Title:  A soulful reminder
Author: Echoes Fall
E-mail:  scarlettecho@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: General Disclaimer: I am in no way
affiliated with the show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.
The show and characters are owned by Joss Whedon,
Mutant Enemy, Fox, and whoever else has rights to it.
The individual authors own their stories, and James
Marsters, David Boreanaz, Anthony Stewart Head and
Allison Hannigan own themselves.. There is no monitary
gain in this for either myself or the authors, we do
it simply for love of the show. PLEASE DON'T
SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not mine. It belongs to Joss Whedon, So thanks. and
Lord Byron's Poetry.
Distribution: Anyone who asks and all
Feedback: Please I need it like the air I breath I
know that sounds bad but. Feedback to writers is
oxygen.
Spoilers:   After Spike is chipped yet before  Buffy
returns from the dead a second time. There's your time
frame.
Rating: Probably will be R, eventually.
Pairing: (Willow/ Spike)
Dedication: Dedication to everyone who  helps someone
else. Selflessly.
Part (1-?)

-
Prologue
A Sonnet by Lord Byron

Part 1
I dreamt last night our love return’d, And, sooth to
say, that very dream
Was sweeter in its phantasy, Than if for other hearts
I burn’d
For eyes that ne’er  like thine could beam, In
rapture's wild reality
“Then tell me not remind me not  Of the hours which,
though for ever gone
Can still a pleasing dream restore   Till thou and I
shall be for got,
And senseless as the mouldering stone, Which tells
that we shall be no more”


1950's
Again she had felt the sun , raise  the hot
blistering heat.   She was on fire, being released
from the life she had known. 

Noooo another women screamed and she was being held
back by a man whose blonde head held tortured blue
eyes.  She saw his light blue eyes as he held the
crying women  to his chest refusing to let her follow.
So sad they eyes were as he cocked his head to the
side, his heart was breaking.

" William  Good bye" She said to herself, with the
last efforts the flames took her body.


*********************
Present


He sat up, the sheet falling from his bare chest.

William the soft whisper of a near forgotten ghost.
still played in his head . He took several breaths
trying to calm himself. HE reached over the side of
the bed. for a fallen bottle of liqueur,  all empty.
So he took a cigarette from the pack on his night
stand.  If she were still alive she would have clamed
him with whispering of tender words touching his head.
All the while not waking Dru.  "IF you wouldn't drink
so much  the nightmares wouldn't follow." She'd say.

Shut up he would growl  She would stop. Do you want me
to leave.

He  pressed his cheek into her lap as  she sat there
between him and Dru.  A comfort from a much different
time.


He felt the tears fall with out  moving he puffed on
his cigarette with his memories.
++++++++++++++++
Present ,
William, the tenderness that names was spoken
frightened her.  Willow  had been keeping to herself
too afraid to sleep  for the last week the dreams were
becoming more intense.  She had stayed away from Spike
for the longest time making up any excuse to not to be
alone with him. She  paced outside his crypt  for
several minutes until she  got enough nerve to knock
on his door. There was no answer, she was somewhat
relieved for a fleeting second that she could back out
of this. Turning on her heel she  hit  a wall of
muscle and leather, that smelled of smoke.

"Hello Red, "  Spike said puffing on a cigarette.
"Spike What are you doing here?" She was startled ,
and a bit annoyed at herself.
"I'm dead this is where dead things sleep and you?"
"Nothing, I only had to take a short cut through the
cemetery to get to the library!"
"To my crypt"
" Yes,   No."      She was flustered and he was too
damn close. She took a step back hitting the front of
his door. He smirked enjoying the coloring of her
cheeks.
" Are you stalking me? Perhaps you can't fight it any
more and you want some of this! He moved on her,
leaning into her. He hovered inches away from her
lips.  "Is that why you're here! kitten"
Kitten, yes she thought, letting the words tumble
first before he made his move. "Who's Careline"
"Careline, come with me." He took her hand in his left
and opened the door with his right.  He only pause
long enough to lock the inside, and to remove the key.
He place that in the front of his shirt and down into
the basement  where he slept. Her mind raced What had
she done!!

He let her go only then.

"What do you know about her Willow."
The use of her first name started her heart again,
from under the fear.  He looked at her  for a moment
before she answered.
"She's been haunting my dreams for weeks and they have
become stronger.  Careline,  who  is she and why  do I
see these things."

"What things" ,  He took off his coat tossing it on
the bed, the he went looking for  a cigarette.   He
was straightening up a little moving, the  covers up
to  the pillows and moving the clothes to one side.
After  many minutes she found she was staring Why was
he cleaning because of me.  the strange thought
crossed her mind.
" What things" he repeated a little annoyed.
"Well I'm hear because you're in the dreams as well.
It's another time and place Chains and blood  and
hatred."
"Sounds Kinky, What am I doing in these dreams?" He
found a cigarette and light it.
"Beating Careline,  and  I see Drucilla your old
girlfriend."

"I never knew  anyone named Caroline."
" Yes I know she  someone in your life. I have traced
her human years To America as a slayer, who was taken
as a vampire in 1884 about four years after you.
Careline was a souled vampire similar to angel but she
could never loose it.   Angelus sired her , not too
long after you  were made and he kept her as a
plaything for many years until he tired of her and
sold her to an ancient vampire in Germany. You didn't
see her again until the 1940's when Rafe a favorite
childe, your second fell in  love with her."
He raised an eye brow. "You seem  know the whole
story. What do you need from me?"

" I need your side and that's why I'm here. We can do
this spell that I found to release her memories from
my past life so we can send her to rest in peace.


I hate the hell mouth .   It can never leave the dead
alone..... he thought watching her from the corner of
his eye.  He had only the recent dream of her , when
Willow came over to him with a book in her hands.
Something familiar, the faint scent of her perfume,
although she rarely wore any.  HE knew this book, he'd
seen Careline writing on it many times He opened the
book marked by a yellow ribbon.

The final  entry .

........Our family has splintered, I've decided that I
will leave Spike and Drucilla, He hates me She loves
me I think. Rafe won't understand but I won't go on
hiding the truth from them all. Perhaps sometime in
the future we can explain this  to each other.  I have
gained their trust and I will flee into the sun. To be
free of this pain, the torture and His beatings.  I
know their fates are intertwined I have know place
with them. Spike stares at me, once in a while I catch
him watching Drucilla and I . How it must feel to be
loved at much as he loves her.  She is love.  Rafe no
longer loves me, he has told me so.  We put up the
image of happiness  so Drucilla doesn't get up set. 
I don't want spike near me again I can't think when he
stands near me . I love him. And I know he'll never
believe me if I said this to him. He would laugh and
then he would beat me again. Dru allows him as long as
he doesn't hurt me too much. She liked taking care of
me.   Later  I can smell him he's been drinking again.
They fight all the time. over everything.
............

Below the last line were three dark red drops.  Blood
he could smell it, but he remembered finding her
laying on the bed that evening. Like a frightened
mouse scribbling away in that book again.  He had
hated her in the beginning but  she took care, when he
wasn't there.  Found a place with Rafe, they were a
family again and He was the master of the house.

"Spike?" Willow said softly "Will you help me with the
spell?

"Red, this is dangerous magic,  There are things you
won't want to see."

Knee to knee they sat in front of each other. She  had
placed the candles in a circle around them. When they
were light she had drawn   some runic symbols on her
arms and his. She spoke the word out loud in a soft
tone. With the words she sliced her hand with the
dagger along with Spike. They bound their hands
together with  Caroline's yellow ribbon.  slicing her
hand  and he did the same.

Blood to Blood return  to the past
and let go of the present.

Past Willow saw the world falling away, she was
inside  the darkest hole,  

She saw herself in shades of gray standing beside  the
future Spike.

She felt the cold soft dirt beneath her.

"So kitten  have you lost your meow." The voice was
too far away for Willow to see the face but she felt
the  striking boot  to her face. The past spike struck
her in the face. Too Willow it all seemed so familiar.

*********************
The strange events were happening to her  the spell
worked a voice said to her. You and I are here to
finish the tale.  Just watch Willow.

Willow felt pain, and her eyes hurt. When she had
enough strength.  She saw  Spike  turning  a metal
iron in a fire place.

"Your awake Good.", He pulled the  poker  out of the
fire, and placed it on her stomach.  A small whimper
came from her.   " We'll play first then will talk
about the information I want."

The poker touched her back  in different spots,   her
screams were held back by the gag.  After  a quarter
of an hour  she past out from the pain. 
She awake later, Her clothes were then ripped from her
until she stood chained to the wall in her slip. The
manacles cut into her wrist a small trail of blood
flowed from her left wrist to her shoulder and into
her cleavage.

Spike returned with only, a whip in his hand,  he
leaned over to lick at the blood before biting in to
her breast. In his demon visage he was more monstrous
but she found him exhilarating.

She laughed at him,  Not amused by her laughter,  he
pulled himself to his entire height several inches
taller then her.  He struck her with his fist.

"Where's Rafe."

She laughed at him again.
**************8

After three days of starving her,  the beating
stopped and he left her alone to let her heal. The
pain was extreme almost every inch of her was in
pain. She had royally pissed him  off.  She thought in
her few waking moments that he had left her to die
until, the door opened the third evening.

"Little sister, Spike says  I can keep you. "
Drucilla  unlocked the chains catching  Willow before
she fell.
Willow was laid on a soft bed, and then  something hot
was  brought to her lips and forced down her throat.
"Little sister Careline.  Daddy  made you for me to
play with. I'm glad your home. I won't let our William
hurt you any more.  He's just tired pet. You and Rafe
ran away. Shame on you.  Our family must stay together
and  you past  his test. Spike will let  you live.....
 

*****************
At least this is what  Willow thought Drucilla said
when she woke later on, Willow was dressed in a yellow
silk dress, still too weak to  move. Spike was
shouting.
" Bloody hell Dru, why here?. This is our room."
"She's mine and I won't let  you play with her if your
not going to be nice." she said in an even tone.
"Fine."  he shouted slamming the door leaving the
room.

Dru inhaled quietly,  moving back to the bed. "Don't
worry Little sister He won't hurt you  unless you
misbehave.  I love you. You can call me Sister that's
what my other sisters called me .....................
before I met Daddy.
She grew quiet.
"Sister?" Willow  said  licking her lips.
"Your thirsty,  I 'll get someone for you."
She went to the door and gave some little minion some
instructions. Within a few minutes. A lively meal was
brought for her. He was strong , tall and athletic
looking.   Willow felt the hungry and the change and
she tasted the sweetness of his blood.  When he
dropped Dru was fairly happy playing with her dolls.

++++++++++
Present
"No more of this Willow. She's dead let her be."

Willow's head dropped forward. "William you haven't
changed." The voice sounded like Willow but it
belonged to someone else.

Careline.

The candles burned brighter for  several seconds.
"I'm dead but let me speak. There are many things that
I want to say, not now. There will another time for
that. I'm Willow in this life.  I need you to remind
me, Remind Willow of how it was. Will you do this?"

"Careline."  he reached out to touch her face.  He
almost believed her.

I haven't  shown her everything yet. Willow needs to
adjust ....

He  moved forward too kiss her. I love you Careline.

I know William and I love you too.   I'll be with  you
soon."

She kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around her,
holding her tight.  She pressed her hands against him
trying to push him away. He let her go.

" What happened" she asked touching her lips.

He only smiled  reaching for the key  in his front
pocket.
"Nothing Red,   Lock up when your done. I'm going to
bed."

He  pulled off his shirt, and boots sitting on the
bed.

She stood there  a little stunned for a moment until
he looked up and said. "Unless you care to stay the
day?"

" No.. Thanks" she stuttered  blowing out the candles
and shoving everything of hers into  her bag.

She was up the  stairs, rushing to be out of this
place. He heard the door slam with a vengeance. He had
rattled her nerves. That was good, He would give her
sometime Perhaps a year or so, until she was ready. 
He took the journal belonging to Careline. and  put it
under one of his pillows. before laying down. He would
read it later, who needed the slayer he thought
moments before sleep took him.  He was a patient man
in some matters.