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Split Personalities by PassionFish
 
Chapter Three
 
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Chapter Three







Night had once again fallen and four of the Scoobies were perusing through the delights that Sunnydale's cemeteries had to offer.



"I don't like it. For all we know that's not even Buffy, just some demon pretending to be her." Xander continued to grumble as they walked.



"And the real Buffy could be out there somewhere...lying in a ditch.... I mean dead, did everyone get that?" Anya asked as they all stared at her.



"Um, yeah, we got it Ahn." Xander murmured, slightly red-faced by his girlfriend’s bluntness.



"God, I was only saying." Anya added, unhappily. The group didn't seem to really notice.



"Maybe we should call Angel."



"What?!" The zeppo exclaimed.



"Why?" Giles asked, frowning at the witch



"I mean, we've been looking all day for something that could have regressed Buffy and Spike back to their original state. We ruled out that splitty demon 'coz Buffy killed the last one of their kind, last year. Maybe Angel or Wesley knows of a half breed or something?"



The watcher smiled down at Willow, "As much as I hate the thought of having to deal with that pompous ass again, that is a superb idea Willow."



The group walked on.



A beat.



"Could that have sounded any more pompous?" Giles asked.



"No." Came the collective reply and on they continued.



---



"S-s-so are y-you guys, h-hungry?" Tara began then answered herself. "N-no, o-of course not, y-you j-just ate. I mean, the pizza was good right?"



Buffy smiled reassuringly at the witch while William answered, "I have never tasted something quite so delicious. I thank you for all the trouble you went to."



"Oh, n-no trouble. The numbers on speed-dile 7."



"Um, might I trouble you for a explanation of that....tel-o-phone?" Will asked, saying the word in breaks.



"Uh, yeah s-sure. It's like a machine that allows people to talk...even if they're not in the same house, o-or the same town or country."



"You mean to say that I could talk to England from here?" Will asked, incredulous.



"Yeah, oh is there someone you wanted to ring?!" Tara asked, moving to fetch the portable phone. "Oh, wait, they'd all be dead."



"What do you mean by that? Will asked sharply, standing up.



"I-I'm sorry, it’s kinda hard to explain, I-I-I mean you'll understand as soon as we get your memories back. I'm s-sorry." Tara stuttered helplessly.



"It's okay." Buffy spoke up, standing up herself. "I can be a little scary...and frustrating...that’s all."



"I know, I'm sorry, but don't worry, Willow's an excellent witch and-"



"A WITCH!!!" Buffy and Will exclaimed



"Whoops?"



---



"Okay, Giles...yeah, sure.... We were due a trip anyway.... okay, see you tomorrow."

Angel hung up the phone and turned to 'the LA gang'.



"Looks, like we're going home."



---



"Wait, please!" Tara's cry halted the freaked out pair.



"Witch-craft is an aberration of the lords commands, you would be hanged!" Will exclaimed, wide eyes and shocked to the core.



"What he said! Oh, my god you guys are freaks! How do you know us?" Buffy demanded.



"We're your friends. Please, just sit down and I'll explain...b-but please d-don't go."



Will and Buffy looked at each other. When Buffy nodded, Will acquiesced and both sat back down.



"Willow and me are witches, look." Will's chair toppled over as a small, pink-leaved flower grew from the centre of Tara's hand, and he grabbed Buffy pulling her back.



"NO! W-wait! We're good witches, we fight bad guys. You help." They stopped at her last sentence.



"We help?" Will asked.



"Well really 'we' help 'you'! We're like the brains, you're the muscle."



"I resent that." Will muttered. "I'm a poet, a scholar, not some uneducated ruffian."



"I'm a muscle? I don't feel very strong. Are you sure it's not the other way around...but I'm not all that clever either...maybe I go for snacks?" Buffy suggested, shrugging her shoulders.



Tara smiled softly, "Xander does that."



"Now that I believe." William murmured. The other two girls heard him, and smiled.



"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to s-scare you."



The pair looked at each other again and Buffy turned to face Tara, "Don't worry, I believe you, like I said - memory loss equals scary."



"Yes, please don't trouble yourself, it is simply this unfortunate ailment that causes us grief." Will agreed and the three sat back down to finish their pizza.



---

"Um, guys?"



The whole group turned to Buffy, believing for a moment that it was 'their' Buffy until she continued.



"Do you think we could go home? Wherever that is, it’s just its like 12am and I'm really tired and I've just realised I have no-where to sleep."



"Sure Buffy, you can come with us-oh, Joyce!" Willow blurted.



"What?"



Willow turned to the group. "Joyce and Dawn went up to visit her sister in Colorado remember, that means Buffy's house is free. They can go there."



"I'm not leaving her alone with that thing again!" Xander blurted out, finally voicing his feelings. He had been quiet all evening but THIS was too much.



"If you think for one second that I would-" Will bristled at the implication, his nineteenth century middle-class morals instantly offended.



"Don't pull that upper-cut-British routine with me, buddy, it won't work"



"I resent the implication that I-"



"Yeah right!" Xander interrupted again.



"Xander!" Willow hissed.



"Look at him. Its SPIKE no matter what mojo's been done to him it's still the same OLD SPIKE!!!"



"HEY!" The whole group turned to the furious petite blonde, a-gasp. "Look, we've been majorly acceptive of you guys and the whole memory loos thing. And as far as Will is concerned, he's been nothing but a gentleman and I don't know where you get off on acting like that towards him but it's gonna stop now. If not, we'll just find our memories on our own." She looked over at Will whose glare dissolved into a smiled, and nodded his support.



"Please, Buffy, Xander's sorry, right? Xander?" Willow glared at the dark-haired twenty something.



Xander winced as Anya kicked him in the shins. "Hey! Yeah...okay, sorry, whatever."



"Come on, Buffy, Sp-uh, Will. I'll drive you both home."



"I'll come too, Giles." Willow said before turning to her girlfriend, "Wanna come with or are you tired?"



"I feel kinda tired actually - 36 hours of no sleep is not as fun as it sounds."



"Okay, sweetie, I'll see you at home." Willow gave her girlfriend a quick kiss.



"What on earth is that?" Will looked ready to shit a brick.



"You guys are gay?" Buffy's eyebrows rose.



"I'll explain in the car."



---



"For the love of God, Cordy, why the hell do you need us to stop for the third time on a two hour trip?" Angel groused as he pulled the car into the third station.



"Not all of us only have organs for show, brood-boy." Cordelia replied without looking at the Vampire as she, Gunn and Fred exited the car in search of bathrooms, food and drink. Wesley had opted to stay closer to his resources with the promise that if anything major turned up either on the LA front or Sunnydale situation he'd contact them.



"We'll just be a minute, Angel." Fred said as she and Gunn parted, the other man's arm draped heavily around her slim shoulders.



"Yeah, right." Angel sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Buffy again. Every time just hurt even more and he didn't want to put himself through that again.



They'd booked into a motel just inside Sunnydale's boundaries. Although he'd told Giles he'd see him tomorrow, he wanted to see Buffy tonight. To make sure she was okay with his coming. Well, as okay as she was ever gonna be. Giles hadn't told him what had happened; only that their assistance may be required and Buffy was fine.



God he hoped this visit wasn't gonna be as hellish as the last one.



TBC....

A/N: Do make me go ooooh!
 
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