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Chapter 2 – Wondering…


“Spike, we have to take a break,” Buffy said, giggling when his arms banded even tighter around her waist, holding her on his lap.

“Says who?” he replied with a playful growl before attacking her neck with renewed energy.

Giggling as his blunt teeth gently nipped at her throat, Buffy closed her eyes in contentment.

“You realize that my lips are bruised, right?” she breathed, feeling him hesitate for a brief moment before continuing his ministrations. “Spike,” she giggled. “I’m serious. You know I love this as much as you do, but I do need a break every now and then.”

Pulling away, reluctantly, Spike gave her a heavy sigh, letting his grip loosen. “Alright, you win,” he muttered in a sulking tone.

Gently running her finger along his pouting lip, she gave him a soft smile. “All this time, and it’s like you still can’t get enough of me.”

“You know I can’t,” he murmured, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

Giving him a tender smile, Buffy played with the hair at the back of his neck, letting her nails gently scrape along the skin that she encountered. “I feel the same way,” she whispered, kissing his forehead before disentangling herself from his hold, standing up to stretch. “I’m going to get a drink- you want anything?”

“Feeling a bit peckish,” he replied, looking her up and down with a playful leer. “Could think of something to fill me up.”

“Bad boy,” she said with a smile.

Wrapping his arms around her waist with lightening quick speed, he jerked her toward him, letting his chin rest against her stomach as he looked up at her. “Don’t forget it, baby,” he said in a husky whisper before lifting her shirt and leaving a gentle bite on her stomach.

“Alright, Big Bad,” she replied with a bright smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Reluctantly letting her go, Spike flopped back on the couch, giving her a heavy sigh of disapproval.

“Two minutes,” she said, chuckling as she walked into the kitchen.

Opening the refrigerator door, Buffy felt a weird pulling sensation that started in her stomach and seemed to spread through her body. Blinking to clear her suddenly blurry vision, she gasped before falling to the floor, unconscious.

* * * * *

“And what you remember,” Spike said slowly. “Is that I claimed you?”

“Years ago,” Buffy replied. “Not today.”

“Little farfetched, even for you,” he said, looking at her skeptically as she stood in front of him with a pleading gaze.

“Spike, please…why don’t you remember?”

“Because that’s not exactly the way it…”

Spike’s eyes widened in shock before shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re not her,” he muttered in realization.

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” she whispered, obviously becoming distressed that she couldn’t get him to believe her. “I don’t know what’s going on and I just…I just want you to tell me it will be okay.”

Seeing the woman he loved, or the reflection of the woman he loved, suddenly burst into tears, Spike couldn’t help but pull her into his arms, murmuring soothing words to her as she cried. “Come on, pet,” he said softly, keeping one arm firmly around her shoulders as they walked through the cemetery. “I think I figured it out, but we’ll let the witches do a little research first.”

“What’s going on?” she murmured, sniffling to hold back the tears.

“I think it’s a spell,” he said softly. “You’re not the Buffy I know and I’m obviously not the Spike that you know.”

“You mean like an alternate reality?” she asked in confusion.

“I think so,” he muttered. “And your reality sounds a hell of a lot better than mine.”

Looking up at him with a mixture of warmth and sadness, Buffy leaned into his side, taking comfort in the familiar body and hoping to give a little of her own, even if it wasn’t the man she knew.

“So…in yours, he claimed you?” he asked after a moment.

“Yeah,” she murmured as a confused expression settled on her face.

“What’s the face for, Goldilocks?”

“What about here?” she asked, turning to look at him. “I mean…it can’t be that different. My feelings for you couldn’t have altered so much…”

She trailed off as her eyes widened before gasping and bringing her hand to her mouth.

“I…she’s not…”

“No,” Spike said softly, shaking his head, marveling at how confusing this conversation was. “She’s not dead. But she doesn’t feel the same way.”

“And you love her?” Buffy asked, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that this wasn’t her Spike.

“More than anything,” he whispered, putting an end to the conversation as they continued walking.

Seeing her house in the distance, Buffy let a smile slowly upturn her lips as she looked at the warm glow of the lights that poured through the windows. The smile soon faded away as she sighed. “I’m guessing that Mom isn’t in there to greet me, is she?” she murmured, biting her lip as she turned to look at Spike.

“No, pet. She’s not,” he muttered, hating himself for having to bring about that bit of bad news.

Seeing the look on his face, Buffy gave him a gentle smile. “It’s okay. She’s not around in my timeline, either.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, wanting to reach out and comfort her, reminding himself that this wasn’t the woman he loved.

Walking up the steps of the front porch, Spike wasn’t sure what to expect. Did this Buffy switch places with the woman he knew? Or were there currently two Slayers occupying the Hellmouth?

Recognizing the indecision on his face, Buffy stayed quiet as he stared at the door, knowing that something was happening in this reality that she didn’t understand. There were a lot of things in this reality that she didn’t understand.

Hesitantly raising his hand to knock on the door, both Spike and Buffy jumped when the door opened to reveal the other Slayer.

Spike looked at the woman in front of him, knowing that she was the Slayer he knew. Her blonde hair whispered over her shoulders as she looked up at him with a sympathetic expression.

‘She was never yours, you pillock,’ he thought angrily, trying to control the pain that seemed to race through him.

“I…I don’t think it’s such a good idea, you being here right now, Spike,” she whispered softly.

Standing in the shadows, Buffy stared at her mirror image and the man who was obviously head over heels in love with her. She could see the indecision on the woman’s face and the underlying pain, but she had a feeling Spike couldn’t see it, considering he was obviously trying to control what he was feeling.

“I know that,” he replied in a low voice, looking over toward the shadows of the porch. “But there’s a little problem that needed to be brought to your attention.”

“What’s that?” she asked softly. Following Spike’s gaze, her eyes widened when her double stepped into the light.

Seeing that his Slayer was about to attack, Spike quickly stepped between the two women. “Easy, Slayer,” he said in a harsh voice, noticing her flinch at the distant tone. “She’s one of you white hats. Different reality or some rot like that.”

“An alternate universe?” she whispered in confusion.

“The only thing I can come up with,” he replied, avoiding her eyes, not wanting her to see the pain in his. “Do your thing. Call Red downstairs or get Glenda on the phone and start working your mojo.” Turning away from the door, Spike looked at the unfamiliar Slayer, trying to give her a soft smile, even though she represented everything that he could have, but didn’t. “Have a safe trip, love,” he said with a slight nod.

Watching Spike interact with the other woman, Buffy gripped the door casing, trying to curb the jealous sensation that was spreading through her system as she listened to the endearment.

‘All he did was talk to her. You were the one who broke up with him…you didn’t even break up with him, because you were never together…right?’

So lost in thought, Buffy didn’t even realize that Spike was walking away, leaving her alone with her doppelganger. “Umm…sorry,” she muttered, feeling as if she was looking at the Buffybot as the other girl walked through the door, giving her an understanding smile. “We’ll get Willow and Tara working on this because…wow, this is just too weird. In the meantime…uh…Buffy…I’m thinking one of us should go by a different name. Cut down on the confusion.”

“You’re probably right,” the other Slayer replied slowly, obviously a little unsettled being in her home, but not really being in herhome. “I guess you can call me Anne. Your house, your rules, you might as well keep your name.”

Buffy merely nodded, trying not to let her attention wander to the door, wondering where Spike was. Wondering what he was thinking. Wondering if he missed her.




Thanks so much to: stace, Uncaged Muse/Rae, gypsy_jin, spikegirl, riam, sue, kim, Lala, Cordykitten, BuffyandSpikeForever, Stephanie, Neo, txjmfan, Caitie, Livia, blondiebear, Esther, Bridget, MidnightGirl, phantomwriter, Crystal Pegasus, & Mariana for reviewing!





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