“What’s with the quiet?”

Xander and Spike had reached the woods near the site of Buffy’s attack. The two men had made the car ride in silence, and now the quiet walk through the woods was starting to bother Xander.

Spike ignored Xander’s question, so Xander pressed him once again, “Seriously.” Still, Spike did not answer. Xander was getting aggravated, “Why is it that when I want you to shut up you won’t stop talking, but when I actually look for a response you clam up?”

Finally, Spike stopped in his tracks, causing Xander to stop with him. Spike simply opened his mouth and said, “I don’t like you.”

With that Spike continued his search, leaving Xander to call after him, “Yeah, so? Lots of people don’t like me, but they still talk to me!” Realizing what he had just said, Xander rolled his eyes and caught up with Spike.

“Listen man,” said Xander, “I’m not exactly jumping for joy about being stuck with you all night, but we have to find this thing. For Buffy.”

Spike replied, “Yeah. I know.”

As they walked deeper into the woods, Xander began rambling on about Anya running off to a friend or something. Spike could care less. He had someone much more important to worry about: Buffy. If he didn’t find this demon, he would be losing her all over again.

Spike clenched his fists at the memories floating in his head. He saw himself standing on that platform, Dawn only a couple of feet away. He saw the fear in her face when he was thrown off, remembering his thoughts as he plummeted through the air: ‘I failed her. Dawn will die and it will be because of me.’ Then his mind fast-forwarded to the sound of Buffy’s lifeless body crashing to the ground. He remembered the overwhelming sadness taking him over as he realized she would be gone forever. He could still see her laying there. Somehow, Giles had managed to pull him away from her remains as the sun rose higher in the sky. I can’t lose her, not again.

Spike was torn from the unhappy memories when his vampire hearing picked up something moving. He recognized the sounds to be the tiny snaps and cracks of breaking twigs. And they seemed to be coming from overhead.

Spike slowed his pace, his eyes scouring the branches above him. Xander, who was still having his one-man conversation, could tell something was up. Lowering his voice to a whisper, Xander asked, “What is it? The demon?”

Spike kept his eyes trained above him as he answered, “Not sure, but there is something up there.”

As if on cue, Buffy’s demon attacker leapt down from the trees, landing right in front of the unlikely pair.

Xander shouted in surprise. Spike eyed the demon for a moment, then turned to Xander, “Oh, balls. You didn’t say it was a Glarghk Guhl Kashmas ‘nik!”

Xander yelled back, “That’s because I can’t say Glarkma– aaaagh!” The demon interrupted Xander’s attempt at its name by hurling itself at Xander, sending the man to ground.

The creature then turned to Spike, kicking its leg towards Spike’s face. Spike managed to duck, then let loose with multiple blows to the demon’s head. While Spike was keeping it busy, Xander hurriedly cocked the tranquilizer gun, aiming at the demon’s chest. Spike threw his leg out, landing a kick to the demon’s abdomen, which sent it stumbling backwards. Seizing the opportunity, Xander pulled the trigger, sending the dart to its target.

Seeing the dart hit, Spike sent a fist flying toward the demon’s head. Xander stood up as the Glarghk Guhl Kashmas ‘nik blocked the attempt and connected multiple kicks to Spike’s torso, knocking Spike off his feet. Using the gun as a club, Xander rushed the demon, beating the gun against it’s skull. The demon stubbled back a couple of steps, but Xander followed, raising the gun high for a repeat attack. The demon recovered quickly, preventing the blow and pushing Xander to the ground once more.

Growing angrier by the second, Spike lunged at the demon, throwing fierce punches to its face. The demon finally caught Spike’s arm to stop him. From his position on the ground, Xander shot the gun again, landing yet another dart in the demon’s chest.

Startled, and becoming woozy, the creature released his hold on Spike. Spike sent a kick to the its head, causing the demon to spin around with its back to its opponent. Spike grabbed the demon’s head in his hands, twisting until he heard the snap of its neck. The demon collapsed to the ground.

Spike stood over the limp body, reveling in the thrill of the fight. Xander approached the satisfied vampire, wanting to share in the victory. Staring down at the demon, Xander joked, “I altered his reality.” Pleased with his little pun, he turned to Spike, slowly becoming aware of the unamused glare Spike was sending his way, “Get it? I... never mind.”

Spike reached down and scooped up the Glarghk Guhl Kashmas ‘nik, throwing its body over his shoulder. “Spike?” asked Xander, following behind him as they headed out of the woods, “Weren’t we suppose to bring this thing in alive?”

“Yeah,” answered Spike, pausing to heave the demon a little higher on his shoulder, “You have to decapitate these buggers if you want them dead. A broken neck just hurts like hell.”

-----

While the boys were out demon hunting, Buffy had retreated to her room. She had no intention of falling asleep, but the combination of her stillness and the emotional yo-yo she had been dealing with for the past few days was getting the best of her. She wanted to see the Spike she loved again, but now she knew he wasn’t real. Seeing him would be much too hard.

Buffy had just about given in to her lowering eyelids when she heard a soft knocking at her door. “Buffy? Wake up. I’ve got yummy antidote goodness for you.” Willow stepped in, holding a cup full of some dark, lumpy liquid. “Just, when it’s cool, drink it all down and everything should be back to normal for you.”

“Like I’ll ever be normal,” muttered Buffy.

“What?”

“Uh, nothing.” Buffy sat up in bed, accepting the hot mug from Willow’s hands. “Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about some stuff.”

Willow sat down next to her friend, “Sure, Buffy. What is it?”

Buffy took a deep breath, pausing before she confessed, “I’m going to miss that reality.”

Worry lines appeared on Willow’s forehead, “Why?”

“Here’s the thing. I like it there. Everything is so much better, so much easier. I like the way I feel, the way he makes me feel.” Buffy studied the surprised expression taking over her friend’s face before adding, “Willow, I’m in love with him.”

“Really?” Willow was trying to be supportive, but this caught her off guard!

“Willow!”

“Sorry, it’s just... Spike.” Willow shook her head, trying to regain her focus, “Well, um. Are you gonna tell him?”

A look of panic swept over Buffy’s face, “What? God, no! This Spike is not the same Spike. My Spike is sweet and caring and fun to be around. Real Spike is just so, so... bleagh!”

“But in this‘perfect Spike’ land, everyone is the same as here, right?” She waited as Buffy nodded in response, then Willow said, “So the only difference is that you’re with him?”

“No. Everything’s different,” answered Buffy.

“I thought you said –”

“Yes, everyone here is the same,” Buffy interrupted, “but the circumstances are different.”

“Such as?”

“Well...” Buffy knew Willow wasn’t going to like what she was about to say, but it had to be said. “You know how I told you Spike was human there?” Willow nodded. “He gave up his immortality to save me.”

“What do you mean?” asked a worried Willow.

“I was never in heaven there, Will. I was in some sort of hell. Spike made a deal with some guy and he brought me back. Spike is going to get old and die because he loves me, and I love him.”

Willow sat very still, letting Buffy’s news sink in. Finally, Willow spoke up, “Buffy, if I had known what I do now...”

“It’s ok, Willow. I don’t blame you for any of this,” said Buffy, sending her friend a reassuring smile.

Willow nodded and took a deep breath as she got back on the topic of Spike, “So, um, what makes you think that your Spike and real Spike aren’t the same Spike?”

“Huh? I told you, they are two completely different guys.”

“Doesn’t sound like it to me,” Willow said with a shrug, “I mean, Spike’s put his life on the line for you lots of times. For all of us.”

“Yeah, but that’s just because he was trying to make me like him,” explained Buffy.

Willow raised her eyebrows at Buffy, “It worked for the other Spike. After all, you did sort of marry the guy.”

Buffy shifted uncomfortably as she began to see her friend’s point, “Well he... it’s like... um, it’s complicated.”

Willow wasn’t about to let Buffy end this conversation like that, “Why? Because ideal Spike was human and the real one is a vampire?”

Buffy lowered her eyes as she mumbled, “Maybe...”

“Well, if you ask me,” started Willow, “you should get to know real Spike better before you end up playing house with a delusion for the rest of your life.” She stood up, patting Buffy’s arm, “Be sure to drink all of that.”

Buffy nodded, “Sure thing.”

Willow closed the bedroom door behind her, leaving Buffy staring at the sludge inside her mug.