Fix You by Enigmaticblue

Summary: Desperate times call for desperate measures where the First is involved. In order to prevent the end of the world, Buffy asks Willow to do a spell that's supposed to fix everything, and Spike goes along for the ride.

Chapter 12: Just a Little Spell

Willow paused as she flipped through their mail. It was the first day back from Thanksgiving break, and she'd just had a full day of classes. She was tired and not feeling very good. It had been too long since she'd heard from Oz, and Willow was starting to think that she wasn't ever going to see him again.

And now there was a letter.

She hurried back to her dorm room, wanting privacy to read his message. Sitting down on her bed, she opened the envelope and read the missive.

"Willow, I miss you. I even miss Sunnydale, even though I've seen some pretty weird stuff out here. I'm on my way to Tibet now. I've heard there are monks there who might be able to help me out. I don't know what the mail is like from there, so I might not be able to write again very soon. Love,

Oz."

It wasn't much as far love notes went, but Willow would take it. At least it was something. Still, it hurt to know that he was so far away, without any indication of when he'd be coming back.

The door opened, and Buffy walked in. "Hey, Will."

"Hey," she said absently, wondering if Buffy would sense that something was wrong, or if she'd still be caught up in her own Spike-filled world.

Buffy put her books down on her desk and began sorting through them. "How were classes?"

"Fine."

Buffy turned to look at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Oz sent me a letter." Willow held it out to her, watching as Buffy took it and quickly scanned the words.

Buffy looked up. "This is good, right?"

"I don't know," Willow said. "He's going to Tibet."

Buffy sat down next to her. "I think that's where he went last time, too, if I remember correctly. What's wrong?"

"He doesn't even know when he's coming back," Willow burst out. "So what if he misses me? If he really missed me, he'd come home."

Buffy sighed. "Oz needs to do this for himself, Will. I know he loves you, but Sunnydale isn't a good place for him right now. Not until he can control the wolf."

"What if he can't?" Willow demanded.

Buffy rose from the bed. "He did last time; I don't know why it would be different."

"Maybe you changed it," Willow objected. "Maybe he won't come back."

Willow could see the guilt flash over Buffy's face, and she felt a pang of remorse. "I'm doing the best that I can," Buffy said. "No one handed me a user's guide, Willow. I was trying to keep the world from ending."

"I know," Willow said, knowing that she should be more sympathetic, but still thinking that Buffy didn't understand how she felt. Buffy had her boyfriend with her; Spike had gotten his soul for her, and he was completely devoted to her.

Spike had followed her to the past, and obviously wanted nothing but her happiness. For Willow, who had just lost the person she loved, to distance if nothing else, it was hard to see them together.

Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry, Willow. Maybe we should do something tonight, just the two of us."

That was more like it. "That sounds good."

Buffy smiled. "I'll call Spike and have him patrol for me. It can be a girls' evening in."

Willow thought that might be just what the doctor ordered.

~~~~~

"'Course I don't mind," Spike replied. "If Red's down, probably best you keep her mind off things. You know what happened the last time she got caught up in her own misery."

"Oh, crap," Buffy said. "I almost forgot about that."

Spike's eyebrows went up, even though he knew that Buffy couldn't see his expression. "You forgot?"

"Not about the spell," Buffy said quickly. "That's a little hard to do. No, I forgot that it was now." She groaned. "There's just so much to remember, and with school, and I've got finals coming up—"

"It's fine, Buffy," Spike assured her. "I was just teasin' a bit. I'll stop by your mum's house tonight, check up on her. How about I stop by campus tomorrow after your classes?"

"I've got a paper to write," she warned him.

"I don't mind," he said. "I just like bein' close to you."

"I like having you close," she replied, her voice growing warm. "I'm going to miss you tonight."

"Same here." Spike felt a smile tugging the corners of his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then."

Even though Buffy hadn't said the words, Spike could feel the warmth in her as he hadn't in the past. After that night they'd spent together, everything had felt different.

They had finally made love for the first time, and Buffy had fallen asleep in his arms. What had been even better, Buffy had stayed in his arms the next morning, rather than running away. Spike hadn't slept, had simply watched her, and when Buffy's eyes had fluttered open the next morning and she'd offered him a sleepy smile...

Well, Spike knew that everything had changed. They had managed to fix this one thing at least.

Although he had no doubt that they would fight again, Spike had the memory of that night, and the next morning, and the knowledge that Buffy had forgiven him.

Even if he didn't deserve any of it.

Spike had a few errands to run that afternoon, needing to pick up blood and cigarettes, as well as a few items for his fridge. If Buffy was going to be spending the night on any kind of a regular basis, he wanted to have something for her to eat and drink.

It was a nice day, and Spike still hadn't reached the point where he took the daylight for granted yet, and so he decided to walk. He was walking down Main Street, towards the store, when he saw Riley across the street. Spike couldn't help the frisson of fear even though the Gem of Amara kept him safe enough.

The Initiative had been the only enemy that he'd been unable to beat, since Buffy had been the one to shut down the base. Spike hadn't even had the satisfaction of knowing he'd been a part of things; instead, he'd been taken in by Adam and his promises of freedom.

Spike still felt a sense of shame for that whole business. Not for betraying the Slayer and her friends; he'd been evil at the time, after all. No, for being such a fool to believe that the walking pile of junk would actually keep his word. Spike should have known better.

Now he faced the Initiative again, although on different terms. With any luck, the soldiers would never know of him, let alone capture him. And if they did—if something happened—well, Spike now knew the lengths to which Buffy would go to rescue him.

Riley didn't even look over at him, though, and Spike had to remind himself that in this time, the soldier had never met him, had never heard of Hostile 17. And he was standing outside in the broad daylight.

There was no way the other man would believe that he was a vampire.

"Spike!"

He smiled as he realized that Joyce was calling to him from down the street. "H'lo, Joyce. What are you doing here?"

"I was out getting lunch," she said. "Would you like to come by and see the gallery?"

Spike shrugged. He'd never visited the last time, and he didn't have anywhere to be. "Sure."

"Were you on your way somewhere?" Joyce asked. "I don't want to keep you."

Spike shook his head. "Just to the store, but I didn't have any plans for the afternoon. Thought I might drop by tonight."

"You know that you and Buffy don't need to worry about me," she half-scolded.

He smiled. "Can't help it if we do. We both want you around for a long time to come."

"That's very sweet," she replied.

Spike frowned. "'m not 'sweet.'"

"Of course not," she agreed, although Spike could hear her snicker.

He decided to let it go. If Joyce wanted to think him "sweet," that was fine, particularly if it kept him on good terms with her. Spike knew that things would go better for him and Buffy if Joyce was on board with their relationship.

Although, they really hadn't faced much disapproval this time around unless you counted Xander—which Spike didn't.

Joyce held the door open for him. "This is it," she announced. "It's small, but we have some good pieces."

"I can see that," Spike replied.

"Let me show you around." Joyce smiled. "It's been slow today, but I have a shipment to unpack later." She waved to her assistant. "You can leave now, Angela. I'm back."

"Thanks, Mrs. Summers," Angela replied, grabbing her pack. "I've got to get to class."

"She's an art history major at the university," Joyce explained as the door closed behind the girl. "I generally have to hire someone new every year, but it's nice to have help over the lunch hour, and sometimes in the evening."

"You want some help today?" Spike asked. "Told Buffy I'd patrol for her tonight, but I can do it later."

"Would you?" Joyce asked. "There are some large pieces, and I wasn't sure if I'd manage by myself."

"Of course," Spike replied, shrugging. "Happy to."

Joyce smiled at him warmly. "Thank you, Spike. It's so nice to have you around."

Spike couldn't help the smile that formed, although he didn't reply. He was thinking that it was nice to be wanted.

~~~~~

Buffy was thanking her lucky stars—assuming she had some—that Willow hadn't asked to come along on patrol with her. It wasn't that she begrudged her friend the time; she understood that Willow was hurting. Like Spike had said, it was a good idea to keep her mind off of her troubles with Oz to avoid any ill-conceived spells. She had forgotten just how big a pain a moping Willow could be, though.

She'd had to call Spike and tell him not to come by her dorm that afternoon, because she'd been too tired to work on her paper and had decided to catch a nap while Willow wasn't there. It had helped, but not enough.

"Are you alright, Buffy?" Giles asked.

Buffy nodded. "I'm fine. It's just that Willow wanted to stay up all night talking, so I didn't get much sleep."

He made a sympathetic noise. "I take it that she's missing Oz."

Buffy sighed. "I thought that if he sent a letter this time, it would make things better, but instead it seems to have made it worse."

Giles cleared his throat. "Perhaps it's not the letter."

Buffy frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"You and Spike are quite close," Giles pointed out delicately, pulling off his glasses.

"And?" Buffy prompted.

"I'm only saying that it might be difficult for Willow to watch you with your boyfriend, who is also a supernatural creature." Giles finished polishing his lenses and put his glasses back on. "Were you dating anyone last time?"

Buffy shifted on the couch. "Not really. I was starting to—with Riley, but we hadn't gotten very far." She rubbed her eyes. "I just hope that Willow doesn't get the bright idea to do a spell this time."

"Shouldn't you speak to her about that?" Giles asked.

Buffy shook her head. "And put the idea in her head? Willow suggested that maybe I'd made things worse between her and Oz, and she could be right, Giles. What if the changes I make aren't for the better?"

Giles gave her a sympathetic smile, then gently asked, "Are things between you and Spike better or worse?"

"Better," Buffy said immediately. "Better than they've ever been."

"Then perhaps that's your answer. What is in your power to control, you've improved upon."

Spike strode the door just then, and so Buffy was prevented from asking Giles any more questions about what he thought. She wondered if she shouldn't have him talk to Willow about not using magic when upset, but then thought better of that idea. Willow had a tendency to be touchy about being told to stay away from magic, and after Willow's accusations, the Slayer wasn't inclined to meddle more than she had to.

"'lo, luv," Spike said, giving her a smile and sparing Giles from having to watch them kiss. Buffy knew that he would give her a more thorough greeting later.

"Hey," she replied. "How was Mom last night?"

"Good," he said. "Helped her unpack a shipment, saw her safely home, then dusted half a dozen vamps." Spike grinned, looking very satisfied with himself. "It was a good night."

"Sounds like it," Buffy replied.

"How's Red?" he asked.

Buffy sighed. "Mopey. We stayed up all night last night, talking about how horrible men are in general, and Oz was in particular."

Spike and Giles both frowned at that. "All men?" Giles inquired.

Buffy shrugged. "Well, in a general sense, anyway. I was mostly just listening. She wanted me to hang out tonight, but I played the duty card."

"If you need to stay with her—" Spike began.

Buffy shook her head vehemently. "No. I need a break. I need an evening slaying demons, and I need to sleep tonight."

"Well, I've heard nothing new. Both of you be careful tonight."

"You've got it," Spike replied, looking over at Buffy. "Ready, pet?"

"Absolutely." Buffy stood and took his arm. "I'll be by tomorrow, Giles."

Buffy couldn't help but feel a little guilty that Spike was there when Oz wasn't, particularly after hearing about it all night. At the same time, they had put in their time, had had their share of tears and hurt. Buffy was determined to enjoy every moment they had together.

~~~~~

"I don't see why Buffy had to go patrol with Spike tonight," Willow said, pouting. "She knows that I'm hurting right now, and Spike was fine about it last night."

"It is Buffy's job, Will," Xander reminded her, glancing at the clock. Anya was going to be arriving soon, and he didn't want Willow there when she showed up. While Buffy seemed okay with his girlfriend, he knew that Willow didn't like her.

Xander honestly didn't understand where Willow's animosity came from. If anyone was going to hate Anya, it probably should be him, since she'd taken her revenge on men, not women.

Still, he knew that Anya was a little jealous of his friends, and Xander wanted to make this work. He reminded himself to ask Buffy for pointers, and a glimpse into the future. She hadn't said much about their relationship.

"I'm her best friend," Willow protested. "I think I should get some of her time for that."

Xander hid his sigh. He could definitely understand why Buffy would rather spend her evening with Spike, killing demons. "Didn't you just tell me that Buffy stayed up all night with you? Give her a break, Will."

Willow frowned at him, catching him glancing over at the clock. "What? Do you have a hot date or something?"

"Anya's coming over," Xander explained.

Willow pouted. "I thought that we were supposed to hang out!"

"I'd already made plans with her, Will." Xander stood. "And she should be here any minute. I'm sorry, but we can do something tomorrow night if you want."

Willow grimaced. "Fine."

Xander watched her go and let out a sigh of relief. Really, he loved her, but he was getting tired of her whining about Oz being gone. He was fairly certain that he hadn't done that much whining when Cordelia had broken up with him.

~~~~~

Willow went back to her dorm room and slammed the door shut behind her. It wasn't fair. Everyone had a significant other; everyone had someone except for her, and her friends couldn't even be bothered to give her a little support in her time of need.

The rational part of her brain reminded Willow that her friends had been very sympathetic, but she didn't want to be rational. She wanted to wallow in self-pity. So Oz missed her. So what? He wasn't there; if he really missed her he'd be on his way back to Sunnydale.

She flung herself down on her bed, wishing that she could just get over him that much faster. Everyone kept assuring her that it would take time, but how did they know? And did she want to get over him? Maybe she didn't, because Willow still wanted him to come back.

Willow just wanted to not hurt for a while.

She reached over and grabbed one of the magic books she'd borrowed from Giles to practice. Buffy had said that she'd turned out to be a bad ass witch, and that made Willow want to try harder, to get better, to be powerful sooner. Surely if she'd been a powerful witch, Veruca wouldn't have made a play for Oz, and Oz wouldn't have left.

There was a part of her that wanted to find the spell her future self had used to send Buffy and Spike back in time. If she'd thought that she'd actually be able to cast that spell, Willow might have tried.

Instead, she would have to make do with something else.

It was just her luck that she already had the ingredients necessary for the "Will Be Done" spell. It wasn't even all that complicated, nothing like conjuring. The only thing that Willow had to worry about controlling was herself, and she was all about the self-control.

Willow set up the candles in the bathroom, smothering her resentment of the others, all of whom seemed oblivious to her pain. They were all busy with their own lives and kept forgetting that hers had been put on hold.

That's what it felt like—like Willow couldn't move forward until Oz returned.

"Harken all ye elements, I summon thee now." She dropped eye of newt into the bowl. "Control the outside, control within. Land and sea, fire and wind. Out of my passions, a web be spun. From this eve forth, my will be done. So mote it be."

Willow poured the contents of the goblet into the bowl and felt the shock of the electricity that connected her to all of the candles. She felt a sense of satisfaction.

Quickly, she cleared out all signs of spell-casting before anyone saw her. The RA took a dim view of lit candles in the dorm, and Willow didn't want to get in trouble.

Once she'd put all her spell ingredients away, Willow sat on the edge of her bed and concentrated on her broken heart. "I will that my heart be mended."

Willow frowned. She certainly didn't feel any different.

She picked up a bent q-tip from the bedside table. "I will that this q-tip be straight."

Still nothing.

With a sigh, Willow flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes. Some bad ass Wicca she was. She couldn't even get a simple spell right.