Willow wrapped her arms around herself as she patrolled the streets of Sunnydale. She still couldn't help feeling as if she'd stumbled into one of her nightmares and had never been able to wake up. This was real though. . .and that was the real nightmare. Buffy was dead. It was as simple as that. One week ago, Buffy Anne Summers had died saving the world.
Rationally, Willow knew that this day would come, but she'd always hoped that Buffy would have more time. But that wasn't to be. And everything was happening so fast. A new Slayer had been called and would be reporting to Sunnydale with her Watcher soon. Giles had been called back to England by the Watcher's Council.
Evidently, after every Slayer's death, her Watcher would have to give a full report to the council. Giles was flying back to England with Buffy. . .with Buffy's body. Her headstone would be in a Sunnydale cemetery but her body would be in the Slayer's Crypt in England. A special ceremony would be performed in her honor as she was laid to rest. Giles would then have to painstakingly record the events of her death. For the council and for Buffy herself. His Slayer had made him promise to record every detail of her final battle to help the other Slayers.
Willow had seen Giles off at the airport and had organized the Scoobies into patrolling shifts. Word of the Slayer's demise had heated up demonic activity in Sunnydale. Anya and Xander would patrol just after sunset, the calmest time of the night. Willow and Spike divided up the later shift, each agreeing to take half of Sunnydale. Willow was powerful enough now that she had little to fear from the demon population.
Willow was amazed at the depth of feeling the blond vampire had for Buffy. He had truly loved her. He'd become despondent after her death. The only thing he was unliving for now was killing demons and taking care of Dawn. He'd been staying with the girl, offering her his consolation and receiving some from her.
Willow rounded a corner and bumped into the object of her thoughts. "Spike!" she said as she put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. "What are you doing here? This is my half of town." He cocked his head to one side as he looked at her, he seemed a little dazed. Willow took in his bewildered look and brushed a hand across his cheek tentatively, trying to offer support. The poor vamp didn't know if he was coming or going. "Are you alright?"
Spike's lips curled into one of his familiar provocative smiles. He caught her hand as it was about to leave his face and squeezed it before he let go. "I'm fine, luv. Better than I've been in days, in fact. "
"I'm glad, I was worried about you. " She scrunched her nose up as she often did when she was thinking. "Spike, would you like to go somewhere and, uh, have a drink?" She didn't think he would except an offer to talk about his feelings for Buffy. But he needed to or he'd probably lose it, just like he did after Drusilla left. Pretty soon he'd be trying kidnap her again and get her to do a spell.
Spike got closer to her, invading her body space. "A drink, eh? Now that you mention it, I'm very thirsty." He licked his lips.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Spare me the bad ass vampire routine, 'kay? Let's go to my place." Spike seemed stunned for a moment but nodded and followed right behind her.
*******
On the front stoop, Willow issued Spike an invitation. The vampire had smiled so sweetly when she did that she felt bad that she had deinvited him from everyone's house. Once inside, she poured Spike some bourbon from her father's liquor cabinet and also got him a heated mug full of pig's blood. She'd bought some for him so he could drink it during Scooby meetings which were going to be held at her house until Giles returned. She poured a glass of orange juice for herself. Spike quickly tossed back the bourbon and even poured himself more from the bottle but didn't touch the blood. He sniffed it once when she set it down but hadn't picked it up since. Willow looked at him curiously but said nothing. The whims of vampires!
Spike looked at her expectantly. She toed off her shoes, trying to get comfortable. Then she took a deep breath, deciding to speak first. "So, Spike, is there anything you'd like to talk about?"
He frowned. "No. Anything you want to talk about?"
Damn, he was making this hard. Undaunted, she began again. "I imagine this has been a rough week for you, huh?'
He laughed a little bit and shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, pet."
"Try me."
Spike's eyes lazily ran over her from her fiery red hair to the tips of her brightly painted toe nails. "Try you? Well, I never refuse a lady."
"Bloody hell!"
Willow had been staring at Spike the whole time yet she hadn't seen his lips move. But she had distinctly heard his voice. What the hell. . .?
"Red! Get out of there. . . Now!" Willow's head whipped around to see a Spike standing at the window, hands pressed up against the glass. She turned back to Spike sitting at her family's dinner table. Two Spikes?
Willow jumped up and backed away from the grinning Spike who now stood in her kitchen. "You gave me an invitation, pet. You're not gonna back out now, are ya?"
"Get the hell away from her you bleedin' wanker!" Other Spike said from the doorway. A stake was raised in his fist. He stepped inside quickly and held out his hand to her. "Get over here, Red, and stay behind me."
Now, the question was. . . could either of them be trusted? Willow new that she was strong enough to hold off both of them if need be. She just didn't want to use her power on someone she cared about at the minute. Since Buffy's death she'd been unfocused, if she were the slightest bit distracted the real Spike might be ashes in less than a minute.
Spike glared at his twin. "The girl belongs to me. So, sod off!" He smiled sardonically. "Though you are a handsome bloke if I do say so myself." He vamped out then.
Willow shot a look at the recently arrived Spike. She just had a realization, he hadn't called her by her name. "What's my name?"
"Willow!" He smiled. "Good thinkin', luv. Always knew you were the smart one. Let me see. . .you're shaggin' that Tara witch. Xander is your best friend." He tsked. "Though why you bother with that git is beyond me."
Willow raised her hand and shot out a bolt of energy. "Stay!" she commanded and the vampy Spike was trapped behind an energy barrier. She walked up to the edge of it and crossed her arms. "That's better. So, where did you come from?"
His face smoothed back into his human features. "You don't have to look at me so mean, luv. I wasn't going to kill you, just shag the living daylights out of you." He grinned sheepishly. "Well, maybe I was going to take a nip or two of blood from you."
Spike came up behind Willow to glare at his counterpart who, from the look of things, was mentally stripping the young witch. "She's gay, you bleedin' idiot. Tell us what the hell you are doing here and why you have my face."
Spike #2 winked at Willow. "Gay, eh? I'd say you just haven't met the right vampire." He bestowed a derisive glance at his doppelganger. "As for your question. . .why do you I have your face? It's you that has MY bleedin' face. I'm William the Bloody, childe of Angelus. Killer of two Slayers. Who the hell are you?"
Spike and Willow stared at each other, dumbfounded. "I'm calling the other Scoobies. "
