MALLS, VAMPIRES, AND SECRETS
The thing I don't get about malls is the elevator music they play through the whole building while you're shopping. Don't they know people hate it? At least I do. It could be just me. And how come I think they put subliminal messages in it so people'll buy stuff? Well it's working. Thank God it's mom's credit card. Hey, I'm smart enough to know that if *I* get one, I'll be in debt forever. No thank you.
It's a group mall excursion. Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, Riley, and me. Mom insisted that I go out and have fun. I'm here under her orders. She took sleeping pills, so she'll rest most of the day.
Will and I should be patting ourselves on our backs. We've been very good. Been showing total restraint. But the guilt has ruined the intimacy. Mine, anyway. Riley and I haven't had sex in over a week. Ever since the kiss. I just keep telling him it's because he's not fully healed from the operation yet and that I don't want to hurt him. It's worked so far.
What I don't get is how I used to be able to just walk next to Willow, or be next to her, nothing else. I look at her now, and I want to kiss her. It doesn't have to be long or oxygen depriving, just a kiss. Which, I have to remind you, we haven't done in over a week.
Yes. It's about time. The thing about holding many bags in two hands, and walking around window shopping for hours, and drinking soda every chance I get, is it all makes you have to go to the bathroom. And it just so happens that there's one right across from us. I look up at Riley.
"I have to go to the Little Slayers Room." I tell him. "I'll be right back."
"Here, let me hold the bags."
"Don't worry about it. I can manage."
"Really, it's okay, Buffy. They'll be waiting for you, I swear."
I hand them over with a smile I hope isn't sad-looking.
"Thank you." Turning toward Willow, I give her a subtle nod in the direction of the bathroom.
"Do they let witches into the Little Slayers Room?" She asks me. "Uh...I gotta go too."
"I think I can get you in."
We separate from our friends and head off.
***
We're alone. Malls always make you walk a mile to get to the bathrooms. I mean, I like the exercise, the bending and movement build the muscles and all, but all energy is supposed to be focused on bladder control. And what happens if people get too exhausted to hold it? Potty training goes out the window, that's what. I'm gonna complain. All those years of practice down the drain.
Oh wait. I'm only pretending I have to go so I could be in here with Buffy. Silly me.
She's comes out of the stall, and washes her hands at the sink.
"All better?" I ask, getting paper towels out of the dispenser for her.
"Yes...and...no."
She doesn't have to explain. I feel the same way. I still remember the way her mouth felt. Some things you never forget how they feel. Like sandpaper. Rough and itchy. But Buffy's lips aren't like sandpaper. Opposite. Completely opposite. They were soft, and "Buffy-lips" like. What else can I say? There's nothing else like them, so I had to make them a descriptive word. You won't know what I mean unless you kiss her, which you never will, so...that was mean, wasn't it? Bad Willow.
"I know we promised we wouldn't again until we were un-taken, but who knows when that'll happen? When's a good time to break up with someone? It's not like I've had practice. Neither have you. We could be with Tara and Riley for awhile. And I have more of a reason to break up than you do, too. Not that I'm asking you to break up. I would never -"
She stops, and we're both kind of shocked.
"I babbled, didn't I?"
"Uh huh."
"It's exhausting."
"Uh huh."
"How do you do it?"
"Practice."
"How do you practice babble?"
I blush. "Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and start off by saying something, and just see where I go...ooh, and sometimes the babbles get filed away for later use, but most of the time I just make them up as I go along, and you say a lot of words really fast in a babble, hand movements happen sometimes too, and, " I'm moving my hands, "I've learned how to take quick breaths so I can keep going, but sometimes," I'm slowing down, "I run out of things to say. I'm still working on closure."
"Looks like I've got a lot to learn." She's smiling at me. A real smile. I don't get to see one that much. "Be my teacher?"
"I don't know, Buffy. I'd need you one hundred and twenty percent committed. And then there's the secret Babbler's Oath. It'll be grueling, it'll be hard, but most of all, it'll be...pretty confusing."
She raises her right hand.
"No! We can't do it here!" I tell her quietly. "Too public."
Moving closer to me. Yay! And also...uh oh.
"You're being so *you*."
Why does she sound upset? Isn't that a good thing?
"Um...who do you want me to be?"
"If you weren't, we could leave here and I wouldn't want to kiss you.
Well, I'd still want to, but I wouldn't need to. Right now."
I'm biting my lip, and she puts her finger on it. I knew this was gonna happen, and if I admit it to myself, that's why I came in here with her.
"Can I?"
I'm reduced to nodding. When the contact comes, I close my eyes. It's quick, but it's really, really nice. I already miss it.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"One more?"
Just as we're about to, Anya comes in, and trying not to look suspicious, we turn and face her. It doesn't look like she suspects anything, she just looks annoyed. What else is new?
"Xander thought you fell in. I knew you didn't. He owes me five dollars."
I'll pay her twenty to go away. Or vanish off the face of the earth.
Hey, I wonder if I can do that?
Anya goes right back out, and Buffy takes a deep breath and puts her head on my shoulder.
***
We join the gang, and I feel like we're going to our separate corners. I don't think a boxing analogy's the way to go. We're not trying to knock each other out. Sorry, you're gonna have to live without an analogy. I only have one thought running through my head. The whole "Willow and me" thing is funny. Not funny "ha ha", funny "how things can change in a millisecond" funny.
I'm not surprised, and it's not even that big of a deal. You'd think it would be. It could be that it hasn't really hit me yet, but I don't think that's it. Things were pretty clear to me when I kissed her in the bathroom. And as if I wasn't a horrible person the first time it happened, now I'm scum. I'm not talking about that stuff they serve at McDonald's, either.
Xander and Anya are sitting down by one of the penny fountains. I know what would make me less than scum. Stealing all those pennies. God. Then I'd be Spike.
Willow's looking down at the water.
"When I was little, I thought you couldn't put your hand in there."
"You...can't, Will." Xander says slowly.
"I know it's a mall no-no. I used to think that the water was a force field protecting the pennies and you really *couldn't* get to them."
"That's what happens when your parents raise you with reruns of the original Star Trek."
"It was Sesame Street too!" She insists.
"Yeah, and you always wanted to beam over to Ernie and Bert's apartment."
Willow's flustered. I see that in a totally new light now.
"I think it's cute." Tara assures her.
So do I! I just can't say it out loud! Torture! Uh oh. Slayer sense going off. Where's it coming...Riley sees that I'm distracted.
"What is it?"
"Stay here."
Willow's looking at me as I get up.
"Buffy?"
"I'll be right back." I promise her.
Moving through the crowd, turning the corner, I see his hair entering through the glass doors before I see the body. He's got some nerve coming up to *me*.
"I thought I sensed a threat. Looks like I was wrong." I say to him, thick with sarcasm.
"Hello to you too, Slayer." He smirks.
Wait a second. "How'd you get in, Spike?"
"Maybe you should have a look outside. The forecast has changed just a bit."
He's right. The sun's gone. Total darkness. At one in the afternoon.
"I'm here to watch the fireworks."
"What are you talking about?"
"Trust your instincts, luv. There's plenty of threats on the way."
***
Something is very wrong.
"Where'd all the people go?" Xander asks.
Told you. And where's Buffy?
"I don't know, but I don't like this." Anya says.
One minute, people. The next minute, no people. There wasn't even a light or anything magicky. They just disappeared before our eyes. Why are we still here? Buffy...is coming. Whew. Spike is with her?
"What's he doing here?" Riley asks Buffy.
"Claiming to be innocent, apparently." She answers, as Spike holds up his hands. "But I think he knows more than he's saying." When Buffy glares, it's scary.
"Let's see if I can beat it out of him."
"Back off, Cowboy." Spike tells him. "All I know is that somebody scrounged up a whole mess of vampires, and they were coming here. But I wouldn't fret, maybe the Gap's just having a sale."
"Glory." Tara says quietly, and we all turn.
"Glory?" I ask.
"Hallelujah?" Xander adds. His comedy timing gets worse and worse.
"She believes you to be no threat to her. You have one chance to prove her wrong."
Where'd that come from? We turn back around, and there's a vampire in all black, looking at us. Gloves, outfit, long hair...all black. Creepy. Shudder.
"And you are?" Buffy asks him, in full slayer-mode.
"That's not important. If I were you, I'd concentrate on surviving." Spike's trying to make an exit. "You will stay. You cannot fight with our kind, so therefore, you are with them."
"That's not very fair, mate." He's almost whining. I was frightened of him once? To think I wasted my fear adrenaline on him. Huff.
"You're perceptive."
"Bloody hell."
"Shut up, Spike." Buffy cuts off any more words from him. Internal cheering. "What did you do with the people that were in here?"
"Whether or not you or your friends live, they will be returned here unharmed."
"Noble."
"Hardly. They would have been distractions for you." The vampire looks at Spike. "And shields for him. She wants the key. She'd prefer it if you lived through this so you can tell her where it is, but if not, she'll find it on her own."
"She's not going to get it."
"Brave. But enough words."
Vampires start coming from every direction on the first floor, and they're gathering on the second, too. Whoever that one was, he just vanished. Poof. There's a lot of that today. We huddle near Buffy and look around.
"Okay, first thing's first." She says. "We're all here, right?"
No. We're not. Scared now.
"Where'd Tara go?"
***
Fifteen above, fifteen down here. He was obviously working for her, and I still don't know who she is. I hate things that beat the crap out of me. As much as I hate the idea, we can't stay together. The vampire was talking to all of us, so that means I'm not the only target. And if I tell them to go hide, it means I've learned nothing from last year. They trust you, Buffy. So trust them.
Okay. We can split off into two groups of three.
"Is everyone carrying?" I ask.
They all nod. Good. We all have one stake, one cross, one bottle of holywater. The vamps are advancing.
"Here's what we'll do. Riley, Xander, Spike, go check to see if the doors are locked. They probably are, but if we can get outta here, I wanna know."
"On it, Buff." Xander says.
Spike's about protest.
"If anything happens to them -"
"You'll stake me."
"Uh...right." I've gotta start coming through on my threats. I think I'm becoming predictable. "Anya, Willow, you two are with me. There's thirty vampires. Local. That other one was...doesn't matter. If we have any chance at all, we need more weapons."
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Buffy?" Riley asks.
"It's the only one we have time for. We'll meet at the food court in fifteen minutes. You get in trouble, you yell." Willow's pouting, and it breaks my heart. "And watch for Tara."
Spike shifts to game face. "Let's have some fun, children."
We start running in separate directions. You know, if I paid any attention to the odds, I'd say we're in big trouble. But I don't, and...we're still in big trouble.
***
Tara's gone. Tara's gone. Tara's gone. I love Buffy. No! The only thing that matters is finding Tara. And uh, getting out of here alive. Sears is really an all-purpose store. Clothes, power tools, rifles...the vampires must think so too, cause three of them followed us in here.
"Duck, Will!"
I jam my stake back into his stomach, instead. Buffy looks pleasantly shocked.
"I've been working on my stake hiding technique. They don't see it coming." I tell her.
We hear firing coming from the power tools department.
"Anya!" We scream together, running.
By the time we get there, Anya's pressing a cross on the vampire's head, and he's full of nails. I see a nail gun on the floor. I never knew she had such good aim. Maybe I should be nicer to her.
"Bastard." She says, staking him. "He ripped my shirt. Giles is going to have to raise the amount of my payment checks."
"Why am I even here?" Buffy asks rhetorically. "You obviously don't need me to slay."
"Of course we need you!" She's doubting her worth. Not while I'm around, mister. "What about the big demons? 'Ending the world' ones?"
"I guess..."
I put my arm around her shoulders. "I can't save the world. I try. I mean, I give to UNICEF when the kids come around. Don't you love the little orange boxes? But saving the world so it'll still be here tomorrow, you know how to do that really well. Nobody's better."
"Sure know how to make a slayer feel special, don't you?"
"Only cause you make it so easy." I say quickly.
We're looking at each other in *that* way, but we have to pass up the moment. The last thing we need is Anya knowing about us.
"How about we get some rifles or make more stakes before their friends
show up? You can die, but I have life things to accomplish. Like
getting a dog or another four legged creature of some kind."
I'm getting good at fake smiles. We both are. Following Anya now.
"He was with that girl you talked about, wasn't he?" I ask. "That vampire?"
Buffy nods. "Glory. I wonder if that's..."
Isn't that what Tara said?
"Huh?"
"It's nothing."
***
She's here. She's here and soon I'll have to stop. I have good reasons. I never meant to get so attached to Willow, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to leave them either, but Buffy knows what she's doing. I come into Dawn's room. The poor girl has no idea what she is.
Dawn's lying on her bed, writing in her diary. I could do it now, but I won't. She's human, she's innocent. It's not right. She looks up and jumps.
"Tara!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to -"
"It's okay, but could you be a little louder next time?"
She closes her diary and sticks it in her bureau.
"How's your mom?" I ask.
She gets sad. "She's still sick."
"Yeah...I...saw her on the couch. I'm sure she'll get better."
"That's what Buffy keeps saying. If she's gonna die or something, you can tell me. I can take it. I'm not nine."
"No!" That was louder than I thought it would be. "She isn't going to
die." I finish softly.
She seems happy with that.
"Where is Buffy, anyway?"
"At...the mall."
"She went to the mall and didn't tell me? That is like so - unless Buffy and Willow are kissing. Then I don't want to be there. Willow's nicer then Riley though. She treats me like a grownup."
"You don't want to be there right now. Not cause they're..."
I flush. I'm sad, but I don't deserve her. I never did. We're both quiet for a few minutes.
"Hey Tara?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you say they would hate us? Were we really gonna make them cry?"
Because we both have secrets. Only you don't know you have one, and I was planning on...and I was trying to get you to...I'm not going to tell her anything, Dawn. At least, I hope I won't.
"Not you. Only me. I'm the real outsider."
"Why?"
I need to go. "I need to go."
"Um...whatever."
As I turn around, I know she's looking at me with her "Sometimes I think you're a spaz, but I still like you" face. Everything is gonna come out soon. It's a good thing Willow has somebody no matter what happens.
***
"Is there a reason you chose the food court?" Xander yells to me, elbowing a vampire in the face.
"I was thinking of eating a hotdog at the time!" I respond.
"Real strategic planning!"
He wants to be sarcastic and question me, huh? I throw a vampire to the other side of the court, and it lands on a table that breaks under it. One of the wooden pieces must have hit the heart, cause the next thing I see is dust. Heh. Showed him.
Pure luck, but I'm not telling him that.
"Spike!" I scream. He's having fun with the deep fryer in one of the fast food places. "Stop trying to cook his head and kill him!"
"Make me!"
"Don't tempt me!"
I look over at Riley. He's holding one of the rifles we got from Sears. He's aiming at the vampire Xander's tackling.
"Get clear!"
Xander rolls out of the way, and Riley shoots the vampire in the head. It drops, and going over to finish the job, Xander stakes it with a broken table leg. They've got the teamwork thing down, I'm impressed. Must be the military training. Willow's got two vampires heading for her. How come that gets me panicky and she doesn't even look upset?
"Ignis incende lamias." She says, waving her hand at them.
The vampires are burning to death. I really have to start looking into the magick deal. I *literally* have a girl who can light my fire. That has its pluses and minuses, though. We've taken out most of them, and the doors are locked. Wonderful. Everyone's looking at me for the next move. Being the leader isn't all it's cracked up to be, you know.
I'm really worried about Dawn. What if that red dress wearing, blonde Cordelia, and psycho-Faith wannabe, or whatever she is, knows that Dawn's the Key and is going after her right now? While I'm distracted and busy in here? My back is still in pain, and she doesn't look all there, if you catch my drift. Honestly, what kind of super villain wears heels?
We need to finish this and get out. I'm not going to tell Willow, but I don't think Tara's here. She mentioned "Glory" and then conveniently took off when that vampire appeared. Am I the only one who thinks something doesn't add up?
I wonder if I should tell everyone about Dawn? Maybe. Not totally decided yet. They probably wouldn't believe me. Plus, it would turn their whole concept of reality upside down and inside out. Mom's still sick, and I'm definitely not going to tell her. And Dawn...whether I like it or not, I have a little sister. It's not that bad, and I'm not going to let anything happen to her.
"Who's keeping track of the numbers?" I ask.
"We got twenty-two of the wankers." Spike says, finally joining us.
"That leaves eight still around here somewhere." Riley figures.
"GI Joe can count." Spike says in mock praise. "He's a real catch, Slayer."
"Let's see how high you can count before I drive a stake through your heart."
"Big talk. Too bad you don't have the brass to back it up."
I *so* want to hit him. And Riley being testosterone guy isn't helping. I'm going over to break it up, but Anya beats me to it.
"Save the hormones to help your sexual performance later!" She snaps, and they stare at her, cringing like the rest of us. "Go ahead."
"Thanks." I say awkwardly.
"Why aren't the others attacking?" Willow wonders.
"They probably know they're beat so they're playing it safe. 'Hide and go sneak attack.'" Xander says.
I don't give him enough credit a lot of the time. Neither does he. Pretty smart reasoning.
"From now on we all stick close. They could come from anywhere, and if we're gonna get caught off guard, the more backup, the better." I say.
"I agree." Riley tells me.
"He agrees." Spike says with another damn smirk. "Like it matters whether you do or not."
I've had enough, and I get into his face.
"I'll tell you what doesn't matter. Anything you have to say. One more word and I break your nose for the third time this week."
"Fourth." He mutters. I raise my fist. "All right, all right! Stop the PMS tirade."
I know I'm imagining this, but he looks hurt, and...PMS tirade? Son of a...
"Where to?" Xander asks fast, distracting me from Spike.
"Upstairs."
Anya has a whiny look on her face. "Can we take the automatic lifter thing? It's right over there. My legs are achy."
I sigh, and Willow comes over and takes my hand. "Let's move."
***
Spike looks like a caged, uh...vampire. All antsy. Six bodies in a small elevator...it's tight. They said they were going to remodel, but that was six months ago. It woulda helped.
"Any ideas about who that girl was that -?" I start to ask Buffy. Been meaning to ask her about that.
"Kicked my ass?" She finishes.
"I was gonna say 'caught you on a bad day'."
"What's this I hear?" Spike's interest is piqued. "Somebody bested you?"
"One time." Buffy defends herself. "She was good. Much better villain than you ever were."
"Slam." Xander grins.
"She insulted his evil nature and his vampire killing, torturing, and biting abilities. Before his chip. What does 'slam' have to do with anything?" Anya says.
"Slang term, honey."
I shouldn't feel sorry for Spike...I shouldn't feel sorry for Spike...but he's got that mopey scowl.
"Way to go with the flames, Will." Buffy tells me. Ooh, she looks so hugable.
"Yeah, if you went up against the Human Torch, I'd bet on you." Xander says. "The problem with full body flammability is one well placed fire hose, and he's done."
Riley's standing right by the doors, and the elevator's stopping.
"Back away." Buffy says to him forcefully.
He turns his head as the doors open, and a vampire punches him in the face. He goes down, and another vampire appears, and takes the rifle. Ouch.
"Out." He growls at us. He can't say please?
We all go out into the mall, Xander helping Riley. We're close together, and the two vampires are smiling just cause they have the upper hand. That's so like evil things. I can't do a spell cause they'll hear and then they'll shoot me. Want to avoid that. I think I'll cower now.
Xander's looking at Riley and Riley's nodding at Spike. Spike's shaking his head. I don't get it. Oh. Riley grabs Spike by his shirt and shoves him into the gunman and his pal.
"Get back." The gunman says to him, poking the barrel hard into his chest.
"Is this any way to treat one of your own? Nancy boy." Spike taunts.
Growling. Growling means they're angry.
"She gave us a shot to kill the Slayer and her friends. Glory or something. But I've been waiting to kill the traitor."
"That right?" He shoots and we all get down. Spike's shot in the leg, and he doesn't look very happy. "Sodding ponce!"
I'm guessing those are British naughty words. Somebody should wash his mouth out. He's going nuts. Knocking the rifle out of the vampire's hands, he starts hitting its face with the handle. Again and again and again. Buffy rushes the other vampire. She moves like she's in a ballet. Really graceful. One kick to the head, one kick to the stomach, and poof. I always feel good when I see her stake. In a "She rules and vampires drool" sorta way.
Spike is twisting the neck of the one he's fighting. Snap. Shiver. That was *not* a fun sound. He still needs his mouth washed out, but I'm not going to do it.
"Stake?" Buffy offers him. Even she looks stunned.
He takes it and finishes the job. He makes his "ridge-y face" disappear and turns to Riley, handing back the rifle.
"Next time she says 'Back away' don't think, just do it. And hands off from now on, got it? You're lucky he didn't have the smarts to go shoot someone else. Lead just pisses me off, but your friends might find it rather fatal."
"Nice threat." Riley says, not scared of him. "But I don't need a reminder of what you are or what can hurt you, thanks."
"You get your jollies from thinkin' you've got the advantage, don't you? I didn't make it this long by being an idiot, though mistakes have been made. Point is, when it comes to you, I don't give a damn about the chip. I'll live with the pain if I can get one shot at that farm boy head of yours. I'll make it count."
"Anything else?" Riley looks a little shaky now.
It's strange, but I don't feel sorry for him.
Spike is grinning. "You're just Clark now, so if you wanna make it, find your place in the little group and get with the program, or go back to the barn. This isn't your show anymore. Way I see it, you're looking at an early grave, and no vampire is brainless enough to help you raise out of it."
He walks ahead of us after saying something to Buffy, limping. I walk beside her, and she looks stupefied. I love that word.
"What'd he say?" I ask.
"That he was sorry."
Weird. Super duper stupefyingly weird. Before you say anything, I know "stupefyingly" isn't a word, but Buffy said I could make up any words I want. So there.
***
There's two to go, and we've all decided that if they want us, they'll have to come find us. We're in a furniture store taking a break. I'm running on fumes, and everybody else is exhausted. Riley's cut on the forehead and bruised all over, Xander's just bruised, Willow's magick is taking it's toll on her, Spike is still feeling the bullet, and Anya...well, I can't tell.
"I'm hot, I'm sweaty, and I'm angry. My hair is sticking to my face. I don't want to be here!" Anya complains.
I lied.
"Think of sitting in a bucket full of ice cubes." Xander says to her. "Works for me."
"And what am I doing with these ice cubes?"
Nothing I'm going to hear, because I'm now ignoring her.
"You okay?" I ask my boyfriend. He's sitting in a recliner.
"I'll be fine."
"Sorry about Spike."
He grimaces. "You agree with him, don't you?"
"No!" Kind of.
"Be straight with me, Buffy." Cough.
"I'm not..." I hate when people back me into a corner. "I have no love for Spike. He is a vampire, but he doesn't pretend to be anything else. He's a jerk, he's evil, what you see is what you get. I respect that in a way. I've known him for a long time, and usually when he has something to say, it's the truth. No matter how much I don't want to admit it."
"You're saying I'm pretending?"
"Not like 'house' or anything, but you tell me you're okay with not having super strength, then you go and play 'invincible leader guy'. You can't take vampires head on, Riley. One of these times you're not going to get back up."
"Xander gets right into it."
"He's learned what his limits are and how to avoid serious injuries. It took him awhile, though. It'll take you awhile too, but you have to be willing to give it time. If you're not, then maybe Spike is right."
"This coming from someone who attacks his face every time she sees him."
"That's mostly habit. He saved our lives back there. He saved yours. He might not have really liked it, but he did."
"How can you be so soft-hearted?"
"Because that's who I am."
Willow's sitting over on one of the beds. I think I need to go over there. I am. Sitting next to her, I tell her with my face what just happened. Buffy and Riley unravel just a little more.
"I'm sorry." She says.
"Don't be." I squeeze her hand, and rub the back of it with my thumb. I can feel her relax.
I tell Riley all this stuff, sound really moral, but here I am in love with my best friend. We've had two minor, tiny indiscretions, but it doesn't matter how big they were. What right do I have to tell him about trying to be someone he's not?
She clears her throat. "Tara's not here, is she?"
I knew this was coming. I open my mouth and...Tara shows up at the entrance to the store.
"Where have you been?" Willow runs to her. "I've been going silently crazy."
"I didn't mean to make you worry. I just freaked and hid. When I didn't hear them, I decided to come look for you guys."
Spike comes up to me as I look at Tara. It's not *just* jealousy, really.
"Don't think I'm helping you or anything, but she's hiding something." He tells me. "Smell's...off."
I nod, go up to the two of them, and smile. Willow sees right through it.
"Well, it's good you're okay." I turn to the rest of the gang. "About ready to finish this?"
"Whenever you are." Riley says.
***
I'm watching the coolest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. It even beats both Toy Story's. The last vampire is falling down to the first floor of the mall cause Buffy flipped him over the railing just as she staked him. He's spinning and turning to dust, splooshing into the fountain. The one vampire before him fell down the escalator. I don't even wanna talk about it.
"That was fun." Spike's saying.
"Uh...sure." Buffy responds. "Who's going to join me in promising not to mention the 'Escalator Incident' ever again?"
Our hands raise. It was...no, no thinking about it either. You know what's bugging me, though? Tara. It doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't she stick with us when the vampires showed? Running away by yourself isn't the safest plan. In fact, it's pretty darn stupid. Was she trying to commit suicide? I've got happies cause she's fine, but I'm a little angry. It all leads back to me being hurt at her not telling me everything. I can't be honest with her, about Buffy or anything else, unless she's honest with me. Right?
"We destroyed the cronies, so where is everybody?" As Xander asks that really good question, people appear out of nowhere. We jump, looking all around. "And he speaks too soon."
They're just continuing to shop like nothing happened. If that's what they think, lucky them.
"Well," Spike fixes the collar on his jacket, "I've had enough of you losers for one day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go remove a bloody bullet from my leg."
I look up. Part of the mall's roof is glass. It lets light in when it's sunny out. It just got sunny.
"Spike, watch out for the -" He jumps out of the light with a hiss. I turn to Buffy. "Can we give him a ride to the cemetery?"
She sighs. I never realized how quickly she gives into me.
"Come on, Spike. Nice and easy." She says.
We each get an arm and carefully start walking him out. Tara, Xander and Riley hang back, but Anya comes up to us. Oh great.
"You think I don't know. But I do." She smirks and goes back to Xander.
Darn it, darn it, darn it! Spike's looking at us.
"What? Know what?" We're being as neutral-faced and calm as possible. He's too hurt to tell. Positive thinking. "Always keeping me in the dark."
"Would you rather be in the light?" Buffy asks him. "Cause I can arrange that."
"I'll be good."
I think he will. Till tomorrow, anyway.
***
She thinks she's so great cause she killed a few vampires. They're at the bottom of the demon scale. Real big accomplishment. Beings with form are so pitiful. Always sitting on their tuffets, eating their curds and way, just letting time tick by. And that's such a "human" invention. Morons. Do you think I want to look like them? No! But I have no choice. I have to blend.
I was hardly impressed by her little victory. She's still clueless. Her clothes prove that much.
The Key will be mine! Quiet! Stop that! Don't start with me! Place falls down around me and you yell! That doesn't help! Shut up, shut up! My head...
I'm starving.
***
Willow and I invade Dawn's room, and crash on her bed. She's still here. That's good. Everyone's back in their homes.
"How's it going?" I ask.
She's glaring me. "Why do you care? You're being nice to me lately. What are you up to?"
"Nothing. Let's just say...I'm starting to see where you're coming from. So spill."
"Nothing really. Claire called and told me that she saw Jake Owens, he's like the toughest guy in school, cry in the park cause Sean Grady's older brother yelled at him for giving Sean a black eye. I can't believe I missed it."
"I bet Buffy'll beat up anyone who gives you a hard time." Willow says with a grin.
"Would you? Really? That'd be so cool!"
"Do the words 'Intensive Care' mean anything to you two?"
"You could just poke them with your pinky." Willow continues.
She's supposed to be on my side.
"Or you know what you could do? Teach me karate!"
Narrowing my eyes.
"We'll talk about this later. Move on."
"How come I couldn't come to the mall?"
Now they're bugging out.
"How'd you know we were at the mall?"
"Tara came by."
"Are...are you sure?" Willow stutters.
I knew it. Poor Will.
"Uh oh. What'd I say?"
"Don't worry about it." I get up off the bed, and Willow follows. "We'll leave you alone."
"Are you sure I didn't -?"
"You didn't do anything. I promise."
"Willow?"
"I'm fine, Dawn." She smiles for her benefit.
Going into my room, I wait until Willow speaks. She must be crushed. Someone she loved lied right to her, has been lying from the start prob -
"I need happies. Help?"
"Anything."
"Kiss me?"
"Don't you think -?"
We sit on my bed.
"You said anything."
"But Tara..."
"Do you know what's going on with her?" I shake my head. "Then there's nothing to talk about right now. Please?"
She's the greatest person in the world. How can I say no?
"Talked me into it." This kiss is our longest so far. I could do it forever. Forget breathing. "Love you, Will."
"I love you too, Buffy."
We had to separate our lips to say that, and she's giving me a big, "Willow hug." I'm giving her one back. I know there's a lot of things going on, a lot of things to figure out, but I feel like the luckiest person alive.
--
"We can start our own game. Where people throw ducks at balloons and
nothing is as it
seems." (Homer J. Simpson)
"You think you know? What's to come? What you are? You haven't even
begun."
(Tara and Dracula to Buffy, BTVS)
"I'm telling mom you slayed in front of me." (Dawn, BTVS)