike shook his head. "And Darla was just as bad. In her own way, she was even crueler to me. But once I came around, began to show them that I was bad, that I could be dangerous, they eased up. Eventually we became a family."

Buffy didn't say anything.

He looked at her, noticed her eyes were haunted. "You met Angelus. You saw what he was capable of. How would you like to be a newborn in his hands?"

"But he's different now. He has a soul."

"Yeah but whose?" Spike laughed. "Sure wasn't his. That boy was nothing but a lay about from the time he was small. Can't see the Liam I heard about sitting around all brooding and gloomy just cuz he got his soul back. More likely drunk in a pub with a couple of whores on his lap."

"It's not his soul?"

"Well, I don't think so. But I do have a bit of an axe to grind with him."

"Then whose soul is it?"

"How the hell should I know?" Spike felt his good mood evaporating. "Do you really want to talk about Angel?"

She shook her head. "I really don't." She sounded testy too.

"I'm sorry, love. Shouldn't have brought him up." He pushed the hair off her face. "Let's talk about something less irritating. Like me maybe?" He nibbled on her ear.

She was tense, then finally she giggled. "Or me."

"Another good subject." He moved down her neck. "Or you and me. Together. Very close."

She let him push her onto her back. "How close?"

"Very, very close." He kissed her.

"Mmm. Show me?"

"With pleasure," Spike murmured as he proceeded to do just that. Repeatedly.

-------------------------------

Willow felt as if she were climbing up a long tunnel. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to remember where she was. Then she smelled the incense and recalled the spell they had done last night to prepare for this morning's fight. Tara's mother had led them deep into a trance. That had been hours ago. Willow stretched gingerly, expecting to feel stiff. Her body moved with ease. She felt wonderful.

"It's quite effective." Laurel's voice was soft. Willow glanced at her, then at Tara, still deep in trance.

"It is. How did you do that?"

"It's a centering technique. You don't use those?" Laurel didn't seem to expect an answer. She smiled knowingly. "Not that I'm criticizing. You've come a long way in a very short time."

"You can sense that?"

Laurel laughed softly. "No. Tara told me."

"Oh."

"I can sense other things though." Her look turned serious. "Be careful, Willow."

"Oh I'm totally careful." Willow tried to give her a solid smile, knew she failed utterly. "Well after I do something really stupid, then I think of all the ways I could have been more careful."

Tara's mother nodded. "You need to think first, then act. You've been lucky so far."

"But so much of it is instinct. I mean I study the spells, but then the time comes and I just know how to do it, you know?"

"I do. That kind of talent is dangerous. Makes you careless. Learn to center. It doesn't need to take all night. I can teach you if you wish. When this is over."

Willow looked at the other woman. Realized that she hadn't even noticed when her features became human again. "Ok."

Tara started to stir. She opened her eyes, smiled a dreamy smile. "I was with Inanna."

Willow smiled. "Ooh, I was too. It was like in that myth. Where she goes to the underworld to take on Erishkigal?"

Tara looked down, "We were just having pancakes."

Willow looked at Laurel, who shrugged and replied, "Tara has a rather informal relationship with her goddesses."

"She gets breakfast and I get high ritual. Hardly seems fair."

Laurel smiled. "To each what she needs, according to her gifts."

"So is the providence of the goddess. I know. I'm just hungry and divine pancakes sound really tasty."

"They weren't very good," Tara rushed to assure her.

"Liar," Willow smiled at her. "But thanks."

Tara grinned.

Laurel rose in one sinuous movement that Willow instantly envied. "Can you teach me that?"

The woman looked at her in amusement, "It helps to be a snake demon."

"Yeah, I can see where that would come in handy." Willow watched as Tara's mother dipped her finger into some oil that had been warming over a candle. She touched it to Tara's brow, then her throat, then moved to anoint Willow.

"Will you do me?" she asked Willow.

Without a word, Willow stood up and walked to the altar, dipping her finger into the oil. It was pleasantly warm and smelled of myrrh and geranium. She touched it to Laurel's forehead and throat.

"Did you bring your athame?"

Willow nodded and walked over to the bag she had set off to the side of the circle. She dug out Tara's dagger first, handed it to her. The she pulled her own free of the bag. She felt a familiar tingle when she touched it.

"Hold it over the flames."

The witches consecrated their knives, then Laurel handed them small bags on silken cords. "For protection."

Willow smelled it, identified several herbs she knew. She slipped it over her head, tucked it inside her shirt. Her mouth suddenly went dry. They were really doing this. She was going into battle. No slayer to protect her. No watcher to tell her the hundred ways the spell could go wrong. This was the real thing.

"You'll be fine," Tara whispered.

Willow only nodded. "This is that time I spaz."

Laurel opened the circle and they followed her out the door. As they climbed the stairs to the surface, Willow ran through the things the older witch had told them. The best ways to deflect the spells that Catherine was sure to throw at them. The most effective means to bind her power. She tried to focus on those things, not think about how nervous she was. For herself. And for Tara.

The sunlight was a shock. She blinked, trying to get used to the bright light. They needed the daylight. The spell Catherine was working was complex and dark. It would reach full power only after the sun had set. Now, in full day, the magic was gaining strength but still far from ready to use. They had to move now. While Amy was still herself.

Willow heard a noise behind them. Saw a group of Laurel's friends shadowing them.

Laurel caught her glance. "They aren't as strong as we are. But together they can bring down that building. Obliterate whatever's inside. If we fail."

Willow refused to think about that. She grabbed Tara's hand, squeezed it hard. "We won't fail," she said firmly.

Laurel smiled at her approvingly. "No. I don't think we will."

-------------------------------

Spike woke with a jerk. "Buffy?"

She was in his arms, but she wasn't moving. He shook her. "Buffy?"

"She's asleep."

Spike turned quickly. Riley stepped out of the shadows. He held a tranquilizer gun. "I shot her."

"You bastard." Spike went for him, then fell over in pain.

"That pesky chip again. Man that must suck." Riley looked at him. "You might want to get dressed." He walked by Spike and covered Buffy back up, touching her face tenderly. "Don't want her catching cold while she sleeps, which should be for a good long while as long as this thing is working." He covered the tranquilizer dart up with her hair.

Spike pulled on his jeans. "What do you want?"

Riley smiled in a way that made Spike's blood run cold.

"If you hurt her, I swear I'll—"

"Why would I want to hurt her? I love her. You on the other hand." Riley's pulled out a taser and held it to the vampire's arm.

Spike tried to scream but couldn't do more than moan. A second later he quit struggling, his nerves screaming from the shock he'd been given.

Riley leaned in close. "I told you. If you touched her...I'd kill you for real. But I've had a better idea. Let me tell you about it on the way." He picked up a blanket, then slung Spike over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Spike lost consciousness on the way out the door. The last thing he saw was Buffy sleeping peacefully.

-------------------------------

Dawn sat up in bed. Something was terribly wrong. She heard a noise in the living room, then the sound of the door opening. She rushed downstairs and out the front door in time to see Riley dump a blanket-covered Spike into his truck.

"Let him go." She started across the lawn.

He pulled out a stake. "You want him to die?"

She stopped. "Riley, what are you doing?"

"You don't know?" He shrugged. "Ask your sister." His eyes never leaving her, he reached in and turned on the ignition. Then he crawled carefully over Spike, closing the door behind him.

She could tell he still held the stake. She didn't know what to do. "Spike," she whispered helplessly.

Riley drove away fast. Dawn considered running after him, realized she needed to find Buffy. She ran upstairs. Buffy's bed hadn't been slept in. She thought about what Riley had said. Her eyes widened. She tore down to the basement. "Buffy, wake up!" She slapped her sister. "Damn you."

Buffy didn't move. Dawn let her drop, ran up to the kitchen and hit the speed dial for Giles. The watcher answered groggily. "I need Faith," Dawn yelled. "Riley's taken Spike and I can't wake Buffy up and I don't know what to do."

Giles voice was calm. "We'll be right there, Dawn. Just hold on."