[Reviews - 14]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3818 times

- Text Size +




“I’m not going to be a bloody robot,” Spike scoffed at one idea being suggested.

“You wouldn’t be a robot. You’d be you in a synthetic body,” Winifred explained.

“It’s actually a pretty good fallback plan,” Willow added. “If we can’t find a way to really recorporealize you then an artificial form would be ideal as all you’re missing is a surface others can touch.”

“So what did I use a politically incorrect term by saying ‘robot’ instead of android? However you try to dress it up, it’s fake and I’ll stay a ghost thank you very much.”

“I think it’s kinda cool. You’d be like robo-Spike,” Dawn said.

“Next,” he rolled his eyes at the grinning teenager and dismissed the idea cold.

There was really no real opposition to scrapping that train of thought.

~*~*~

“Tell me again why we can’t just do the thing that worked before again,” Buffy sighed as theories and possibilities were thrown around by Fred, Wesley and Willow at a rate that had her head spinning.

“No power source for a repeat,” Gunn, who had entered the session five hours ago when Angel returned from his last meeting of the day, replied. “We were lucky to get it once and we’re outta favors on that end.”

“Also dealing with nearly non-existent resources to get the thing done,” Fred sighed. “They’re most likely extinct after our using them once.”

“It’s unbelievable that you were able to pull it off once,” Willow looked up from the notes she was studying to smile at the scientist. “These formulas boggle even my mind.”

“If you kinda forget and bypass all the standard laws of physics they’re pretty simple. The extrapolation of interdimensional plasma dynamics was a bit tricky but luckily the numbers held to support my theories,” the brunette smiled back and fixed her glasses on her face.

“There’s really no way we can do this ritual again?” the redhead shared Buffy’s opinion that it appeared to be the best way to go.

“It’s vaguely possible that the materials needed can be collected again and there is tell of a volcano in South Africa that could provide for us the kind of power source need to try it again, but we exhausted most of our resources the first time around so getting everything together for a second go would likely take months,” Wesley sighed and rubbed at his gritty eyes.

“No. No months, this needs done now,” Buffy said quietly but firmly as she gazed longingly at Spike where he stood at the windows once more.

Sensing her gaze he turned and gave her a smile that she returned so weakly he crossed the room to stroke her face reassuringly.

“Hey,” Angel made his continued presence in the office known by shouting, “None of that with me here. Or ever for that matter.”

~*~*~

“Enough with all this potentially dimension altering science stuff,” Kennedy said as she placed herself rather possessively next to Willow on the floor. “What are our options on the magic front?”

“I’m drawing blanks. There’s no body to bring back to life like we did with Buffy even if it were possible to try that ritual again,” the redhead sighed. “Same with most every other form of magik I can think of. Any ritual that comes to mind requires actual remains to restore the spirit to and give it physical form again.”

“Darla,” Wesley said suddenly with a glance at Angel who sat brooding at his desk. “Of course! Wolfram & Hart restored Darla from dust. We may be able to find out what they did and try it with Spike.”

“Darla came back human until Drusilla turned her again,” the vampire looked from Spike to Buffy. “Trust me, we don’t want ‘William’ running around here and there’s no way I’ll turn him back into Spike for you.”

“If I remember correctly Darla was exactly the same as you had always known her to be aside from the fact that she was human rather than a vampire,” Wesley reminded.

“A dying human,” Angel countered.

“Chances are she was only that way because of her lifestyle as a human before being turned. From what you told us the Master found her dying and offered her immortality. Spike,” the former watcher glanced at the rather interested ‘ghost,’ “you were in good health at the time of your turning were you not?”

“Fit as a fiddle.”

“The scroll of Aberjian should still be somewhere among our files and possessions. It would just be a matter of accessing corporate records to find details of the actual ceremony that was used to bring her back. I’ve no doubt they have it all well documented and we should be able to perform the ritual again for Spike.”

“Why is this only just coming up?” Buffy rose and looked from her ex to the Englishman. “You can bring him back - make him human - and you’re only just bothering to tell us after all the weeks Fred’s been working her ass off trying to find some way to restore him and we’ve been closed in here for eight hours now when there’s been an answer all along? Something even better than just making him touchable again?!”

“Whoa, there pet, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Spike placed a hand on her shoulder.

“For one thing, Buffy, Fred kept her work on this matter very closely guarded so I was unable to inform her of what had happened with Darla’s resurrection. For another it simply wasn’t something that came to me until just now,” Wes defended himself.

“Find what you need and find it now,” the slayer ordered firmly.

“We really shouldn’t put all our eggs in that basket,” Spike said with a bit of apprehension in his tone.

“It’s a good basket,” she turned and smiled at him. “It’s something that worked before and they can find a way to do again,” her smile got wider. “And you’d be human. We’d be humans together.”

“Yippee,” Angel said sarcastically in the background.

“I do believe that sounds like our plan,” Willow rose from the floor with a smile. “Why don’t we get to work on it tomorrow?”

“We’re already here, why not start now?” Buffy countered. “Just tell us where to look for the scroll thingy and we can work on that while you see what you can find about the ritual,” she said to Wesley.

“It’s late and we have work in the morning and now that we know what our objectives are we can wait until tomorrow to begin achieving them,” he replied while rising and gathering his things to leave.

Kennedy readily jumped up to get her and her girlfriend out of there while Winifred slowly began gathering up all her papers.

“I’ll could stay and look,” the scientist said helpfully.

“No more nights in the lab for you,” Wesley pulled the woman up and began ushering her from the office. “We’re all going to get a good night’s sleep and start on this tomorrow. No exceptions.”

“I kind of forgot to ask you sooner, but,” the slayer sighed then turned to look at Angel as they all left, “you got a place for Dawn and I to crash?”

He gave her a rather disbelieving look to which she responded by crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side with an ‘oh, come on’ expression on her face.

“Fine, get your things and follow me,” the vampire got to his feet.

The Summers sisters hurriedly gathered up their shopping bags and carryon suitcases then followed him out of the office to the elevator.

“I really don’t recall inviting you to tag along,” he glared at Spike as the bleached blonde followed the trio into the lift.

“You’re how old again?” Buffy asked as she stayed close to her love’s side.

“All things considered, I’d say I’m handling this pretty maturely,” he countered. “So I complain about it, but I let bleach boy stay and am giving you, the love of my unlife, access to all of this firm’s resources to try getting your boy toy back. You think any of this is fun for me?”

~*~*~

Dressed for bed in the cotton camisole and boxer shorts she’d worn as pajamas these past two months, Buffy stepped from the bathroom into the private room Angel had reluctantly given her.

Spike stood staring out the window at the clear night sky and after a moment’s hesitation she moved to stand beside him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Brooding a bit like the poof,” he turned to give her a smile. “Contemplating my sins, how I came to be here and all that rot.”

“I guess I should have asked you sooner how you feel about this,” she wrapped her arms around her waist and stared out the window.

“Not too shabby,” he deliberately misunderstood her words and gave the room they were in a look over. “Bed looks nice and comfy and the not sharing with the nibblit is a plus.”

“No, I meant - ”

“I know what you meant, Buffy,” he reached out to stroke her hair. “Don’t rightly know how I feel about it. Wasn’t much to write home about as a human,” he sighed and slouched a bit in his leather duster. “Bit of Nancy boy, I hate to say. I’ve gotten rather used to having the vampire strength to strike fear in the hearts of all who crossed my path.”

“You don’t want it do you?” she sniffled back a tear. “We could be together and normal and get married and have babies,” she looked at him with her eyes suspiciously moist, “but you don’t want it.”

“I’d love to be able to create life with you, pet,” he cupped her face in his hands, “don’t ever doubt that. It’s just,” he dropped his hands and paced away from her. “I don’t ever want to be that bloody weak again. I may have been a demon, but as a vampire I was always something. As a human I was nothing. A nobody,” his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “I need to be somebody.”

“And you are. You’ll always be somebody. No matter what,” she approached his back and clenched her fists at her inability to reach out and comfort him, “you’ll never be a nobody again. You,” she moved to stand in front of him and look into his eyes, “are Spike now. The vampire who loved me despite my utter bitchiness and by doing that showed me what love really is. You’re a champion and hero who saved the world at the cost of your own life. You’re the man I love in every sense of the word and now that I’ve admitted that to myself nothing will change it. If you don’t want to go this route we’ll have Fred explain more of her ideas to us tomorrow and find a way to recorporealize you. It will be your choice and whatever decision you make I’ll stand by you as you always stood by me and I’ll still love you.”

~*~*~

Angel let himself into the darkened storage room and moved toward the stack of boxes at the back.

Knowing almost exactly where to look he put aside the top box then rifled through the one underneath it searching for the scroll he’d hadn’t even thought of for over two years. Having no luck with that box he put it aside and delved into the next one down.

The torn and ragged edge of parchment caught his eye instantly and when he directed the beam of his flashlight at the paper he saw that it was what he was looking for.

He put the flashlight down and used the hand that had been holding it to fish the lighter out of his pocket as his other hand pulled the scroll of Aberjian from the box. After opening the lighter he stared into the flickering flame for a moment before turning his attention to the irreplaceable item in his other hand.

With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes and began moving his hands toward one another for the things he held to meet.





You must login (register) to review.