Wend Their Ways Together: Chapter Six

[jesterladyfic]

Chapter Six

Buffy and Spike, brimming over with joviality, (despite a huge fight over the invitations on the way), arrived at Giles.' They found the others feeling useless.

“What’s up with everyone’s bad-moody faces? Did you finally accept Spike
and I are forever?”

“Buffy, you’re not…forever.” Giles said the term as if it were a bad
word.

“Well, yeah, she isn’t. But I’m unliving proof that I will go on
forever, mate.”

“I was referring to your relationship, Spike. I am well aware of your
immortality. But, I cheerfully predict that you’ll kill each other before you’ve
been married a month.”

“Giiiles!” whined Buffy, “it’s time for being the supportive father
figure, not the heavy-handed one.”

“I apologize, Buffy. I will try to work on my gag reflexes. It’s going
to take forever for me to get used to this. I suggest we update you on Willow’s
status.”

“Did you find a way to get her back?”

“Well, yes. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a long time.”

“How long?”

“Six months.”

“But then she’ll miss my wedding.”

“Buffy, I hardly think that should be your primary reason for alarm.”

“Okay, you’re right. Sorry. It’s just, for some reason, the wedding
seems like the most important thing in the world, like if it doesn’t happen, life
is meaningless.”

“Makes sense to me, you’re under a spell,” said Xander.

“Xander, shut up. Giles, are you sure we can’t get Willow back sooner?
How do you know she’s okay?”

“Willow opened a portal from Arashmaharr,” explained Anya. “There are
entryways, but they can only be accessed at certain times. They like to be able
to know when someone is coming or going there. But we got to talk to her and we
know she’s okay. She’s going to call us again later.”

“She also left another spell for us to try on you two. We’re going to
try to break her spell by proxy. So, if you will just stand there in the
center?” Buffy and Spike sighed and once more moved into position.

“Okay, Giles, one more time. Let’s do this.”

“Let the healing power begin,

Let Willow’s will be safe again.

As these words of peace are spoken,

Let this harmful spell be broken.” As Giles finished speaking, there was
a loud lightening flash, but Buffy and Spike stayed undisturbed, holding hands in
the center of the room.

“I think it didn’t work,” said Anya.

“Giles and I don’t seem to be any different and Buffy and Spike are clearly still on the other side of the rainbow.”

“Well, he’s right, you know,” Spike whispered in Buffy’s ear. “Bloody
stupid, the two of us together; still, rainbow’s not so bad, I’m holding the pot
of gold.”

“That was just lame enough to be sweet,” she whispered back. “Oh! I
have to go to school. I’m late.”

“While you’re there, Buffy, it would probably be advisable for you to
inform them of Willow’s prolonged absence.”

“Right, poor Will. Having to miss classes, dealing with Oz break up-age,
being stuck in a demon dimension. Just not her month.”

“And, Buffy, don’t forget. We still are working to find out about those
Commandos you met. It is imperative we not let our concern for Willow blind us to a potential threat.”

“Check. Watch out for Commando guys.” Buffy gave Spike a hurried kiss goodbye and ran out the door. Giles and Xander moved in on Spike and used her absence as an opportunity to give him the ‘you hurt her and we’ll stake you’ speech. “

*****

Buffy used Slayer speed to get to school just in time for her psych class, though there was a stern reprimand from Professor Walsh. She slipped into a seat next to an unassuming blonde girl and let her mind wander during the lecture.

Buffy noticed Riley looking at her at odd intervals and very casually leaned her
chin into her left hand so her ring was obvious. She doodled wedding plans on
her notebook and stole glances at her classmate’s paper. The blonde girl kept
meticulous notes, but was also drawing magnificent sketches and listing what looked like the ingredients of a spell on the side of her notebook. Buffy was
very curious as to the nature of the girl and as soon as class was ended,
introduced herself.

“Hi, I’m Buffy Summers.” The girl looked startled, but smiled a shy
smile in return.

“I-I’m Tara MaClay.”

“I know this is a big class, but I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“I’m rather n-new to Sunnydale.” Tara gathered up her books and avoided
Buffy’s eyes, apparently in extreme shy-ness.

“And what drew you to the town that boasts a club with annual
extermination parties as its biggest attraction?” Tara smiled. She seemed
cautious, but willing to open up.

“L-let’s just say I had trouble with expressing myself where I used to
live.”

“So you came to the Hellmouth to express and grow and have the freedom to
be a witch?” Tara looked shocked, but Buffy gestured to her notebook. “I saw a
spell.”

“A-are you a w-witch? Your p-power doesn’t feel like it.”

“No, my power isn’t witchy in the slightest, but my best friend is a
witch. She’s stuck in a demon dimension just now or I’d introduce you.” Tara
nodded and looked as if she wasn’t quite brave enough to ask her next question.

“Go ahead and ask. After everything I‘ve seen over the past few years,
nothing can shock me.”

“You’re rather o-open about the H-hellmouth. I-I mean, isn’t that
something we shouldn’t really be talking about? W-who are you?”

“I’m still Buffy. Completely human. I always want to keep up on the
mystical anything that’s new in SunnyD. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m
trying to interrogate you. Just want to be friendly.” Tara looked slightly
relieved, but her guard was still up. Buffy tried again. There was something
about this girl that screamed ‘Power!’ and there were definite good-vibes as well.

“How about we get lunch in the cafeteria and have one of those good
old-fashioned, girl-gab fests that, as Spike would say, ‘involve no bloody sense
whatever and chiefly result in new ways of making mankind more of their lapdog.’
”

Tara smiled and silently acquiesced, asking shyly as they moved toward the cafeteria.

“W-who’s Spike?”

“My fiancée! Look, I’m getting married.” Buffy continued the now familiar, excited spiel as she and Tara walked toward the cafeteria for lunch.