Chapter 8
Hathor looked around the room. “There are some of you missing.”
“Yeah, Angel and Ms. Calendar aren’t here.” Buffy gave a sheepish grin. “I’m sure they’re both off bathing in bleach or something about now.”
“Yes, yes. That coupling was a calculated risk, but Angelus’ cursed soul was just too dangerous not to be anchored,” Hathor replied. “Jenna did a find job of doing just that.”
“Jenna?”
“Yes, Jenny Calendar is actually Jenna of the Kalderash tribe,” Hathor said informatively.
“No wonder she was so interested in us,” Giles replied. He turned to Joyce, and he kissed her on the cheek. “I’m delighted that you are my LoveWater mate, my dear.”
“Each of you was paired with your soul mate.” Hathor looked pleased with herself. “Which is easier said than done even for a Goddess such as myself.”
Willow raised her hand shyly. “So, does that mean both Oz and Tara are my soul mates?”
Hathor nodded. “It is extremely rare for such an occurrence, but it has happened one or two times in the past. Together as three, I see much greatness in your future. There is a certain strength in the ‘power of three’.”
“How bloody wrong could it have all gone?” Spike gave the Goddess a suspicious look.
Hathor turned to the vampire. “Very, very wrong, William. It all starts with your lovely mate here sleeping with Angel and unleashing Angelus. That is fixed now because she belongs to you as she should, and Jenna did the binding of Angel’s soul.”
Spike growled at the thought of Angel touching Buffy.
“Now, Buffy will not have to send her lover to Hell, deal with his return from said dimension, or deal with the guilt of not being able to slay the killer who wore her lover’s face,” Hathor said.
“What about Spike?” Xander asked. “He’s a killer and her lover.”
“Are you standing here dead or alive, Xander Harris?” Hathor smiled slightly.
“Hold on there. You said Buffy belongs to Spike as she should. What the hell does that mean?” Giles asked before Xander could answer the Goddess. “Slayers and vampires are not supposed to be mated.”
“How do you know that?” Hathor questioned in a haughty tone. “Just because the Council says it is, doesn’t mean that it is true.”
“But…” Giles spluttered.
“Not all vampires are controlled by the bloodlust, Giles,” Anyanka said. “I have met probably about one a century since I ascended into my demonship to back this up. Strangely enough, they have all been male vampires.” She stepped forward.
“Yes, I’m sure you have met such vampires, Anyanka.” Hathor nodded in approval of the demoness’ words. “I have been watching you for a very long time, awaiting this day.”
“It can’t be just Angel that was bad though,” Oz observed. He had been processing the information in his own quiet manner.
“No, not just Angelus,” Hathor agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“We need to talk.”
Angel’s voice startled Jenny. She turned from the counter with her cup of coffee, and she stared at the wet-haired vampire. She had to admit that he was very handsome. She could easily understand why her great-great-great aunt had fallen for him long enough to come to her ultimate doom at his fangs. Jenny felt a fissure of disgust with herself for enjoying the attentions and cock of the vampire that had ruthlessly killed one of her own family.
Angel took a seat, and he looked at Jenny with expectancy in his eyes.
“What is there to talk about?” Jenny rolled her eyes. “You’re still the monster that destroyed my family! You took advantage of me.”
Angel’s jaw dropped in astonishment. He understood being in denial. After all, he had mastered the whole act during the last 100 years, but this was ridiculous. Angel shook his head to clear it.
“Don’t you shake your head at me,” Jenny grumbled.
“YOU are insane.” Angel rose to his feet. “I think you took advantage of me. You knew what and who I was even before you came to Sunnydale. You could have said something or anchored the soul before then, but you didn’t.”
“My only job was to make sure you didn’t get too close to Buffy Summers,” Jenny snarled. “You’ve been a rat-eating loner for decades now. We couldn’t take the chance that you’d get that moment of perfect happiness with the Slayer.”
“Well, don’t worry. That won’t be happening now, will it?” Angel gave the dark-haired woman a smirk. “Not since you anchored the pesky soul.”
Jenny gave Angel a suspicious look.
“Don’t worry, honey.” Angel leaned in close to whisper as he touched a bite mark on Jenny’s neck. “Why would I need Buffy when I have my very own little sex slave here?” He found himself enjoying the look of terror on the gypsy’s face.
Jenny whimpered in fear and unexpected arousal. She dropped the cup of coffee she was holding, and she heard it break as the cup hit the floor.
Angel stepped back with a leering upturn of the corner of his mouth. “But you see, I’m not that kind of guy anymore, and you made sure of it. I mean, I suppose I could be. Don’t the Ted Bundy’s and Jack the Ripper’s of the world have souls?”
“I… Uh…” Jenny looked startled. She didn’t know what to expect from the vampire now.
“This road to redemption will be so much easier now.” Angel nodded as he got a faraway look in his face. “I don’t need Buffy’s help anymore. I can go out and help the hopeless now like a true Champion of the people. Maybe I’ll give Los Angeles a try.”
“I… um… what?” Jenny was completely confused now. “You’re gonna leave Sunnydale.”
“Yes, I am, and I suggest you do the same.” Angel looked Jenny over carefully. “By now they’ll have figured out that you were cozying up to them to keep an eye on me.” He turned to leave her apartment.
Jenny stepped forward, and she held her hand out towards the vampire. She wanted to ask him if she could go with him. However, she found that she could not. Instead she turned towards her bedroom. Jenny heard the front door of her apartment slam closed as she pulled her suitcase out from under her bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, what else went bad?” Buffy asked softly. She stepped closer to Spike, and she grasped his hand.
“There was too much death and unhappiness.” Hathor looked saddened. The tattoos on her arms shifted shape as she moved closer to the Slayer. “I cannot change all of the death and unhappiness. There must be trials and tribulations in order to grow, but I have placed by your side a mate that will go through hell for you.”
Buffy smiled up at Spike before she said in a soft voice, “Thank-you.”
“Xander and Willow, you and your mates will stay here with the Slayer.” Hathor smiled. “She works best with friends after all.”
“What about us?” Cordelia asked.
“I need you and Doyle to keep Angel out of trouble now that his soul is anchored. Only the two of you could possibly put up with him.” Hathor crossed the room to stand by Cordelia and Doyle. “Angel will be leaving Sunnydale immediately, but you must wait. There will be a time when he is desperate for help, and that is when you will go to him.”
Doyle nodded his understanding. He had been wondering what had brought him to this little town, to this particular group of people. He had seen Giles in a vision that had caused him to seek out the older man.
“Aren’t you gonna spill all the gory details?” Xander asked.
“Some details are gorier than others, I’m afraid.” Hathor rolled her eyes at the pleading puppy dog look Xander gave her. “Oh, alright, Harris. You’re not your father. Oz, if your cousin bites you, cage yourself during the full moon. Joyce, headaches are NOT your friend.”
“Is that all?”
“What more do you want from me?” Hathor demanded. “I changed almost everything already as it is!”
“Sorry.” Xander had the dignity to look embarrassed about his comment.
“Don’t piss off the Goddess, Xander.” Willow glared at her oldest friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EPILOGUE
Buffy laid in the hospital bed, her white hair spread out on the pillow, and her gnarled hands clutching the sheet. “Those were the days, weren’t they?” she asked the man sitting in the chair beside the bed.
“They were, luv.” Spike nodded his head.
“I sure do miss all of our friends,” Buffy said softly. “Seeing their great grand-kids is all well and fine, but I miss the gang.”
“Me too.” Spike reached out to take Buffy’s hand into his own. He looked at the contrast between them. His were still as young as they had been so many years before when they had found each other during the LoveWater spell, while hers had taken on the toll of aging. Oh, she had aged slower than a regular human, but it had still snuck up on her like it had all the others. “You’ll be with them soon, Slayer. I’m sure of it.”
“But it won’t be the same without you.” Buffy’s green eyes filled up with tears. “I love you so much, Spike. It won’t be heaven without you.”
“I thought I told you that you are soul mates.”
“Hathor, you’re here.” Buffy smiled through her tears.
“My dear friend Jehovah owned me a favor.” Hathor nodded sagely. She held her hands out to the vampire and the Slayer. “Come with me, my dears. It’s time to join your friends.”
Spike and Buffy each took one of the Goddess’ hands. They fell away from their mortal bodies, and together they followed Hathor to a heavenly place where they joined all of their friends who had prepared a place for them to live forever.
The nurses were quite surprised to find the happy smile on Buffy’s face when they found her body. The oldest Slayer to have ever survived had been in a fair amount of pain the past few years. They knew of her consort’s real identity too. While one nurse prepared Buffy’s body for burial, the other scooped up the ashes in the seat next to the bed. The remains were buried together.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
AN: I had several people who complained about the flashback format. So, I went ahead and finished this up instead of prolonging the revealing of Hathor.