Some Other Spell

Willow walked into Giles' place feeling crapier than she had done that morning, and she hadn't even known that were possible. Not only did she feel like a failure in love, but in magic, too. The truth spell she tried to do on Spike, to make him cough up all the info on commando boys, had no effect at all. Research and spells and things that did not involve boys or confusing emotions were totally her thing! Or so she thought. "Maybe I can't do anything right," she complained to Xander, who instantly agreed.

"Hey, that hurt!" she said.

"Sorry," he replied, "I don't know why I said that."

"I think I know why," Giles interjected, briefly looking up from the book in his hand to tell the witch she looked awful. "Perhaps you should get some sleep?" he suggested, "Crying isn't good for your complexion."

"What? Giles! What's happening? Why are you saying these things?"

"It's your truth spell," said Anya, "Obviously backfired. Now none of them are holding back, and I, for one, really like it."

"You would," Xander commented.

"And what does that mean?"

"That you get a kick out of situations being made uncomfortable with over the top honesty," he clarified.

Anya shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Wait, wait," Willow put up her hands, "You're telling me all of you are compelled to say whatever runs through your heads?"

"Yes," the ex-vengeance demon affirmed, with a smile, "That and we seem to have lost the social awareness to care about the things we say – well, the ones of us that had social awareness to begin with, anyway. Kind of like being drunk."

"Right," said Willow, still struggling to take it all in.

Continuing on her assessment of the situation Anya finished up by saying, "You're probably exempt because you were the one who cast the spell."

Giles frowned, "I was going to say all that. Look," he pointed to the book, "I have it all right here. Really am surplus to requirements, aren't I?"

"Yes," Anya answered.

"No!" insisted Willow, throwing the other girl a sharp glare. "Ugh! This is crazy. I'll fix it, though."

In reaching to take the book from Giles' hands a thought occurred to her. "Where are Spike and Buffy?"she asked.

"Upstairs," provided Anya once more, "They went up there after he admitted he wanted to see Buffy naked, and Buffy told him she'd been attracted to him from day one."

As if on cue, Xander looked up to see the super-powered couple descend the staircase while pawing at each other. "Tell me you didn't just-" he said, gesticulating wildly in their direction to finish his sentence.

"Oh, we totally just had sex," Buffy answered him, somewhat triumphantly.

"How was it?" asked Anya.

"Bloody fantastic!" said Spike, as the Slayer nodded in agreement.

"No!" Xander yelled, "No! This is wrong and it makes me feel really jealous."

Anya slapped him hard at that, demanding "Why are you jealous? Am I not good enough?"

"You're plenty, baby," he soothed, "I've just always wanted Buffy."

That tidbit earned him a second slap, and a primal growl from Spike that had the carpenter looking at the redhead in a silent plea to stop the all-truth-having-madness.

Willow did gift him a small look of pity mixed with guilt before being distracted by Buffy telling Spike how much his growl turned her on.

"Stop. Stop it all!" said Giles, "I've heard more than enough from all of you. Willow, can you-"

Completely ignoring the watcher Anya went on a rant about how Xander wanting Buffy was pointless, concluding, "She's never gonna sleep with you, y'know."

"I know," he replied. "Really, Anya, I know. It isn't some logical thing."

"Oh." The ex-vengeance demon's face brightened. "It's just one of those desires you never plan to act on? That's fine, we all have those."

Xander felt a bit of relief at her words for a moment, before processing them fully. "Wait a minute! Does that mean there are guys that aren't me that you wanna sleep with?"

"Yes," she stated, unapologetically. "Take Spike here for example. He's very attractive and I'm sure he has great stamina. Does he have great stamina, Buffy?"

"Uh huh," Buffy moaned, while lost in a lip lock with the vampire.

"See," said Anya, pointing to them, "That's desirable. But it doesn't matter because I have you."

Xander reeled and sat back on the couch, holding his head.

Willow, who was still completely unaffected by the spell, got caught up in the honesty session and interjected with her own two cents. "I agree with Anya," she started, "Wow. Okay, never thought I'd say those words. But, yeah, it's fine to have desires as long as they're not, y'know… acted on. Like when I had a crush on Giles, or when you and me" – she pointed to Xander – "Had the whole lust thing. Woulda been fine had we ignored it."

"Please don't bring that up," requested Anya, before adding, "A crush on Giles is totally gross by the way."

"Not what my mom thinks," Buffy muttered, causing the man in question to turn beetroot.

"Please, please stop!" he begged.

"Yeah," Spike agreed, "There are other fun things to do with that mouth than to make Rupes here uncomfortable."

"Are you two going to have sex again?" Anya asked them, to which there was almost an in sync response from the pair of, "God, I hope so."

"Not in my house!" Giles fumed, standing up to wag a finger in their faces, before deflating slightly with the admission, "Not even I have sex in this house."

"Maybe you would if you got with Buffy's mom again," Anya suggested, helpfully.

"Really don't wanna think about the watcher here getting' his mits on any members of my family," Spike said, shoving the idea away.

That sparked Giles' interest, dragging him momentarily out of a pit of despair. "Family?" he questioned.

"Yeah," crowed the vampire, proudly pointing to a fresh set of fang marks in the Slayer's neck. "Look what I did!"

All color fell from the watcher's face. "You claimed her? Good God, Spike! You cannot claim my Slayer!"

"She's mine," Spike corrected, instinctively pulling her tighter into his embrace.

"Wait, back up," said Xander, "I'm not too clear on this whole claiming thing, but how did you bite her? I thought you couldn't hurt people."

Buffy shrugged the question off saying, "Doesn't count if it's mid-mind-blowing-orgasm. Or if the person asks, I guess."

"You-" the watcher stuttered, feeling himself ready to fall down in shock, "You asked him to… to-?"

"All but begged me, ain't that right, baby?"

"Oh yeah," she agreed, before whispering in his ear that they should make themselves scarce.

No one had noticed the witch chanting in the background – working away to bring the spell to an end. But an end did come, as suddenly as it arrived. And Willow promptly apologized to everyone before suggesting a mass-forgetting spell by means of penance.

"NO!" had been the resounding response.

"No offense, Will, but I'm not sure I want you poking around my brain again anytime soon," said Xander.

"Yeah," Anya agreed, "Totally don't trust you with the magics, missy. And I guess it works out well for Buffy and Spike this way, too."

"Huh?" Willow and Xander questioned in unison.

"They're not gonna want to forget the sex," she explained.

Buffy blushed and said nothing. She was still holding Spike's hand.

"All of you," Giles' voice cut through the awkward silence, "Get out of my house. I need to get very drunk immediately."

"Right you are, Rupes," Spike agreed, pulling Buffy towards the door, still fully intent on having his way with her again – elsewhere.

When the door closed behind the group of teenagers the watcher sat up on the couch suddenly, as he realized that they not only still had no idea what Spike knew about the initiative, but the captive had walked free.

"Oh well," he sighed, "I guess having Buffy joined with him for all eternity will mean he has to help us, now."

The watcher cringed at the reminder of the unholy union and went in search of Scotch.

THE END!