Memory Redux

Chapter 18: Details Are Coming Back

Please read the thank you’s below. They are heart felt.


A/N 1: Big thanks to whoever nominated With A Little Help for the Love's Last Glimpse Awards. I am very flattered and thrilled.

A/N 2: I can't thank Spazycat, mercy, shippy, and luckylady523 for reviewing the last chapter. You certainly know how to get an author busy writing. Thanks again.

***********
Friday, at 6:52 PM, the surprise invasion began. Their leader, Spike’s beloved who he was expecting, brought four soldiers in tow who were definitely not expected. When all the troops and their gear were either standing or laying in his entry hall, the sleeping quarters were sorted out. Spike rolled his eyes and fervently wished he hadn’t been so foolhardy as to stop smoking after the victory at the Hellmouth. And in the last several months, he never thought, never ever thought that he would ever regret Beth loving him or vice versa, but he was close the very first few minutes when he had opened the door to Beth’s two pairs of soldiers: Willow with Tara and Xander with Anya. The only silver lining was seeing Tara alive again. This new reality included Tara, just as it did Joyce. A big, huge, colossal bonus. Now as Buffy was with her mum, the two wiccan lovebirds were reunited. Wiccans? Yes, both were witches just as in the old reality. A little bridge from old times to new, such as Giles owning a magic shop.

General Beth sent Private Willow and Private Tara to bunk in the entertainment room while Private Xander and Private Anya to the study. ‘The study?pikepike inwardly groaned. ‘Just what I need. Xander and his bird sleeping in samesame room as my blood supply.’ However, since the blood was stored in a refrigerator hidden behind a fake panel of books, Spike felt pretty safe that Xander and Anya where the last two of the soldiers who would crack open a book over the weekend.

And then he saw the air mattresses…mattresses equaled terror for the former Big Bad. Air mattresses in the two rooms smacked too much of permanence, like the unwanted parentst net never leave. If the invading army didn’t leave in a couple of days, he would make sure that the invading army found leaks in each of their mattresses.

As much as he grumbled, if he was forced to admit it, Spike wasn’t really surprised by how much he enjoyed this invasion of his Normandy and by the thought of being include in the close knit circle friend for another weekend. In fact, he felt flattered that they even wanted to stay at his flat, not that he would admit that either. No, no. Grrhhh.

And let the festivities begin. After everyone settled in their respective rooms, the group piled into Xander’s and Spike’s two cars and went to dinner at a boisterous, Greek restaurant. After a little…ok, a lot of alcohol under their belts, they were singing and dancing at on the dance floor with other patrons and staff. They so mso much fun that they were eventually asked to leave so that the staff could close up for the night. The next day after sleeping in, the girls spent the day shopping in a mall. Xander and Spike tagged along but spent the day in the mall’s movie theatre and then got a couple of beers in one of the restaurant’s bar. When everyone was finally reunited, they traveled back to the flat to eat take out and change for the night’s activity.

*******

Earlier in the evening the women, equipped with numerous shopping bags, commandeered Normandy’s best latrine, a.k.a. Spike’s bathroom. The last two soldiers were left with the small bathroom tucked behind the kitchen. Captain Spike was forced to ask for a clean set of clothes through his own bedroom door. In said bedroom and bath, there were showers for each, and all the girls helped each other with their hair and make-up, not to mention the clothes swapping and the great, globally important debates on what clothes looked best on who.

Beth had promised Spike an outfit so sexy it would make him drool. Not metaphorically drool but actually drool. Spike thought this a hard feat indeed since he always thought Beth looked sexy as hell.

The two witches came out first, giggling, eyes only for each other, and for good reason. Willow wore a sapphire blue top with varying patches of silk and velvet and below she wore a knee length, snug, black skirt. Tara wore a low cutrgunrgundy dress with a soft, beige sweater. Spike thought that respectively, in their own unique ways, they both looked beautiful and told them just that. Willow already liked Spike from her last visit and because how happy he made her friend, but when he complimented Tara with an obviously sincere compliment of her beauty, Willow watched her shy lover glow with pride, and that alone made her opinion go from like to adore for the blonde man. Tara was quickly joining Willow in hernionnion. She had only known William for twenty-four hours, but liked what she had seen so far. The compliment didn’t hurt either, she thought with a smile.

Anya came out next in tight, emerald green pants and a lighter green, cropped top. Both men told her how fantastic she looked. ‘She did shine,’ Spike thought, ‘and her peperspersonality was always her best accessory.’ Xander was up on his feet and met her half way across the room. Judging by their open mouthed kiss, Xander thought Anya looked more than fantastic.

Then Beth came out. She wore an incredibly short, black, leather skirt, a low cut red shirt, and black knee high boots. Spike’s mouth opened, closed, opened…closed before, without a word, picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her back into the bedroom. Through the door, Buffy could hear Tara, Willow and Xander laughing, and Anya complaining, “What? I don’t look good enough to be carried ?”
?”

“What do you want me to do? Pick you up, carry you into someone else’s study and do you up against the books?”

Anya’s face was taken up by a big, toughtful eyes and a wide smile. “Yes. Now, please!”

“Ahn!”

Willow and Tara had been watching the pair, laughing as quietly as they could. Willow finally lost the battle and laughed out right, and it was Tara that spoke up. “You asked for that one, Xander. As for all of us, we might as well go into the entertainment room and get comfortable because this could be a while.” Willow finished for her, “and turn the TV up LOUD.”

Xander just shook his head. “I give them ten minutes, and then I’m banging on the door.”

“Banging…?” Willow aara ara dissolved in laughter again.

*****

‘Bloody hell, the bird hadn’t been kidding about prissing up,’ Spike thought for the millionth time. Only five minutes in the car, and Spike wanted to find parking lot to ravish the chit; after all, the last parking lot had worked well before, but he guessed the others would put up a fuss. Especially since the two witches were in the car with them. It was tough, but he persevered all the way to the club, he thought with a smile, but there was always later.

The club was a mass of bodies dancing, drinking, talking, and flirting. The three couples spent some of the time together, but they also took off and did their own things. They also made sure to touch base from time to time.

After an hour at the club, everyone met up at the bar and shared a good laugh while listening to Spike’s and Xander’s banter. The live band’s current, faster song was ending and a slow one starting, so Beth and Spike excused themselves. Holding her hand, while Beth licked her lips in anticipation, he led her out onto the dance floor. She loved to dance with William during slow songs. His idea of dancing was more like foreplay, sex with their clothes on. So it was no surprise that after a couple of such dances,y ley left the dance floor in search of the closest, darkest corner in the club, a must if they wanted to conduct a little foreplay in earnest.

A short time later, Xander and Anya found the pair. William had one hand on Beth’s ass, and he was nibbling on her neck. The fingers of one of Beth’s hand were threaded through his hair, and Xander didn’t even want to speculate where her other hand was currently residing. “Hey, guys. We weren’t sure, but were you dancing or humping out on the dance floor?”

Spike raised his scared eyebrow over suspiciously innocent looking eyes. “We *can* shag out there?”

“Only if you want to get arrested but warn us first so we can run far, far away. And no bail money from here, bleach blonde. Meanwh jus just wanted to let you know that Ahn and I are headed over to the pool tables, and Willow and Tara are dancing. Ya know, real dancing.”

Watching them leave, Spike leaned down so that his lips were next to Beth’s ear. He ran his tongue along the shell before whispering, “Kitten, I think I can see an available table over by the edge of the dance floor that looks to be empty. Do you want to take that sexy arse of yours over there and claim it while I go to the bar and snag us a couple of beers and something to munch on?” Beth nd and and stood up on tiptoe to kiss him before walking off toward the table. The gentleman in him walked her to the table before heading to the bar, which gave Beth a great opportunity to ogle his own sexy “arse” as he walked away.

Buffy sat at the table soaking in the lights and loud sounds of the club. Her attention was suddenly drawn away as when an overly optimistic drunk sat down at the table. If she looked to the left of the idiot, Beth could still see William, but that also made it so she was just about looking the drunk square in the face.

“It must have hurt.”

Beth noticed that his slurring was more than she had anticipated. “What?”

“It must have hurt when you fell from heaven.” The guy actually gave a lopsided smile at his own so-called wittiness. “What’s your name?”

“Cheezy much? And none of your business.”

“That’s a really long name. How about I just call you sexy?” The drunk made two tries to lean his head on his hand but failed both times.

For a moment, Beth just stared at the Homer Simpson. “How about you haul yourself off before my boyfriend gets back? I have to warn you that he is really possessive in a violent sorta way. Better yet, before he even sees you.” Buffy enjoyed the visual image of William holding this guy against the wall with his feet dangling as she had seen him do that time in the alley behind the movie theatre.

Dense Man used another lame pickup line, but without saying a word, she replied with just a glare. Then she looked in another direction, obviously dismissing him.

Her eyes focused on a couple at the far end of the bar, opposite where Spike was waiting for their order a few minutes before. A dark haired hulk was leaning down into the face a red headed girl. She was unsuccessfully trying to pull her arm free from his grasp. Bruto looked pissed, and she looked terrified. Terrified like a small bunny frozen to the spot, looking into the drooling jaws of a wolf.

When the girl started shaking her head in an obvious negative answer, the guy forced her up against a wall behind her. Without second thought, Beth was out of her seat, making a straight line towards the pair.

Just moments before wheth eth was still at the table, Spike with drinks in hand turned from the bar and start towards the table. What he saw made his eyes squint, jaws clench and temper shoot up, all anticipating a little violence to go with the evening. Beth’s drink splashed and the beer fizzed out of the bottle when he slammed the drinks down. Spike’s eyes locked with the bugger, daring the ignorant tosser to make with thves ves on Beth. He took a slow step towards the interloper and then another. “I think you will enjoy what I am going to do with you. It will be quite liberating.” Spike took another step closer and growled. “Let me tell you how I am going to twist your head off. As I turn it, you will hear a…”

The wanker scrambled to leave, and laughing, Spike looked back at the table. Beth was gone, but he spotted her quickly. He could tell from her body language that she had a very specific destination in mind. Following her line of sight, more like a glare of site toward the far end of the bar, he knew exactly where his little spitfire was headed, and Spike was more than happy to redirect his anger to the dickless git who was manhandling a red head. He could see the bleedin’ bastard’s meaty mitt on the bird’s tit. Spike swiftly followed Beth. Problem was that she was moving fast, and he was held up behind some frat brothers catching up on their drinking.

When Beth reached the couple, she slapped an enormous smile on her face. “Hey, I know you, right?” She asked the girl.

At first the red head couldn’t speak, but after a couple of tries, in a breathy, confused voice she spoke. “What?”

Spike couldn’t hear the words, but he could see the bottom feeder lowered the girl’s arm, still not letting go, and turned to glare maliciously at Beth. Two mistakes now. He already wasn’t giving Beth the proper respect, and secondly, Bruto wasn’t treating the girl well in proper fashion. Beth had him to protect her, but this girl didn’t have anyone as far as he could tell. So now bint had Beth and him.

Without looking, Beth could tell that William was now behind her. The biggest clue was his growls, which were easily heard over the music. When she felt him starting to brush around her, she stopped him with a raised hand. That motion left him standing slightly behind her left side and also let him know to follow her lead.

Ignoring Mr. Meaty altogether, Beth continued to smile at the girl. She could see that the girl was beyond frightened but was now looking at her with eyes pleading for help. “Yeah, you are. We met at that mega reunion at Knotsberry Farm down in L.A. Remember? People were everywhere, pretending to know each other, and gosh, all that jelly everywhere. I’m sorry that I don’t remember, but could you tell me your name again?”

“C…Cindy.”

By this time Spike got a good look at the marks on the girl’s arm. He started growling again, but Buffy glanced over at him, again signaling for him to wait. But when she looked back at Cindy, Beth also got a good look at the marks forming on the girl’s arms. She was done making with the nice.

Then opportunity knocked. Some stranger walked by close enough so that Beth could pretend to be accidentally bumped. With some good acting and maneuvering, she jabbed an elbow into the guy’s right kidney. When the bully doubled over in pain, lighting fast, Beth raised her knee up into his Neanderthal face. He had let go of the girl’s arm, which was of the good, and of course, his scream gave her great satisfaction.

“Bitch! I’m bleeding. You broke my fucking nose, you cunt.” She obviously didn’t hit his mouth hard enough, Beth thought.

Spike was furious that the pansy ass had called Beth those names, but he also appreciated how she was handling the situation and waited to see what she was going to do next. He could wait a bit more to pound him through the floor.

With her smile still firmly in place, Beth glanced back at the girl. “Was this waste of good hair mousse bothering you?” Still stunned, all the girl could do was nod her head. “Spike, would you take care of him? He’s been a little too rough with Cindy and has a potty mouth.” She picked the guy up by the arm, briefly lifting him up off his feet. She handed him to the platinum blonde, who was now wearing a smirk that boasted of pride in his girl. “Why don’t you show him a little teeth and eye flashies, but no biting and no lumpies.”

“Sure thing, pet. My pleasure. Nice to meet you, Cindy. You’re in good hands now.” With a wink, Spike hauled the garbage off.

Beth reached out and gently touched the girl’s hand. “Are you all right?”

*****

With a more then usual bounce in his step, Spike returned from the alley behind the club, laughing at Buffy’s slick handling of the situation. Her shot with her elbow to the tosser’s kidney, and then her knee to his face were masterful. Buffy was so…Bam! Spike slammed into a thin red headed boy when the realization of what had happened during the last few minutes slammed into him. Luckily, the boy took the accident lightly and accepted Spike’s apology much better than Spike was taking his harsh moment of clarity.

His mind scanned through the events of the last fifteen minutes, events that looked to be different aspects of a picture. Two parts were contributed to the mural by him. The wood frame was when he realized that he was thinking of Beth as Buffy. Literally the name Buffy. In actuality, he had stopped thinking of her by the slayer’s name months ago. The only time he had made a slip was in the aftermath of fighting the pwrhor demons. Otherwise, in his thoughts, she was sweet Beth, innocent Beth, only Beth. Of course, she really was Buffy down deep, no matter how much the slayer had wished it away. So no big there, it could have just been a slip of the tongue, and as before, he now caught himself. Buutttt! Here came the background for the painting. He could feel her from the distance they were currently apart, approximately sixty feet. In fact, when he thought about it, he had felt her while he was coming through the entrance of the club from outside. He could write it off as just exuding power, but with the use of her real name, he realized that the vibes were coming to him as those of a slayer. But now he could feel the vibes fading even though he was walking to her. So he could have just imagined it. After all, the night she saved him from the pwrhor demons, he had detected vibes of power, but not of a slayer. But tonight was different. Tonight he felt Buffy the vampire slayer.

Now, the more he thought about it, there were several more aspects in the composition. The large house, both his and the painting’s focal point, was that she had called him Spike. Again, there could be a simple explanation. She could have heard Angel call him by his moniker and was just remembering that particular instance. A chance, but yeah, ok, a paper thin chance there. But no, no, no. The strong oak tree anchoring the yard was that Beth had lifted the bloke up off the floor, and the rain pouring down on the house was when she told him to show his teeth but no biting and no lumpies. He wasn’t even bothering to come up with a lame ass excuse for that doozy.

Spike shut his eyes, groaned and refused to acknowledge that he was trembling. Beth was giving off slayer vibes, she picked up the tosser, she called him Spike, and she made reference to his changes in his face when his demon made an appearance. The painting may still be somewhat abstract but was discernable to any knowledgeable aficionado.

When he reached her side, the slayer vibes had disappeared, and he hoped all other slayer aspects followed the same path. Tara and Willow must have found Beth after he left; the Scoobie cavalry could still be depended upon. He looked at Beth as she talked. She did have some called slayer attributes of the newly called. Open, adventurous, jumping in and having a go. But most importantly for Buffy the seasoned slay, Beth was without a death wish, not burned out, and not cynical which in its place was an open love for people and life overall.

Beth was currently turning the girl over into Willow’s and Tara’s care. “Now, remember, stay with your friends. That’s what friends are for, watching your back.” She had been explaining the Scoobie philosophy, which had started at the very beginning with the five core members. Friends are there to watch each other’s backs.

As Red and her lover gently lead the girl away, Spike was reminded of how strong Red was and how loving Glenda was. Tara had been sorely missed since the time after her death. But his reminiscing was short lived.

So, the majority of Buffy had receded to the locked storage of her mind, but a tidbit was still tempering Beth. But even though the aspects of the painting were locked away again, they could come back into view. And Spike didn’t fail to notice that with every appearance, more of the slayer was shining through.

What Spike hadn’t realized it was that the painted needed a signature. But he was to be reminded.

She turned to him with a smile on her face. “Hi! How did it go? Your eyes are back to their usual, gorgeous blue. The other color has such a yuk factor.”

‘And the painter just keeps painting.’ He felt his body shudder and hoped she didn’t notice. Before tonight, he would have asked what she meant by the eye color comment, but now, not a chance. He was terrified of what the answer might be. The Big Bad was terrified of words. Terrified that she would say that she thought they would still be yellow. When Beth started to turn around and rejoin her friend, assuming he would follow, Spike grabbed her arm and turned her so that she was facing him again. Leaning down, he grasped her chin and tilted her head up to an angle that they were almost nose to nose. The hold wasn’t gentle as a lover’s but was to keep her head facing up to him. “Beth, I love you. You believe me don’t you? Tell me that you believe how much I love you?” He had to know.

Beth’s brows knitted together. She wanted to tilt her head to the side in confusion, but he was holding on too tightly. “William, what’s wrong?”

“Just tell me. Do you know?” Spike had to stick to his question.

Beth raised her hand and lightly held onto to his holding her face secure. Not to break the hold but just to touch. “Of course I believe you.” When she felt his grip loosen up, she turned her head and kissed his palm.

“Good. I will always love you. Believe that. Remember that. Forever.” He moved both hands to cup her cheeks, caressing her with his thumb. “And do you love me?”

“William,” Beth nuzzled into his hand, “I love you, too. You should know that.”

If Buffy fully returned, he would most likely lose the mutual love they currently shared. She could easily distrust him for taking advantage of her lack of memory. Very Buffy-like. She could blame him for ruining her wish, which would be partially true. But maybe, just maybe Buffy will remember how Beth felt about him. Just maybe. “Remember that, too, luv. Remember that you felt like that about me.” She stepped into his arms, and he held on tight. Her hug, her words helped soothe his fear.

After a moment, her voice floated up to his ears. “So when will that jackass wake up?”

“Maybe next Tuesday.” Her laughter surrounded and warmed both of them. ‘Enjoy the here and now, mate,’ Spike thought, ‘because the now is better than excellent, better than he had ever imagined.’

As they made their way back to their table, Beth was smiling broadly. She had her arm wrapped around and up his back, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while Spike periodically stopped their progress to kiss her long and deep. Not only did it feel good but it nicely told the other women in the night club that had ogled Spike all night that he was all hers.

******

That night, when everyone was tucked into their respective beds, Spike made love to Beth. Slow. Gentle. Heartfelt. Making love in the richest sense of the word “love.” Gentle like Buffy would never allow. They both ended up in tears, one from the strong emotions of their coupling and one from worshipping a woman he could loose any day, at any moment. Afterwards as Beth lay half on him fast asleep, Spike thought through all the ramifications of Buffy’s memories and slayer abilities making an appearance at the club. He continued to contemplate all during what was left of the night and then through the morning until Beth woke up. Every moment that they were together was too precious to miss, but the moments were also too fragile and could break at any time. He knew the odds were against him now, and truthfully, the odds had probably always been against him since she had walked up to him in the mall. Spike knew he was running the risk of ruining her second chance at life, but he also knew that he couldn’t bring himself to let go. Beth wanted him just as bad as he wanted her, but he had no idea what she would do if she remembered all. At least, Spike had no doubt that right that moment, she loved him whole heartedly. So how was he supposed to give that up?

Well into the latter hours of the morning, Spike felt Beth begin to stir. As she woke, she burrowed closer into his side, and he heard in a sleepy voice, “I love you, William.” How *was* he suppose to give that up?

TBC

We’re getting close to the end, but I still have a few more twists and turns.
Dana
MadRog
madrog@sunnydale-tales.com