Wend Their Ways Together: Chapter Four

[jesterladyfic]

Chapter Four

Up bright and early the next morning, Buffy and Spike (true to his word, on fire), arrived at Giles’ apartment, ready for spell action.

“We saw quite a few demon corpses around here,” said Buffy cheerfully.
“Guess the warding spell worked.”

“Yeah, well, I’m glad it doesn’t work now. I don’t fancy dying so young
again,” said Spike.

“You’re older than all of us,” said Xander.

“I’m also the most attractive.” Spike smirked at him.


“Hey!” Buffy smacked him in the ribs.

“Excepting you, of course, luv,” he whispered dutifully into her ear.

“Nice recovery, honey.” She rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch
where Anya was arranging all of their supplies.

“How was your night?” Buffy asked, trying to be polite. It was always
hard to talk to Anya. You never knew what she would say in return.

“Very nice. Xander and I had lots of sex. Did you have lots of sex with
your spell-controlled hormones?”

“No,” Buffy replied in a stifled voice, “but thanks for asking.”

“Anytime. I like to hear about other people’s lives.” Anya said this as
if it were a speech she’d rehearsed, but she smiled as if she meant it. Buffy
had to ask.

“Did Xander put you up to asking that?”

“Well, yes. But I agreed. So, therefore, I invested in your lives for
my own interest,” Anya answered in a proud tone. Buffy blinked in surprise. Did
Anya actually care about anyone other than Xander? If she did then it meant a
major rearranging of Buffy’s opinion of her and a possible need to consider
Anya’s opinions as valid.

The male counterparts of the group joined them by the couch as they
started to work their magic. The most urgent issue was Xander’s demon-magnetism,
so they took care of that first. But before they got started, Spike had a
thought.

“Does this mean that I won’t be able to see the whelp either? I’m a
demon. And I’m not keen on the thought of him playing little pranks on me for
fun.” A slow grin spread over Xander’s face. Unfortunately for him, Anya
stepped in with a suggestion. Holding her hand in front of her mouth, she
pondered for a moment and then said with an unnatural grin.

“We can work the spell so that it excludes Spike. Actually, it will be
quite humorous. I am looking forward to it.”

“Why?” asked Xander and Spike simultaneously with apprehensive faces. As
she explained, they shook their heads and backed away to opposite sides of the
room. Buffy and Giles laughed at them and seemed delighted with the idea. After
much coercion the two of them reluctantly left the room and reappeared a short
time later having switched clothing. The two girls laughed so hard they had to
sit down and Giles, unable to see, lamented the unfairness of not being able to
savor the delight of the sight.

Spike looked ridiculous in Xander’s pink vest and white shirt over a
rather loud pair of pants that reminded one of a clown, all too big for him. The
effect was even more ludicrous because of his bleached hair. Xander moved
awkwardly because Spike’s black t-shirt and jeans were too small for him. The
black duster barely fit, but it did give him a certain amount of presence. Anya
thought so anyway, judging from her actions as she nuzzled his earlobes and
whispered suggestions into them that the rest could hear and desperately wished they couldn’t.

“Bloody brilliant,” growled Spike. “The little git gets off on my
clothing while I’m stuck looking like a reject from Loserville.”

“It’s ok, honey,” choked Buffy, trying not to laugh, “I still think you
look sexy.” Spike shot her a glance that did not look as if it would encourage
marital bliss before sitting grouchily on the couch and impatiently asking,

“Can we just do the sodding spell already? I think I’m beginning to
lose my devilish charm and good looks.”

“All right, but you won’t like being Xander’s anchor during the spell,”
Anya warned. She quickly put them in the center of the room and blew incense in
a circle around them and repeated some Latin of some sort.

“Now, join hands,” she instructed.

“What!” they squawked.

“Don’t you know what being an anchor means?” Spike and Xander
reluctantly joined hands and stood there looking uncomfortable, unable to meet
the other’s gaze. As Anya chanted and Buffy waved the incense around, a green
light began to glow around Spike and Xander and as it grew brighter, Anya’s voice
grew louder, until finally she shouted,

“So mote it be!” Anya slammed shut the spell book from which she’d been
reading. The light flashed brightly and disappeared. Instantly, Spike and
Xander dropped hands and bolted for the bathroom, almost falling over each other
in their haste. Sniggering, Buffy held up the Polaroid she’d taken of the two
before the end of the spell and stuffed it into her pocket for future blackmail
use. Anya laughed so hard she fell on the couch.

“The funniest thing is they didn’t actually have to wear each other’s
clothes. I’ve been studying human forms of humor and decided to try my hand at
it. I think I did rather well.” Buffy looked at her in astonishment. Anya had
played a practical joke for fun? She just kept getting weirder. Just then their
two hapless fellows came back into the room, clothed in their proper attire.

“Can you see him, Spike?” asked Giles.

“Why yes I can, Rupes. How about you?”

“Wanker,” was Giles’ reply.

“Git,” rejoined Spike.

“Is that a British thing?” asked Xander, still avoiding Spike’s eyes.

“Yes, and do you know what another British thing is, Xander?” replied
Giles, “smashing vases over people’s heads, very accidentally, of course, because
I can’t see!”

“Giles, calm down,” said Buffy. “We’re going to do you right now. Xander, help Anya set up the spell.”

***

Xander and Anya found the spell they’d decided on in their mini-research party the night before. It was designed to temporarily give sight to the blind. It only lasted 24 hours, so they would have to repeat it every day, but it was the best they could come up with. Buffy and Spike mixed up motherwort, sage and feverfew, along with some mud from the planter outside, in the kitchen. They had difficulty, judging from the laughter and squeals that emanated from the room and confirmed by the mud on Buffy’s face as they came back in.

Giles listened to all of this with a frown on his face. It delighted him
that Buffy was so giddy and yet so focused. Spike seemed to bring out the best
in her (apart from the smacking noises Giles was hearing), and that gave joy to
the father’s love he had for her. She’d been too depressed and complacent since
Angel left, afraid to get close to anyone and Parker had just made that worse.
Giles knew that this engagement was false and based on lies and magic. He also
knew that in real life Buffy and Spike could never give each other what they were
now. Plus, Spike! He was just evil. No soul, no remorse. Just a chip. A
serial killer in prison.

A sudden burst of laughter broke into Giles’ thoughts, making him smile. In
spite of all the sense of wrongness that kept shouting at him, Giles couldn’t
help but feel that this spell should last forever if it would only keep Buffy
this happy. Except for his eyesight of course, that had to change.

“We’re ready, Giles,” called Buffy. “Let’s get you into the chair and
apply your new daily eye shadow.”

“Oh brilliant,” said Giles as he felt his way into the indicated chair.
“The retired librarian is reduced to wearing makeup au natural.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, mate,” encouraged Spike. “Think of
happier things, why, you’re going to be my father-in-law. Buck up.”

“Yes, life is a red rose once more.” Giles shuddered as the cold mud was
smeared on his eyes and a warm stick of incense was placed in his hands. He felt
Xander’s hand on one shoulder and Spike’s on the other, while Buffy sat cross
legged at his feet. Anya read the incantation and a mist leaked out of Giles’
eyes, taking the mud along with it and evaporated in the air.

“Wonderful. I don’t have to wash it off. Remarkably clean spell,” said
Giles as he opened his eyes and rejoiced in the sight of Buffy looking up at him.

“Ok, time for the lovebirds. Let’s see if we can’t get the two of you at
each other’s throats again,” said Xander. Buffy turned away and walked to the
other side of the room with tightly clenched hands.

Spike immediately followed and took her in his arms. The evident concern
in him for her struck each of the other three as if they’d never seen him before.

“Maybe we shouldn’t try to-” Giles began, but Xander broke in.

“Giles, even if they are - whatever, we can’t leave Buffy under a spell.
She’s living a lie.”

“You’re right,” admitted Giles. “Which is an astonishing fact, in and of
itself.”

“Hey!”


***



They called Spike and Buffy back over and prepared them for the spell. It was a spell that was designed to break any previous love spell that had been put on them.

“One last snog for old time’s sake?” asked Spike.

“Please,” said Buffy. The others turned away to give them some privacy.
Spike gazed into her eyes as he cupped her chin.

“Buffy luv, listen to me. I’m turning into a complete prat as I say
this, but no matter what happens, I will still love you. I don’t believe magic
can completely make that up. I believe in love. I always have, demon or human.
And I believe that I love you.”

“Spike, I love you too,” Buffy said slowly, realizing it as she said it.
“And I want to marry you.” Both started as they heard her words even though the
engagement had already been agreed upon. Suddenly, it seemed real now that it
might not last. They kissed, emotionally, growing in urgency toward the end as
if trying to memorize how it felt before it was gone forever. Finally Buffy and
Spike turned; ready to face the gallows, but desperately clutching hands.

Anya spoke the words, Xander waved the incense and Giles translated for
Anya. A cloud appeared at their feet rising slowly up their bodies, hovered
around their hearts and heads, before finally rising above them and dissipating.
Everyone expected Spike and Buffy to jump apart in disgust, but if anything, they
moved closer.

“Do you feel any different?” asked Giles.

“Well, all of a sudden I can’t believe I ever had a crush on Ford. What
a stupid git,” answered Buffy.

“Watch it, pet, I’m starting to influence you.”

“I’m okay with that. I’m just glad I don’t hate you.” Buffy still had
to get used to saying things like that. So did Spike.

“Not half so glad as I, luv.”

“Now, aren’t you ashamed of all that love talk you gave me just now,
trying to cheer me up?” teased Buffy.

“I meant every bloody word of it,” Spike retorted, in earnest but in some
shame as well. The whole loving the Slayer thing was so unnatural.

“This is bad, Giles.”

“Xander, we just have to try a different spell. These two are immune or
resistant to this one for some reason. Now, I have here a general reversal spell
that will reverse any spell put on them in the past year.”

“Yeah, let’s try that.” Buffy and Spike seemed less worried this time.
It was a simple spell and Giles knew it, so it took very little time. He spoke a
few words.

“Backward to forward, new to old, back to front. Be as you were.” He
thrust his hand at them and both felt something hit them. The only noticeable
change was that Spike’s hair began to darken until all the bleach was gone and
the darker mass sprang up and curled all over his head. Everyone looked at him
pointedly and he looked sheepishly at Buffy before saying defensively,

“What? So, I bleach my hair with magic instead of the normal, painful
way! It’s a lot easier.” Xander started to laugh and fell on the couch in his
mirth,

“I’m hurt, Spike. For a second there I thought you were a natural
blonde!”

“Laugh it up, whelp,” said Spike hotly. “At least it didn’t break the
other spell; the one that I’m beginning to think doesn’t exist.”

“Exactly,” said Buffy, holding his hand, although her mouth was
twitching. But none of that stopped her from thinking that he was gorgeous even
without the bleach.

“I have one other spell,” said Giles. “This is a truth-spell. It will
make you unable to lie, even if you believe what you’re saying is true and it
isn’t. Such as something a spell would make you believe.” He had them hold left
hands, sitting on the floor, with their right hands held up in the air as he
spoke the words over them. This time nobody was surprised when they opened their
eyes, looking at each other with milky white pupils and said,

“I love you.” There was a silence.

“I think they love each other,” said Anya. “And now, I’m going to look
for a spell for Xander to get Willow back so he won’t sulk.”

“Yes, I believe getting Willow home is top priority. She’ll be able to
break this spell when she gets here and save us the trouble. We’ll just have to
put up with them until then,” said Giles.

“Giles, we’ll help with the getting Willow home stuff, but Spike and I
have to go tell my mother that we’re getting married.”

“Yes, get it over with,” Giles agreed reluctantly.

“Okay, get into full research mode and we’ll be back soon to help.”