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Betad by dawnofme - thank you so much.
Chapter Seven


Spike heard the soft chuckling as soon as he opened the door to the basement. Hesitating, he stood trembling for a moment before inevitably continuing down the stairs.


Mocking blue eyes met his and it was Spike who couldn’t hold the stare, dropping his eyes to the floor. Despite being shackled against the wall for the best part of a day, TwinSpike looked as cocky as ever. He moved his hips and laughed even louder when Spike glanced at his erect penis and shuddered.


“I have to say, I’m impressed. You managed to stick it in her after all,” TwinSpike sneered as he sniffed loudly.


“Piss off.” Spike was once again disappointed at how weak his voice was when he spoke to his former torturer, but at least now, he managed to hold eye contact.


“You never got her off though, did you?” TwinSpike shifted his hips again. “Too busy wanting this up your arse instead of your cock inside her, I reckon.”


Spike had to fight the urge to drop to his knees and suck off TwinSpike. He didn’t want to do it but it seemed wrong not to. He moved uncomfortably from foot to foot.


TwinSpike laughed again. “Christ, I’m right! You didn’t make her come! You useless bastard. I don’t think I would have been able to not to give her orgasms every time – she’s so bloody responsive.”


Spike mumbled something, too low for the double to hear, but still stared at him.


“What was that?”


“She wanted it to be about me, not her. She wanted to welcome me home.” Even as he said it, Spike realised how pathetic it sounded.


“Fucking hell! I’m ashamed to be made from you. You don’t believe that, do you? You know she only said it ‘cause the pity fuck she was giving wasn’t enough for her. She wanted it over quickly and I’ll just bet that it was.”


Shaking his head, Spike fell to his knees and stared at the double’s feet. It wasn’t true – it couldn’t be true. But in his unbeating heart he knew that it was.


“That’s the right place for you, you piece of shit.” growled TwinSpike. “On your knees with your face level with my dick.”


Spike glanced up at him, his eyes slightly unfocussed.


“Come over here and do your fucking job!”


Crawling slowly towards TwinSpike, he tried to take notice of the small part of him that was screaming for him not to do it – for him to get up off his knees and get the hell away from TwinSpike. But, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the deeply ingrained obedience that his double had beaten into him. Spike paused for a moment when he got right next to TwinSpike. His doppelganger thrust his hips forward and the moist tip of his erection brushed Spike’s cheek.


“Get on with it,” TwinSpike hissed.


Licking his lips, Spike moved forwards a little more, brought his vampiric features to the fore, and then swallowed him whole. This time he didn’t shudder as his bare gums touched flesh.


“Oh, fuck, yeah!”


A few minutes later, TwinSpike came with a growl and sighed as Spike licked his softening cock when it slipped from his mouth. Spike’s eyes suddenly regained focus and he rocked back on his heels, his expression horrified as his features returned to human.


“What? I…” He shook his head in confusion. What the hell had he just done?


Answering his unspoken question, TwinSpike grinned at him. “It’s what you were born for, Spike. No use denying it or trying to resist it.”


Spike rose to his feet and stared at TwinSpike. “No it’s not!” He began to back away.


“Stand still,” commanded TwinSpike, smirking when he was immediately obeyed.


He hadn’t been sure that using a thrall would work down here, but since it wasn’t actually magic it obviously did. TwinSpike hadn’t enthralled Spike before – it had been so much nicer to beat the bastard into submission – but that submission meant that Spike was an easy subject for it now.


“Look at me.”


Spike’s eyes lost focus after he’d met TwinSpike’s gaze briefly. The doppelganger knew that his survival was doubtful and so he needed to prepare his legacy in case the witch and slayer succeeded in killing him. He smirked as he thought of what he was going to order Spike to do.


“Get rid of that face, when you look at me,” TwinSpike growled.


“Sorry, Master,” whispered Spike, he lisped through his toothless mouth as he morphed immediately, and averted his yellow eyes.


“Step closer; I want to tell you something. Something that you must never repeat – understood?”


“Yes, Master.”


Spike walked a little unsteadily until he was almost touching the double. He put his ear next to TwinSpike’s mouth as he began to whisper…


*~*~*~*


Buffy stirred in the bed and rolled over, her body seeking Spike’s. Her eyes opened when she realised the bed was empty. Sitting up, she glanced around the room and got out of bed when she didn’t see him. She picked up her robe and wrapped it around her before padding out of the room on bare feet and walking quietly downstairs in search of him.


When he wasn’t in the living room, she walked into the kitchen and her heart lurched as she saw that the door to the basement was ajar and light pouring out through the gap.


She pushed the door open and listened intently. Buffy thought that she would hear whispering, but couldn’t be sure. Almost silently she tiptoed down the wooden steps and balked at the sight of Spike standing close to the doppelganger as the creature whispered into his ear.


TwinSpike met her eye and grinned wickedly, before whispering something to Spike that had him reeling away in horror. Spike hid his face as Buffy raced down the last few steps and went to his side.


“Spike! What are you doing down here?” She grabbed his arm more roughly than she’d intended and silently cursed when he cringed and tried to pull away.


“S…sorry,” he mumbled. “Did…didn’t—”


“Shh, it’s okay. I’m not angry with you. Don’t be afraid.”


TwinSpike laughed loudly at this and Spike took advantage of Buffy’s distraction by wriggling out of her grasp.


“Don’t be afraid,” mocked TwinSpike. “Yeah, right. Like that’ll work! Look at him – see how pathetic he is.”


Buffy glanced around; Spike had backed up against the wall and was trembling violently. Snarling, she turned to face TwinSpike and punched him in the face as hard as she could. “Don’t you ever fucking speak about him again!”


TwinSpike groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood before regaining his smirk. “I’d much rather talk to you, pet.”


The second blow hit his genitals; the air went out of his lungs with a hiss and he flopped forwards as much as his shackles allowed.


“Are you sure about that?” Buffy asked, “’Cause I’ve always liked to talk with my hands.”


A slight noise from behind made her turn and she saw Spike standing with his arms wrapped tightly around his body, a hint of a smile on his face.


“Are you okay?”


Spike gave a harsh laugh. Yeah, course I’m okay! It’s not like bits of me are missing or anything is it? He shook his head and pushed down the hysteria that was bubbling in his chest before speaking. “It’s just…it was…it was a good line, is all.”


Buffy smiled broadly at him. “Yeah, I thought so too.” She looked back at TwinSpike who was still panting and hanging his head. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”


She held her hand out to Spike and after a pause he took it and allowed her to lead him back into the kitchen.


“What were you doing down there?” she asked when they sat at the table.


Spike shrugged. He had no idea why he had gone to TwinSpike apart from the thought of lying next to Buffy all night had terrified him. If he had stayed there, she would have asked him why he hadn’t shed his jeans. He cursed the fact that he had previously been so at ease when naked.


Buffy heated some blood and pushed the mug towards Spike. “What did he say to you?”


The contents of the mug were suddenly very interesting and for a moment Buffy thought that Spike wouldn’t reply at all.


“I don’t want to talk about it,” he whispered. “Just…stuff.”


“Spike, tell me please. You can tell me anything. When I got there you looked…well you looked scared of him.”


The vampire glanced up at her and the pain in his eyes brought tears glistening into her own.


“It’s…it’s h-hard not to be.” He looked down again. “He could do what ever he wanted to me for a long time.” Spike shuddered and pushed the mug away, his stomach churning at the thought of what had been done to him and of what he had done.


“But you know that he can never hurt you again, don’t you? You really are safe. You’re with friends now.”


Friends. He closed his eyes. TwinSpike was right. It was pity that the Slayer was full of. She couldn’t even say that he was with her – she just said with friends. But they weren’t were they? Not really. Apart from Niblet, none of the Scoobies had much affection for him and usually didn’t hold back in letting him know it.


Buffy’s hand closed over his un-mutilated one and squeezed it. “Please eat. You need to get back your strength…”


So she does think I’m weak. Spike thought bitterly. Hardly surprising though, is it? The voice in his head mocked. Look at you. You are weak. Admit it – he broke you beyond repair.


“and he’ll be gone tomorrow,” Buffy finished. “It will all be over,” she added firmly.


Yeah, right, sneered the voice.


Buffy stood up, keeping hold of his hand. “Come back to bed. The others won’t be here for hours.” She dropped a kiss on the top of Spike’s head and gave him a tug.


He rose slowly and walking slightly behind her, went back to the bedroom with her. She dropped the robe when she got to the side of the bed and smiled, looking at him through her lashes.


“Hold me,” she asked softly.


Spike stepped in closely and sighed deeply as her warm body met the bare flesh of his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He loved her so much his whole body ached with the intensity of it. Buffy trailed kisses across his chest. Spike tensed when her fingers traced the metal plate over his heart. She glanced up at him and his legs went weak when he saw the love in her eyes. It was love, wasn’t it? Not pity. Love.


“I like this,” she murmured.


“Like it?” His voice was hoarse.


“Yes. It will keep you safe.”


Spike bit his lip to keep from moaning. Safe. She thinks I can’t defend myself. When he met her eye again, this time he misread her gaze. Seeing only what TwinSpike told him he would see. Not love.


“So I won’t ever lose you,” Buffy whispered. “I love you.”


He swallowed hard. No you don’t, but thanks for saying it. “I love you.” The words came out automatically. He would love her forever no matter whether she loved him or not. That could never change.


Buffy once more took the lead and encouraged Spike onto the bed. She put her hands on the belt of his jeans.


“’M really tired, pet.” No way were those jeans coming off for her to see…


The Slayer’s hands fell away. “Oh, God – tired. ‘Course you’re tired.” Buffy babbled. He must think I’m so selfish! But I need to feel him inside me, to wipe away the feeling of the other…


“Hold me,” she said again.


Spike opened his arms and she snuggled in against him. He tenderly stroked a few stray hairs back from her face, before embracing her.


Buffy blinked back tears. The other was never like this. He was never gentle. How could I ever have thought him to be Spike? We had sex. We never made love. He never looked at me like Spike does.



*~*~*~*


Spike held Buffy in his arms until she woke up again. She smiled up at him and kissed him gently. He tried to deepen the kiss but she pulled away.

“Better get dressed,” she said after glancing at the clock on the bedside cabinet. Just be cool. Don’t pressure him into having sex. He’s still healing.


“Um…okay. I’ll—I’ll go grab a shower, then.”


Buffy smiled too brightly. “Okay.” I want to join you in there – ask me, please.


But Spike didn’t hear her unspoken plea and wouldn’t have acknowledged it even if he had – he was going to have a hard enough time dealing as it was.


He grabbed a towel from the closet on the landing and walked into the bathroom. Locking the door firmly behind him, he turned the water on and took off his jeans as he waited for it to heat up.


Stepping under the flow of almost too hot water, Spike sighed and closed his eyes. He lifted his face to let the water run over it. Then he moved and picked up the blue sponge from the chrome rack in the corner. He wondered if the doppelganger had known which sponge was his. Squeezing some shower gel onto it, he worked it up into a lather before he ran the sponge over his body.


He found himself tensing as his left hand moved the soapy sponge down to his groin. Dropping it, he let the three fingers of his hand caress his genitals, almost as if he weren’t in control of his hand. Looking down, Spike saw that the wound had healed so well that it looked like there had never been two balls hanging beneath his cock. Without the pair holding it in place, his penis hung to the right, resting almost beside his left testicle.


It looked so…wrong.


Spike inhaled deeply and the breath came out as a sob. He leaned against the glass side of the shower and slid slowly down to the base of it. The sound of the water hitting the metal plates on his back and chest seemed too loud. He held out his left hand and then glanced down at his genitals again. Spike tried to picture Buffy straddling him, taking his cock in her mouth, caressing his scrotum with her dainty fingers, but each time in his mind’s eye that she slid her hand down, she gasped and pulled away, her pert nose wrinkling at the sight of his disfigurement.


He drew his knees to his chest, wrapped his hands around them and bowed his head as sobs wrenched their way out of him. In all of his existence, Spike had never felt so alone.


“Spike! Are you nearly finished in there?”


Dawn’s voice brought Spike back to his senses. He stood up quickly and fumbled to turn off the now cold water.


“Yeah. Be right out,” he called.


He hurriedly dried himself and pulled his jeans back on over his still damp legs. Wishing he had brought a shirt in with him, he tossed the towel in the laundry basket and opened the door.


Dawn didn’t miss a beat when she saw him, even though the plate was shocking to see. She grinned and kissed his cheek. “You were in there for ages. Has the water gone cold?”


Spike touched his cheek and smiled back. “Sorry.”


“Doesn’t matter. Haven’t got time, anyway. The others are here. We’ll be able to get rid of TwinSpike soon.”


“Um…I’ll get a t-shirt, and go down then, I suppose?”


“I think Buffy is already down with them.”


“Okay.” Spike turned away from Dawn and disappeared into the bedroom that he and Buffy had shared before he’d been held captive.


She watched as he closed the door. Why did Buffy seem to think that he was doing okay? He looked as if he were teetering on the edge of the precipice of insanity to her. But what did she know? She scowled furiously. She was only a kid – no one listened to her half the time. Letting the door slam behind her, she had a quick wash before dressing and running down the stairs two at a time.


The Scoobies were gathered around the kitchen table. Dawn smiled when she saw Tara and Willow sitting next to each other. Xander was sat opposite Buffy at the head of the table, leaving the two chairs opposite the witches free, but Spike wasn’t sitting. He was leaning against the wall slightly behind Xander’s eye line, reminding Dawn of how Spike used to be before he was openly with Buffy. She nudged him and inclined her head to the chairs as she walked by him but he just shook his head slightly and stayed where he was.


She took the chair opposite Tara, near to Buffy, and listened intently as the plan was talked over one final time.


“So,” said Buffy. “Willow, are you ready?”


The red-head nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”


“Not making big with the confidence there, Will,” said Xander.


“She’ll be fine,” said Tara firmly, blushing slightly as Willow smiled at her with gratitude.


Spike had to agree with the boy, the witch looked jittery, but she had created the bastard so surely she ought to be able to get rid of him too?


“Okay.” Buffy picked up a large lethally sharp axe. “Here goes.”


One by one they followed Buffy down the stairs and into the basement. Buffy, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Xander and finally, almost as an after thought, Spike.


*~*~*~*


TwinSpike tensed as he heard the door open. He’d been able to hear their murmurings but to his annoyance he hadn’t been able to pick up the actual words. He took a couple of deep calming breaths; once the wards were down he wouldn’t have much time.


The six filed into the basement and stood in a semi-circle facing TwinSpike. He was pleased to note that Spike was the closest to the stairs.


“Six of you and just one of me,” TwinSpike said scornfully, “hardly seems fair, does it?” He shrugged. “Mind you – not sure that Spike counts anymore.”


“Shut up!” yelled Buffy. “Are you sure that I can’t just hack him to pieces?” She twirled the axe in her right hand – her stare never wavering from the cold blue eyes of the doppelganger.


“Like I’ve said before. I’m not sure that if we cut him up that the pieces won’t regenerate into new Spikes," replied Willow.


“Bad enough with two,” muttered Xander.


Spike took a step backwards, his face shifting to his vampiric ones as TwinSpike turned and winked at him. Only this face in front of him.


“Can we do it now, Will, ‘cause I’m not sure that I can resist chopping his tackle off if we wait any longer.”


TwinSpike’s cock twitched and began to fill. “After all the pleasure they’ve given you. Rammed inside you, rammed down your throat. You enjoyed it.”


Buffy took a stride towards him, glaring at Willow as she put a hand on her arm and said quietly, “Don’t.”


The Slayer gave out a growl that a vampire would have been proud of and slashed the air with the blade, before lowering it.


“Didn’t think after last night that you would want another lover with parts missing?” sneered TwinSpike. “Old ‘one bollock’ over there didn’t manage to keep it up long enough to make you come last night, did he? Sure that I’m the one you want to get rid of? Think of the sex we had. Is running your hand over a solitary ball a good feeling?”


All but Tara, gasped and turned to stare at Spike. He backed up further and without thinking, pulled his lips back and growled, intending to try to make them look away. But the shocked looks on their faces reminded him of what else his double had taken from him.


TwinSpike laughed. “Oh, this is priceless – Buffy – you let him shag you and you didn’t even notice that his bollock was hanging there all alone?”


“Shut up,” Spike pleaded, closing his eyes.


Buffy brought her hand up to her mouth. That’s why he wouldn’t take his jeans off. Oh, Spike what did I let him do to you? If I had noticed sooner…


The noise of loud retching meant their attention left Spike and focussed on Xander who was doubled over, throwing up what he ate for breakfast.


Buffy walked towards Spike but he shook his head, silently begging her not to come to him. Not to make it worse. His legs could barely hold him upright and he knew that he would lose his tenuous hold on his emotions if she touched him now.


She nodded, mouthed ‘I love you’ and then turned to Willow. “Can we get this done with now?”


“Xander, are you going to be okay?” asked Willow resting a hand on her friend’s back.


His complexion was grey when he stood upright. He glanced at the doppelganger. “You…Sweet Jesus, you…”


“Bit it off, chewed it and swallowed it,” said TwinSpike gleefully. The more he got them rattled the more chance that the witch’s reflexes would be slower than his. His cock was now fully erect and pre-come leaked from its tip. He was going to win! The fun he was going to be able to have!


“Oh, Christ!” Xander lurched past the hunched, trembling figure of Spike and fled up the stairs.


The four girls turned back to the doppelganger.


“Willow, when he dies, will all the bad he’s done be undone?” asked Dawn quietly.


“Only the things I’ve done with magics,” supplied TwinSpike helpfully. “If you’re asking about your pathetic version of a Spike’s bits and pieces…well, I bit off and swallowed his left little finger and his right bollock – so they will stay as they are. Starting to wish I’d completely gelded the fucker now – but no matter that can be my first job when I’m free. His missing toes will be looking a bit green and be smelly by now but they’re still nailed on the bedpost at the mansion, so they’re not gonna reappear either. His arsehole—”


TwinSpike’s words were cut off when Buffy’s axe cut deep into his midriff. His scream was music to her ears.


“Just do the fucking spell, Willow!” she roared.


Willow nodded and glanced at the others. The two vampires had more colour in their faces than the humans did. She began to quietly mutter the only spell that would work in the basement; the one to disarm the wards.


The air began to crackle with static and the second that Willow uttered the last word, the shackles binding TwinSpike flew away from him and crashed against the wall. He grinned walked forwards and extended his hands towards Willow – she flew backwards and was pinned to the wall, her wriggling feet some two foot off the ground.


Buffy swung the axe again and was sent reeling as it bounced out of her hands when it hit a protective shield the doppelganger had formed.


Willow began to frantically scrabble at her throat, her eyes bulging and lips turning blue.


“Willow!” yelled Dawn.


TwinSpike only had to glance in her direction to send the teenager flying through the air. She hit the wall just beside Spike and lay unconscious in a crumpled heap, like a discarded rag doll.


Spike whimpered and sank to his knees, but stared intently at TwinSpike.


“Get off her!”


The voice echoed through the basement and TwinSpike staggered back a couple of paces.


“You?” he said incredulously as the furious blonde stepped between Willow and him.


He waved a hand, expecting to swat her out of the way with his magics. Instead he found himself pushed backwards another stride. The double let his focus on Willow slip as he defended himself against Tara’s attack.


Willow fell gasping to the floor, her lips pinking up, but unable to do more than weakly raise her head.


“Get you back to the hell you sprang from,” said Tara, her voice eerily calm.


“No!” yelled TwinSpike. “Not you, you’re not strong enough. Red has the power – not you!”


He desperately gathered his magics together. “I’ll throw you through the fucking wall, bitch!”


Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Slayer approaching once more, axe held aloft, his blood dripping from its blade. In that instant he knew that he was done for. He’d never accounted for Tara to have any real power. Spike’s memories hadn’t given him any of that. He glanced at Spike, still quivering on the floor, vampface showing like the good little slave he was.


“Now!” shouted TwinSpike.


He threw what remained of his power at Tara, she blocked it and Buffy ran in to the attack, her blade neatly cutting off his genitals and a taking a large slice of his thigh with it too.”


As Buffy and Tara went in for the kill, no one noticed Spike bolt out of the basement.


Tara knew the enchantments needed to neutralise TwinSpike as well as Willow did, and as she recited them, Buffy hacked at his now kneeling body, knowing she couldn’t kill him but the screams told her that the bastard could still feel. Images of Spike bound, tortured, alone, flooded her mind as she swung the axe again and again and again.


“Hey, you can stop now,” said Tara. “He’s gone.” She grabbed Buffy’s arm as she raised the axe again. “It’s done.”


Buffy glanced at Tara and blinked before looking down. There was a large pool of blood but nothing else.


“He…he’s gone? We did it?” she gasped.


Tara nodded. Buffy let the axe fall from her hand and dazedly looked around the room. Willow had managed to sit up, but was still wheezing and had livid bruises around her throat. Buffy saw Dawn lying unmoving near the wall.


“Dawn!” She raced to her sister.


Tara walked to Willow on unsteady legs, and sat down with a thump beside her.


“Baby, you did it,” rasped Willow, holding out her hand.


Tears sprang into Tara’s eyes. “I-I did, didn’t I?”


The two witches fell into each other’s arms and sobbed quietly in relief.


Dawn began to stir and the first thing that she saw was Buffy’s concerned, blood and tearstained face looking down at her.


“Wh…what happened? Is he gone?” asked Dawn, screwing her eyes up in response to the throbbing pain behind them.


“He’s gone,” Buffy confirmed.


Dawn pushed herself up until she was sitting and twisted as she looked around the basement.


“Where’s Spike?”


Buffy’s heart missed a beat. “Spike!” she screamed. She rose and then looked uncertainly at Dawn, who waved her hand at her.


“Go, I’m okay. He needs you more than I do.”


Buffy smiled gratefully at her sister and ran swiftly up the stairs. She almost knocked Xander over when she tore out of the kitchen.


“Where is he?” she asked. “Where’s Spike?”


Xander shook his head. “I don’t know. I was upstairs in the bathroom,” he mumbled guiltily. “I think I heard the front door open though.”


They both stared at the bright light flooding in from the windows.


“Oh, God. No!” Buffy cried as she flung the door open. She looked down. No dust. Almost collapsing with relief she tried to think where he might have gone. He could make it to the entrance to the sewers if he covered himself up – but where then?


Xander steadied her as she staggered. “Where has he gone?” she asked, her eyes huge in her drawn face.


“Back to where he was held?” suggested Xander, not really sure why he suggested it, but he had no other clue as to where to look for the vampire.


“Help the others,” said Buffy. She took a deep breath and jogged away from the house. She’d use the tunnels – she might be able to catch up with him.


*~*~*~*


Spike ran as fast as his legs would carry him. The jacket he’d grabbed to cover himself with had burst into flames several yards from the sewer entrance and for a moment he thought that he’d dust there and then.


Not much further now. Nearly back where he belonged. Nearly back where Master wanted him to be.


*~*~*~*


Buffy raced past the charred remains of Xander’s jacket and her heart hitched in her chest. At least she knew that he was in the tunnels. Scrambling and almost falling several times she drew on every ounce of inherent Slayer strength that she had. She had to get to Spike.


*~*~*~*


Spike slid to a halt in the room where he had been held for so long. His chest rose and fell rapidly as the stress he was under made him pant heavily. Glancing around the room, he shuddered when he saw the decaying remains of his toes on the post. The blood in the bottle had long since turned rancid and he wrinkled his nose at the stench of the room.


Then he saw it. What Master told him he had to get. Spike smiled, not caring that his naked gums were showing. He was being good. Master would be happy. Master wouldn’t hurt him. He’d reward him.


He sank to his knees and picked up the bottle.


*~*~*~*


Buffy’s feet pounded the corridors of the mansion. Her feet slid on the stone floors as she checked the rooms for Spike.


“Spike! Where are you? Spike!” Her voice was hoarse from yelling and exertion.


She found the door to the lower level open, and forced her burning legs to increase speed again.


*~*~*~*


Spike slowly unscrewed the cap from the bottle. For a moment he hesitated, but then he heard Master’s voice as clearly as if he were stood beside him.


Drink it!


He raised it to his lips and drank deeply until his insides began to sear and the bottle fell from his fingers as he bent double, gasping with pain.


*~*~*~*


“No!”


Buffy reached the doorway just as the large plastic bottle fell from Spike’s trembling hand. Some of the contents splashed on his legs and she heard his skin sizzle when the liquid soaked through his jeans.


“Oh, God, Spike. What have you done?”


Spike raised his head, his features human again. He stared around the room in confusion and then tears fell from his blue eyes as he realised where he was for the first time. He gasped again and clutched at his stomach.


“Why have you done this?” sobbed Buffy. “You can’t leave me.” Her legs gave out and she fell to the floor.


Spike tried to speak but his vocal chords had been burnt away by the Holy Water that he’d drunk. His eyes widened as he suddenly understood what TwinSpike had meant when he’d said that he’d win even if he was destroyed.


The last malicious act that the doppelganger had done was to command Spike to come here to drink the Holy Water. It was what he’d whispered to him last night. Spike had to come here when TwinSpike said ‘now’. Come here to die alone. Only he wasn’t alone. Buffy was here. Buffy, with pain-filled eyes. He closed his own as another spasm ripped through him. His insides were on fire. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave her.


It hurts so much.


“You’ll be all right. Willow will do a spell. You haven’t drunk enough. You’ll be okay.”


He opened his eyes and slowly shook his head. No time.


“Please don’t leave me, Spike. I love you,” Buffy crawled towards him, her hand outstretched.


The tears were unstoppable now. ‘I believe you’ he mouthed, and reached out with his left hand.


Their fingertips touched briefly, and then Spike slowly crumbled into dust.


The End





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