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 16: The Longest Night

Xander was grateful that he'd finally found a time to talk to Buffy about what pitfalls to avoid with Anya. While she hadn't given him all the details, the Slayer had reminded him that no matter how much Anya enjoyed sex, that wasn't going to be enough to sustain a relationship. Her rueful tone caused him to suspect that she was speaking from both knowledge of his future and personal experience.

He'd scored major points with Anya just by giving her a heads up as to what was coming, and then suggesting that they spend the next couple of days together. "Buffy said that the whole town is going to shut down," Xander had said. "We could rent movies and just hang out, since we won't be able to talk. That way, you wouldn't have to be alone."

In truth, Xander wasn't expecting to have more than a day off of work. Buffy and Spike knew where the Gentlemen would be, and they were certainly capable of taking care of the problem. There was no reason for the silence to reign for more than one day.

That was why, when Xander woke up next to Anya the next morning, still unable to speak, he knew that something had gone wrong.

Anya clutched at his arms, the question in her eyes clear, even if she couldn't speak it aloud. "What happened?"

Xander didn't know what to tell her, but he knew where to go for answers. He was grateful that he'd stocked up on paper and a supply of pens before they'd lost their voices. Scribbling quickly, he wrote a note and passed it over.

"We need to go to Giles'."

Anya nodded, then began reaching for her discarded clothing. Xander was glad that she wasn't panicking too badly, although he wouldn't have blamed her if she had. There would have had to have been a serious complication if the bad guys weren't dead yet.

Xander felt Anya slip her hand into his, and he squeezed gently, hoping to reassure her. He needed the comfort of contact himself.

~~~~~

"We looked all night," Buffy wrote, the dark circles under her eyes confirming her assertion. "No sign."

Giles didn't like the sound of that. It was impossible to know what had changed, to keep the Gentlemen from setting up shop in the same place twice. "Where else would they be?"

"I don't know!"

He could feel her frustration through the written words, seeing it in her hard jab at the paper that she punctuated her sentence with. Giles tried to be reassuring. "You know what to look for," he encouraged.

Buffy shook her head, turning away. Spike was the one to put words to both their feelings. "Two dead," he wrote. "Nothing we could do. They hit different people this time."

Giles looked over at Olivia, who was watching them with a drink in hand. He'd at least had a chance to warn her of what was coming, although he hadn't thought it would last quite so long. Perhaps he should have discouraged her from coming to Sunnydale altogether, but their visits were so few and far between, Giles hadn't wanted to put it off.

He was regretting that decision now; Olivia might not be in any real danger, but she had been exposed to a part of his life that he'd never thought to share with her.

"All you can do is patrol tonight," Giles wrote back. "See if you can find them."

While Giles was aware that his words wouldn't do much to comfort Buffy, knowing how personally she took it when she failed to save a life, it was all he had to offer. Not even a spell would work, without being able to voice words to invoke the magic. Spike wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulders for a brief hug, then wrote, "We'd better see Joyce."

Buffy nodded, her eyes asking Giles to understand. Although everyone else had chosen to gather at his apartment, he knew that Buffy's mother would be alone. "Bring her here?" he wrote.

Buffy frowned, then shrugged. "Maybe," she wrote. "If she wants."

Spike and Buffy departed soon after, and Giles watched them go, heading over to Olivia to offer what reassurance he could. Xander and the girls were gathered around the television, listening to the welcome sounds of people speaking.

Giles just hoped that Buffy and Spike found a way to stop the Gentlemen before they did more harm.

~~~~~

Spike was beyond tired, worn out by a day and a night of hunting for the elusive Gentlemen. There seemed to be no way to find the creatures, except to run across one of them or their minions and track it back to their lair.

Both he and Buffy were aware that another night would bring more death, which they were powerless to prevent.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and Spike's eyes fluttered open to see Joyce looking down at him with concern. Spike had insisted that Buffy take a nap, since there wasn't much they could do during the daylight hours. Joyce had written a note suggesting that he take the guest bedroom, but Spike had refused, not wanting to sleep.

Spike offered her a smile, putting his hand over hers and glancing at the clock. It was getting late; he probably should wake Buffy so they could begin their search all over again.

Seeing Joyce look over her shoulder, Spike saw Buffy come into the living room, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. He nodded and rose, touching Joyce on the cheek in a farewell gesture.

"Stay inside," Buffy mouthed as they left, and her mother nodded to let her know that she understood, just before grabbing Buffy and pulling her into a long embrace. Spike watched as Buffy clung to her mother in response.

When the two women broke apart, Spike took Buffy's hand, and they both set off into the night. He wished he remembered more about what had happened the last time. All he knew was that he'd been at Giles' apartment when his voice returned. From what he recalled, Xander and Anya had been there, but Willow had gone back to the dorms.

Buffy stopped, her brow furrowed in thought.

Spike stayed still, watching her patiently, trusting Buffy's memories and instincts. When she began to walk towards campus, he followed her closely, wondering what she was thinking. As they approached Stevenson Hall, Spike began to understand, although he thought it was a long shot. There was no indication that the Gentlemen would show up on campus, since so many things seemed to have changed.

It was as good a place as any to start their search, however, and Spike paused when he saw Tara hurrying across the campus, books clutched against her chest.

Spike pointed at the girl, and Buffy nodded with grim satisfaction, as though she'd expected to see her. They both began to run at the same time, skidding to a stop in between Tara and the approaching minions.

If Buffy noticed that Tara seemed to recognize him, she didn't react. Instead, she put herself between Tara and the creatures, and waved him over to Tara. Spike knew exactly what she wanted him to do; she wanted him to get Tara to safety while she took on the Gentlemen by herself.

Spike shook his head vehemently, not wanting to leave her to deal with the creatures on her own.

Buffy met his eyes, and he could see that he wasn't going to get anywhere. It was important that she track the Gentlemen to their lair, where the box was located, and someone had to make sure that Tara was safe.

After a long moment, Spike finally nodded, pulling Tara away with him. If nothing else, he could get her to safety and then track Buffy by scent. The first stop, by default, was going to be Buffy's dorm room. He didn't know if Willow would be there or not, but it was worth a try, and the closest sanctuary they had.

In all honesty, Spike didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that they weren't followed into the residence hall. While the lack of pursuit did give him the opportunity to ensure Tara was safe, it also meant that Buffy would have her hands full.

Spike ushered Tara into the dorm and towards Buffy and Willow's room, hoping that the witch had decided to come back to the dorms as she had the last time.

He rapped sharply on the door, then did it again when he got no answer, cursing silently. After a moment, the door opened a crack, and Willow peeked out. Her eyes widened when she saw him with Tara, and she stepped aside to let them enter.

Spike shook his head, refusing her unspoken invitation, but he nudged Tara inside the door. "Stay inside," he mouthed to Willow, waiting for her nod to be sure that she understood him.

He took off running as soon as the door was closed and he heard the click of the lock. Pausing briefly outside the dorm to catch Buffy's scent, Spike began running in the same direction that she'd gone.

It didn't take him very long to figure out where Buffy was heading. There was an old chapel just off the campus grounds, which had been in use when the university had first been built. Spike knew about it only because he'd run across it while searching for the Gem of Amara. In a way, it made sense that the Gentlemen would set up there, since there was little chance anyone would spot them. Their activity had been a lot more visible in the old clock tower.

When Spike spotted one of the minions entering the chapel through the front door, he redoubled his pace. He barely managed to duck the shot that was immediately fired at him, rolling across the floor and coming to rest at the feet of one of the shambling mummies. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike could see Riley take aim with his gun again, but his attention was drawn back to the demon standing over him.

The creature made a grab for him, but was repelled momentarily by another blast from one of the Initiative guns. Spike knew that the blast had been meant for him, and he wished that he could point out to the soldier that they were on the same side—for the moment.

There was no time to attempt to communicate that fact, however, and Spike didn't have time to deal with ducking both the Gentlemen and the misguided soldier. Spike grabbed the creature by the throat and the rags around its middle and threw it across the room, right into Riley, bowling the man over.

Spike gave a satisfied nod when the soldier didn't get up, thinking that he and Buffy would have time to break the box and destroy the demons. Speaking of Buffy—

Looking around frantically, Spike finally spotted the Slayer inside a knot of demons. Two of the minions were holding her down, bent backwards over the altar rail, while one of the Gentlemen approached her with an upraised scalpel.

Spike rushed at the minion on the left, crashing through the altar rail and breaking its hold on Buffy, then allowing the momentum to carry him right into one of the Gentlemen. He grunted silently with the impact, but was on his feet again in moments.

Buffy had managed to shake off the second minion and was sprinting for the pulpit, where a carved wooden box rested. Spike realized that that was the box in which their voices were stored, and he made a grab for the Gentleman attempting to intercept her, grabbing onto its coattails.

It was just enough force to keep the thing from getting to Buffy, and she dropped the box on the floor and then stomped, reducing it to splinters.

Spike saw the white wisps floating up from the wreckage, and he knew immediately when he had his voice back. Buffy was the one to do the honors, however, since he wasn't quite ready to scream like a girl.

The Gentlemen froze at the first sound that emerged from Buffy's throat, and then they began to shake until their heads—quite literally—exploded. Unfortunately, Spike was entirely too close to one of them.

Spike was at Buffy's side in a moment. "You okay, luv?"

Buffy nodded. "I forgot how gross that was."

"You're telling me." Spike shook his arm to get the green snot-like substance off. "Was Captain Cardboard here when you showed up?"

Buffy nodded. "I knew there was a chance that he'd see me tonight, but I was hoping that he wouldn't show this time. I guess we're going to have to tell him something."

"More than something," Spike responded grimly. "He saw me an' started firin' immediately. He must have been one of the soldiers who jumped me the other night."

"Crap." Buffy looked around the dilapidated interior. "Where is he?"

Spike shrugged. "I tossed a mummy at him to keep him out of my way. Figure he got knocked out."

It didn't take long to spot the soldier's still form, and Buffy rushed over to his side. Spike took his time, not really caring if Riley had been hurt. After all, the man had been shooting at him.

"Spike, he's dead," Buffy announced.

Spike blinked, then moved closer. "What?"

"His neck is broken." Buffy looked up at him, and he could see the accusation in her eyes. "You killed him."

~~~~~

Buffy knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left her mouth. Whatever Spike's feelings for Riley Finn had been, Buffy knew that he hadn't intended to kill the man. Whether a product of the ring enhancing his strength, or just a freak accident, it hadn't been intentional.

Spike's face closed off, but not before Buffy had seen the brief flash of hurt mixed with guilt. "Yeah. Guess I did."

"I didn't mean it that way, Spike," Buffy said quickly. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Spike looked grim. "He's dead, isn't he? An' I'm the one that caused it."

Buffy shook her head. "It was an accident. This kind of thing happens in the middle of a fight. What did you tell me after Katrina died? That it was an accident, that things just happen sometimes."

Spike shook his hand. "I threw the thing, an' so I'm the one responsible. That's the way it works, isn't it? I get it now, Buffy."

"No, you don't get it, Spike." Buffy knew that they didn't have time to argue about whose fault it was; it was more important to decide what they were going to do about Riley's body. "We can argue about this later. What are we going to do about it?"

Spike ran a hand over his face, taking a deep, unnecessary breath. "Leave it."

Buffy stared at him. "Really?"

"It's the bloody secret forces, Summers," Spike snapped. "What do you think they're goin' to do? Declare it murder an' start a manhunt? No, they're goin' to say it was a training exercise gone wrong, an' they won't know any different if we don't say anythin'."

Buffy nodded slowly, seeing the logic behind Spike's plan. If they didn't do anything with the body, the Initiative would likely believe that Riley had been killed by the monsters he'd been hunting. "Okay. We have to tell Giles, though."

"Why not?" Spike muttered.

Buffy had no idea what to say to him to repair the damage she'd already caused. Nor did she want to explain the fact that she was refusing to think about the fact that Riley was dead. She couldn't cry about this—not in front of Spike. "I don't think we should go over there tonight, though. Giles is probably going to have some explaining to do with Olivia."

Spike nodded shortly. "You should get back to the dorm. You've got classes tomorrow."

Buffy wasn't sure that she liked that idea, but didn't really want to argue either. She wasn't angry with Spike, exactly, but she couldn't help blaming him just a little. "Okay. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Let me know when and where." Spike motioned to the door. "We'd better get going before anybody comes lookin' for him."

Buffy led the way out of the chapel. Spike walked with her in silence; she didn't know what to say. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Spike asked gruffly. "Never liked the big git anyway."

"Spike!" Buffy stared at him, feeling a rising anger at his insensitivity.

He glared at her. "What? It's true. I'm not gonna start lyin' about how we could have been best of friends if only the circumstances had been different. Besides, the feeling was mutual. Finn would have killed me given half a chance." Spike's eyes sparked yellow in the darkness. "He tried to capture me the other night, remember?"

Buffy took a deep breath, for once recognizing Spike's anger for the defense mechanism that it was. She had seen his remorse and guilt after turning all those people while under the influence of the First. While he might not be sorry that they didn't have to worry about Riley reporting back to the Initiative about them, Buffy was certain that Spike did feel some guilt.

"You're right." She never had liked saying those words. "There's no point in saying anything you don't mean, and Riley would probably have killed you if he had the chance."

Spike looked a little startled by her admission, and his face softened. "Right, then. You okay?"

"I'm fine, Spike," Buffy replied. "I was over Riley a long time ago." They stood outside Stevenson Hall awkwardly, looking at one another and then away again. "I'll call you tomorrow."

He moved his shoulders in the approximation of a shrug. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Slayer."

Buffy watched him go, disappearing into the shadows easily. It was so easy for her to forget these days that Spike was still a creature of the night. He was still a vampire, and while he did have a soul, there was still a difference there.

She shook her head, reminding herself of all the changes that Spike had made for her, of the chance he'd taken by coming back to the past with her. Buffy knew that she might easily have done what Spike had.

The circumstances surrounding Riley's death weren't much different than those behind the deputy mayor's, the man that Faith had killed. Except that Riley had at least known the risks.

Buffy let herself into the room, seeing Willow sitting at her desk while Tara sat on her bed. "Buffy!" Willow said. "Are you okay?"

Buffy didn't want to talk about what had happened—not now, and not in front of Tara. "I'm fine." She smiled at the other girl. "Hey."

Tara smiled shyly. "Hi."

"Buffy, this is Tara. Tara, this is Buffy, my roommate." Willow's expression was torn, and she was clearly uncertain about how much to tell the other woman. "Tara was coming here to try to find a spell."

Buffy vaguely remembered that fact. After Willow had started dating Tara, she'd explained how they'd met. Buffy knew that it had happened during the Gentlemen's visit, but she had been less clear on Tara's reason for showing up. "That's great," Buffy said.

"I w-w-w-wasn't any help," Tara finally managed to get out.

Buffy smiled wearily. "Stick around, and you'll have plenty of chances." She looked at Willow. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a shower and then go to bed."

Willow nodded. "Oh, sure! I'm just going to walk Tara back to her dorm."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "Maybe I should go, too."

Willow shook her head. "I'll be fine."

Buffy nodded, grateful for the privacy and too tired to argue. She gathered her robe and bathroom kit, and went to take a shower. Once the water was running hot, Buffy stepped under the spray, letting go of the grief that had been threatening to well up.

She hadn't lied to Spike; Buffy had gotten over Riley long before, but that didn't mean she hadn't cared about him. Nor did it take away the sting of guilt, knowing that if she hadn't come back to the past, Riley wouldn't have died.

Buffy had never believed that they would change things for the worse.