The Time Spinners
Heather Martin
Chapter 2
Deja Vu
AN- I have no clue when Passions started airing. If it wasn’t being broadcasted during 1998, sorry for the flaw. Just pretend it did.
May 19, 1998
The first thing he became aware of was the cold. The furnace of Buffy’s body was gone. The next was that he was standing up. What the. . . ?
Spike’s head whipped upward. He met a very pissed off slayer. She had a stake raised, prepared to strike.
“Give me a reason not to let my wooden friend here do his job,” Buffy demanded.
Opening his mouth, Spike struggled with something to say.
Buffy sighed in annoyance. “I had the impression you wanted to tell me something.”
Spike glanced around. “How’d we get out here?”
She lowered her stake. “I walked. You, I don’t know. Maybe you flew,” she said with sarcasm.
“But we were inside, all cozy and wotnot, and now we’re not,” he muttered.
“Did you just get dumber in the last minute?”
He ran a hand over his slicked-back hair. “I must have blacked out or something.” He stared at Buffy. “How long since we were in bed?”
Snorting, she replied, “Geez, about sixteen hours for me. You, couldn’t say. All those vampire schedules and all.”
“This is ridiculous!” Spike shouted in exasperation.
“Look, I don’t know what your deal is, but if you have nothing important to say, I’m leaving.”
“Something weird is going on.”
Buffy tucked her stake in the pocket of her jacket. “I’ll leave you to figure it out.” She began to go.
There was a moan. Spike looked around for the cause. He discovered the police car behind him. The cop was waking up. Memories were triggered. Spike turned back to Buffy. He examined her clothing and hair, which confirmed his hypothesis.
“This all happened before,” he mumbled. He went over to Buffy and grabbed her shoulder. “Is it 1998?”
The slayer threw his hand off her. She punched him in the jaw. He staggered back with surprise. “I don’t have time for this,” she informed.
Spike straightened himself. He felt the place she hit him, checking for blood. There was none.
Thinking quickly, he said, “I know where your watcher is.”
That got her attention. Her fingers came up and locked around his neck. She squeezed tightly. “You’re going to tell me everything you know!”
He smiled. She let go, keeping her eyes on him. “Sure, luv,” he told her. “Be happy to. Can we go inside? This may take awhile.”
Relaxing a bit, she nodded. “Yeah, we can go to my house.”
They began to walk away. Spike stopped. “Wait a sec.”
“What?” Buffy asked. She watched as he went back to the police car.
He came back with a pack of cigarettes. He took one and lit it, taking a drag. With a grin, he says, “Forgot something.”
She rolled her eyes and continued her path home.
The two made it to Revello Drive in no time. As they entered the driveway, a jeep pulled up. Joyce saw them through the window. She quickly got out of the car.
“Where have you been? Are you okay? The police were here! I’ve been looking for you!” Buffy’s mom shouted.
“Mom, let’s, let’s go inside and I can explain,” Buffy said.
Joyce was hysterical. She notices Spike. “Who is this man?”
Spike gaped at Joyce in amazement. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would be there, alive and well.
“Who are you?” Joyce asked Spike. Before he could answer, she talked to Buffy. “Are you okay?”
“Mom! I’m okay,” Buffy said, trying to calm her mom.
“Buffy, terrible things have happened. What are you doing?”
A laugh came from Spike. The females shot him looks. Buffy’s turned into a glare.
He tried to become serious again. “Sorry, ducks, I just . . . This is rather funny.”
“I don’t find the humor,” Buffy icily commented.
Spike lifted his head to the sky. It was blackened, with no stars. “Okay, this was fun, I want to go home now!”
Buffy actually looked worried. “Spike, you need help. No wonder you’re attracted to Drusilla.”
He shifted back to her. His expression was pained. “I don’t want to be stuck here. I was beginning to enjoy my life.” He gestured to Mrs. Summers. “Sure, Joyce was gone, but I had you and the bit. I even thought you were starting to like me. And Willow and Tara weren’t bad. Anya’s a pain in the ass, but she could say things that needed to be said. Xander still hated my guts. That’s all right, though, the feeling is mutual. He can play a mighty good game of pool, however.”
The slap came out of nowhere. His rambling abruptly ended.
“What was that for?” he demanded.
She put her hands on her hips. “To shut you up! You aren’t making any sense.”
Suddenly he stiffened. His eyes widened. “Give me your stake.”
“Not when you’re like this.”
“Just give it to me!” he ordered.
Buffy didn’t comply. He growled in frustration. A vampire rushed out of the shadows. The demon headed toward Joyce. She screamed in fright, stepping backwards.
Spike fought the vamp. The creature was sent hurdling at Buffy. The slayer took her weapon and drove it into his heart. There was a burst of ashes.
Buffy brushed herself off.
“I told you to give me your stake,” Spike said.
“Why didn’t you just warn me a vampire was coming?” She lifted an eyebrow.
He smirked. “Coulda done that, I suppose.”
A few feet away, Joyce was freaking out. “Buffy . . . What . . . is going on?”
Buffy glanced at her mother then at Spike. She inched toward her mother. Facing Joyce straight in the eyes, she said, “Mom, I’m a vampire slayer.”
Joyce blinked. She shook her head in disbelief.
*+ *+* +*
The Summers women sat on the couch, while Spike lounged in the chair. Joyce
stayed quiet as the other occupants talked.
Buffy leaned forward. “Explain to me, rationally, what is going on.”
“I’m reliving the bleeding past,” Spike told her.
She seemed skeptical.
“I know what is going to happen. In a few moments Willow’s gonna call. Maybe then you’ll believe me.”
“Willow’s okay?” Buffy let out a long sigh of relief.
“Good enough to try the curse for soul-boy.”
Buffy perked up. “Angel? She’s going to restore his soul?”
It hurt to see her so worked-up over his grand-sire. He dug his nails into the arms of the chair. If it were up to him he’d let her kill him outright, but he knew how much Angel meant to her. He never could bare seeing her in any pain.
“Yes, but I suggest you tell her to hurry. Didn’t quite work out well last time.”
“What happened last time?”
The phone rang, interrupting them. Buffy looked at Spike before answering it.
Spike and Joyce were left in awkward silence. The older woman turned to study him.
“Have we met?” she inquired.
“Yeh, at the school. Hit me with an ax. Member?”
Reorganization came over her. “Oh, yes, you were in the gang.”
He chuckled. “Say, Joyce, when all this is over, could I come back for some of you cocoa? With those wonderful marshmallows?”
“I . . . I, think that would be fine.”
Spike stood up. “Right then. Maybe we could even watch Passions.”
Her face lit up. “You like Passions?”
He smiled. “Adore it.”
Buffy came in. “They’re setting up for the spell now.”
“Believe me now, pet?” Spike asked.
“I don’t know. Saying you time traveled is kind of too sci-fi for me.”
“Like vampires aren’t? I knew that Red was going to call!”
“Yeah, but . . . I can’t deal with this now. I have to save the world.”
A nod came from Spike. “All we gotta do is stop Angelus from opening up Acathla. Shouldn’t be too hard. This time I’ll stay to back you up.”
Buffy grabbed her coat. “I have to go get the sword.” She stepped toward the door.
He followed her.
Buffy spun around. “You’re not coming with me.”
Determination was written on his face. “Why not?”
“You have to go back and look after Giles. If he dies, I’ll dust Dru right in front of you,” she threatened.
For some reason that didn’t scare him much. When he thought of his ex, there was only a cold hollowness.
“Bloody hell! I’m not going back to wheel around my sire and ex!” he yelled.
“Help me here, or I won’t look into sending you back to your time.”
He made an exasperated sound. “You always have to be difficult, slayer. I’ll do it,” he said, giving in.
“Good, I’ll see you soon. Be ready for the grand-finale.” She opened the door.
Joyce got to her feet. “You aren’t leaving until I get some answers, young lady!”
Ignoring her mother, Buffy left.
Spike fished for a cigarette. “Well, gotta jet. We’ll hook up for that cocoa then.”
Spike began to leave. Before walking outside, he said to Joyce, ”Don’t you worry. You’re a great mum. When you get all the details you’ll be right proud of her.”
Mrs. Summers looked at him, stunned. He gave a friendly smile and left.