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Everyone's nerves were frayed. Xander had just spent the last half hour gently explaining to Willow everything she had forgotten. She was sobbing softly.
Spike was growling in the back of his throat at the way *his* witch was sitting so close to Xander. He didn't like it one bit. She was supposed to be at his side, not the moron's.
Anya finally stood up. "Listen, Willow. I realize that you and Xander were friends since the dawn of time, and I can appreciate that. However, this is the year 2000, and you two aren't close anymore. I hate to break it to you, but you aren't. You like growly Spike over there, who looks like he's going to rip everyone's head off. So stop thinking you are stuck in 1994 and in love with Xander, because *he* *is* *mine*."
Willow blinked, fresh tears filling her emerald eyes. "Oh, my god," she whispered. "I'm. . .I'm not in love with X. . .Xander. . ." she denied, her blush giving away her lie.
"Whatever," Anya replied flippantly. "You were so in love with him when I got here."
Willow blinked furiously, a slow blush covering her cheeks. "Stop it," she whispered, clenching her fists together. "Stop saying that." She glanced at Xander, who just looked at her with a pained look on his face.
"He's mine, Willow."
Willow stood up, exploding. "What the hell do you know about him being yours!? He was mine for more years than you even knew Sunnydale existed! But does he ever notice? Of *course* not! I'm just another one of the guys! He's hurt me *so* much, and yet, I still love him! How do you think that makes me feel! And now you go and tell him that I love him! How *dare* you! I didn't want him to know!"
Xander blinked, quite shocked by her outburst. He knew the Willow at age 15 wasn't like this. Normally, Willow would have paled and left the room if something like that was said to her. "Wills?" he asked gently.
"You love her, don't you?" she asked, turning accusing eyes at him.
"I. . ." He swallowed, suddenly scared by the fire in her eyes. "Yea, I do," he said softly.
"See," Anya smirked. "He's mine. So hands off."
Willow turned angry green eyes to Anya. "Shut the hell up."
Anya rose an eyebrow. "Whatever." She went to sit next to Xander, taking his hand.
Willow closed her eyes. "This is all a dream. I will wake up and everything will be normal. Jesse will be here, and Xander, Jesse, and I will go on like nothing ever happened."
She opened her eyes, sighing. Everyone was still there, looking at her with a bit of a shocked look on their faces. All except for Spike. He was beaming at her like a proud father. "What are you grinning about?" she asked.
"All that fire, luv. That's what I like about you."
"You expect me to believe that someone as gorgeous as you wants me?" she asked, somewhat shyly.
"Of course I do, pet. You are bloody wonderful. You make me feel things Dru didn't even make me feel." He smiled, standing up. He walked to her, running his fingers down her cheek.
She smiled, then shook her head. Suddenly, she started to laugh. "You guys expect me to believe there is a such thing as vampires? You are all nuts. Xander, please, make them go away. Make me wake up." The entire situation was scaring her, causing her to think irrationally.
"Pet, it's true," Spike said quietly.
She narrowed her eyes. "I don't even know you. Why should I believe you?"
Spike allowed his game face drop into place. The redhead stared at him in mute horror, then started screaming. She was frozen to her place, but her scream was one filled with pure terror. Spike had to close his eyes and block the scream out of his mind, as his demon was basking in the scent of her fear.
Xander growled angrily at Spike. "Damn it!" he cried. He stood up and grabbed Willow, shaking her. "It's ok, Wills. He's not going to hurt you. Come on, let's me and you go talk."
"Xander. . ." Anya said, her voice cold. She liked the person that Willow had become, but Willow thinking that she was fifteen and still in love with Xander angered her.
Xander turned to his girlfriend. "I love you, Anya. I do. But you have to understand that I have to be with Willow right now. She needs me."
Anya sighed. "Fine, just don't let anything happen."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Come on, Wills." He steered the half in shock girl out of the house into the sunlight.
"He. . .he can't hurt me out here, can he?" Willow asked softly.
"Who, Wills?"
"The. . .blonde. That Spike guy. He was really a vampire, wasn't he?" She stopped, turning to him. "Xander, why are we friends with a vampire? Why does he think we are together?"
Xander sighed. "Because you kinda are."
"You are letting me be involved with a vampire?" she screeched. "How could you? He could *kill* me!"
"Technically, Wills, he can't," Xander explained, resting his hands on her shoulders. "He's got this chip, he can't hurt humans. When he came to us, you were the only one who was really nice to him."
"And then he and I started dating?" Her bottom lip quivered. "Did. . .did we ever have a chance?"
Xander looked away, their senior year flashing through his mind. All the stolen kisses, how nice it was to be in her arms. . .how wrong it was. "We. . .tried. But we were both with other people, and it didn't work, Willow. It was never going to work. Ever." He turned back to his sobbing best friend. "I am happy with Anya. You are. . .were happy with Spike." He smiled. "You came over to the house, Anya and Buffy helped you get ready. You were so excited. I hadn't seen you so happy. . .not in a long time. When Oz left. . ."
"Who is Oz?" Willow asked, looking up at him.
"That was your boyfriend. He. . .cheated on you."
Willow frowned. "I don't think I like the way things turned out, Xander. I really don't. I like a vampire? I had a boyfriend that cheated on me?" She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Why can't things go back to the way they were?"
Xander pulled her into his arms. "I don't know, Wills. I just don't know." He held her tightly.
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