Chapter 1: Gravedigger

‘Today really isn’t our day’, Xander thought as he traveled the forest with Willow in his arms.

Demons came right in the middle of the Scoobies resurrection spell and now everything that they had planned for 2 months seemed to blow up right in front of their face. For the last two months there was nothing but talk between them about this night and how it would be so wonderful for them to see Buffy alive again, but at the moment Xander forgot all about the spell and feared for his and the girl in his arms life.

Xander couldn’t walk anymore. He came to a tree and looked around to see if any demons spotted them and then sat down with Willow in his arms.

“Xan…Xander, where…where?” Willow finally opened her eyes and looked around.

“Shh!!” Xander shushed Willow, “We’re using our quiet voice, Will.”

”Where…where’s Tara?” Willow whispered.

”Off running.” Xander panted, “Like we should be. We need to keep moving.”

“Oh...right” Willow finally remembered about all the chaos around her, “Demons…on bikes.”

“That’s right, we got trouble. Right here in Hellmouth City. And our very own robo-Buffy led them right to us.” Xander said.

Willow’s eyes grew, “Buffy! The ritual…we have to go back!” Willow started to get up but Xander pushed her slightly back down.

”Will. I told you.” Xander tried to reason with his stubborn witch friend.

“We have to try again.” She said in her most determining voice.

“No, we can't.” Xander said.

“We have to, Xander! I - she - she's waiting! She's counting on us, on, on me! I can't leave her there any more, I won't. We have to finish.” Willow said and shook her head; she didn’t want anyone to stop her.

” Shh!” Xander hushed her again.

In the distance bikes were roaring loud and the sound of laughter could be heard. Xander began to speak again just as the bike sounds died down.

“Will...the urn of cirrhosis...” Xander began.

”Osiris?” Willow asked.

“Yeah. It got kind of...” Xander trailed off not wanting to break his friend’s heart.

“Broken. It's broken. I remember.” Willow said with the saddest tone in her voice. She knew what outcome this meant.

“So we'll find another one. Better made. Anya and I will jump back on the web-“, Xander gave Willow some hope.

“There is not other one.” Willow stated and closed her eyes. Something deep down inside of her started to hurt; it was a familiar pain that she hasn’t felt since Buffy’s funeral.

“Okay, we'll fix this one… a little tape, a dab of Crazy Glue….” Xander said.

“No. It's no use.” Willow’s eyes started to get teary, “The urn's defiled. It's gone. Nothing, it was all for nothing. Buffy's gone. She's really gone.” Willow started breathing heavily and letting tears come down.

Xander pulled his friend into his chest and hugged her. ‘She’s really gone.’ Willow’s voice echoed in Xander’s head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

SUNNYDALE 2082



The cemetery was dead quiet that November night. The graves looked untended and the grass was high. The area is a disaster, and in the distance a sound of a woman screaming and smashing windows could be heard.

The streets of Sunnydale were littered with trash and barrels with fire were blazing on almost every street. Each house looked deserted and torn apart. Bullet holes were imprinted on front doors while furniture was thrown onto front lawns.

The main store shops, which once were inhabited with Sunnydale citizens, had no customers and some of the buildings were barely standing. Cars parked on the street were flipped over and rusted. The building that was once The Magic Box didn’t look like a building anymore. The letters ‘G’ and ‘I’ from the shop sign were missing and all that was left was ‘The Ma c Box’.

A group of demons walked into the main street and acted as if they were the boss of the town; kings of Sunnydale. They’re laughter was loud and made clear from anyone in a miles radius.

Back in the quiet graveyard a small sound was heard under the ground. Then there was a moment of silence and then all of sudden the sound started again, but this time it was louder. In a few minutes the sound came to the surface of the ground and the sound of someone gasping was heard. The gravedigger crawled away from the hole she created in the ground and looked around in fear. Her hair, her clothes, and her body were dirty. She started to stand and look around and noticed her surroundings. She turned around and came in contact with her own grave, ‘Buffy Anne Summers’.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As she walked out of the cemetery Buffy had trouble keeping her shoes on, every step she took she stumbled. She had the sense as if she didn’t use her legs in years, which in fact was the truth; Buffy was like a baby learning to walk all over again.

Buffy walked the neighborhood streets of Sunnydale and saw the barrels of fire and damaged homes and one thought kept playing in her head, ‘This must be hell.’ The thought of her being in hell took her deeper in her state of shock than she was in from coming out of the ground.

She stopped walking and looked around at her surroundings slowly. Buffy became startled when she heard the sound of harsh laughter echo Sunnydale. So upset by the situation, Buffy began to run off the street and in between houses. As she continued to run she lost her shoes in the grass, but for some reason she didn’t stop to retrieve them.

When she finally began to slow down she was panting loudly and her feet hurt. She quickly looked around and in a moment her breath stopped. Buffy looked up and saw the street sign that was in the ground but lying at a forty five degree angle, ‘Rivelo Drive’. Buffy looked down the street and began to walk in a daze again.

Buffy was hesitant when coming upon 1630 Rivelo. She didn’t even recognize her own home. The house was dark, boards of the porch floor were missing, the living room window was broken, and the room that was Dawn’s had three big wooden boards covering the windows.

Buffy slowly walked towards the ghost house and became cautious to where she stepped. Once she got through the front door she noticed the dirty floor that was covered with old brown leafs. The banister of the staircase was half broken off.

She turned her head and looked into the living room and noticed the glass of the broken window on the floor the hard way; Buffy stepped on a piece of glass in her bare feet and suddenly jumped and staggered away, moaning in agony. She stumbled to the ground and grabbed her foot and noticed the blood beginning to come from her skin. Then for the first time her knuckles, they were bloody and in some places she could see her bone. In her mind she had a flash of the memory just a few hours ago of her crawling out of the grave and her hands ripping at the coffin lid and screaming but hearing nothing could come from her voice. Then as quickly as she had the flashback the memory ended.

Buffy slowly got up on her feet, ignoring all the pain that she had from her wounded body and traveled back into the hallway. She looked up the stairs and started to travel slowly up the stairs as if there was someone pushing her to see what was on the second floor. The floor boards creaked with every step Buffy took.

The second floor seemed smaller than Buffy remembered. All of the doors were completely shut. Buffy looked at her old room’s door and started to become apprehensive, she didn’t know if she should go inside because she was no longer welcome. Ever since she laid her eyes on the house she didn’t feel welcome. Her abandoned home had the feel of a motel, like many people had been through the rooms and took all personal feeling out the house.

Buffy turned the knob to her room and saw nothing in it but a mattress lying on the ground. She quickly shut the door; she thought there was no reason for her to stay in the room longer; all it did was upset her.

Outside a motorcycle roared down the street and Buffy seemed to quake in fear. ‘What happened?’ She thought to herself. ‘Where is everyone? Where’s Dawn? Am I in hell? Is this what hell is like?’

Buffy traveled back down the stairs and collided into a box. She stopped in motion to see what she bummed into and then she noticed it was something she was familiar with, her weapons chest. She lifted the chest and saw nothing inside, whoever had been in the house last seemed to take all the weapons. However, Buffy knew she had secret hatch. Buffy lifted a lid off the inside of the top of the weapons chest and saw a knife. Buffy grabbed the knife and stared at it…and remembered.

“Shallow cuts, shallow…cuts…let the blood flow free.” The small crazy man with the knife mumbled as Buffy got to the top of the tower.

“Dawn!” Buffy yelled.

“Buffy!” Dawn shouted in pleaded.

“Dawn…” Buffy said softly as she remembered.

“Well, well, well…looks like Goldilocks is in the three bears home.” A voice came from the door. Buffy quickly turned with the knife in her hand and saw three vampires in game face.

A/N: I know there wasn’t a lot of talking in this chapter but there will be some more in the next. Also for you Spuffy people Spike will be discussed soon. I promise. I hope your enjoying the story.

Chapter 3: Where Is Everybody?

Buffy stood upon the three vampires with her knife still in hand.

”Well Goldilocks…would you like to bitten on the right or the left?” one of the vampires asked and stepped towards to Buffy. Buffy moved a step back. The vampire laughed at her actions, knowing she was vulnerable.

“Wait…she’s a human.” Another vampire said.

”Good guess stupid.” the vampire next to him said.

“But I thought the last human left twenty years ago.” The vampire said.

”Well I guess this one is stupid enough to come back…” the vampire closest to Buffy said and took another step closer to her. Again, Buffy stepped back.

In the back of Buffy’s mind she had another flashback, a memory that seemed very long ago.

“You really have no idea what’s going on, do you? You think it’s a coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning.” Giles said to the young Buffy.

”Oh, why can’t you people just leave me alone?” Buffy asked.

“Because you are the Slayer…” Giles said.

Buffy’s memory quickly ended and Giles words echoed in her head, ‘Because you are the Slayer…’

After a moment things were starting to fall into line for Buffy, and she looked up at the approaching vampire and slashed him with her knife. The other two vampires were startled by Buffy’s action. The hurt vampire growled at Buffy and through the moonlight she could see the cut on the vamps face. Buffy dropped the knife and gave the vampire a round of punches while the other two vamps watched. Buffy then threw the vampire into the broken wooden banister and he instantly turned into dust. Buffy seemed confused for some reason. One of the vampires that stood behind Buffy mumbled “Slayer.”

When Buffy heard “Slayer” from the vampire she instantly turned to the vamps. Both of them, so scared, backed away form the front door, onto the porch and quickly left.

By the time the vampires had hopped on there motorcycles and rode off, Buffy was standing outside her front door. She was breathing heavily and seemed in a daze. She didn’t know what to think or what to do. Many thoughts were jumping around her head and instead of sorting everything through Buffy just ran.

She ran as fast as she could to a destination she didn’t know. All she knew was she didn’t want to be in the house anymore.

Buffy ended up back where she started her evening, the graveyard. She looked around and spotted something familiar, a crypt, Spike’s crypt.

Buffy entered Spike’s crypt like she had always had, without knocking. She slowly pushed the door open and saw a new set of furniture and a new TV. The layout of the room was the same, but yet the crypt felt different. The only sound that was in the room was Buffy’s breath. She moved away from the door and she traveled around the room.

Buffy didn’t know why she came to Spike’s place but for some reason seeing the same old crypt from the outside brought Buffy some comfort, unlike her home on Rivelo.

The sound of footsteps came from the ladder made Buffy jump. She instantly thought ‘What was Spike going to say?’ ‘Did he go bad or is still sort of good?’ ‘Will he be able to help me?’ However, when the figure got to the top of the ladder Buffy saw that it wasn’t Spike. Instead of Spike it was a demon with wrinkly skin.

”Uh…who are you?” the demon simply asked. In its hand he had a bucket of chicken wings.

Buffy didn’t answer and continued to stare at the creature.

“Umm…wait a minute…” the demon stepped closer, “…do I know you?”

Buffy stepped back when the demon came closer to her.

”Don’t be frightened…I’m…I’m good. I’m a good demon.” The demon reassured Buffy, “I’m Clemon—Clem.”

Buffy still didn’t answer.

”I’m a friend of Spike’s.” Clem said.

”Spike.” Buffy whispered.

”Yeah…Spike…you know him?” Clem seemed happy that she knew Spike so they could talk reassembly and she wouldn’t feel too insecure.

“Yeah…” Buffy answered Clem’s question.

“Well that’s good…” Clem said and started to study Buffy. Buffy noticed he was looking at her oddly and she turned away, “Oh…sorry…it’s just…you look like…” Buffy turned to face him so he could finish his sentence, “…well you couldn’t be because she’s well…you look like Buffy Summers…the Slayer…” Clem said.

“I…I…am.” Buffy said.

Clem was speechless for a moment, “Wow…but you were…wow…oh boy.” Clem said and started to breath heavily, “Spike’s going to flip.”

”Where am I?” Buffy questioned.

Clem paused and looked at Buffy, “What?” he didn’t understand her random question.

”Is…is this hell?” Buffy looked up at him.

“What?” Clem asked, “No…this is Sunnydale…” Clem said but also mumbled, “But it’s close to hell.”

”It…it can’t be.” Buffy softly said.

She couldn’t comprehend that outside of the crypt was Sunnydale.

”Well it’s what’s left of Sunnydale…it’s gone downhill since the big attack of 66’. Most of the humans were marched out or killed.” Clem said.

“66? 66 what?” Buffy asked.

”2066.” Clem said.

Buffy blinked a couple times and stared at the demon before him as if he was crazy.

”What…what year is it?” Buffy asked, scared to get the answer.

“2082.” Clem simply said.

Buffy inhaled a big breath and turned around and ran out door.

“Wait!” Clem yelled, but didn’t stop Buffy, she was long gone.

*~*~*~*~*


After Buffy’s run in with the nice wrinkled face demon who now seemed to live in Spike’s crypt, she didn’t know what to think. ‘Is this really the future?’ she thought to herself. She tried to figure how much time has pasted since she was last in Sunnydale and she calculated a number close to eighty years. Eighty years is a long time, but to Buffy it only felt like yesterday she was fighting Glory and trying to save Dawn.

”Dawn…” Buffy spoke out loud as she walked the streets of Sunnydale yet again. ‘Was she saved? Is…is she still alive?’ Buffy thought.

Buffy stopped in mid step when she realized she was on the main street of Sunnydale where the Café Espresso was and the Magic Box. Buffy looked down the street in the saw the building that once was the Magic Box had be raided and possibly burned down many times. Even if she wanted to go inside to see what was left of Giles shop she probably couldn’t make it in, the building was badly damaged.

”Thought I’d find you here.” A voice came from behind Buffy.

Buffy turned around and was face to face with a timeless face.

“Remember me? Hope being dead didn’t destroy your memory kid.” Whistler said and walked down the middle of the Main Street and closer to Buffy.

”You’re…” Buffy drifted off.

”Whistler…I came to see you—well to you it’s been three years since we talked…but in reality” Whistler looked around at the reality that was now Sunnydale, “Well…eighty years sure turned this place into a disaster…”

”What happened?” Buffy said softly, she was still getting use to talking and was having trouble thinking up the words she wanted to say.

”To Sunnydale?” Whistler asked, “Huh…don’t know where to start.” Whistler looked down at his feet and kicked some debris on the street and then looked back up at Buffy.

”Tell me…are they…my…are my…” Buffy trailed on.

”Are you asking if your friends and your sister are…well dead?” Whistler asked.

”Are…are they?” Buffy whispered, dreading to hear the answer.

”I’m sorry.” Whistler said.

Buffy looked down. She couldn’t even bring herself to tears. She didn’t even know how to bring herself to tears.

”If it makes you feel at all better…they didn’t die in battle…none of them did…they died of old age.” Whistler said, “Unlike you.”

”They…they did?” Buffy asked.

”Yeah…your friends…they protected Sunnydale…for a while…until they couldn’t do it anymore.” Whistler said, “And sooner or later…this happened.” Whistler eyed broken windows of stores and overturned cars.

”Why didn’t someone stop it?” Buffy asked.

”No slayer in town…” Whistler said, “Faith…you remember Faith…well she was in prison and couldn’t really help…the next slayer that was called had to wait till Faith died…so there wasn’t a slayer protecting the world or the stopping the Hellmouth for about thirty years.”

Buffy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was certain that her friends could manage without her and stick together. Those were her last dying wishes and yet, it seemed like they were ignore.

“How’d you know I was alive again?” Buffy asked.

“Long story…but I’m not the one to tell you…someone else will.” Whistler said.

”Why am I here?” Buffy asked.

”Sorry can’t really tell you that either.” Whistler said.

Buffy walked up to Whistler and punched him in the face.

”Yes. You. Will.” Buffy said sternly.

“I can’t. I’m not the one to tell the story…” Whistler said in his defense.

“But if you know…tell me.” Buffy said.

”Remember Spike?” Whistler brought up out of the blue.

”What…what about him?” she asked.

”He’ll fill you on some of the answers you want to hear.” Whistler said and backed away.

”What? Why…why him? And where is he?” Buffy asked.

”Don’t worry…he’ll be coming soon.” Whistler said with a smile, “But while we wait lets get you cleaned up.”

Buffy just stared at him, confused.

The Next Day…Nighttime

Los Angeles…

Spike hated LA. He traveled around the world for years and it was weird that he still lingered back to L.A ever so often. That night, after getting ganged up by a bunch of vampires and having to fight them, he decided to drink the rest of his evening in a demon bar.

He sat down at the counter and ordered a beer and take a load off. He heard at the other side of the bar a conversation heating up.

”…I’m telling you she’s human…” one of the vampires said.

The rest of the vampires in the group shook there heads and didn’t believe the guy’s story.

”I have a feeling she is the slayer…” The vampire said.

Spike instantly shot his head to look at the group of vampires talking and drinking beer when he heard the word ‘slayer.’ Spike’s ears perked up and started listening.

”…she threw Eddie into the banister of the house we were staying in Sunnyhell.” the vampire said.

Spike got up off his stool and walked down towards the group of vamps. His boots were heard as he stomped down across the room.

”What did you say?” Spike butted into the conversation.

“Huh?” The vampire that was telling the story looked up at the bleached blonde haired vampire and was wearing at leather duster.

”There’s a slayer?” Spike asked, trying to get the information straight, “Where?”

”Uh…Sunnydale.” the vampire said and looked to his group of vampire buddies, “I’m not sure she’s the slayer…she could be…saw her the other night in a house my buddies were crashing in...why do you ask?” the vampire turned to talk back to Spike but he was already half way out the door.

Spike walked into the alley and got on his nice motorcycle and started it up and traveled down the road.



TBC....

Chapter 5: I Walk Alone

If Spike had a heart it would be racing. He hadn’t been to Sunnydale in years and didn’t plan to return ever again, but there he was, in the middle of the night, speeding down the highway moving closer to the Hellmouth.

Every mile Spike got closer to reaching Sunnydale his memories in the back of his head became more and more clear. The memories seemed to play as if they were movie in front of his face.

“I'm counting on you ... to protect her.” Buffy said to Spike as held the ax in his hand.

”Till the end of the word…even if that happens to be tonight.” Spike answered.

He hasn’t played her voice in the back of his head for so many years; he didn’t allow himself do it. Trying to remember her voice only reminded him it was only just a memory, and all he had left was memories. And memories to Spike weren’t good enough.

“I’m counting on you…”

“I’m counting on you…”

Spike’s tears started to well up in his eyes but he never noticed them. The wind from the motorcycle ride blew his tears away in seconds.

He looked up ahead he noticed he was at the overlook of the town, which was once his home for awhile, the good old Hellmouth. He stopped his bike in the middle of the road and looked down at dark town and shook his head in disappointment. He saw in some of the streets barrels of fire burning and demons on the east side of town gathering. The site of Sunnydale looking like this disgusted him so much he started to get anger. He was anger with the new Slayer that was called living in Texas while the Hellmouth looked like this. Spike knew once he had run in with the new slayer, he was going to give her a good yelling at…and maybe her Watcher too.

Spike sighed, “Home sweet home.” He said to himself and started his bike up and traveled down into the valley of Sunnydale. He didn’t even have to bother doing his custom ritual of knocking over the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale’ sign, it was already knocked over.


She walked the alley with attitude, with a stake in hand and glare that would cause anyone a second thought before messing with her. Whistler cleaned her up the night before; gave her new clothes and a new set of weapons so she could do her job. Her hair was decent and her skin was nice and clean, anyone that didn’t know her would never guess she had been dead for eighty years.

Her mission was pretty clear after talking with Whistler, kill everything in the town. Take back her town; take back what was once hers.

Buffy came to the end of the alley and looked out onto the street and saw a bunch of demons gathering around a fire. Buffy was about to step out of the alley when a hand grabbed Buffy’s shoulder. On impulse, Buffy grabbed the hand and threw it over her shoulder and then noticed it was Whistler.

“Nice reflexes kid.” Whistler said with a touch of pain in his voice.

”What are you doing out here?” Buffy asked. She didn’t seem to be friendly or be sorry for her actions. She seemed nasty and defensive.

”Seeing what you are doing out here.” Whistler said and started to get up on his feet.

“I’m the Slayer…this is my business.” She nodded over to the group of demons.

”I know that…but don’t you think…maybe you should…I don’t know…wait?” Whistler didn’t want to come out and say that the Slayer couldn’t handle herself; if he did he knew he would get another throw down by her.

“I think this town has done enough waiting…its time to kill some demons.” Buffy said.

”Uh…do you think that’s a good idea…I’m mean, you just got back and all…you may be a bit…rusty.” Whistler said.

”Didn’t seem rusty when I threw you across over my shoulder.” Buffy said.

”Well that’s different, I’m not a fighting demon….they are.” Whistler motioned to the demon pack.

”Get out of my way.” Buffy said

Whistler knew there was no way he could take on the Slayer, so this time he stepped away and let Buffy exit the alley.


Spike rode on his motorcycle to the entrance of the cemetery and stopped. He got off his bike and looked at the degraded graveyard and shook his head and started to walk into the cemetery.

He was on a mission to know what the news in Sunnydale was, if there was really a Slayer or not protecting the town. The only demon Spike knew that would be happy to answer his questions was his old friend Clem, if he was still alive and living in his old crypt.

Spike didn’t bother to knock when he opened his old crypt door. Clem instantly jumped out of his seat in front of the TV and his bowl of popcorn tumbled to the ground.

”Oh man…way to make an old demon—“ Clem instantly stopped in mid-sentence when he saw his bleached blond vampire friend walk through the door, “Spike?! Where have you been…long time no see pal.”

”Hey Clem.” Spike gave a nod.

”What…how? Where’ve you been?” Clem asked, “Been awful lonely with you gone and all.”

“Yeah…look…Clem…” Spike started but got interrupted.

”You should have been around two weeks ago…a couple of the old gang got together and decided to go to that new demon casino on the edge of Vegas and—“

”Clem!” Spike stopped Clem from talking.

”Yeah?” Clem asked.

”Look…I got some news that I need to know if it’s true or not…” Spike began.

”OH you mean about the Slayer…wow, news travels fast...I mean she only just got here about a day ago.” Clem said.

”So it’s true? The Slayer is in town?” Spike asked.

”Well yeah…but—“ Clem said but that was all Spike wanted to hear and went out the door, “Wait!” Clem called out, “Jeezs…no one lets me ever finish.” Clem mumbled.

TBC…thanks for all the reviews and the nomination.

Chapter 6: The Aftermath

Summer, 2001

Xander and Willow took every back street that they knew in Sunnydale to get away from the demon bikers that had invaded town. They had wondered around for nearly two hours, trying to find a familiar landmark that might guide them to The Magic Box. Willow being wiped out from the big spell that was performed, didn’t help there journey.

“Do you know where we are?” Willow asked Xander who had his arm around her waist, trying to help her walk.

”Uh…” Xander looked around, “Yeah…I think the Magic Box is this way.” He pointed forward down a different alley and they started to travel some more.

The two best friends walked in silence down the alley, both of them still had there minds on what happened earlier.

“Maybe we could try again…I mean…maybe-maybe we can find another urn.” Willow said out of the blue.

“Will please…” Xander said in a tone that pretty much begged Willow not get into the discussion about the resurrection of there friend.

”We could…I mean—or maybe Tara and I could—“, Willow began but stopped when Xander stopped walking. Willow turned to Xander to see why he stopped.

”She’s gone Willow.” Xander looked straight into Willow’s eyes and tried to set things clear to his best friend.

Willow just looked at Xander, her eyes were starting to get watery but she never let a tear roll down her cheek. They both started to walk again down the alley in complete misery.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside The Magic Box Tara and Anya were worrying about Willow and Xander. Anya was pacing near the counter while Tara was checking out the big front window to see what was going on outside.

Frantic knocking was heard from the back training room. Both Anya and Tara exchanged a glance before rushing towards the back door.

”Umm…looters?” Anya asked in a scared voice. Tara just rolled her eyes at Anya’s question.

”Anya!” Xander’s voice was heard from the other side of the door.

”Xander?” Anya asked in relieved voice and unlocked the back door and opened to see Xander and Willow.

Tara helped Xander take Willow, and Anya instantly gave Xander a hug at the doorway.

”I knew you weren’t dead.” Anya said as she hugged him.

”I will be if we don’t close this door.” Xander said and loosened out of Anya’s hug and shut to door.

Xander and Anya turned to see Willow and Tara sitting on a stack of gym mats.

”What took you guys so long?” Tara asked.

”We kind of got lost in the woods…did you hear from Spike and Dawn?” Xander asked.

”No…we called them but no answer.” Anya said.

“Maybe they’re on their way.” When Xander finished his sentence he heard a frantic knock at the door Willow and Xander just came through.

”Ask if it’s a looter.” Anya whispered to Xander.

“Open the bloody door!” Spike yelled from the other side of the door.

Xander quickly opened the door to see Spike and Dawn, and they both quickly entered. Dawn was wearing a football helmet.

”What’s up with the hat?” Anya asked about Dawn’s football helmet.

”It’s a helmet.” Dawn said defensively and took off the football helmet and threw it down on the ground.

“Jeezes…no reason to get defensive.” Anya mumbled.

”How many are out there?” Xander asked Spike about the demons outside.

”I don’t know…saw a bunch near the house...I don’t get why they’re here…” Spike said.

”Well…it seems that they know about Buffybot.” Anya explained.

”What?” Spike asked and looked at Willow and Tara. Spike saw blood stained on Willow’s face and squinted his eyes to examine her, “What happened to you? Is that blood?” Spike asked Willow about her face and took a step closer to her.

Willow instantly looked down, wanting to hide her face.

Spike looked from Willow to Anya and Xander and back to Willow and Tara, “What’s going on?” he demanded. Dawn also looked around at the group, waiting for answers too.

”Nothing…” Willow mumbled.

”If nothing happened, why did you paint your face with bloody blood?” Spike asked. He was started to get mad because the Scoobies were obviously keeping something from him.

”We did a spell.” Tara came out and said it.

”A spell?” Spike asked.

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter now…it didn’t work.” Willow looked up at Spike.

”What kind of spell?” Dawn asked.

”Anya take Dawn in the other room.” Spike said while glaring at Willow. It seemed that by just looking at Willow he figured out what happened.

”But—“, Dawn was about to object but got cut off by Spike’s hard voice.

”Now.” Spike said sternly.

Anya and Dawn didn’t want to mess with Spike so they did as they were told. As soon as the two girls left Spike started to move closer to Willow and Tara.

”Please tell you didn’t do what I think you did.” Spike said.

”We did.” Willow said looking at Spike and with no shame in her voice, “But it doesn’t matter…it didn’t work.”

“Look—“, Xander was about to explain but stopped when Spike’s head wiped around and gave a deathly glare.

Spike turned back to Willow, “How could you do this…how could you not tell me?!” Spike shouted and clenched his jaw.

”We thought you wouldn’t—“, Tara began.

”Thought I what?!” Spike asked, “Understand? Approve? Because you’d be right, I don’t approve. How could you be so stupid! What if you started an apocalypse?!” Spike paused and said it a low voice, “What if you did something to her soul?”
Xander, Tara, and Willow looked away from Spike’s face, sort of looking ashamed. They never thought of the affect of what now happened that the spell was only partly done.

”You think I don’t want her back?! I probably want her back more than all of you combined…but this wasn’t the way…did you even think of the affects…the consequences?” Spike asked the three.

”It doesn’t matter now! It didn’t work!” Willow spoke let tear escape her eye, “We failed...I failed.”

TBC....

Chapter 7: Face to Face

SUNNYDALE 2082

As Spike traveled through the graveyard and out onto the street after running into Clem he had on thing on his mind, ‘I’m going to ring out this Slayer’s neck. How dare she walk in when she wants and decide to FINALLY help.’

The barrels of fire were starting to burn out in the main streets and it was getting darker. However, it didn’t matter to Spike; he hunted better if it was dark anyway; easier for no one to see him.

---------------------

After leaving Whistler in the alley Buffy approached the gang of vampires that were huddled in the middle of the street. Her hands swayed back and forth as she neared them. In one hand she carried her stake, firmly grasped in her hand.

”Well, well, well…what do we have here?” a vampire said as he spotted Buffy walking near them, with no intention to stop.

Buffy came right up to the nearest vampire and punched him straight in the face, and knocked him down. Another vamp took a swing at Buffy but she ducked and kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back to knock him down. Every vamp stepped up and tried to take a piece of Buffy but had failed. She didn’t kill them with her yet thought she wanted to play with them first, get back into the game that she hadn’t played for so long.

The first vampire Buffy knocked down gets up from the ground and faces Buffy, “Who are you?” he asked as they circled each other.

”Guess…” she said as she pulls out her stake.

”The Sla—“ the vamp didn’t finish his sentence, Buffy staked him and he burst into dust.

The sound of motorcycles came from behind Buffy made her turn around to see six demons on bikes coming straight towards her. The leader on the bike stopped a few feet in front of Buffy and got off the bike.

”A Slayer…guess this is my lucky day.” The demon said.

The rest of the demons on bikes circled Buffy on there bikes, and the crowd of vampires started to create a circle so Buffy had no way of escaping. Then the bikers got off there bikes and walked near the circle. Buffy surveyed the demons and vampires around her and saw she was in trouble. The fight now was one to about fifteen.

“Feeling lucky…Slayer?” The leader smirked at Buffy.


------------------

In the distance Spike heard the sounds of battle. He instantly thought this was his lead to meeting up with the Slayer so he grabbed the chance and started to run down the street, turned the corner and saw the huge fight. Demons were being tossed into dumpsters and lying on the ground. Spike couldn’t see the person that was tossing the demons and vampires like rag dolls so he started to walk forward.

--------------------

Buffy punched and staked the vampire to her side and kicked one of the demons a few feet in front of her. She took a moment to stop and catch her breath but then she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning her around. She was face to face with the leader of the demon bikers and he took the opportunity to grab her by the throat and lift her in the air.

“You made a big mistake coming here Slayer…” the head demon said as he stared at Buffy face in his hands. Buffy was struggling, and tried to use her hands to break free of the demons grasp but she had no luck.

“The Hellmouth belongs to us and you alone can’t do anything about—“ the demon stopped in mid sentence and dropped Buffy to the ground for some reason.

The demon leader looked as if he was he pain. He turned around and there was an arrow sticking out of his back. He turned to see who his new attacker was and saw down the street Spike pointing a cross bow at the demon. Spike lowered the cross bow down and stared at the demon.

“Spike…” the head leader said.

”Razor…” Spike said.

”I see you’re back in town…” Razor said.

”I am.” Spike said and glanced down at what he figured was the Slayer on the ground, coughing from lack of breath.

Razor followed Spike’s eyes down to the ground to look at Buffy, “She’s a pretty Slayer…” Razor looked up at Spike, “Come to fall in love with this one too?”

Spike didn’t answer and started to walk forward. Razor also walked forward too and they started to fight.


------------

Buffy’s eyes were blurry and she felt dizzy from her lack of breath. She looked up at two fighters in the dark and tried to adjust her eyes to see who her rescuer was but couldn’t focus on the face. Her head slummed down to stare at the pavement and she coughed a few more times.
---------

Razor and Spike held each others necks with there hands but Spike was quicker and stronger, so he got the upper hand and snapped Razor’s head and threw him to the ground. Spike leaned on his knees to rest, he took this time to look up and see the girl still on the ground.

Spike straightened up, “You know luv, you shouldn’t really be here without backup…”

The girl still was on her hands and knees on the ground, not looking up.

Spike started to walk forward, “I’m impressed you took out that many by yourself…but it was still a stupid move.” Spike stopped when he was in front of her. He looked down at the girl with no pity. “Get up.” Spike said with a pitch of anger in his voice.

Buffy slowly started to get on her feet, with her hair blocking some of her face. She started to move around Spike so she could walk away, but Spike didn’t let her go that easy. Spike quickly grabbed her hand and made her stop and face him.

Buffy’s eyes were harsh and in pain. Her lip started to tremble, which had blood on the corner.

When Spike saw Buffy’s eyes he instantly let her arm as if it was fire. His eyes grew wide in disbelief. He didn’t notice her pain or anger at the moment, he was focused on that she was right in front of him. Alive. Breathing. Buffy.

The moment ended when Buffy turned her face away and started to run down the street. Spike didn’t go after her, his feet seemed to be heavy and he didn’t register what was happening. He just watched as Buffy continued to run.


TBC…Next Chapter Spike goes after Buffy. Don’t worry Spuffiness from here on.

Chapter 8: Breathe

The sun was high and bright as it shined over Sunnydale. The town looked completely different during the day. During the day the town looked deserted, there were no vampires or demons to be seen or heard. However, living on the Hellmouth didn’t mean that if you heard nothing that nothing was there, there was always something unseen by the naked eye.

In the shadows vampires hide away from Mr. Sunshine and waited till sunset. Even though Spike thought he was better than the other demons and vampires in the town didn’t mean he couldn’t avoid the sunshine, so like the others he had to hide in the dark too. Just before dawn Spike traveled back to the graveyard to his old crypt, it was the only place he knew that was a guaranteed save place to stay.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Spike asked Clem. Spike was sitting in the comfortable chair looking down at the ground with his hand rubbing the top of his head, moving his curly bleached hair.

“You didn’t give me a chance.” Clem shrugged. Clem sat opposite of Spike on a coffin watching the vampire’s actions.

Spike moved his head to look up at the ceiling and shut his eyes, “God…” he mumbled.

“Do you know where she went?” Clem asked.

”No…she ran off before I could…” Spike looked straight ahead into space.

“I’ll help you look for her when night falls.” Clem suggested trying to get an actually emotion out of Spike. At the moment Clem couldn’t read what Spike was feeling. Spike’s hurt, anger, joy, sadness just wasn’t coming to surface, “Are you okay?” Clem asked.

Spike eyes were glossy and he blinked back tears, “She was there…” Spike whispered, “Right in front of me, she was there…” Spike shook his head and continued to stare off, “I touched her…and she was real…”

Clem looked down at his lap.

“…but…her eyes…they were different…” Spike looked down at his lap, “Like she lost her fire… like she was angry, afraid, and hopeless all at the same time.” Spike said and sunk his head down. “I’ve never seen her like that.” He whispered quietly.

“She came back from the grave, man…that’s not something you can get over in a snap.” Clem said.

Spike looked up at Clem, “I got to find her.”

“I don’t think Mr. Sunshine will let you right now.” Clem nodded towards a window in the crypt that showed a little sunlight.

”Then I’ll take sewers or the alleys…” Spike got up from his seat and started to the bottom level.

“What are you going to do when you find her?” Clem asked.

”I don’t know.” Spike said and went down the ladder to the bottom level that was connected to the sewers, “But I can’t stay here while she’s out there.”

-------------------

After going through every dirty and smelly sewer, and looking in all the potential dark alley’s that someone would hide Spike was still unsuccessful at finding Buffy. By the time he was done searching the last tunnel in the sewer it was dark outside again and he could now venture the streets and cover more ground.

While walking down the sidewalk towards the old shopping area Spike heard a sound. The noise sounded like pieces of metal hitting each other. Spike looked to his left and saw a huge fence blocking the area where the noise was coming from. He continued to walk forward when he spotted a hole in the fence that he could walk through.

Once Spike got through the other side of the fence he saw her…Buffy. She was sitting on a large piece of debris that once was the tower that she swan dived into the portal that killed her eighty years ago. The pieces of the tower looked rusted and shrubs were starting to grow in-between the spaces of the tower. Buffy continued to sit and look down at her healing knuckles, oblivious that Spike had entered the scene, and Spike looked at Buffy as he did the night before, shocked and in disbelief. However, in a few moments he was over it and slowly and quietly walked forward towards her until he was standing in front of her.

Buffy sat staring at the two heavy black boots that entered her view for a minute until she let her eyes wonder up and meet the blue eyes. Buffy sat like a child looking up at a grown up while staring back at her old nemesis that fell in love with her and became her allied so many years ago.

Spike crouched down to be eye to eye with her green sparking eyes that looked like they were about to burst into tears. It took every ounce he had in him to not lift his hand and touch her face.

“Nothing seems to feel right anymore…” Buffy said while looking at Spike.

Spike looked a little shock that she talked.

“I…I know.” Spike said to her.

They didn’t say anything the rest of the night. Spike later sat on iron beam watching Buffy look up at the sky and into space. He analyzed her breath and the way her hair danced when a gust of wind came out of no where.

About an hour before dawn he looked over at Buffy and saw she had laid her head down and fell asleep. Spike walked over to her and wrapped his coat around her body to keep her warm and picked her limp body in his arms. Once he lifted her up he could see her face up close, he got the sudden memory of the way Buffy looked when she lied dead on the pieces of rubble, the way her face looked then and now was exactly the same with only one small difference…Spike could see and feel her breathe.

*~*~*~*~*~

Both Spike and Buffy were asleep on the bottom level of the crypt at the moment. Buffy was laid out on an old bed and covered with a small blanket and Spike’s coat on top of that. Spike sat on the chair next to her, sleeping with his cheek resting on his propped up hand that leaned on the arm rest.

Spike arrived back at Clem’s crypt just as the sun was starting to come up. Buffy didn’t stir at all as Spike carried her the whole way, and once they were inside Spike took her to Clem’s bed and laid her down to watch her rest. He watched her until he couldn’t hold his eyes open anymore.

As Spike rested he had mixed up dreams that made him shift in his seat.

“…One…good…day.”

”… I've always been bad...”

“You're all covered with her. I look at you... all I see is the Slayer.”

“I don’t smell a soul anywhere on you…why do you even care…?”

“…I’m counting on you…”

“…I made a promise to a lady…”

“…to protect her…”

”Till the end of the world…world…world…world…”

The echo of the word ‘world’ in Spike’s dream made him jolt out of his sleep and look around his surroundings to find out where he was. He instantly laid eyes on the sleeping form of Buffy on the bed next to him, and when seeing her peaceful face, Spike sighed in relief. He slowly got up out of the comfy chair, making sure he didn’t make a sound, and went up the ladder to the upper level of the crypt.

Once Spike got to the top of the ladder he saw that Clem was watching the television at a low volume, not noticing that Spike was in the room.

“Hey.” Spike said, and in an instant Clem jumped up, spilling his snacks.

”Woah...” Clem said holding his chest and breathing heavily, “You guys got to stop doing that to me…”

“Sorry.” Spike mumbled.

”I thought you were asleep.” Clem said, bending down on the ground to retrieve the dirty potato chips he spilled.

”Yeah, I was but I- I just…” Spike trailed on, “What time is it?”

“You guys slept all day…its night again…” Clem said.

Spike nodded.

”She still asleep?” Clem asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Spike simply said.

“So…what are you going to do?” Clem asked, and after a pause he asked, “About Buffy?”

”Not really sure…” Spike said and walked over to a chest in the corner of the room and started looking through it, “Maybe…maybe I’ll take her out of town… somewhere else…”

”Why?” Clem shrugged.

”You kidding?” Spike asked, looking up at Clem, “You think she’d want to stay here? I mean…look around you…Sunnydale is no longer sunny anymore…this place has gone downhill…” Spike said while looking back in the chest.

“But this is her home…don’t you think she would want to stay? It’s familiar to her.” Clem asked.

”Familiar?” Spike looked back up and started walking towards Clem, “This place is the total bloody opposite of familiar…she probably couldn’t tell the different from this place and hell…”

Clem looked down at the ground because he knew it was the truth. He remembered when he first saw her and she asked ‘Is this hell?’

“...staying here is something I don’t even want to do…” Spike continued.

“Do you know why she’s here? What brought her back?” Clem asked.

Spike looked down at the ground, “Yeah…”

”You do?” Clem asked.

“Yeah…magic…” Spike said quietly.

”What?” Clem asked.

“…it always has consequences…” Spike continued to say quietly, ignoring Clem’s question.

Clem just stared at Spike and then turned his head in surprise at something that stood behind Spike. Spike turned around and saw Buffy standing by the ladder. The silence was unbearable for all of them, but none of them knew what to say.

Buffy took one last look at Spike and then started to head for the door. She left so fast that Spike couldn’t call out her name until he got out the door.

”Buffy!” Spike called out.

Buffy stopped and turned around, waiting for Spike to talk. But all Spike did was stand there and stare at her, and when she knew he wasn’t going to speak she turned around and continued to walk.

Spike gave a small growl in frustration and started to walk again, trying to catch up to her in the graveyard, “Wait!” He yelled out, but she didn’t turn around or stop, “Wait!” he shouted again and finally got up to her to touch her arm.

”Let go of me.” Buffy mumbled and took her arm away from his grasp and kept moving.

”No.” Spike said, and stepped in front of her and set both of his hands on her shoulder, “Listen…look…I know this is confusing to you and all—“

”You don’t know anything…you don’t know what I’m feeling.” Buffy said harshly.

“You’re right…and you don’t know what I’m feeling either.” Spike pointed out and still held on to her shoulders, while she struggled a little bit.

“I said let go of me!” Buffy said and shoved him away and punched him in the face, which made him go tumbling onto the ground instantly. Buffy looked at Spike on the ground, holding his face in pain, and then in a moment she walked away.

Spike climbed back onto his feet, looking anger and frustrated while rubbing his nose. He then started to walk again, picking up on speed, and grabbed her arm once again.

“Don’t walk away from me…” Spike growled at her, “Don’t you dare…”

Buffy looked at him for a moment and then punched him once again in the face and did a kick in his stomach, “Leave. Me. Alone.” She said, looking harshly at him.

“You need help…” Spike mumbled quietly, “Leaving you out there alone will just get yourself killed.”

”Good.” Buffy said and turned around but didn’t get a single step in as she felt Spike turn her around once again and hold her shoulders with a harsh firm grip.

“NO…not good!” He said, “Seeing you die the first time nearly killed me…and I don’t want to experience it again…for eighty years …eighty years, Buffy…eighty years of torment…eighty years of pain…eighty years of days that I’d fear that I’d wake up and not remember your voice, or your smile…do you know what that’s like?” Spike asked with anger.

Buffy didn’t answer and just stared at Spike and he stared back. He slowly let go of her shoulders, giving her the choice to run or stay.

“You need someone…I know I’m not your first choice but…I’m someone…” Spike said when he saw she wasn’t running away, “And if you decide to run away…I’m coming after you...”

”Why would you want to do that?” Buffy said quietly.

Spike paused and looked at her, “Because I love you…”

TBC…

Chapter 10: Welcome to Hell


‘Because I love you…’ The sound of Spike voice echoed in Buffy’s head as she walked down the sidewalk of the trashed Sunnydale. At Buffy’s side as she walked was Spike, having no intention of leaving one step away from her. After Spike told her he loved her they just simple started walking all of over Sunnydale, not talking.

At times Buffy glanced over at Spike and noticed that there was something different about him. She tried to pinpoint what the change was but came out with nothing. Buffy noted that he still dressed the same and had the same bright bleached hair, so she concluded that it wasn’t his physical appearance that changed.

As they kept walking Buffy’s thoughts were automatically washed away when she saw something. She stopped dead in her tracks to stare.

Spike noticed Buffy wasn’t walking by her side anymore and so he turned around and looked to see what she was doing. Spike saw her looking at the building that was once the popular Sunnydale hangout, The Bronze. However, it wasn’t The Bronze that Buffy was once familiar with; the building was old and looked unsafe.

Spike looked from the building back to Buffy for her reaction. He stood there for a few moments until her saw her finally starting to walk towards the building entrance. Spike watched as Buffy ripped nailed boards off the main door, and walk inside. Spike followed her at a safe distance, not wanting to disturb her.

Inside The Bronze the air was stale and dusty. To Buffy it was just yesterday that the building had be reopened after the troll destroyed part of the building, but for her to see it like this now it was just mind-blowing.

Buffy walked over to what was left of the performance stage, and ran her hand across the dust that had collected over the years.

“Not pretty is it?” the sound of Spike’s voice echoed in the building.

”No…it’s not.” Buffy said in a whisper without looking at Spike.

“This place has really gone downhill…” Spike said while looking around at the building, “Nothing in this town is right anymore.”

Buffy turned around and faced Spike, “What happened to my town? Why did it get so bad?”

Spike quickly glanced at Buffy when she addressed him and stared at her for a moment, “You died is what happened.”

”What’s that suppose to mean?” Buffy asked.

”It means…once you died…it seems that the town died too.” Spike said giving Buffy a meaningful look.

Buffy looked down at the ground to think and then looked back at Spike, “I can’t believe that happened…that my friends…Giles…I can’t believe they would let that happen.”

”It’s not their fault pet…their was no slayer in town and so we did the best we could …your friends couldn’t fight forever…old age caught up with them.” Spike said and then looked down.

Buffy also looked down at the floor. She couldn’t believe they were gone.

”How about you?” Buffy asked without looking up at Spike.

”What about me?” Spike looked back at her.

”Why’d you stop fighting?” Buffy looked up at him.

”I never have…just…I haven’t been around here…” Spike explained, “I guess Sunnydale seemed like a lost cause…no one cared anymore and so, I guess I stopped caring too.”

”And other Slayers?” Buffy asked.

”Other Slayers are around...just not stationed here…I guess they were just too scared.”

”Too scared?! Being the Slayer means putting fear aside and facing the scariest thing the world has to offer…being the Slayer means not caring about your own damn life and caring about other people’s lives before your own. Too scared? I guess those girls don’t really know what a Slayer really is.” Buffy said.

Spike looked at Buffy’s face and saw how upset she was. “Yeah…I guess they don’t” he said while staring at her.

Buffy walked over to a wobbly table and looked down at it. She turned her back to Spike so he couldn’t see some of her tears escape her eyes. The tears slid down her cheek and onto the dusting table, leaving imprints in the dust.

“About that night…” Spike started. He wanted to say this for eighty years to Buffy and now he had his chance. “The night we fought Glory…I just…” Spike looked up and saw Buffy looking at him with teary eyes. He wanted to come over and brush her tears away but he just continued talking, “I’m sorry for what happened…”

”What?” Buffy breathed out.

Spike couldn’t continue while looking at her face so he turned away and continue to speak, “If I did what you told me- if could have kept Dawn safe…you wouldn’t have had to jump.”

Buffy gazed at Spike until she spoke, “No…”

Spike turned to face her.

”It wasn’t your fault…” Buffy said.

”Buffy if—“

”Death was my gift.” Buffy interrupted him.

”What?” Spike asked after a moment of silence.

”A few weeks before the battle…I went on a spiritual guide. The First Slayer told me that death was my gift…I didn’t understand what it meant until I was up on that tower. Everything was so clear and I knew everyone I loved was going to be alright, so I sacrificed myself for my sister…I died for the world…” Buffy looked around at the building, “But not this world.” She looked back at Spike, “I don’t know what to do now….”

”How ‘bout we take it one day at a time?” Spike suggested, “And for now let’s go back and get some rest and some food…you must be starved.”

Buffy nodded and walked towards the exit and Spike walked beside her.

”What about the town?” Buffy asked.

”It will still be here tomorrow…” Spike said as they both exited The Bronze the way they came in.

*~*~*~*~*~*


Las Vegas….

It seemed that Sunnydale wasn’t the only place where demons had taken over. In Las Vegas demons and vampires seemed to have run amuck. Hotels and casinos were now the owned by vampire gangs. Everything in the city was centered on one hotel though, called The Crypt.

On the twenty-fifth floor was where the vampire staff catered to the owner of the hotel’s everyday need. One vampire knocked on their boss’s door.

”Come in.” a voice yelled from behind the door.

The vampire entered through the door and looked around at the beautifully decorated office in a huge room. The vampire walked slowly towards the main desk as if he was afraid. Behind the desk was a nice executive office chair that faced away from the regular vampire but towards the nicely lighten city of Vegas at night.

”Sir…” the vampire spoke cautiously.

The chair spun around quickly and there sat Angel, grinning.

”Please…call me Angelus.”

TBC…hahaha…cliffhanger.

Chapter 11: Better Left Dead

In the middle of the graveyard at night a group of vampires were hanging, smoking and talking without a care in the world. Now that there were no longer any humans left in Sunnydale they were discussing leaving, find a new town to crash.

”How about Seattle…its rainy 9 months of the year; its vampire paradise.” One vampire suggested to his gang.

“Nahh…that place is already squirming with vamps; it’s like Disney World there for us.” Another vampire said, seeming to be the leader of the gang.

“Is Disney World still around?” another vampire asked.

”I’m not sure.”

”We could go and find out.”

”Florida is one of the sunniest places in the country you dumby.” The vampire leader said and threw is cigarette near the vampires head.

”How about Vegas…heard that’s the place to go.” Another vampire said.

”Yeah but it’s like invitational only to get to stay at the nice buildings that are sun-proof.” The leader said.

“I think you guys should go to Colorado…” Buffy’s voice came out of no where.

The vampires got up off the ground and looked around and spotted Buffy and Spike standing on top of a crypt. The vampires just glared at the two of them.

”…I hear it’s nice time of year…but hey…that’s just my opinion.” Buffy said then got serious and whipped out her stake.

Both Spike and Buffy jumped down off the crypts roof and started to fight the group of vampires. The fight was two to ten in the beginning but after nearly twenty seconds the vampires were dropping like flies.

Spike punched one vampire down onto the ground. On the ground the vampire examined Spike.

”Hey…aren’t you Spike?” the vampire asked.

”Good guess.” Spike said and pulled out a crossbow from behind his back and aimed it at the vampire, “Now here’s a lovely prize for playing our game.” Spike pulled the trigger and hit the vampire straight in the heart. Spike started to reload his weapon but he paused when he looked over to see Buffy fighting off her last vampire.

’God how I miss watching this…’ Spike thought to himself as he watched Buffy’s moves.

Buffy plunged the stake into the vampire and then began to dust herself off. She turned around and stopped when she saw Spike staring at her.

”What?” Buffy asked.

”Nothing…” Spike said quietly and shook his head.

Buffy shrugged and started to walk off in the graveyard. Spike followed close behind.

“So…good fight back there huh?” Spike said after there was a moment of silence.

It had been a week since Buffy had been back from the grave, and everyday Spike thought he was starting to make a little bit more progress with Buffy. He was glad that she didn’t look so pale anymore and that she was starting to eat when he took her out of the town to a regular restaurant. He noticed she was talking more, but however it wasn’t the things Spike wanted to hear. He wanted to know where she was when she was dead, and how she is feeling about being back.

They both still stayed a Clem’s crypt until they could find another arrangement.

“Yeah…I guess it was a good fight.” Buffy said while she was still walking and looking around the cemetery.

Spike grabbed Buffy’s arm to make her stop walking, and she did.

”What?” she asked.

“Just…” Spike started while staring at her. He noticed she had a blank face that he could read. In the past, Spike knew how to read her like a book but now it was hard to know if she was sad or really pissed at him. He hated not knowing what was going on in her head, he felt like he had to keep his guard on all the time, because he didn’t know if she would strike out at any point in time.

“What?” she asked again with a little more attitude.

”Nothing…” Spike mumbled as he stared at her.

Buffy shook her head and turned around and started to leave, but Spike didn’t follow.

”Where were you?” Spike called out to Buffy.

Buffy froze in place for a moment before turning slowly around and looked back at Spike.

”I need to know…” Spike said, “Where were you after you…?”

Buffy paused, “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I have to know…” Spike said and started to walk towards her, “It will eat me away if I don’t know and right now it’s eating you away too.”

Buffy stared at Spike for a moment, “Alright…I’ll tell you.”

Spike was surprised that she agreed so quickly. Usually it was like pulling teeth with to cooperate.

”But you have to tell me one thing…” Buffy continued.

”What’s that?” Spike asked.

”Why and who brought me back?” Buffy asked, “Whistler said you had all the answers…so…tell me.”

Spike glanced away from her as he began to speak, he could bear to look her in the eye. He took a deep breath, “It-It was the summer after you…after you died when it all began. I was looking after Dawn one night, Giles had flown away to England, and your friends….your friends decided to go behind my back and do something dangerous.”
Spike faced Buffy as he ended his sentenced.

Buffy took a deep breath and waited for him to continue.

”They thought Giles, Dawn, and I didn’t understand the pain they were going through…” Spike snorted, “However, it was just the opposite….we felt the pain ten times as much as they did, we were the ones hurting the most.”

Buffy looked down at her feet, still listening.

”So they performed the spell one night…but it got disrupted…Sunnydale was under attack by a bunch of demons and they interrupted the spell, which didn’t make it work out the way they planned.” Spike paused, “I guess they didn’t get what they bargained for.”

“Why’d they do it?” Buffy asked softly as she looked up at Spike with a few tears running down her cheek.

”I think you know why.” Spike said.

Buffy sniffed and nodded. She turned around so Spike could no longer see her tears or see the expression on his face what she was about to tell him. She looked out in a distance at the graveyard as she began to speak.

”I can’t believe they…if they loved me they would let me go.”

”Buffy—“ Spike started but she interrupted.

”I was happy.” She simply said and stared off in a daze, “…and I was at peace…being…where I was…I felt a great deal of happiness and love and joy. I felt complete…and finished.”

While Buffy talked on Spike stood there in shock.

“…I don’t know what to call where I was...if there really is a heaven…then…then I think I was there.”

Buffy looks upset and distressed. She then starts to walk away and lift Spike standing alone in the graveyard. What Buffy didn’t know was that she was not the only one upset, a tear escaped and slide down Spike’s cheek as he watched her walk away.



TBC...

Chapter 12: His Angelic Smile


When Buffy got back to the crypt she went straight to the bottom level and crawled into the bed that she had called her own for the past week. She laid her head on the pillow and stared off at the wall. Buffy didn’t even bother to say hello to Clem when she walked into the crypt. He asked her how patrol was and tried to make small talk but Buffy just tuned him out of her mind and kept walking past him.

When Spike walked through the crypt about an hour later Clem jumped in and started questioning him.

”Hey, where have you been? Buffy’s downstairs…is she alright? She’s been down there for an hour. What’s going on?” Clem asked.

As Clem kept talking Spike walked passed him and over to the weapons chest that was placed in the corner; he put his stakes and the crossbow away.

”Spike?” Clem asked when he noticed Spike was acting odd.

“She was in heaven.” Spike said softly as he stared down at the stake in his hand before he placed it in the chest, “She was in heaven.” Then he slammed the chest closed.

Clem flinched at the loud sound, “What?” he asked quietly.

Spike walked over to a sarcophagus and sat on it. He took a deep breath that was more like a shiver. He kept his eyes locked on his hand, which he was clenching together tightly.

”Heaven…” Spike said and then chuckled at the word, “Of course she would be there…” he mumbled.

Clem frowned, “She told you she was in heaven?”

”Yeah…” Spike sighed.

“At least you now know why she is…the way she is.” Clem said.

”Yeah…god…why is this happening to her?” Spike asked, “She doesn’t deserve this.”

”Yeah…I know….” Clem said as he watched Spike get up off his seat and started to pace.

”We should keep a close eye on her…” Spike concluded and then looked back at Clem, “Theirs no telling what she could do.”

”Right…sure I’ll look out for her.” Clem nodded and then automatically thought of something, “Wait…did you tell her about your…you know?”

”No…not yet.” Spike said.

”You can’t hide it forever.” Clem said.

”I know…but we have more important things to take care of, like trying to get Buffy back on her feet and getting Sunnydale back to its old self.”

Clem nodded, “Your right…one thing at a time.”

Los Angeles

2002

Cordelia and Connor stood anxiously near their car in an alley, staring up at where the sun was shining. However, the sun was replaced with a ball blocking it, making darkness spread over LA.

Angel and his crew exited the building and came into the alley. Seeing Angel, Cordelia ran over to him.

“Angel we have to talk.” Cordelia said.

Fred glanced up at the sky in awe, “I can’t believe we lost the sun.” Gunn, Angel, and Wesley glanced up with her.

Cordelia ignored Fred’s comment and addressed Angel, “I think I figured it out.”

Angel glanced from the sky to Cordelia’s face, “So have I…The Beast knows me.”

Cordelia shook her head, “No…it knows Angelus…I had a vision while you were gone…a memory.”

Gunn looked at Cordelia, “How could you have a memory that is not your own?”

Cordelia looked at Gunn, “I told you, when I was a higher being, I’d experienced everything Angelus has done. But some how now, the Powers have refreshed me about what happened…” Cordelia turned to Angel, “I saw you...it was long ago…in a field of bodies with The Beast.”

Connor looked at Angel with disgust and outrage, “You knew this thing and you never told us?!”

Angel ignored Connor and stared at the ground, thinking, “No…I couldn’t come up against something like that and not remember.”

Gunn thought of something, “’The answer is among you.’” Angel turned to Gunn and both of their eyes met, “That’s what the little girl in that white room said…is-is this what she meant? That it wasn’t about Connor…that it was about—“

”Angelus.” Fred finished Gunn’s sentence.

Angel shook his head, “I told guys…I don’t remember.”

”I don’t think you should trust your memory Angel…you didn’t remember killing Manny.” Cordelia said.

”What?” Angel asked and turned to Gwen.

”It was an inside job.” Gwen said.

”So what does this mean?” Angel asked.

”It means you’re a suspect. If Cordy is right, then this means that The Beast had some sort of mind control on you to make you forget.” Wesley explained.

”And he has a plan…blocking the sun, taking down Wolfram and Hart, the rain of fire….” Cordelia said, “And I think those things are not the finally straw…it’s gonna lead to something bigger.”

”I don’t know what to tell you guys…I don’t know what the plan is. I don’t remember.” Angel said with frustration. He felt like he was repeating himself a thousand times.

”No, but Angelus might.” Wesley said.

Fred didn’t like the sound of where this conversation was going, “Wes…”

Wesley stared Angel straight in the eye, “The only way to defeat The Beast…” Wesley paused, “Angel, we need you to be Angelus.”

Angel stared at Wesley and all of his crew, and then lastly he stared up at where the sun was. All that was left was darkness consuming the sky.

Las Vegas

2082

Up on the twenty-fifth floor of The Crypt Hotel and Casino, Angelus stared out his big office window in the daylight and smiled. He loved his new necrotempered glass that his staff installed in the hotel so he would burn up.

Their was a knock at the door but Angelus seemed to ignore it, and whoever was outside the door decided to take the chance and come in anyway. The vampire that walked in looked business like, dressing sharp and was holding a folder.

”Uh…boss? Can I have a minute?” the vampire asked.

Angelus just continued to stare out into the city of Las Vegas in a daze; he noticed there were no people out in the streets. He laughed to himself, ‘Maybe because there ARE no PEOPLE left in the city…only demons.’ he thought.

”I remember a time where the sky was dark all day long…for days.” Angelus said out loud, remembering the time The Beast came to L.A.

The vampire that stood a few feet away looking side to side, not know how to respond.

Angelus placed his hand on the window, and looked at his hand, “We’re like caged animals here…” he said while still looking at his hand stay on the glass, “This is not good enough.” Angelus mumbled.

From Angelus’s point of view, he was the one being laughed at; being looked down upon. At the moment he didn’t seem too satisfied with his big hotel and casino, and the fact that practically ever vampire in the city loved him. Angelus wanted more.

Angelus took his hand off the glass and made a fist and punched the glass. His hand sizzled as he drew it back from the outside daylight and he walked off away from the direct sunlight that came pouring through the hole in the window. However the little business vampire wasn’t too lucky, in an instant he was on fire; burning into dust because he was standing right in front of where the hole was made. Angelus didn’t take the bother at watching the vampire burn, he just walked across his office, avoiding the sun, and walked out his door.

In the hallway Angelus grabbed a random vampire that walked by and barked an order, “It seems I made a mess in my office…clean it up.”

”Right away sir.” The vampire said.

Angelus shoved the vampire away and walked down into the hallway, humming himself and smiling.

Chapter 13: Damaged From the Inside


Buffy and Spike were crouched behind a bush, watching two demons talking with one another. They were getting ready to attack, all they had to do was right for the signal. After Buffy had told her little secret of being in heaven both the blonde duo had been avoiding the subject. Spike figured that when Buffy was ready she would talk more about her pain of being in the world. But while he was waiting for that time to come he decided to try to ease Buffy back into the world she once knew, slaying the bad guys.

“Where’s Clem?” Buffy whispered to Spike.

”He should be coming any moment.” Spike whispered back, eyes still glued on the two demons.

There was silence between them and then they both saw the two demons to walk away.

“Damn it…they’re walking away.” Spike mumbled and crouched down even lower and started to move. “Stay close” he said and moved swiftly toward another bush.

However, Buffy didn’t follow orders, she stayed put. She seemed a little hesitant of moving towards Spike, she was afraid of being caught. Spike motion her to come over to where he was but she shook her head. Spike mouthed to her, ‘Come on!’ Buffy shook her head again and mouthed, ‘No!’ Spike rolled his eyes and looked back at the two demons and observed them. Buffy turned her head back to the two demons as well and then saw Clem walk into the scene. Both Buffy and Spike watched as Clem started talking to the two demons casually for a few minutes.

”…so you guys are heading out of town?” Clem asked.

”Nothing here to stay for…heard there was a slayer around in Sunnydale, but I think that was just rumor…” one of the demons said.

”You staying in town?” the other demon asked Clem.

”Yeah…its home…” Clem said and tried to act casual.

”You should try going to Las Vegas…” one of the demons said, “That’s where were headed.”

”Las Vegas huh?” Clem nodded and made a noted in his head the city of Las Vegas.

”Yeah…ever heard of Angelus?” the demon asked.

”Uh…no.” Clem lied.

“Master vampire…was once souled about eighty years ago…but get this, he lost his soul because his human friends wanted him to…” one of the demons laughed.

Clem did his fake laugh, “Yeah…that’s funny...”

”Yeah…Angelus just a few days ago came up with a plan to change everything for vampires…actually, to change the world…” the demon said.

”You don’t say…” Clem said, “Well…best of luck with all that uh…changing the world business.”

”I still don’t know why you stay here man…nothing left in this town but ghosts of the past and a few drunken vamps…” the demon said.

Clem backed away from the demons and stood in between the bushes that he knew Buffy and Spike were hiding behind, “You’d be surprised…” Clem said to the two demons.

Buffy and Spike rose behind their hiding places, ready for business. Both of the demons looked shocked and anger that they were set up.

”Slayer…?” one of the members mumbled.

”Surprise!” Buffy said with a little smile and ran from behind the bush and began to bet on one the demons while Spike took the other.

Spike threw his punches left and right until his demon collapsed to the ground. Having the opportunity, Spike grabbed the demon’s neck with both hands and snapped it with one quick motion, letting the demon drop dead onto the ground.

Clem walked up beside Spike and whispered, “What is she doing?” Spike looked over to Buffy and saw her giving the three horned fellow a good rough and tumble just for fun.

Spike sighed, “She’s just getting back in the game…” Spike and Clem continued to stare at Buffy pound the demon until he was just a limp body. Spike walked up from behind Buffy and grabbed her arm to make her stop but she just shook it off and continued to beat the demon on the ground. “It’s dead luv…” Spike whispered.

Buffy was panting heavily when she stopped her thrashing out at the demon. She took her hands off the demons bloody face and looked down at her palms, they were covered in bloody. Her behavior reminded her of her sister slayer, Faith.

“Buffy?” Spike watched as Buffy stood still. He was getting worried because she wasn’t moving away from the demon.

Buffy had a flashback of the time she was trying to help Faith stop being bad and killing.

'You know exactly what I'm about 'cause you have it in you, too…’ Faith said.

‘No, Faith, you’re sick!’ Buffy said.

“Buffy?” Spike’s voice broke through Buffy’s flashback.

‘I’ve seen it B…you got the lust…’ Faith told Buffy.

‘…I’m not going to do this…’ Buffy said.

‘Why not? It feels good.’ Faith said.

Buffy shook Faith’s words off her mind and looked back at her hands that were still covered in blood. Buffy looked up and saw Spike’s questionable face. Then she looked over and saw Clem staring at her as if she was a crazy girl. Buffy took one glance at both of them before turning around and running off.

”Buffy!” Spike yelled as she kept running.

Clem stepped towards Spike and watched too as Buffy ran off through the cemetery.

”Are you going after her?” Clem asked and looked at Spike.

Spike sighed; he seemed exhausted with the whole situation. “I don’t know…I’m tired of running after her…I don’t know what to do anymore…”

”Maybe…maybe you can’t help her…” Clem said.

Spike looked at Clem, “I’m not giving up hope…”

Clem nodded, he knew whatever he said to Spike would go in one ear and out other. Spike was on a one set mind when it came to Buffy and Clem knew that his vampire friend will not give up her; Spike loved Buffy too much for that.

“So…what did those demons say…any info?” Spike changed the subject.

Clem sighed, “Well…”

*~*~*~*~*

Buffy broke into an old home that seemed to be uninhabited for years, figuring it didn’t matter; the town really wasn’t going by the law anymore anyway. She walked into one of the bedrooms and saw a king size bed. Buffy sighed and walked towards it but then stopped and moved mirror that was hanging over dresser. She stared at her reflection, she seemed like she was looking at a stranger.

“Who are you?” she asked the reflection in the mirror after a few moments of staring at herself.

After she asked the question she got no reply, so she asked again.

“Who are you?!” she asked a little louder and tears welled up in her eyes.

Then she asked it once more but it more like a cry and scream. She took her fist and punched the mirror, shattering it. She didn’t stop once the mirror was broken, she kept punching it and punching it, not caring the pain she was causing to her hands.

Her screams and words that rolled off her tongue seemed to come from a place of anger, confusion, and madness. At one point she yelled ‘You don’t belong here!’, and then she yelled ‘You’re dead inside!’ repeatedly.

So out of it, Buffy didn’t even notice that something was pulling her back from the mirror, holding her and trying to calm her down. She kept thrashing out but the person held a strong grip on her until she was no longer fighting.

Buffy looked up and saw Spike as she cried, “Please…please” she sobbed, “Please help me. Help me….”

That’s all Spike needed to hear when he brought her close to his chest, protecting her as she continued to sob.

*~*~*~*~*~*~


Buffy sat on the edge on the bed, staring down at the floor, making her hair fall in her face. She really didn’t know what happened to herself a couple of minutes ago; she didn’t know what made her snap inside.

Spike walked into the bedroom from the hallway carrying some bandages and medicine for Buffy’s hands.

“You’re a lucky girl…found some bandages in the bathroom…” Spike said as he walked towards Buffy and kneeled down so he could tend to her hands.

Spike took both her hands and looked at them for a moment until he looked up and met Buffy’s eyes. He seemed like he wanted to say something to her but he could find the words, he just looked back down and started to grab some bandages for her hands.

Buffy raised her head a little, making her hair fall away from her face.

“How’d you find me?” Buffy asked softly.

Spike didn’t look up at her, “I have my ways…”

There was a moment of silence between them. Outside they could here the crickets of the night chirping.

”Why won’t you leave me alone?” Buffy asked, breaking the silence. Spike look up at her. “Why don’t you…go?”

”I like it here….” Spike said softly, “Besides…a friend of mine is in trouble…she needs help…” Spike pointed out.

Buffy looked down, knowing what he was talking about her.

”I’m a worthless cause…” Buffy got up off from the bed and walked to a different spot in the room.

Spike stood up, “Buffy—“

”I am!” Buffy turned around and had tears in her eyes, “There is no one left to live for here…my sister…my friends….their all gone…” she said the words as if they were breaking news to her.

”I know…” Spike whispered and looked away.

“I feel like I don’t even know myself…” Buffy said.

“I know the feeling…” Spike said.

”How?! How could you possibly know?!” Buffy shouted.

”You think you’re the only one that lost something?! Those friends…your sister, they were close to me too…hate to admit, but they were.” Spike said, “I traveled for almost a century around this bloody awful world and I found nothing compared to what I had back here…with you…with those Scooby pals of yours…

Buffy was surprised that Spike actually say these words, ‘I thought…I thought he hated my friends’ she thought to herself.

“The best years of my undead life…” Spike shook his head and then looked back at Buffy, “You think I didn’t want to walk out in the sun, drink some holy water, or go running into a stake over the years? I can’t even count the times I wanted to…but you know what kept me running…what made me make it to tomorrow?”

Buffy stood silent, waiting for the answer.

”’Be brave…live…for me.’” Spike stated.

Buffy exhaled the breath she was holding. He just threw the words she said to Dawn right back at her and she thought it was unbelievable that Spike still remembered ever word.

“I know you probably weren’t applying those words directly to me…but I took them to heart…I pretended they were from you to me.” Spike said honestly.
-
Buffy had tears in her eyes as he walked forward to her. She stared at him as he raised one of his hands to brush her tears away.

”I know you hate me saying but…I love you…and I will not lose you again.” Spike whispered, “You asked for help…so…I’m going to help.”

”And what if I’m beyond helping…will you give up?” Buffy whispered.

“Would be easier to do that huh? However…once I get started on something…I never stop.” Spike said. Buffy knew it was true; Spike wasn’t one to give in easily.

“So…what now?” she asked.

”We start from the beginning, the basics…a little refreshing.” Spike said.

Hours later Buffy and Spike walked through the old broken down Magic Box and into the backroom. Buffy looked around at the room that was once her training room to see it wasn’t totally destroyed, some of the equipment was still useable.

Buffy turned to Spike with questionable eyes.

“I fixed it up a little.” Spike shrugged.

Buffy looked back around at the room for a second time and examined more.

“So…” Spike started, Buffy looked at him, “Shall we get started?”

Buffy thought for a moment that this whole situation wasn’t such a good idea and just wouldn’t work. However Buffy knew that there was no other way, it was either get busy living or get busy dying.

“Let’s go to work.” Buffy said to Spike.


TBC....

Chapter 15: The Reason Is You: Part 1



August 2001…


A few weeks before the gang does the resurrection spell…

Spike was on Dawn duty that Saturday day night as the Scoobies were having their “secret meeting.” To Spike, it felt like the gang was having a “secret meeting” every other night. He also noticed that every time Tara and Willow came back from the meeting the two witches seemed to keep to themselves. Spike didn’t assume an apocalypse was coming since it wasn’t that time of the year and that he knew the Scoobies wouldn’t be that dumb to exclude him. However he has been having his doubts lately about it.

Spike stared at his five cards in his hand, but he didn’t see two queens, an ace, a nine and a four. All he saw was Buffy’s body lying in the rubble with her eyes closed.

Dawn looked up from her cards and saw Spike staring at his cards in a daze and not blinking. ‘He looks so sad…’ Dawn thought to herself as she looked down into her lap. She concluded that he was probably thinking about Buffy. However Dawn knew it was hard not to think about Buffy since it there was the electronic replica of her dead sister, the Buffybot, always walking around. ‘Thank god that fake thing went patrolling.’ Dawn thought to herself.

Dawn looked back at Spike with worried eyes. Ever since Buffy’s death she kept getting the same look that was being played on Spike’s face. Daze. Sadness. Depression. Pained.

“Spike?” Dawn spoke up softly. She hoped Spike would snap out of his daze.

However Spike was a million miles away from Dawn. He seemed to be out in his own little world where he went to grieve and blame himself for Buffy’s death.

‘…why wasn’t I fast enough?’ he questioned himself, ‘You could have saved her… if only you were fast enough’ he thought.

“Spike?” Dawn tried again.

’I let my bloody guard down!’ he scowled himself, ‘If I focused more or—‘

“Spike!” Dawn said a little louder and finally brought Spike out of his thoughts.

“Huh? What?” Spike came back to reality. He looked around and saw he was sitting with Dawn, and she was looking at him with worried eyes.

Spike sighed, ‘Got to stop drifting off…’ he thought. He hated it when Dawn was nearby when he was off in one of his daydreams; he couldn’t tolerate to see her sad and giving him the worried face that she gave him right now.

”You okay?” Dawn asked.

”Yeah…yeah…fine. So, did you pick up your cards?” Spike nodded to the deck of cards that sat on the coffee table.

”You know what? Let’s call it quits for the evening…I’m kind of tired.” Dawn said and set her cards down on the messy coffee table that was scattered with games and an empty pizza box.

Spike frowned when he realized he had been the one to spoil their evening of fun. Dawn got up off the couch and started to the stairs.

”I’m just going to go to bed.” Dawn said and continued to walk to the stairs.

Spike sighed and threw his cards on the coffee table.

Dawn paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked over at Spike. “I miss her too...” she said out of the clear blue sky. Spike closed his eyes and tightened his jaw, but he didn’t look at Dawn as she continued. “If you want to talk…you know I’m here…” Dawn said and started up the stairs.

Spike’s building emotions made him either want to kill something or cry but he couldn’t decide which. He was saved from making the decision when the front door opened to reveal the Scooby Gang.

“Were back.” Willow announced.

Spike looked over to the door and saw Tara and Willow setting a few books down while Xander and Anya strolled into the living room.

”Dawn upstairs?” Xander asked Spike.

“Yeah…she just turned in.” Spike got up off his chair and grabbed his leather duster that was sitting on the couch. He wanted to get the hell out of there and do some serious drinking.

“What’s your hurry?” Anya asked, noticing Spike was urging to leave.

”No reason…just…” Spike started as he got his duster on.

”Just what?” Anya asked. Tara and Willow walked into the living room and waited to hear Spike’s response.

”Nothing…” he shook his head.

”Is the Buffybot still out?” Willow asked.

”I guess…haven’t seen it.” Spike said, “So…was the meeting good tonight?”

Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara exchanged nervous glances with one another.

”Yeah.” Willow spoke up, “Yeah…just fine.”

”Can I ask if these meetings are going to be continuing on a regular basis? Am I now the annual babysitter?” Spike’s tone seemed a little harsh. He was a little ticked off that he didn’t know what the Scoobies for not sharing and also a little ticked off with himself that he cared.

“What’s the matter? It’s not like you have a life.” Xander said, matching Spike’s tone.

”Xander…” Anya started. She hated that her “secret fiancé” was always picking on Spike. She didn’t understand why humans held grudges and that Xander can’t notice that Spike has been helping lately.

”What? He’s dead…” Xander mumbled to Anya.

“Right, dead…just a soulless demon that doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Did I get that right Harris?” Spike asked.

“Look guys don’t fight.” Tara tried to break up the two before it started to get ugly.

”He can’t fight…he’s chiphead…and Spike, you are a soulless creature so why should we trust you with our business anyway? The only reason we are letting you stick around is because it seems Dawn wants you here, which is a reason I’ll never get.” Xander said.

The room was dead silence. Spike and Xander glared at each other for a minute before Spike turned away and went towards the front door. Tara and Willow winced when they heard the door slam shut.

“Was that necessary?” Anya scowled Xander in a calm tone.

”What?” Xander asked, seemed to not be sorry for his hurtful words.

”Xander…” Xander turned to Willow when she spoke up, “I think you went a little too far.”

Outside the Summers house Spike walked over to his spot near the tree in the front lawn where he usually had a smoke. He reached inside for lighter but stopped when he heard Xander’s voice enter his head, ‘…you’re a soulless creature…’

Spike shook his head and looked back at the Summers house, “Soulless…he’s one to talk.” Spike mumbled the words and then went off into the night, trying to find the nearest place to get a drink. But Spike knew that a couple of drinks wouldn’t make everything okay and easy. Drinking only delays the pain for a little while, but for Spike it was enough to get him through the night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunnydale 2082…

Everyday since the night Buffy stuck her hands in the mirror and heard Spike’s speech about how he was going to help Buffy had seemed different, and in a good way. She seemed like she was become her old Slayer self again.

For two weeks things have been smooth sailing. Buffy and Spike decided to move into the abandoned house that they found. They figured it was more comfortable than the crypt and closer to the Magic Box where they train.

“Come on luv…don’t give me those sloppy moves.” Spike said.

Both Spike and Buffy were training in the Magic Box before sunset. They put boards on the broken windows so Spike could avoid direct sunlight. At the moment they were practicing their sword fighting.

“That wasn’t sloppy.” Buffy said a little childish, “That was so unsloppy.”

Spike and Buffy continued to clash swords together. When they pined there swords together with equal force Buffy stepped back and dropped the sword and did a few back flips. Spike stood still with his sword when he watched her come back straight onto her feet. Buffy raised her arms in fighting stance. Spike raised an eyebrow at her motion. Buffy smiled and with her hand she motioned him to closer to fight her. Spike snorted at her.

”What? Too Matrix-y?” Buffy asked.

Spike shook his head and dropped his sword to the side and stepped closer to fight her. He raised his fist and they both paused for a second before they started to spar all over the training room. At times Buffy seemed to be winning and then in a split second the tables turned and it was Spike who was on top. But after twenty minutes of none stop punches and kicks they grew tired and stopped.

Buffy walked over to the other side of the room and sat on the old vaulted horse. She grabbed a water bottle and took a few gulps before lying eyes on Spike. Buffy noticed he was watching her every move.

Buffy held still and looked nervously side to side wondering why he was looking at her, “What?!”

Spike chuckles and shakes his head, “Nothing…it’s just…you seem like your old self…that fight seemed…nice and familiar.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, “Nice? Okay, you buddy are getting really weird…I’m just glad this didn’t turn into a session from a 80s movie…” Buffy paused and thought about what she just said and then looked up at Spike, “I mean 1980s…not…2080s, which is…you know what I mean.”

”Yeah I do.” Spike smiled.

”It’s hard to get use to…” Buffy sighed.

“Yeah…” Spike mumbled and turned around and gathered up some equipment, “I don’t know about you but that spar was good for my soul...it was…” Spike stopped instantly.

The words tumbled out of Spike’s mouth so fast he didn’t even have a time to catch himself. He turned around and looked at Buffy to see her reaction to his little confession. He saw her face was a little shocked and confused.

‘Oh my god…’ Buffy thought to herself as she kept staring into Spike’s eyes. She stared so deeply into his eyes that she actually started to see a little glimpse of the man inside the demon.

“Uh…” Spike started, but he could come up with a sentence.

”You have a soul…” Buffy stated. It wasn’t even a question. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see it before…’ she thought to herself.

Spike nodded, “Yeah…I got one.”

”I…I don’t understand…why…how….” Buffy started questioning.

Spike looked down at the ground and sighed and then looked back up at his love. He opened his mouth and started to tell the story.

TBC….second part coming up soon and you’ll hear how Spike got the soul and how Buffy reacts. It’s going to be good. : )

Chapter 16: The Reason Is You Part 2

2050…L.A…

“What will it be?” the bartender asked as he attended to his next customer.

“Whiskey.” A man with his head bowed down said, hiding his face and showing off his brownish hair that had blonde tips at the top.

“We’re out…all we got is human blood and some beer.” The bartender grunted.

The customer looked up at the bartender with eyes full of grief, sadness, sorrow, and a little bit of amazement at what the bartender said. Even though his hair had gone back to his natural hair color, it was still the same old Spike sitting at the bar.

“You don’t have whiskey but you have blood?” Spike asked.

”Yep…you want some or not?” the bartender asked.

Spike thought before that the world had gone down hill but now he could actually say it from just what happened between the bartender and him. A human bartender had just offered human blood.

”Where’d you get the blood?” Spike asked and narrowed his eyes.

The bartender laughed, “Does it matter? Its human…comes from a human.”

”Actually yeah, it does matter where you got it.” Spike mumbled harshly.

Both the bartender and Spike put on a staring match. The bartender could tell that Spike didn’t seem too pleased with the blood offering, and Spike could tell that the bartender was not pleased with Spike being so nosy. In the end the barkeeper pulled out a bottle of beer from behind the counter and sat it in front of Spike without taking his eyes off of him, or saying a word. Then the bartender walked away.

*~*~*~*~*

Across the bar a few demons were stirring up a loud conversation that could be heard throughout the whole room.

”I’m telling you…he grants you anything you want!” One of the demons from the group exclaimed.

All of the other demons surrounding the storytelling demon laughed, thinking the demon was speaking nonsense.

”He does!” the demon spoke up again and brought in another round of laughs.

”Then how come we never heard of him?” a demon with spiky horns asked.

”Yeah!” all the demons grunted as a group.

Before the demon continued to tell his tale one of his fellow demons jumped in. “Hey maybe you have to see the Wizard and follow the yellow brick road to find this wish granting demon!”

Some of the demons and vamps laughed at the joke while others didn’t understand what was so funny.

”Wizard?” a young vamp mumbled. Clearly he wasn’t turned or was alive during the twentieth century.

“Wizard of Oz you dumby…it’s a classic.” Another vampire chirped in.

“Anyway…” the storyteller demon interrupted, directing the attention back to him. “This demon or thing, not sure what it is, grants wishes to anyone in the world. All you have to do is pass some trials and poof! Wish granted!”

“If you’re making this up you’re about to go poof.” One demon mumbled behind the rim of his beer glass before he took a gulp.

“I’m not lying!” the storyteller growled.

”You seeked this demon out then?” the demon challenged.

“Well…not really…” the storyteller demon mumbled, feeling ashamed.

”I knew it!”

“Look, some demon from Seattle told me the story about this creature. He went to the demon and wanted all this gold.” The storyteller explained

“Did he get what he wanted?”

The demon shook his head, “No…he didn’t make it passed the first trial…he was thrown out of the cave. He had to crawl his way out because he was so badly beaten.” The demon explained.

*~*~*~*~


Back across the room Spike turned and looked at the demon gang. He heard everything while he sipped his beer and kept his back to the group. Spike seemed interested in the wish granted part of the story and wondered if it was true.

Unaware to the group of demons, Spike started approaching their table not caring if the group would act unfriendly towards him.

”Where is this demon?” Spike came straight out and asked.

All the demons turned and looked at Spike. Spike kept his eyes on the storyteller, waiting for an answer. For a moment everyone was quiet.

“What?” The demon shot out.

”The demon that grants wishes…where is it located?” Spike asked.

”What? Why?” The demon laughed, “You want something? You think you can perform the trials?” The demon turned to his buddies and laughed.

In a split second Spike had the demon in his grasp and pinned up against the wall. The rest of the demons didn’t bother to help they just simply watched.

”Just tell me what I want to know.” Spike said firmly and in a quiet voice that only the demon could hear.

”Uhh…” The demon stuttered, “What I heard the demon is in New Zealand….in the some cave or something…a cliffside...near a waterfall…”

Spike stared into the demons eyes, seeing if the demon had a hint of a lie in him. When Spike could see the demon was telling the truth he let him go and let the demon drop to the ground. Spike moved towards the exit.

The demon looked up and saw the back of Spike’s duster go through the exit.

“Going there is suicide!” the demon yelled out to Spike.

While Spike went to the door he mumbled, “Doesn’t matter, got nothing left to lose.”


*~*~*~*~*~*~

New Zealand…

After jumping every form of transportation that was known, Spike was in New Zealand and standing outside in the night looking into a cave. He had to make a few pit stops to find the precise location but when all was said and done Spike was standing outside the cave. In the distance he heard the peaceful sound of a waterfall.

Spike was determined that when he entered the cave he wouldn’t leave without his wish.

Slowly and cautiously Spike entered the damp and dark cave. He slipped into game face so he could use his night vision. And when he got a few yards into the cave a deep voice stopped Spike.

“Stay where you are vampire…” the voice said. Spike looked in all directions around him and even with his night vision he couldn’t see the speaker.

“Where are you?” Spike spoke up.

“I am very much here.” The voice spoke again and breathed loudly. The voice seemed to be nearby but all Spike saw was air.

“Enough with the hide and seek…show yourself.” Spike said harshly. Then in a moment Spike was thrown up in the air and bounced off the wall of the cave.

”Do you dare to speak that tone with me again?” the voice after a pause.

Spike got up on his feet and mumbled, “Right…right. You’re the boss.”

“I should throw you out right now but I sense something about you, something unique in a way…what wish do want granted vampire?” the voice asked.

Spike sighed, “I want to change things…to change and make things better…to save her.” He mumbled the last three words very quietly.

”To change time…” the voice of the cave demon spoke.

“Yes…I want you to take me back…give me another chance to make things better...please.” Spike begged and waited for an answer.

“No…” the voice simply said, stripping all of Spike’s hopes and dreams away in one single word.

Spike’s face changed from hope to anger and pain quickly. “What…what the bloody hell---“

In a flash Spike was once again thrown across the cave and to the ground. Spike growled as he got up. “Right…right…sorry.” Spike mumbled as he got up, “Forgot you don’t like to be yelled at…”

”I do not grant those types of wishes…that is merely a dream of yours…I can not grant you that.” The voice said.

”What not? What’s the difference?” Spike spoke out, trying to make it sound like he was yelling at the demon. He didn’t want to be thrown down again.

”I do not give vampires their deepest desires… let alone alter time for them.” The demon voice said and breathed loudly again.

“Then what can I have?” Spike asked.

”Think about it for a while…I’m sure it will come while you perform your trial…that is if you still want to play my game.” the voice said and let out a little snicker.

“You don’t see me leaving.” Spike said.

The voice snickered again and from behind Spike a figure walked forward. Sensing someone else Spike turned around and noticed the figure that has come forward is a muscular man. Around the cave tiki torches light up magically, bringing more light so Spike could see around him.

Spike speaks up, “So I’m guessing Mr. Wannabe Action Figure here is the first test?” Spike’s question was directed to the demon voice.

“Yes…” the voice said.

“Right…so…no weapons?” Spike asked as he took off his duster and threw it in the corner.

”No weapons…” the voice said.

Spike turned to the big muscular man, “Well you heard the mysterious voice…come on…let’s entertain him.”

The muscular man looked at Spike and raised his fists and knocked them together. Both of his hands burst into a flames. Spike’s eyes widen and looks alarmed as the man swings at Spike’s head. Spike reacted by instantly ducking and maneuvering around the man.

“I thought you said no weapons!” Spike called out.

”Yeah…no weapons…for you.” The voice said.

Spike sighed in frustration and looked back at the muscular man who was starting to approach him again.

“Bloody hell…” Spike mumbles.

*~*~*~

After three days of going through trial after trail in the cave Spike had now a new definition of the word “pain”. He didn’t know how he managed to get through each trial and win without knowing really what prize he wanted in the end.

Spike stumbled out of one the tunnels of the cave covered in cuts, burns, and bruises. His shirt and boots were off and all that he was left in was his black pants. He walked towards the tiki torches and kneeled down on the ground and bowed his head down in exhaustion.

“You are worn down…” the demon voice spoke out to Spike.

Spike lifted him head, “I can go another twelve rounds if I need to…”

”Don’t need to…you have passed the required trials…” the voice said.

Spike’s head lowered down and he let exhaled a breath of relief. He would cry for joy if he could but he was too tired to even let tears come.

“You’ve had time…what one wish do you want?” the voice asked.

Spike closed his eyes and for some stranger reason he thought about Xander. He wasn’t sure why Xander came to his mind out of the blue, maybe he was just crazy from the torture.

‘Spike, you are a soulless creature so why should we trust you with our business anyway?’ Xander said.

To Spike it felt like Xander was saying those words right at the moment instead of way back when they were actually said in the Summers house. The words stung just as much as they did the night Xander said them too.

”Well…what will it be vampire?” the voice spoke up.

Another voice appeared in Spike’s head out of the blue again.

‘And whatever you think you're feeling, it's not love. You can't love without a soul.’ Buffy said when she was chaining up in Spike’s crypt.

Spike made up his mind. He looked up and took an unnecessary deep breath, “I want my soul.”

*~*~*~*~*~

2082….

Back in the training room of Sunnydale Spike had just finished his story of his soul, leaving Buffy speechless.

”…It was probably the only thing I wanted more than…well, having you back.” Spike admitted and looked up at Buffy.

Buffy looked down at the ground feeling like a brick load of guilt was placed on her shoulders.

She shook her head in disbelief, “Why…why would you do that to yourself?” She asked in a whisper.

Spike gave a little shrug, “I guess….I guess I thought that is something you would want. Something you would be proud of…”

Buffy looked up at Spike and stared at him in a new light, a new way that she never thought she would see him like.

Buffy got up off the crate that she was seated on while listening to the story and walked towards Spike. Once she was standing in front of him Spike looked up and met her green eyes. She lean in and gave him a soft sweet kiss on the lips. A kiss that seemed very much like the one she gave him eighty years ago in his crypt after he was badly beaten up by Glory. When Buffy pulled away Spike looked at her with question eyes.

”Why did you do that?” He whispered.

”Because… you deserved it.” She whispered back while looking at him with sweet innocent eyes.

Spike gave a little smile and bent his head down in embarrassment. However he was surprised when Buffy grabbed both sides of his face and slowly lifted his head to look at her and again brought her lips to his in a much longer kiss.

When Buffy backed away again Spike looked even more amazed, “And what was that for?” he said in a soft voice while staring at her lips before meeting her eyes.

”Honestly…I don’t know…” Buffy admitted and kept close to him for a moment before backing away. “Um…let’s get back to work.” Buffy said and walked over to punching bag.

“Yeah…” Spike snapped out of his daze and walked forward, helping Buffy continue with her training session.


TBC...

Chapter 17: Storm Brewing


Spike and Buffy were upset that there was no vampire action in the cemetery when they went on patrol. Ever since they kissed two days ago, all they did was analyze the meaning of the moment. It seemed that they were fighting a hell of a battle with their emotions and thoughts and they were dying to fight real demons instead.

“Cold night…” Buffy spoke up. After a constant twenty-five minutes of neither one of them speaking.

”Yeah…” Spike said and shifted his thought of how Buffy’s lips were so soft to the chill in the air.

”Must be January now…” Buffy said and then paused, “Oh my god…I have no clue what month it is…Do you know?” Buffy turned to face Spike.

Spike smiled and looked at his feet as they kept walking in the cemetery, “After you lived as long as I have and been traveling around alone everything doesn’t matter pet…the weather, the day of the week, all of it just doesn’t matter.”

’Makes sense…’ Buffy thought to herself, “Well…if you don’t care than neither will I…” Buffy said and tried to act all tough.

“But really you do care luv.” Spike said.

Buffy stopped walking and turned to face Spike.

”You’re human Buffy…its only natural that you care about those things…” Spike stood and explained one of his theories of humans.

Their conversation had ended when they saw that a gang of vampires started to approach them. Buffy and Spike noticed as the gang seemed eager to keep advancing towards them, with no intention of walking away.

Buffy turned to Spike, “Do you call doing this everyday natural and normal?” Buffy asked.

Buffy didn’t wait for Spike’s reply. She just walked forward and kicked the first vampire that she came in contact with. And all while Buffy was fighting she noticed that her opponent seemed hard to kill.

“Had enough?” the vampire growled as he kicked Buffy in the stomach and sent her down on the ground.

Buffy jumped to her feet and clutched her stake in her right hand and replied, “Not even close.” She punched him in the face and lounged her stake forward towards his heart but the vampire grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back. He took his other hand and wrapped it around her, just below the neck.

The vampire leaned forward to whisper in her ear from behind, “You’re a feisty one…”

Buffy tried to free herself from his grasp but the vampire was just too strong.

“Now, now….struggling will only make me kill you sooner.” The vamp laughed and paused to notice Buffy stopped struggling,” Good girl…” he said softly.

”Spike!!!” she yelled across the cemetery.

Spike stake his last vampire when he heard his name being called. He whipped around and saw a vampire having a firm hold on Buffy. Spike started to run towards them, jumping over every headstone in his way.

The vampire cursed as he saw Spike heading towards them. Buffy took the opportunity to hit the vamp in the face with the back of her head. The vampire let go of Buffy and stepped back, rubbing the front of his game face.

“You are not worth it…you will sooner die slayer…” the vampire growled, “If not be me then by the Great One…Angelus…”

Buffy looked surprised by the name of her old nemesis that she thought was long gone. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped a little bit.

’No…’ Buffy thought to herself, ‘No!’


*~*~*~*~*~*~

Las Vegas….

Vampires dressed in business suits and black ties sat around a huge conference table. They were all waiting for the boss to arrive and start the meeting.

“What’s this meeting all about?” a vamp mumbled to another vamp sitting to him.

”Didn’t you get the memo?” the vamp whispered back.

The vampire shook his head, worried that something would happen to him because he was not up to date with what’s going on.

”New employees…two new members…they’re Angelus’s top gun.” The vampire explained.

On cue Angelus opened the conference room. All of the staff members turned their attention to Angelus.

”Evening gentlemen…” Angelus said as he started walking in the room. Behind him walked the two men who arrived in the limo earlier. “Like to introduce you to the two new members of the team…Eli and Rufus…they are my big guns for the project I’m started. Try and make them feel welcomed.”

A nervous vampire raised his hand, “Umm…sir, what is there skill?”

”Glad you asked me that Harry…” Angelus smirked and sat down in a big leather chair at the head of the table.

“Uhh…Henry sir.” The vampire corrected Angelus nervously.

”I don’t care.” Angelus said and changed his smirk to a serious glare at the vampire named Henry. Henry took a big gulp as Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus. “Gentlemen…show uhh…is it Henry?” Angelus turned back to the squirming vampire, “Show Henry a little demonstration.”

Rufus and Eli turned to Henry and one of them mumbled a single word in ancient language and then poof, the Henry was burning up in his own chair. He screamed out in agony as Angelus watched in amusement. Within seconds Henry was a pile of dust sitting in the chair.

Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus and smiled, “That made my day….” Angelus turned back and addressed his nervous staff members, “Some may think Eli and Rufus here are warlocks…but they’re not…” Angelus got up out of his seat and became to circle around the table as he continued explaining, “They are wizards, hired for operation meltdown…”

”Meltdown sir?” a vampire questioned quietly.

“Hey if you want to be dust like Henry please interrupt again.” Angelus said.

The vampire slouched back in his seat and wished he could hide under the table.

“As I was saying…” Angelus stepped up to the necrotempered glass and gazed out into the city, “The plan…my plan, which came me a few weeks ago, gazing out the window, seemed so impossible, so out of reach…wanting to leave me in the shadows forever.” Angelus turned to Eli and Rufus, “Until you guys.”

”Plan boss? I thought we were already following through with a plan.” A random vampire spoke up.

“That is true but this new…” Angelus searched for the right word, “…inspiration…it will make our first plan even better.”

”And that would be sir?”

”To get rid of the sun…for good.” Angelus said.

Everyone in their seats straightened up with interest at their boss’s proposal.

”You can’t be serious…its impossible.” A vampire burst out after a moment of silence.

”Let’s let Rufus and Eli be the judge of that…” Angelus turned to the two wizards, “Is it impossible?”

Eli and Rufus exchanged looks with each other before turning to Angelus, “I—we don’t know sir.” Eli spoke up.

”We never had that request.” Rufus added.

”I’m requesting it now…it must be done.” Angelus demanded and slammed his fist down on the conference table.

Everyone seemed startled, even the two wizards.

“Angelus…” Eli started, “Our power is not strong enough to make the sun just disappear…it would put the whole galaxy into chaos…”

”Unless…” Rufus spoke up which made Eli and Angelus turn their heads to him, “Unless you don’t make the sun disappear.”

”What are you getting at?” Eli asked.

Rufus turned to his fellow wizard friend, “All we have to do is have an eclipse or cool down the sun and turn the fireball into nothing.”

Eli seemed a little uneasy about the suggestions, sort of like he didn’t want the sun to go away. However, Angelus started to put on a satisfying smile.

“Get working on it.” Angelus smiled at the Rufus and Eli.

*~*~*~

Sunnydale…

Buffy just stood their in shock as she continued to process the news that Angelus is back. She didn’t even realize the vampire that was holding her earlier was beginning to advance to her again until Spike came up and tackled him.


Buffy shook her head and tried to come back to reality. She watched Spike stake the vampire and then turn to her with a little pissed off expression.

”What the hell happened? Why didn’t you kill him?” Spike asked.

Buffy stared at Spike for a minute before her face turned to anger too.

”Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked firmly.

”Tell you? Tell you about what?!” Spike asked.

”Angelus!” she shouted and both of them were struck with silence.

”What?” Spike asked again, ‘How did she find out?’ he thought to himself.

“Don’t lie to me Spike…he’s back isn’t he?” Buffy asked seriously.

Spike stared at her and knew that he couldn’t protect from the truth anymore, “Yes…” he mumbled.

Buffy shook her head and let out a few hiccups of a laugh. Spike watched her as she threw her stake off into the distance and look around her surroundings, seeming to look for something to hit.

“Buffy…” Spike spoke up softly.

“Why didn’t you say something?!” she burst out as soon as he said her name, “Why?!!” Tears formed in her eyes and within a matter of seconds they were streaming down her cheek.

Spike, seeing the tears took a few steps towards her to give her comfort, “Pet look—“

Buffy stepped back and rejected him, “No! Don’t touch me…you…you lied to me…” her last few words came out in a whisper.

Spike frowned at hearing her harsh words. “No…I was protecting you…” Spike said calmly.

“How can I trust you again…?” she whispered as she turned her back to Spike.

However Spike heard her whisper, “Hey…” he stepped forward and turned her shoulder around so she was face to face with him, “You can trust me…I didn’t know about Angelus until Clem told me…I swear I wasn’t lying to you.”

Buffy sniffed and then moved forward and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. Spike pulled her into his chest and he stroke her back as he heard her cry some more, “Oh god he’s back…he’s back…” she mumbled in-between sobs.

Spike continued to rub her back until her sobs subsided. He pulled her away so he could look her in the eye, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you…I promise…okay? We’ll get through this…we always do.” He gave her a little smile to reassure her everything would turn out for the best.

Buffy wiped away the rest of her tears and sniffed her nose. “Yeah…” she agreed with Spike, “I’m tired of this....I’m not being pushed around anymore.”

Spike noticed that she had a spark in her eye that he thought was long gone. He now knew that his Buffy was back in the game.


TBC….if I could cast Eli and Rufus I would have David Arquette as Eli and Shane West as Rufus. Now things are going to get interesting…Spuffy is going to be heating up.

Chapter 18: Stain Her Blood

After the exhausting night that Buffy had, Spike insisted that she go back to the house and sleep. Buffy didn’t object; she thought she could go to bed and sleep another 80 years—she was so tired. Her emotional state had dropped so much from just hearing that Angelus was back. Buffy felt like she just got beaten up by the Master, Adam, and Glory all together.

Wanting nothing more than peace, Buffy lied in bed and let her dreams comfort her in her time of distress…


Buffy’s Dream…

Buffy stood centimeters from the edge of falling to her death. The last time she stood on the top of the tower she found a sense of peace when looking over the town of Sunnydale and at the sun rising. Even though chaos had erupted all around as walls of dimensions collided with open another, Buffy found peace. She found answers. But now, taking a second look she found nothing.

‘Everything was so clear…so shiny and beautiful…’ Buffy thought as she stood in the same spot that she jumped from the platform. At the moment she was wearing a black dress that made her blend in with the darkness that was all around.

”Come on Buffy!” a voice that felt more like an echo that had been traveling in a cave came from behind Buffy.

Buffy turned around and faced the young girl. It was Dawn at the age of 15 standing near the stairs of the top of the platform. She was wearing the same ritual dress the day Buffy died.

”You’re hair is longer.” Buffy simply said, not really focusing on how long it’s been since she had seen her sister.

Dawn ignored the comment, “Come on…” she said, wanting Buffy to come down the stairs with her. “Everyone is waiting…”

Buffy turned around and looked back over the edge of the tower and into nothing.

”Isn’t this the right direction?” Buffy asked while still looking over the edge.

Dawn shook her head, “That’s a dead end...”

Buffy turned and faced Dawn and then looked down at her dark dress and noticed how dirty it was, and that it had little rips all over it. It was the same dress she wore when she dug herself out of her grave. “I should have dressed lighter…” Buffy looked up at Dawn, “Is it too dark for you?”

Dawn stared at Buffy, “At a time like this…it’s appropriate.”

Dawn slowly raised her hand towards Buffy, wanting Buffy to come forward and take her hand.

Buffy walked slowly towards Dawn. Each step she took the tower would rock back and forth. Once she reached Dawn, Buffy grabbed the small hand and felt a breeze blow around her. Both Dawn and Buffy were oblivious to the cold breeze and just stood staring at one another.

”It has to have the blood.” Dawn said to Buffy after a long silence between them.

Not knowing how to answer, Buffy looked around and saw she wasn’t on the top of the tower anymore. Buffy and Dawn were now standing at the bottom of the tower. Buffy glanced around and saw the figure of Ben, bloody and dead on the ground.

“What the…?” Buffy mumbled to herself.

She turned to where Dawn stood, “Dawn what is—“. Buffy stopped in mid-sentence when she saw that Dawn had walked away in another direction.

“Dawn?!” Buffy called out and started running after her.

However with ever step she took Dawn seemed to be more out of reach. Giving in that she’d never reach Dawn, Buffy turned around and looked down in defeat.

”Friend of the bride or groom?” a voice asked Buffy.

Buffy raised her head and saw Ta'hoffren standing in front of her. Buffy’s eyes widened when she saw his face.

“She’s a friend of both of us actually.” A guy’s voice said.

Buffy turned to the voice and saw Anya and Xander.

”Xander?” Buffy said quietly, and looking as if she might cry any moment.

Xander and Anya were linked arm in arm, and dressed as if they were the bride and groom of a wedding.

”You’re getting married?” Buffy asked, looking confused.

Anya ignored Buffy’s question and instantly asked, “Did you bring a gift?” seeming very excited.

”Death is my gift.” Buffy said in a daze.

Xander and Anya turned to one another, “I don’t think you can exchange that gift…but hey, could have been worse” Xander said.

“At least it’s not a bunny.” Anya said.

Buffy grabbed Xander’s arm and pulled him aside, “Xander…what’s going on?” she begged.

Anya stepped up, “Don’t you remember?”

Buffy paused and glanced back and forth between them, “…no” she said in a small voice.

“Don’t worry.” Anya patted Buffy on the shoulder, “You’ll remember.”

Anya and Xander linked their arms and started walked away towards a bunch of chairs that Buffy hadn’t noticed until that very moment.

The area had chairs on the right and left of a short aisle. Buffy would have no doubt she going to Xander and Anya’s wedding until she saw that there was a coffin.

She watched as Anya and Xander walked up towards the coffin and separate to stand at either end of it.

Buffy, perplexed about what was going on, decided to walk towards the coffin to understand what was going on, and to see who was in the coffin.

As Buffy started walking down the aisle she passed familiar faces sitting in the seats. She saw Giles, Tara, Willow, Riley, her mother, Dawn (again), Oz, Wesley, and Cordelia. As Buffy passed each one of them not a word was spoken, Buffy just kept moving in a daze towards the coffin.

Before Buffy looked into the wooden box she looked at Xander, “I thought you were getting married?”

Xander shrugged, “Things don’t go as planned...”

”But you’re all dressed up.” Buffy frowned when looking at Anya and Xander in their wedding outfits.

”So are you.” Anya said and looked down at Buffy’s dark dress.

Buffy looked back down and still saw the rips and mud covering the plain black dress. And when she looked up and around Buffy noticed she was all alone except for the casket sitting right in front of her.

She took many deep breaths as she moved closer and closer to the opening of the casket. And once she gazed over the edge and inside the box she was face to face with herself.

An unconscious Buffy laid still in the box in the same dress as the other Buffy that was standing out the casket. Buffy squinted her eyes while looking at her dead self. ‘What?’ she thought to herself.

A hand came out and touched the shoulder of the Buffy standing outside the casket. The touch was comforting and for some reason Buffy had the feeling that it might be Spike. The thought made her relax and turn around to face the owner of the hand.

Buffy gasped when she saw who was really standing behind her.

“Surprise” Angelus said with a smirk. His hand grip on Buffy’s shoulder tightened and he quickly leaned forward and tilted her neck to the side to bite her.

Buffy didn’t have a chance to even let out a scream as he drank from her neck.



Buffy sat straight up in bed with a gasp. The pain of Angelus drinking from her in the dream felt so real that she lifted her hand and searched her neck. And when she drew her hand down she saw that her hand was covered with blood. Buffy’s eyes widened a little as she checked again her neck again and felt two little holes.


Down the hall of Buffy’s room Spike had fallen into a deep sleep in his own bed after sitting up for hours, not being able to sleep.

Spike’s eyes fluttered open when his nose registered the smell of metallic human blood. He looked around and quickly registered that Buffy was in his room standing at the doorway.

”Buffy?” he sat up in bed. All he was wearing was his black pants. His shirt and shoes were stripped off.

Buffy didn’t say anything and just stood there.

”What’s wrong? Why do I smell bl—“ he stopped when he saw that Buffy’s hand was covered in blood.

He jumped out of bed and was over by her in a split second.

“What did you do?” he asked as he check her arm for a wound but found nothing.

Buffy moved her hair slowly away and tilted her neck a little to show Spike the two holes.

“Bloody…” was all Spike got out as he stared at her neck.


Las Vegas….

Angelus was sleeping in his apartment on the top floor of The Crypt hotel when he gasped awake for some reason. He opened his mouth a couple times and realized there was a different taste on his tongue and teeth. Angelus ran his finger over his lip and saw blood. He tasted his finger and after a moment he started to smile and laugh hysterically. Angelus collapsed back into his pillows as he let his laughter subside.

He stared up at his ceiling with a smile, “She’s back” he said to himself. It wasn’t a question; he knew it for a fact. The blood on his lips didn’t lie.



TBC...

Chapter 19: Ask the Wizard

Buffy sat on the edge of Spike’s bed, holding a piece of cloth to her neck to stop the bleeding of her bite mark souvenir that Angelus gave her. She was still pretty shook up about the whole experience.

Spike entered the room barring bandages. Before he went over to her, he just stood by the doorway and simply stared at her, thinking about how Buffy’s luck has been so rotten lately. It seems that all Spike’s been doing since she got back has been watching her suffer.

Spike took a deep breath and moved across the room and kneeled in front of her. Buffy slowly took the cloth away from her neck. Spike frowned and clutched his jaw when he saw the two punctures indented into her skin were still bleeding.

“I don’t understand…” Buffy started, “The last time I got bit by Dracula I didn’t bleed this much.” She finished.

“That’s the only thing you don’t understand?” Spike raised an eyebrow and started sorting through his bandages.

”Well that, and how the hell could Angelus bite me in my sleep.” Buffy admitted.

”My thoughts exactly…” Spike said and started applying bandages to her neck and taping them down.

Buffy stared at Spike as he continued to tend to her wounds gently. “He knows…” Buffy said.

Spike met Buffy’s eyes. “What?” he asked.

”He knows I’m alive.” Buffy explained.

”We don’t know that for sure.” Spike tried to make her feel better.

”Spike he knows…he bit me in my dream and drank my blood.” She exclaimed and got up off the bed and moved away from Spike.

Spike let out a long sigh before standing up and facing her.

”Luv even if he tasted your blood it doesn’t mean that…he doesn’t know that…” Spike stopped when he realized he didn’t have a good argument in his defense.

”Face it he knows and he’s going to make sure that I don’t stand in his way…” Buffy drew that conclusion.

”Buffy—“ Spike started but was interrupted by her.

”Now that I’m alive he knows I’m a threat…or…or maybe he doesn’t think I’m a threat…or…” Buffy was jumping to many conclusions but Spike stopped her.

”Buffy?” Spike said softly, hoping that his tone would get her attention. And it did.

Buffy looked up at Spike.

”Get some rest…we’ll figure this out in the morning…I promise.” Spike said.

”I can’t sleep! He could come after me in my dreams again and drink more or—“ Buffy started going hysterical.

Spike stepped up and grabbed her shoulders, “Hey…hey…” he said softly.

”He’ll come after me and—“

”Shhh….” Spike brought her to him. Buffy took the comfort, not realizing that Spike was still shirtless.

After a moment of silence between them, and Spike just comforting and holding her she stepped back and said, “Can I stay here…with you tonight?”

Spike was taken back by the question, wondering if he heard her right. “Uhh…alright” he answered.

Buffy walked around him and sat down on the bed and lied back on top of the covers. Spike went around to the other side of the bed and lied down too. Both of them stayed on there side of the bed, making sure there was plenty of space in the middle between them. They didn’t sleep a wink. Spike and Buffy just stared up at the ceiling.

Las Vegas…

Angel exited out of his bedroom and walked down the hallway towards the elevator while buttoning up his shirt. After his little dream and taste test of slayer blood he was fired up and wanted answers. He entered the elevator and pressed the button to floor number twenty, where his two wizards were staying.

After the meeting earlier in the evening, about Angelus wanting to get rid of the sun, Eli had a little trouble getting to sleep. He didn’t want the sun to go away and was against the idea completely. He was still part human and liked the sun. But for his own safety, Eli played dumb and didn’t say a word to Rufus or anyone else about his doubts.

When Angelus came into the Eli’s suite the wizard had just dozed off from spending part of the night trying to get to sleep. Eli was wide awake when he heard the sound of glass shattering. He reached over and turned on his bedside lamp and saw Angelus standing by his doorway staring at him. Eli then looked over and saw pieces of glass of what was a vase covering his bed sheets.

”Get up, get dressed, and come with me.” Angelus stated.

Sunnydale…

Spike kept his eyes glued up towards the ceiling for hours, letting out sighs and listening to the wind hit the window. He didn’t glance away until he felt Buffy shift from her position on the bed.

Buffy had fallen asleep after two hours of lying still, wide awake. She turned over in her sleep and faced Spike. He looked over at her and noticed she was in a deep sleep. After staring at her for a few moments he saw her let out a shiver. He instantly sat up and took a blanket that was at the foot of the bed and moved closer to her to cover her. However as soon as Buffy was covered with the blanket she moved closer to Spike and cuddled near his body.

Spike stiffened when she moved closer to him. He looked down at her small figure and noted to himself that this was the closest he was ever to her in a hundred years.

He relaxed gradually and rested his head back on a pillow, which placed his chin centimeters from the top of head. Spike could feel the heat coming from her body and hear the gently intake of her breath. The feeling of being so close to Buffy relaxed Spike to the extent that he began to drift off to sleep with ease.

Las Vegas…

Eli and Angelus walked into the dark and empty conference room quietly. In Eli’s hand he was carrying a suitcase.

”…I’m not sure if I remember how to do this…” Eli said nervously as he took a seat in a chair and set his briefcase down on the table.

“Well, we won’t know until we try now will we?” Angelus said with smirk and two hard pats on Eli’s shoulder.

Eli let out a sigh and started to open his briefcase as Angelus traveled over to the big picture window and looked out at Vegas in the nighttime. As Eli was set up his things he glanced over at Angelus.

”It’s a beautiful site…” Eli said gave an unsure laugh and smile.

Angelus turned to Eli, “Not as beautiful as it is in the day.” Eli and Angelus stared at each for a moment and then Angelus turned back to the window and sighed, “But being a vampire doesn’t give me those opportunities to enjoy that.”

”Yeah…” Eli laughed, “I guess that’s a disadvantage for you.”

”It won’t be for long…” Angelus said while staring out the window.

Eli looked up at Angelus’s turned back, “Yeah…I guess…”

Angelus turned around and walked up to Eli’s briefcase and pulled an object out. It was a crystal ball. “So this thing really works huh?” Angelus asked while studying the ball really close and then tossing it up and down as if it were a baseball.

Eli started to freak out when Angelus started using the crystal ball as a toy, “Gentle…please…gentle.”

Angelus stopped tossing the ball and looked over at Eli and smiled. “Think fast.” Angelus said as he tossed the crystal ball up. Eli scrambled and caught it in his hands.

“Well, lets get this over with…tell me if I’m right or if I’m just having pleasant morning breath…” Angelus said and crossed his arms against his chest.

Eli sighed and sat down in the chair and placed the crystal ball on a small silk pillow. The wizard chanted with his eyes closed for a few minutes. Angelus in the background rolled his eyes at the silly words that came out of the wizard’s mouth. Eli opened his eyes and leaned forward and looked into the crystal ball.

”I see a town…” Eli started as he looked into the crystal ball.

”Go on…” Angelus said.

Eli paused and continued, “The town seems to be trashed—out of control, unkempt…” Eli paused and waited again while looking in the ball, “I see a house…”

”Who’s house?” Angelus asked.

”I…I don’t know…there is a girl…” Eli said.

At the word ‘girl’, Angelus started to move towards the ball.

”The girl is full of power and is very important.” Eli continued.

Angelus looked inside the ball and saw nothing, “I don’t see a thing” he sneered.

Eli glanced up at Angelus, “I…it only works for me…only one person can look inside at a time.”

Angelus glared at Eli, “Tell me what she looks like.”

Eli looked back into the crystal ball, “Umm…she is small and petite…blonde hair….”

”Green eyes?” Angelus asked while not staring off in a distance.

Eli shook his head, “I don’t know…she’s sleeping…she is with a…a man.”

Angelus quickly shot his head down towards Eli, “A man?”

”Yes…uhh…he’s umm…sleeping next to her.” Eli described.

”Describe him…” Angelus demanded.

”He’s wearing…black…and has…bleached hair by the looks of it, but that can’t be right. Can it?” Eli shook his head.

Angelus let out a breath that seemed more like a growl, “Its right…”

Eli looked up at Angelus for an explanation. However Angelus just shook his head at thoughts that were swarming in his head.

“Spike…” Angelus mumbled in a tone that seemed distasteful.

’Buffy and Spike together…’ the thought bounced around in Angelus mind. ‘She’s alive and she’s with him…’ The thought for some reason sickened him to the point where he felt like he was going to burst. Angelus felt the need to break something. He glanced down and took the crystal ball and threw it at the wall of the room, which startled Eli.

“Umm…” Eli said after a moment.

”Get to bed…we have a long day tomorrow.” Angelus stated as he started walking out of the conference room.

As soon as Eli was alone he got out of his chair and walked around the table to the broken crystal. He frowned at the site of his old crystal ball destroyed into a million pieces within a matter of seconds. Eli crouched down and started to gather pieces one by one.

TBC……

Chapter 20: Double Dealing

‘I really don’t want to open my eyes.’ Buffy thought to herself as she lied in bed. ‘Opening my eyes would mean facing all those problems that the world seems to want me to have, and that is something I really don’t want to deal with.’ She concluded with herself.

However, another voice in the back of her head, a voice that sounded a lot like Giles, was telling her to get up.

‘Buffy you have a scared birthright to protect mankind…get up.’ The voice of her former Watcher told her.

‘Come on Giles!’ Buffy’s thoughts argued with Giles, ‘I’m so tired…just give me five more minutes.’

‘In five minutes the world could implode…everyone is counting on you.’ Giles voice argued.

Buffy fluttered her eyes open quickly and stared up at the ceiling. ‘Okay you got my attention.’ She thought, ‘Stupid voice that sounds too much like Giles.’

She glanced around the room and noted how different the bedroom looked with rays of sunshine creeping through wooden boards that were placed on top of the two windows.

A small sigh next to Buffy made her turn her attention to her companion sleeping just centimeters from her.

‘Were we sleeping this close before?’ she thought while looking at Spike’s peaceful face.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere instead of why he was so close to her. ‘He really does look different’ she thought, ‘However it could be because you never seen him sleep before.’

Buffy took her time studying his features on his face, his cheekbones, his scar on his eyebrow, and his pink lips. They were the same lips she kissed just a few days ago…voluntarily.

‘Why did I kiss him?’ Buffy asked herself. ‘He has a soul now…which he got for me…but that can’t be the only reason why you did it…right? I mean he IS good now…but he’s Spike…the same Spike that tried to kill me eighty years ago…the same Spike that double crossed me whenever he had the chance and chained you in his crypt…but…he’s the same Spike that didn’t tell Glory about Dawn being the key and the same Spike that watched over Dawn and my friends while I was gone for so long…he was the same Spike that changed his whole life for me even though I didn’t ask him to.’

As Buffy watched Spike let another sigh and continue to sleep peaceful she reached over and caressed his cheek. At the moment she didn’t care if he woke up and was caught. After all, she thought he deserved much more than what she was offering. He deserved compassion.

*~*~*~*~*

Las Vegas…

Angelus walked down the main hallway and into the huge conference room where everyone was gathered at. In his hands he was carrying a small worn out shoe box. He walked half way to his seat and dumped out the shoe boxes contents. A bunch of papers and photos scattered across the conference table.

“Gentlemen, grab a photo…” Angelus ordered.

Everyone reached out in the middle of the table and grabbed one of the papers and looked to see Buffy’s face in pictures and hand drawings. Everyone’s photo or drawing wasn’t the same, but most of the pictures were taken when Buffy was young and in high school. It was obvious that Angelus had saved his things from his ‘Sunnydale Days’.

“I want you to study this woman’s face…” Angelus said, “I don’t care how you do it, but I want her face implanted in each one of your minds.”

Eli was also seated around the table next to Rufus. He looked at the photo of Buffy taken from a distance. She was standing outside of the old Sunnydale High school talking with Giles and Xander.

”Why do we need memorize her face?” Eli asked.

Angelus looked and stared at Eli’s cold expression. Eli knew who was in the picture and didn’t like where this meeting was going. Every since last night Eli had a new opinion of Angelus—he didn’t like him.

“Because I told you to.” Angelus said staring Eli straight in the eye.

“What if we find her?” one random vamp asked.

“Bring her to me…” Angelus said, “And I want her unharmed…I want her brought to me fresh and alive. Any bruises I see on her skin will result in all of your gruesome horrible deaths.”

”You won’t have much of a staff if you kill us all.” Eli challenged Angelus. Most of the vamps around the table couldn’t believe that those words came out of the wizard’s mouth.

Angelus didn’t say a word. All he did was stare daggers at the witty wizard that seemed to like walking on thin ice.

Rufus glanced back and forth between Eli and Angelus; he clearly didn’t understand the tension that was going on between them. “She’s human?” Rufus tried to change the subject.

“Very much, and with a few extra skills.” Angelus finally turned away from Eli. “She’s the Slayer.” He said.

Everyone started whispering instantly about the mention of the word ‘Slayer’.

“All of you shut up!” Angelus snapped, which made everyone grow to be quiet. “I know she’s the Slayer and she’s the one person you fear most…but not today…you will seek her out.”

A few members of Angelus’s staff gulped at the request.

”Also…if you see the souled vampire…the one and only Spike…Willy...I want him also brought to me…he may be accompanying the Slayer when you catch him…” Angelus explained.

”What’s he look like? Don’t you have a picture of him?” Eli asked.

“Bleached blonde hair…leather coat…wears all black…talks with a British accent…basically Billy Idol’s twin.” Angelus said while staring at Eli, “I believe you already saw him.”

Rufus turned to Eli, wanting an explanation but Eli ignored him.

“Both the souled William and the Slayer will show up probably within the next few days…” Angelus explained.

”Why?” one asked.

”Because gentlemen that sun out there…” Angelus pointed out at the opened window. “Well today was its last sunrise.” Angelus told them.

Eli’s eyes widened with surprise.

”Isn’t that right Rufus? Eli?” Angelus turned and looked at the wizards.

”That’s right…everything is set.” Rufus said to Angelus with a proud smile.

Eli turned and looked at Rufus in amazement. He had no idea about this whole plan. Eli looked back at Angelus, who was smirking at Eli’s confusion.

‘He double crossed me…’ Eli thought as he looked into Angelus’s evilness.

TBC...

Chapter 21: The Journal


Las Vegas…


When the meeting was adjourned Eli grabbed Rufus by the arm and pulled him away from all the other staff members.

”We need to talk.” Eli said sharply.

The two wizards walked down the hallway and into the elevator. Once the doors shut Eli turned to Rufus.

“What the hell?!” Eli started.

”I see you’re upset.” Rufus sighed and stared forward. He crossed his arms against his chest and seemed to be waiting for the doors to slide open.

“You betrayed me! You went behind my back and---“

”And like you weren’t!” Rufus exclaimed and turned to Eli.

Eli had to do a double take at that comment.

“What?” Eli breathed out.

”Oh, don’t play stupid…I know…Angelus told me everything.” Rufus said harshly.

“Angelus?” Eli scrunched up his face. “What did he tell you?”

For some reason he was anxious to find out more about Angelus and his evil plans.

“He told me how you were trying to stop all the plans and go off and do your own thing.” Rufus said.

Eli knew that what Rufus was saying was mostly true but he would never admit.

”Angelus is wrong.” Eli said.

Rufus glanced over at his brother wizard and let out a huff of a laugh.

“You know what?” Rufus asked and paused, “It doesn’t matter anymore…whether you are a team player or not, you can’t stop this spell from happening.” Rufus said.

The elevator dinged and then the doors slide open. Rufus stepped out and started down the hallway towards his room.

He stopped half way and turned towards Eli in the elevator.

”If I were you, I’d either shape up and beg for Angelus’s trust or get out of town before he kills you for getting in his way.”

Rufus turned around and walked to his room. Eli just watched the doors slide shut in his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunnydale…

After Buffy woke up once in the morning, she fell back into a deep sleep again. The hours in the day passed while Spike and Buffy slept, and soon it was sunset.

When Buffy finally woke up she found herself refreshed and comfortable. She also found an arm placed securely on her waist and another hand holding onto hers. Buffy finally figured out that it was Spike’s hands and that he was spooned up against her back.

‘Is it weird that I don’t find this at all weird and creepy?’ Buffy thought to herself as she kept perfectly still. ‘It was seemed like just yesterday that I hated him being in the same time zone with me and now here he is holding my hand….and I’m letting him!’ While Buffy’s thoughts ran wild in her mind she subconsciously started rubbing his thumb across the top of his hand. Her movement started to wake Spike up.

Spike slowly opened his eyes and found himself face with Buffy’s hair. He started to move his fingers around and noted to himself that he felt Buffy’s body in his hands. When Spike saw Buffy was moving her head a little and clearly awake he backed away from her body slowly.

Buffy turned her body around and lied face up on the bed as Spike did. They both turned and looked at one another.

”Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Spike started.

”It’s alright.” Buffy interrupted.

They glanced away from one another for a second before turning back to each other.

“How’d you sleep?” Spike’s voice came out a little nervous.

“Good…” Buffy said and sat up and looked through the cracks of the windows. “Looks like we slept through the day; its sunset now.”

Spike sat up and took a glance too, “Yeah…you’re right.”

Spike turned around to Buffy. For the first time he noticed how close she was. Their faces were inches away from each other.

“So…do you want to patrol?” Spike asked.

Buffy looked down at her lap, “Actually…” Then she looked up at him, “I think its time we get a look at the big picture…”

Spike looked up at her with a confused look on his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike and Buffy rode down the streets of Sunnydale on Spike’s motorcycle. Buffy held on tight to Spike’s waist from behind him.

”Are you sure you remember where you put it?!” Buffy yelled over the sound of the motorcycle so Spike could hear her.

”Yeah!” he yelled back, “We’re almost there!”

They rode off out of the town of Sunnydale and onto the highway. After about a few miles Spike made a turn and slowly made his way onto a dirt path. In the middle of the road he came to a complete stop. Buffy got off the motorcycle and started to look around into the dark night.

”Where are we? I thought you said it was here?” Buffy turned back to Spike.

”Keep your knickers on…we have to walk to get the rest of the way…there is brush up ahead and I didn’t want to drive us through a bunch of jaguar bushes.” Spike said and set his motorcycle next to a tree.

“Oh…” Buffy mumbled.

Spike pointed down the path, “Shall we?”

Buffy and Spike walked side by side in silence. Along their path they had to maneuver around big piles of brush and muddy areas.

”Well…here we are.” Spike said.

Buffy walked forward and looked up at a sign that labeled an entrance to their destination. ‘Sunnydale Junkyard’ is what the sign read in spray paint.

They started walking through the junkyard around old washing machines and moldy furniture just sitting in the grass.

”Why’d you place out here? I thought you would…I don’t know, take it with you.” Buffy made small conversation.

”Well…I placed it out here a few years after you….” Spike glanced back at Buffy. They both stopped walking and shared a look. He didn’t want to mention her death so he skipped over that part. “Anyway…I didn’t want the battery to die…I mean it’s a classic…”

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked her way around a maze of old car parts. Spike stopped in place and stared off at something, causing Buffy to bump into his back. She backed up and stood beside him and stared at the same thing he did.

”Well…there it is.” Spike sighed.

Placed between a few other pieces of junk sat Spike’s old 1950s black Desoto in high grass. A bunch of leaves covered the top of the car and the headlights were broken. The car defiantly looked its age.

“We can’t drive that.” Buffy said.

”I know…” Spike said and took a few steps forward.

”Then why are we here?!” Buffy asked loudly, not really caring if any beasties around the area heard her.

Spike didn’t answer her question; he was too busy trying to get the back of the car opened.

Buffy rolled her eyes and went over to help him. While he tried to open the back door she tried to open the front passenger door.

”Seems to have rusted shut or something.” Spike mumbled.

”You think?!” Buffy said as she pulled with all her might and then finally the door flew off.

Both of them looked down at the car door still in her one hand and then looked up at each other. They shrugged and Buffy threw the car door across the junkyard. Spike started to rummage through the car, throwing beer bottles and newspapers out of his way.

“So if you didn’t want the car then what did you want?” Buffy asked as she crossed her arms across her stomach, seeming like she was cold from the chill in the air.

”Well you said you wanted to get a look at the big picture right?” Spike asked as he still searched inside the car.

”Yeah…” Buffy admitted.

”Well…” Spike came out of the car and in brought out in both hands weapons. “…you can’t look out the big picture without big weapons.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy and Spike traveled back to Sunnydale and made a pit-stop at the Magic Box. They walked in through the front door and looked at all the garbage and ruins that made up the whole shop.

“You look out here for any weapons and I’ll gather the ones we already got in the back.” Spike said and exited to the back training room.

”Are you sure that battery you took from the car will work on car you got? And by the way, where is this ‘other’ car you got?” Buffy called to Spike in the back room.

”Don’t worry about it…” Spike shouted back to her.

Buffy walked behind what was the Magic Box store counter. ‘I bet if Anya was here she would kill me for being on this side of the counter.’ Buffy thought to herself and smiled which slowly turned into a frown. She knew it was her fault that she kept reminding herself about her friends and family being gone.

Buffy took a deep breath and concentrated on finding weapons again. ‘There is a time and place for grieving and that is not now.’ She thought to herself.

Buffy opened a few of the desk drawers and only found old newspapers and blank order forms from the Magic Box. After she shut those drawers she noticed that a few books on the bookcase across the room had fallen down. Buffy walked across the room, towards the fallen books and started to pick them up and read them. ‘The Pygmies Dark Monsters’ one book read which raised Buffy’s eyebrow. She set the book down and read the next book title, ‘Creatures of the Night in the Western Hemisphere’. The last book on the ground however didn’t have a title. Buffy picked it up and dusted it off and noticed in the corner there was an inscription of someone’s name that has slightly faded away.

Buffy squinted her eyes and tried to read out what the name was, “We…s…Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.” She read.

‘Oh my god…’ Buffy thought to herself.

“This is Wesley’s journal…” Buffy said to herself.

‘Why would it be in the Magic Box?’ Buffy thought to herself.


*~*~*~*~*~*~

L.A. 2005…

Wesley sat behind a few piles of cardboard boxes writing in his leather journal vigorously. He seemed scared and trying to be quiet, as if he was in hiding.

He wrote:

’Dear Giles,

I am going to be brief since I don’t know how much time I have left. I’m giving you a heads up that Angelus is back and seems to have planned to stay. This was never supposed to happen. He has already gone through to my gang one by one and gotten to them…I don’t know how to even describe the hell that this is. I wish best of luck to you and hopefully you will get the news of his return and will find a way to stop him.

God have mercy on us all…

Wesley’

Wesley shut his leather journal and placed it in a huge envelope and sealed it.

“Wesley?” the taunting voice of Angelus echoed in the room Wesley sat hiding in.

Wesley took a deep breath and gulp. He knew that he would not make it till morning but he hoped that his journal would. That was his last dying wish.

TBC…..

Chapter 22: The Secret Garden Part 1


Sunnydale

Spike packed all the weapons and materials into the back of the car that he found and repaired. He shut the back door and then opened the driver’s door and slid in, seeing that Buffy had her seatbelt on and looked ready to go. She had elbow propped up near the window and her head resting on her palm looking out the window, turned away from Spike.

“I think were ready to go.” Spike said and turned the key and started the car. He looked over at Buffy and saw that she didn’t move her face from the window. Spike took a deep breath and then exhaled, then began to drive away from The Magic Box—where they were parked in front of.

*~*~*~*

An Hour Later…

The whole car ride Spike and Buffy were silent. Frequently Spike checked over at Buffy to see if she had moved her head away from her window. And when he saw that she didn’t, he let out a big sigh. Spike was surprised that Buffy didn’t snap at him for all the sighs he let out because in fact he was annoying himself.

Spike decided to try and strike up a conversation and get Buffy to talk.

”I uh…I spoke with Clem…told him what we’re up to…” Spike glanced over at Buffy and then back at the road. “He also helped place the engine in this car…I think it will make it to Las Vegas…He also wishes us luck and said he’d keep an eye on things around the town.”

Spike glanced back at Buffy and saw that she still hasn’t budged an inch.

“Alright luv…what’s wrong?” Spike let out another deep breath. “I don’t fancy talking to myself this whole trip.”

Buffy didn’t utter a word.

”Buffy?” Spike made longer glances from her to the road. “Buffy…will you talk to me please?!” He raised his voice a little and hit the steering wheel in frustration.

Buffy quickly turned her head and faced Spike, and when he looked over at her he saw that her eyes had sorrow and sadness in them. His anger that she wasn’t talking to him seemed to melt away and turned into worry.

“How did my sister and friends die?” Buffy asked in a whisper.

Spike pressed his foot on the break and the car came to complete stop in the middle of the road. He turned the engine off and stared out at the front window to the darkness of the open road.

“What?” Spike asked quietly as he kept staring forward.

Buffy pulled out from under her coat Wesley’s journal that was she was kept close to her throughout the whole trip. She looked over at Spike and then down at the journal and passed it to him—holding it out for him to take.

“I found this in the Magic Box.” Buffy said.

Spike glanced down and saw a dusty old journal. Without looking Buffy in the eye, Spike took the journal she held out for him. He gazed over at the journal and passed his fingers over Wesley’s signature on the front cover.

”I read some of it…” Buffy explained, “Angelus killed them all…he killed Angel’s friends…and Wesley documented it all until he was murdered too…”

”…I know.” Spike whispered, “I remember…”

”Did Angelus kill my friends and sister?” Buffy looked over at Spike.

Spike, for the first time, took his eyes off the journal and looked up into Buffy’s eyes.

”No…” Spike answered after a few moments, “He didn’t kill them.”

Buffy bent her head down and looked into her lap.

”Then how did they—how did they die?” she asked.

“Listen pet, I don’t really think you should know. I don’t think you’re even supposed to know.” Spike said.

“Did they die naturally?” Buffy looked back up at Spike.

After a long pause he answered, “…yes…”

Buffy shifted back and forth to each of Spike’s eyes, studying them to see if he was telling the truth. She turned back to the window when she couldn’t find one spark of a lie in his eyes.

“That’s all I wanted to know.” Buffy whispered.

Spike let out a deep sigh and then turned the key and started up the car again. The rest of the way he kept quiet and didn’t bother trying to talk with Buffy. And somehow in the silence he could hear the tears trail down her cheeks and fall into her lap.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Las Vegas….

Angelus sat in his office at his desk and watched the clock on the wall keep ticking away.

”It is now 6:20 AM.” Angelus said and spun in his chair to his companion, Rufus.

Rufus gave Angelus a proud goofy smile, “Its time for the sun to rise…”

Angelus got up out of his seat and looked out the window to the city of Las Vegas. The sun was no where in sight.

”Well it was…time for the sun to rise…” Angelus said as he kept looking out his window.

“Our plan worked…the spell is cast and like you wanted—no more sun.” Rufus said.

Angelus turned to Rufus, “First off…it was my plan.”

”Right…right…sorry.” Rufus quickly stumbled.

“So…how strong is this spell? What exactly happened?” Angelus asked.

”Well…I WAS going to burn out the sun like what was planned… but I didn’t have enough power without Eli. The simplest way to create darkness was to just stop the earth.” Rufus said.

Angelus narrowed his eyes, “You stopped the earth?”

Rufus got a little bit nervous and skittish at the way Angelus was looking at him. “Umm…yes…for as long as we need the darkness, the earth will not move.”

Both of them stared back at each other in silence until Angelus let out a hiccup of a laugh. Then after a few laughs he started snickering evilly.

”Are you telling me….” Angelus started in between his laughter, “That…that…somewhere on the other side of the world humans are trying to go to sleep and instead of seeing a full moon will be getting the sizzling sun?”

”Well…yes…” Rufus gave a half grin.

Angelus got up out of his chair and started walking towards the door. As he kept walking his laughter did not die down. In fact, his laughter seemed to get louder as he exited into the hallway.

Rufus just stood alone in the darkness that was coming inside the window. On his face he displayed one look….worry.


Somewhere Between Sunnydale and Las Vegas….


“Where are we?” Buffy spoke up for the first time in hours.

”Trust me…” Spike muttered.

After being on the main highway for so long, Buffy didn’t seem to be worried about where they were going. However, after Spike took a turn onto a dusty old road she was started to get skeptical about where they were exactly going.

Buffy looked ahead and saw a sign that has big bold lettering. However she couldn’t read it due to the darkness of the day and the speed of the car was moving. She turned around and looked back at the sign when they zoomed by it.

”What did that sign say?” Buffy asked and turned back around and faced Spike.

“It’s just an old sign…” Spike said as he kept his eyes glued to the road in front of him.

”But what did it say?” Buffy asked again.

”Well…” Spike let out a sigh, “It just said that we entered a restricted area…but like a said, the sign is outdated and old.”

”Restricted Area? What does that mean? Are we—are we on government property or something?” Buffy questioned.

”Old government property.” Spike answered.

“What?!”

”Relax…this place has been abandoned for twenty or so years…besides, who’s going to stop us?” Spike asked.

”I don’t, maybe the government.” Buffy said sarcastically.

“Luv…if you haven’t noticed already…the is no one here…” Spike said.

Buffy looked forward and saw a bunch of big buildings becoming clearer and clearer.

”Where are we?” she whispered.

Spike pulled the car to the side of one of the big warehouse buildings and turned off the car. He opened the car door but before he stepped out he looked over at a confused Buffy and said, “Well…it use to be Area 51.”

Las Vegas…

Angelus stood in the elevator by himself. His eyes were glued in on watching the floor numbers pass by quickly down passing the lobby and basement. Once the elevator reached the basement floor Angelus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small key and opened a box under the basement button that was labeled ‘A’. Angelus put his key in the slot and turned it round and round until he heard a click.

The elevator began to move again. It went down below the basement and to a secret floor. The doors opened and Angelus stepped out into a damp and dark quarters. The sound of pipes dripping and human moans could be heard along with the sound of Angelus’s shoes walking down a hallway.

“Please…please…” a cry was let out of a woman.

As Angelus continued to walk down a path he passed many dark cages containing weak figures. A few times as Angelus passed by a cage a fragile hand would reach out and try to touch him.

The place was a prison for hundreds upon hundreds of woman, men, and children. They were his prisoners because they were weak Angelus was strong. They were his prisoners because they were human while Angelus didn’t have a touch of humanity. They were Angelus’s prisoners because no one knew about them; no one knew they even existed down in his dark chambers. It was Angelus’s little secret.

TBC…

Chapter 23: The Secret Garden Part 2


“So Area 51 huh?” Buffy asked, as she followed close behind Spike as they walked in an abandoned military warehouse full of old tanks and airplanes. “Thought this place was were they kept all the aliens and crap.”

”Aliens?” Spike snorted, “You actually believe in all that outer space nonsense?”

”I can’t believe you’re actually asking me that question?” Buffy replied quietly, however there was no need to keep quiet since her voice still echoed in the big open space.

“With all the demons and vampires around why is it hard to believe that there could be creatures from outside space?”

”Well luv, think of it like this…the government just planted those dots in the sky so they could distract the public into thinking that there was something out their in infinite space while all along the danger was here on earth, at their front door, with demons, vampires, and well…evil.” Spike explained.

Buffy was speechless. Spike’s explanation seemed to actually make sense. And after a few minutes of walking in the darkness in a deep thought, Buffy bumped into something hard and fell down on the ground. She shook her head and then saw in the darkness that Spike was crouched over her, seeing if she was alright.

”You okay?” Spike asked with concern.

”Yeah…it’s just a little hard to see in here is all.” Buffy said as she stood back up on her feet.

Spike reached in his pocket and brought out his lighter and gave it a flick. And then in a split second Buffy could see Spike’s face again as he held the light between their faces.

”Here.” Spike said as he let the flame go out and handed the lighter to Buffy.

“Thanks.” She mumbled. She took the steel lighter in her hands and let the flame consume the darkness around them.

“Just don’t waste the light.” Spike said and gave her a small smile.

Buffy let the flame go out and slid the lighter into her front pants pocket. She felt Spike grab her hand and took them further into the warehouse.

*~*~*~*~

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Buffy asked as watched Spike through a bunch of files in one of the offices they entered on the second floor.

“A map.” Spike simply said.

“Map of what?” Buffy sighed as she leaned against the wall in the office, “And how do you know this office has this special map you are looking for.”

”Map of Las Vegas…and I don’t know this office has the information we are looking for….” Spike said as he threw another file down on the ground. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and check one of the other offices on this floor.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and ventured off out of the office.

“And don’t go leave this floor without telling me!” Spike yelled out after her.

”Yeah, yeah!” she yelled back, her voice echoing down the hallway.

Buffy entered one the nicer offices on the floor. She probably guessed that the office belonged formerly to a higher leveled officer or something. All over the room there were papers thrown about and books stacked up waist high.

“What a mess…” Buffy mumbled as she ran her fingers over some dusty books, causing her fingers to get dirty. She ran her hands down her pants, hoping that some of the dust would come off. When Buffy looked back at her hands she saw that they were still dirty.

When a stack of newspapers slid off the big desk and hit the ground, Buffy jumped back a little and held her hands to her chest in startled state.

“Man…” she mumbled to herself as she took her hands off her chest and let out a deep breath. Buffy walked over to the stack of newspapers and picked up the first one she saw. She squinted while trying to read the headline of the newspaper; however she had no luck making out any of the words since it was so dark in the office. Buffy reached into her pocket and brought out Spike’s lighter and flicked it open.

‘DIASTER STRIKES LAS VEGAS’ Buffy read the bold big bold capital letters that took over the page.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



2008…

Las Vegas…

“…We've only just begun to live…” Angelus sang as he strolled past an overturned car on fire and watched two vampires chase a group of humans down the street.

Angelus just continued to smile and sing ‘We’ve Only Just Began’ by the Carpenters; “White lace and promises. A kiss for luck and we're on our way.”

“Please, please help!!!” someone screamed in a distance.

To sound of pleading merciful screaming made Angelus smile widen even more. He felt like kicking up his heals and toasting to his success of taking over the city in an amount of hours. Once night had fallen he gathered all his vampire minions and announced it was ‘dinner time’.

“Mommy!” a child screamed.

Angelus picked up the smell of fear and followed it into a nearby alley. He saw a woman and her two kids huddled cornered by three growling hungry vampires. Angelus watched a smirk and thought ‘It’s like a scene from my favorite movie’.

“Leave us alone!” the mother shrieked and tried to hide her children behind her body.

“Yes…let them be.” Angelus spoke up, wiping the smirk off his face and putting on the act of being ‘Mr. Hero’.

The three vampires turned to their boss and gave a confused look, “But you—“ one of the vampires started.

”Leave them alone!” Angelus said, “Go someone else…get the picture?” whispering the last part and giving the three vampires a look.

“Oh…right.” One of the vampires nodded, and the three of them hurried out the alley.

”They won’t bother you anymore.” Angelus said nicely as he turned back to the mother.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” The mother cried as she took her daughter, that couldn’t be more than five years old, in her arms and hugged her close.

“No need for it…” Angelus smiled.

“Yes there is…you saved me and my children.” The woman said with tears in her eyes.

“Oh please…” Angelus waved his hand, acting like he was embarrassed for her graciousness, “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Angelus’s eyes darted from the mother down to her young son that was hiding beside her side.

“Please there must be something…”

’Sweet innocence blood…’ Angelus thought as he stared at the boy.

“…I can do for you.”

Angelus looked back at the mother and smiled, “I said there was no need to pay me back…you wouldn’t want to help this old…bad…man…”

The mother gave a confused look at her hero and held her little girl tighter.

“But…you’re good?” the mother whimpered, her statement suddenly turned into a question.

“No I’m not.” Angelus smiled and took a step forward for the little boy but was stopped by a voice from the entrance of the alley.

”No he’s not.”

Angelus turned around and laughed at the site before him.

“Hello…Angelus.”

”Spike…”

Chapter 24: One Thing Leads To Another

Spike was surprised to find himself being knocking in the back of the head with a book, since he knew that the he and Buffy were the only one’s at the military base Area 51. He was looking through old maps of different cities when the incident happened.

”Bloody hell…” He mumbled to himself, dropping the maps that he was holding to rub the back of his head.

“You’re a coward.” Buffy’s voice spoke up in an icy tone.

Spike froze and turned around to find Buffy glaring daggers into his soul. He was taken by surprise at her sudden anger towards him.

“Excuse me?” Spike mumbled in shock, forgetting the bump on the back of his head and turning to face her.

”You heard me.” Buffy announced and walked up to him and shoved an old newspaper in his chest.

Spike grabbed the paper she pushed at him and started to read the headlines, making out only big blocked letters in the moonlight. After he took one glance he looked up at Buffy’s eyes. She looked like she was waiting for an explanation.

“What do you want me to say?” Spike whispered as he looked back down at the newspaper.

”That paper was dated years ago…”

”I know…”

“So…you knew…you knew the world was in a crisis and you just pretended that you didn’t. You didn’t even bother to stop Angelus.” Buffy yelled.

“You don’t understand luv—“ Spike started but was cut short.

“You’re absolutely right…I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t know about Angelus until recently…that this whole thing had happened only in the last few years…now; I find out that this has been going on for decades Spike!” Buffy’s anger was causing her to tears stream down her face. The frustration she had building up inside of her was causing her to show two different emotions at once, anger and sadness.

Spike shook his head; he seemed desperate for Buffy to understand his side of the story.

”I wanted to help…I actually tried to stop him on my own but….”

”But what?”

”It’s complicated, Buffy….words were exchanged between the two us…but in the end he threatened me with something that made me step away.” Spike explained.

“And that would be?”

”...Dawn.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Las Vegas…2008…

The mother and her children, that were almost about to be Angelus’s midnight snack, had sneaked away when the two vampires came face to face with one another. Both Spike and Angelus were both in a state of raging hate that they didn’t even notice the three humans running out the alley.

“Been a while…” Angelus spoke up first.

“Wish it had been longer.” Spike retracted.

“Haven’t seen you since…oh…what? The Slayer’s six feet under party a few years ago if I remember.” Angelus knew what buttons to push on certain people. It use to be Drusilla that would get Spike all fired. However, recently since he found out the love Spike held for the fallen Slayer, it was Buffy that got to him.

Spike growled at the disrespect that the soullessness of Angelus had remarked on. “Mention one more word about that again and you’ll get a stake in your eye.”

”What? Did I hit a sweet spot?” Angelus smirked.

“Let’s cut to the chase.” Spike got down to business.

”Why? Do you feel uncomfortable talking about Sacrifice Girl…?”

Spike, in one strut, leaned in and punched Angelus square in face. The force Spike put into the punch caused Angelus to be knocked back a little bit. But the only response Angelus gave him was a laugh.

”If I didn’t know any better, I would say that punch came straight from your aching soul…but then I forgot…you don’t got one….” Angelus continued, “Isn’t that pathetic? How lame is it to be a vampire with no soul that acts like he’s got one?”

”How ‘lame’ is it to be a vampire who goes for cheap shots and kills helpless victims and not put in a real fight?” Spike asked.

“A pretty damn smart one…who’s well feed.” Angelus smiled.

“I heard what you did to the L.A crew…” Spike changed the subject.

“How I picked my teeth with each one of their bones? Yeah…what about it?” Angelus smirked as he saw that Spike seemed uncomfortable with the disturbing words.

“Then I heard about this little incident.” Spike gestured around the city and the sounds of screams coming all around Las Vegas from innocent victims.

”Brilliant isn’t it?” Angelus patted Spike’s shoulder as if they were good pals and continued to walk by him and out the alley.

“You had your fifteen minutes of fame…” Spike started, “Think its time to stop going after the easy kills and give me a challenge.”

Angelus stopped in his tracks and turned around. “You want to fight me Willy?”

“And beat your skull in.” Spike added darkly.

”You know it doesn’t have to be like that…we both can walk away and feast together…take over this city…we can be the most powerful vamps in all the world…it will be like old times.” Angelus replied, trying to convince Spike.

”Don’t fancy being your bleedin partner…couldn’t stand you before when I was evil, why would I stand you now?” Spike asked, “Besides…I don’t play for that side anymore.”

Angelus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, “You still believing in that ‘being good on your own free will’ junk?”

Spike didn’t answer.

”Your little dead Slayer didn’t believe in you...so why continue…just a waste of time since she’s all…what was it? Oh…right…dead.” Angelus pushed the grieving vampire’s button again.

Spike, by this point was done reasoning. He took one big leap and lunged himself into fighting his soulless nemesis.

In the middle of the fight Angelus got Spike in grip against the wall, “You know you can’t beat me; couldn’t before…can’t ever.”

Spike took a cheap shot and kicked Angelus in the shin. They both continued to fight, and at one point Spike grabbed his stake out of his duster pocket and leaned forward for the kill. However, Angelus was too quick. He knocked the stake out of Spike’s hand and grabbed it and pinned it into Spike’s chest. The pressure admitted to Spike’s chest made him freeze in the moment.

Angelus glanced down between the stake and Spike’s face. “One quick push and you can join your little dead sacrifice girl.”

Spike waited; Angelus never left any of his victims, demon or not, alive. He knew it was his end. Spike felt like he failed the world yet again.

”However…” Angelus leaned back moving the stake away form Spike’s body. “I’m not going to do it.”

Spike’s tense body relaxed just a little bit, he still waited for the loophole in this matter.

“I’m giving you a get out jail free card…you leave now and get out of MY city and I won’t stake you.” Angelus offered.

”I’m not going to let you murder countless people.” Spike said.

”Yes you are…you’re going to go far, far, far away…” Angelus said as he started twirling the stake in his hand.

”Why would I agree to this?” Spike asked.

Angelus walked up to Spike and got very close to his face. He leaned forward and whispered in his ears, “Because if you ever come back I’ll come after the Slayer’s friends….and her sister…”

Angelus leaned back, watching Spike clench his jaw tightly, “And if you fight me now…I’ll kill you and I’ll go after them anyway…just like I did to Cordelia, Gunn, Fred, and Wes. They’ll have no protection…and never see it coming…one by one I’ll torture them for hours until they beg for death.”

The words pouring out of Angelus’s mouth was pure torture enough for Spike. When he didn’t reply to Angelus’s little bargain, the soulless vampire took that as a sign of agreement. Angelus smiled and walked out the alley whistling happily and loudly.

”Oh and by the way…” Angelus stopped whistling and looked behind his shoulder at the unmoving Spike. “It was nice seeing you again.”

*~*~*~*~*~

Present Time….

”…if I had the choice again…I’d still walk away.” Spike said, finishing his tale of his encounter with Angelus all those years ago.

After the tale you could see that Buffy was no longer angry, she seemed sort of understanding. She realized that if she had to make a decision like he did she would probably do the same thing.

”What a world we live in…” Buffy muttered and shook her head.

”The sacrifices we make never seem good later huh?” Spike asked.

Buffy glanced up at him, staring into his eyes for a moment and saw decency in the souled vampire. She never realized that he and she were one of the same. Sure, they took different paths in life, but however they ended up years later being all each others got.

“I’m sorry.” Buffy whispered, “I’m sorry I doubted and judged you.”

”Is this an apology from the Slayer? It’s got to be the first for me.” Spike teased, trying to lighten up the mood.

Buffy cracked a smile.

”And that’s got to be the first smile I’ve seen in a while too…don’t get those much either.” Spike commented as he smiled lovingly at her.

The smile still stuck on the Slayers face as they stared at one another. However it was short lived; pretty soon Buffy was back to business.

“Anyway…you find anything useful?” Buffy asked.

Spike let out a deep breath, “Why do you do that?”

Buffy looked confused, “Do what?”

”I give you a compliment and you shun away.” Spike pointed out.

”I didn’t shun…we have to get down to business and—“

”A minute ago you didn’t care if the whole world was on fire…” Spike started, “A minute ago you weren’t a Slayer and I wasn’t a vampire…we were just us…”

”Yeah…now we have to face reality and get down to work…” Buffy reasoned and started picking up the maps that Spike dropped earlier to the floor.

Spike stepped up and grabbed Buffy’s arms and held them so she wouldn’t break free.

”What are you doing?” Buffy asked.

“You know, there is no one here…no one here to judge you or tell you what is right and wrong…this time you have to make those decisions for yourself and use your own judgment, Buffy.”

”I don’t understand what---“

Spike cut her short as he leaned in and kissed her. At first Buffy didn’t respond, she was nearly in shock from the touch of his lips to hers. But after a few moments she relaxed and let the maps slip out of her hands and drop to the floor. Buffy grabbed out and put her arms around Spike as he continued to kiss her.

When a breath was needed Spike leaned back and rested his forehead against hers. He looked into her eyes and saw she had her eyes closed and was breathing a bit heavily. Spike brought his hand up and caressed her cheek ever so slightly, making her eyes open and meet his.

“I don’t want to play…” Spike whispered, “I love you and I don’t want to the one because I’m just conveniently here…”

”Spike…” she softly started and waited a moment before saying, “Kiss me.”

Spike knew he shouldn’t kiss her before talking everything out but he knew that couldn’t resist the way she said the words ‘kiss me’ to him. In an instant they both were passionately kissing again.

Chapter 25: A Change of Fate


They both were leaning up against the wall of the dark office at the military base. Their feet were spread out, overlapping with one another. Spike’s arm was gently secured around Buffy’s shoulder, causing her to lean into his side. Buffy’s small hand was placed on his chest while her other arm went behind his back.

“Luv…” Spike whispered, he wasn’t quit sure if she was awake or not. His question was answered when she moved her head up to look at him.

”Yeah?” her voice was tired and quiet, almost shy like.

“Is it alright if I ask a penny for your thoughts?” he started, “I mean…the more I know what’s going on cause…I mean…” he sort of jumbled with his words at first but finally got his point out, “What happened?”

”I’m not sure…we kissed…” Buffy stated the obvious while looking across the room, avoiding his eyes.

”Ya and…” Spike trailed on, wanting her to fill in the blanks a bit more.

”And now we’re not…and we are letting our minds run wild.” Buffy added.

”Very true.” Spike sighed and reached out for Buffy’s chin and turned it up so she was looking back at him. “But maybe we could put our fears to rest if we just talk about it…” he paused for a moment, “Talk to me.”

”Well…to put YOUR mind to rest…I’m not didn’t kiss you because your conveniently here.”

”Good to know.” Spike sighed.

”I don’t know Spike…you kissing me sent me on a tailspin of confusion.” She admitted.

“You kissing me back sort of had the same effect on me too love.” He commented and tightened his hold on her just a bit.

”I kind of figured…and this is where I want to tell you I love you deeply and kiss you and so forth…” Buffy said sadly.

He loosened his hold a bit on her, he got the message plain and clear…he didn’t need her to say it to him…he said it for himself, “But you don’t love me.”

Letting his arms fall away from her he felt a bit cold. Buffy instantly sat up and saw his heartbroken face. She quickly reached out and grabbed both sides of his face and turned his face to direction all his attention on her. It wasn’t hard for him to be fixed on her.

“Hey…” she said with a caring and soft voice, “...Listen to me…you wanted me not to play games…and I don’t want to either, I won’t. What I feel for you is developing, developing rapidly. Just because I don’t love you totally with every piece of my heart don’t mean you don’t already have pieces of me.” Buffy explained and gently stroke his cheek, “I need time…I know that 80 years has be the understatement of the year of waiting but… yesterday to me was a completely different world.”

”I know love.” Spike nodded but looked a little be still dejected.

”Give me time Spike…I know that isn’t something we are given a lot of…well especially me since well I’m the Slayer but—“

”It’s going to be different this time Buffy…I won’t let you die that way again.” Spike interrupted her to tell her what he thought on that matter of her death.

”Spike…” she was about to say he couldn’t possibly know what her future held but he jumped in again.

”You will…”

Buffy gave him a small smile and stroke his cheek again.

”Things like that…what you just said, it makes me want to love you even more but at the moment—“

”I understand.” Spike cut her off and gave her a short kiss on the lips and told her once more, “I understand.”

”I don’t know what I would have done if I came back and you weren’t here.” Buffy said as a single tear started to roll down her cheek.

”You’d be just fine.” Spike confidently said.

”I don’t know…I don’t think so.” Buffy shook her head and sat down and rested back into his arms like she was previously doing.

“Well, lets come to a compromise…why don’t we just say ‘thank god it never happened’” Spike said and let out a long sigh as he stroke her hair and kissed to top of her head.

”I agree with that.” Buffy said and closed her eyes as he sat with her.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~




A few hours later, Spike and Buffy were gathering supplies all the supplies they need to head to Las Vegas to defeat Angelus. As Spike gathered the maps up she found Buffy looking and staring outside. He noticed she seemed a little bit more than preoccupied with what was going the window.

”Something wrong?” Spike asked as he touched Buffy’s shoulder and rested it there.

When she didn’t speak or turn away, Spike asked again, “Luv?”

”How long has it been dark outside?” Buffy asked out of the blue.

Spike glanced up at the sky and noticed the pitch black night sky.

”It’s got to be a couple of hours. Right? Sun should be rising soon.” Spike took another glance around the dead military base.

”But it’s not. It feels longer than a couple of hours…it feels like it should be way past sunrise…” Buffy explained.

“Maybe we lost track of the time or…” Spike reasoned.

”No…” she said sternly and glanced at Spike, “Something is off…I can feel it…something happened.”

Spike let out a breath as and mumbled, “Angelus.”



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



An hour later Spike and Buffy were speeding down in the middle of Nevada towards Las Vegas. Both of them were silent in the car, keeping an eye on the sky for any change.

”You think he did something to the sun?” Buffy broke the silence and turned to look at Spike clutching the steering wheel as he watched his speed hit 90.

“Never know with him…since he’s become all powerful and mighty he may have someone working on the sidelines for him.” Spike predicted.

“You think it was spell?” Buffy muttered.

Spike took a deep breath, “No question about it…magic is the only way this can happen. That…or universe is about to implode.”

Buffy snapped her head to stare at him. When he met her eyes he shrugged, “Never know.”

”Thanks for being so comforting.” Buffy sarcastically said as he glanced out the window again.

After a moment Buffy felt something slip into her left hand. When she looked down she saw Spike’s hand holding onto hers. When she looked up at his face she noticed he didn’t send her a glance. Buffy only gave a little smile to herself and rearranged her fingers so they were firmly clasped together.

“Check it out.” Spike spoke up and nodded to something in the distance on the highway.

Buffy squinted her eyes, trying to make the figure that was moving along the side of the road.

“Looks like a hitchhiker.” Buffy guessed.

”Or something else.” Spike muttered.

“Pull over.” Buffy ordered.

”What? No! Are you crazy? We don’t have time for—“

”Spike…just do it.” Buffy said.

Spike shook his head and slowed the car down to a stop a few hundred feet away from the figure.

Buffy jumped out of the car and saw it was a man dressed in casual clothes carrying a bag.

”Who are you?” Buffy asked.

“Who are you?” the man asked.

”We asked first.” As Spike got out the car too and raised a crossbow at the man.

“Don’t shoot. I’m not a vampire.” The man said as he held his hands up and dropped his bag down,

Buffy and Spike shared a look with one another.

”You were coming from the direction of Las Vegas…seems there is nothing BUT vampires there…so tell us another one.” Spike said as he gripped the crossbow firmly and continued to point it at the man’s chest.

”I’m not a vampire…I’m a wizard…name’s Eli.” The wizard said.

Buffy and Spike looked back at one another and then Spike lowered the crossbow down at him.





TBC...

Chapter 26: Don’t Kill the Wizard





Buffy sat in the back seat of the moving car tying El’s hands and legs together with some spare rope they had brought along. Spike kept glancing in his mirror, keeping a cautious eye on Eli as he drove into the Nevada night.

“Ow!” Eli yelped as Buffy cut off his circulation in his one hand a little bit.

“Don’t be a baby.” Buffy scolded and loosened the ropes only a little bit.

“Well love you do have the reputation of being rough with the ropes.” Spike spoke up and gave his two cents, sympathizing with the wizard when he remembered a certain Thanksgiving being tied to a chair.

Buffy leaned forward in the backseat so her lips were directly next to Spike’s ear. She whispered, “Do you want to be tied up next?”

Spike smirked, but didn’t take his eyes off the road. Buffy climbed over the backseat and into the front passenger seat.

“What’s the point of tying me up again?” Eli spoke up, “You checked to see if I was armed with weapons when you picked me up.”

”Can’t take any chances….you’re still dangerous, you played for Angelus’s side.” Spike explained.

“Not anymore….” Eli muttered and wiggled around in the back, trying to be more comfortable.

“And why’s that?” Buffy turned around her seat and sat her chin against the seat.

“Yeah wizard boy, did you think Angelus was some sort of saint when you came to Vegas?” Spike asked, glancing at him through his mirror, even though he knew Eli couldn’t see his reflection of his eyes.

“I knew he wasn’t innocent.” Eli looked down in his lap.

“So, what? You reformed while in the presence of the Great Poofter?”

“I was hired by one of Angelus’s lackey’s…they heard of me and my brother wizard, Rufus. Rufus was willing to go, but I had my doubts. The only reason I went along for the ride was to protect my wife.” Eli admitted and looked up to meet Buffy’s eyes with a frown.

“You’re married?” Buffy whispered and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Yes…we lived in Los Angelus for a while until I had enough money to leave that hell hole of a city that it turned into and go some place nicer…safer to raise a family….” Eli explained, “Once we settled everything was perfect…until Angelus took her from our own home…” Eli sadly said, forming tears in his eyes.

Buffy and Spike were silent, they didn’t know what to say, they wanted him to continue.

”Angelus knew my skills…and took that against me…threatened my wife’s life if I didn’t follow his wishes.” Eli sniffed, “If I didn’t go…he’d kill her.”

“Did he?” Spike asked, mostly likely thinking he’d hear a yes come from the wizard’s mouth.

“Not sure…probably did. I never saw her again.” Eli whispered and looked out the window at the Nevada desert speeding by.

”Then why’d you work for him?” Buffy asked.

”To try to see if I could get her back…find a clue as to what happened to her.” Eli told them, “I wasn’t going to let my wife just disappear out of existence. If she was killed I was going to make sure Angelus got what was coming to him.”

”I don’t get it.” Buffy shook her head in confusion, “Why would Angelus hire you when he knew that you knew that your wife could be in grave danger…and that you were looking for revenge?”

”That’s the big question.” Eli nodded, “I guess he thinks if I help him I’d get my Lily back.”

”Lily?” Buffy asked with a small smile at the pretty name.

“Yes, Lily…” Eli smiled too, and sort of went into a daze as if he was remembering a moment or image of his wife.

They didn’t say anything to each other the rest of the car ride. All three of them were just left with there thoughts. However, at some point of the car ride Spike’s hand gently slipped into Buffy’s that was resting on the car seat between them. Buffy looked down as he laced their fingers together and tightened his hold, seeming like he was holding on for dear life. She guessed that Eli’s story had gotten some sort of message across to Spike. Buffy guessed that Spike realized that love could slip away in a heartbeat if you don’t hold on….and more importantly, that it was harder to hold on once you finally have hold so dearly to your heart.


*~*~*~*~*~


“Turn here.” Eli was the first one to speak up in over an hour. The sound of a voice startled Buffy a little bit.

“Why?” Buffy asked.

”Please just do it.” Eli pleaded, hoping that two would listen to him, and would have the heart to maybe start trusting him a little bit after he opened to them.

Buffy and Spike glanced at one another. Buffy nodded and then Spike took the turn onto a small little dirt path that seemed to come out of no where after driving miles and miles on only one road in sight.

”Where are we going?” Spike asked as he gripped the wheel tighter. He realized the new road was a lot bumpier compared to the interstate.

All three passengers seemed to be tossed up and down and side to side as they continued down the road.

”Why doesn’t this car have seatbelts Spike?” Buffy asked as she held on to the dashboard in front of her.

“It’s an old car pet…anything could have happened to them.” Spike told her as hit another bump and his head went flying up and hit the roof. “Bugger.” He muttered in pain.

“It’s a rough road but it’s necessary.” Eli spoke up as he slid into the car door; without having any control of where his body went he couldn’t brace himself for the impact.

“Were three miles for Las Vegas, why take this way?” Spike yelled at Eli.

”Okay stop here.” Eli said.

Spike slowed the car down to a hault and looked around into the darkness to see nothing. He turned to look over at Buffy to see if she was alright.

”You okay?” He asked in concern when he saw her wince in pain as she rubbed the side of her head.

”Fine…” she groaned.

Spike turned around to look at the wizard with anger eyes, “All I see is dirt and miles of nothing.”

Buffy opened her car door, continuing to rub her aching head. In the process she saw a small little shack built out of logs just a few feet from the car.

”Spike…” she called out to him.

Spike opened his door and looked over at what she was looking at. “Want to explain yourself Wizzy?” Spike asked as he spotted a tiny shed in the middle of no where.

”I will…but you’ll have to untie me.” Eli said as he tried to maneuver his body to a sitting position.

Buffy and Spike meet eyes across the roof the car.

“What do you think?” Buffy asked.

”Only the feet.” Spike simply said.

After untying a few knots, Eli was standing outside the car with his feet free but his hands still tied together behind his back. Buffy had one hand around his arm, making sure he didn’t make a break for…even though there was no place to run to in the middle of no where.

As they approached the tiny shed Spike opened the door for Buffy and Eli and then he followed behind.

Once inside all they saw was a seal planted into the ground.

“This better not be another Hellmouth…” Buffy whined.

“It’s a sewer entrance into the tunnels underneath Las Vegas.” Eli explained as all three of them stared at the seal.

”And this helps how?” Buffy asked, looking confused at the sewer drain.

”You can’t enter Las Vegas all willy nilly…Angelus has every lackey in the whole city in search for the two of you. You wouldn’t get five seconds into the city without being spotted and being turned into Angelus. This is the only way.” Eli explained with a sigh.

Everything that Buffy felt or was malfunctioning in her body froze. ‘Angelus knows I’m alive? So the dream was true…’ “What did you say?” she whispered and let go of Eli’s arm and turned to him.

Spike turned to look at Buffy, not understanding what made her look so upset. He was so quick to figure out that Angelus now knew that Buffy was alive and with him.

”Angelus’s knows….he knows I’m here…alive?”

Eli took a deep breath, “To make a long story short…he does.”

Spike looked over at Buffy and saw distress written all over her face. She started to pace until he stepped in front of her path and grabbed her by the shoulders.

”Luv…it’s going to be alright…he won’t find us.” Spike said softly as he raised one of his hands to graze her hair softly.

“My dream was true Spike…” she cried, “What if…what if the rest of it comes true?”

Spike pulled her closer so she rested her head on his shoulder. Buffy held on tight to him as she let the tears run down her cheek. Eli just stood in the corner, watching the two exchange loving and caring words with one another in interest.

”Shhh…remember what I said? I said I wouldn’t let anything happen to you this time around…it will take a lot more than a bloody dream to convince me…” Spike softly said into her ear in a whisper.

After a brief pause, Eli spoke up “So…the sewer?”

Buffy pulled away from Spike and dried her eyes in embarrassment, and decided to get back to business.

“How do you know about where this leads?” Spike asked as he lifted the drain and looked down the dark hole.

”How do you think I got away from Las Vegas without being spotted in the first place?” Eli informed.

”I don’t know…” Spike said as he looked down the hole, “Seems a bit risky.”

”Spike can I talk with you for a second?” Buffy said as she opened to door to the shack and exited, Spike followed her.

Once they were outside he directed all his attention on Buffy.

“I think we should do it…follow him.” Buffy said with as little confident look on her face.

Spike narrowed his eyes at Buffy’s face expression. He hadn’t seen that look in eighty years. “What’s going on in that little mind of yours?”

Buffy turned around and went to the car and popped open the trunk of the car, and stared down at all the weapons they stole from Area 51. Spike also glanced down at the weapons and up then up at Buffy, as if not understanding what she meant.

”How are you assembling bombs?” she asked with a smile.


TBC…
short, i know...but better than nothing.

Chapter 27: The Light at the End of the Tunnel




Eli, Buffy, and Spike had traveled down into the musky sewer, of course after they agreed to untie the wizard. Then one by one they lowered there equipment into the hole just like an assembly line. They each took their time going over the map of Las Vegas, determining where the best place to set up and station their weapons. The most obvious place was directly under Angelus’s casino.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Buffy asked as she watched Eli and Spike prepare to set up the bombs.

Eli and Spike glanced up at the nervous slayer eyeing all the wires and dynamite that was laid out on the ground of the dark sewer. The only light they had was three lanterns that hung on the wall.

“These thing are not too hard to set up…a child could do it.” Eli explained as he looked back down at the dynamite and continued to set up the next one. “Do you want me to teach you how to—“

“No!” Buffy said quickly and took one step back, showing that she was frightened for just a second, “No thanks…I trust you…” and she let out a sigh.

Spike glanced up at Buffy’s nervous state with a smirk, ‘Seems to show some fear huh? Looks like the Slayer will be a real girl after all’ he thought to himself as he connected a bunch of wires.

“What about you? How do you know about this?” Buffy turned to Spike, looking at him with some curiosity.

Spike smirked but didn’t look up at his Slayer, “I’ll have to tell you later about my days in Europe during World War II sometime pet.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth in shock a little bit. However, she shook off the thoughts of what Spike would be like during the 1940s and focused her mind on the task. She turned her attention to the weapons bag that sat on the ground next to her feet. Buffy reached down and unzipped the bag and started to search inside with her back turned to Spike and Eli.

“You killed Nazi’s?” Eli whispered to Spike.

Spike snorted, “More like ate them.”

“What’s this?” Buffy spoke up and pulled something out of the weapons bag, a crystallized sphere of some sort---the the kind that resembled a crystal ball.

“Eli is this yours?” Buffy spoke up and turned around with the sphere in her hand. Since he was a wizard Buffy just assumed it belonged to him.

Eli just squinted at the globe and tilted his head to examine it with interest. When Spike raised his head his eyes widened and dropped everything he was doing and grabbed it out of Buffy’s hand.

“That’s mine and it’s nothing.” Spike muttered and placed it back in the bag.

“That looks like a…” Eli started but quickly shut his mouth when Spike gave him a deathly glare.

Buffy eyed Spike and Eli back and forth in confusion, “It looks sort of like the Dagon sphere we used to repel Glory…or that thing Willow used to help restore Angel’s---“ Buffy stopped in mid-sentence. The spark of recognition of what the globe was hit her like a punch in the stomach.

“It is the same—“

“Buffy I can explain.” Spike quickly said.

“Explain what?” Eli got up for his work, wanting to not be left in the dark about what was going on.

Buffy and Spike ignored the wizard, “I don’t understand.” Buffy whispered, “Why…of all people…”

“Would I want Angelus to get his soul back?” Spike finished her question.

“Where did you even get that?” Buffy shouted as she pointed to the Orb.

“Japan…after realizing the one Willow used could be only used once I had to go in search of another…this….” Spike looked down at the Orb, “This is one of three left in the world…”

“Now there will be only two left…” Buffy said as she reached for it.

Spike clenched on to it and held it close, “What? Buffy! You’re going to break it!” he shouted for her to back away while she kept advancing at him. He didn’t understand what made her suddenly act this way.

Eli just watched as the Slayer wrestled Spike down to the ground, fighting to get her hands on the Orb. After watching enough he rushed to both of them and took Spike off guard and grabbed it out of his grasp.

“Give it!” Buffy and Spike shouted as they saw Eli take hold of it.

“No!” Eli shouted, his voice echoing down the tunnels of the sewer causing Buffy and Spike stop fighting and look up at the wizard.

“Don’t destroy!”

“Destroy it!”

Buffy and Spike shouted out at the same time.

“What do you mean destroy it?” Spike turned to look at Buffy who was sitting on top of him, pinning him down.

“And what do you mean don’t…?” Buffy asked looking down at him.

“I’m going to go over here and continue setting up the dynamite…” Eli interrupted, “I’m taking the globe with me while you two TALK things out…” Eli walked a short distance about from Buffy and Spike.

“You going to get off me?” Spike asked.

“Not sure…” Buffy muttered.

Spike raised an eyebrow, “Not the best place pet to have your way with me but if you like to—“

Buffy rolled her eyes and quickly rose to her feet, taking a few steps away from him.

“Pig.” She muttered to herself.

“Yeah I guess I am…soul didn’t change that much of me I guess…” Spike mumbled as he dusted himself off.

“Yeah…guess so…except for the part where you want to have Angel back to his soulful self….” Buffy pointed out, “Why you so keen on this plan?”

“Why you so keen on him not coming back?”

“I asked you first” Buffy argued.

“So…”

“Soooo….” Buffy rolled her eyes. She had to admit that both of them were acting like two five year olds fighting.

“I don’t want to get in this right now…but…if we MUST…” Spike took a deep breath, “I thought it would make you…happy.”

Buffy scrunched up her face and shook her head, “What?”

“Come on luv…I know you love Angel…he’ll be number one on you list till kingdom come…even if you did consider me as your…you know…special someone, I know he’ll be drifting in the back of your mind. So, by having him back to his old soulful self you don’t have to ever choose second best…being yours truly.”

By the time Spike was finished with his little explanation, Buffy was close to tears. She took a step forward and slapped him hard on the face, practically causing Spike’s head to whip to the side. Eli looked up from what he was doing at the two warriors when he heard the slap. And when Spike turned towards Buffy, holding his hand to his pained face, he saw the tears spilling down her cheek and her lip quivering.

“Buffy…” Spike started very softly but was quieted when the Slayer launched herself at him, attacking him in a hug.

Eli and Spike were surprised to see the sudden change in behavior…Spike especially. He slowly placed his arms around her and held her close to his body as she cried a river into his shoulder.

“You are so stupid…” Buffy muttered into his neck while still crying.

“Come again?” Spike whispered in pure bewilderment.

Buffy back away just a bit so she could look him in the eye. “How could you say that…how could you talk that way about yourself…?” she cried.

“Luv I don’t understand…”

“No! You don’t…you clearly don’t…” she said shaking her head and looking down at the ground for a moment and then back up at him, “I don’t love Angel anymore…and I never expected to get him back….I don’t even want him back Spike.”

“Pet, no you don’t mean that you—“

Buffy stopped Spike’s shaking head and placed her hands on both sides of his cheeks, “Yes I do.” She firmly said, “Angel is dead to me…he’s been dead to me for a long time…maybe longer than I’ve been dead…if I could pick, choose, between having him be the one being here and having you…it would be you…I would always pick you.”

Spike still wasn’t convinced, “Don’t say that Buffy…I know you would—“

“No…” interrupting his once again, “I don’t think you really know me if you keep thinking this way…if you did know me then you would know that when you stood at the bottom of those stairs in my house that night I jumped, you would know I felt close to you…it may have been for a brief moment…but there is no denying it…you sparked something inside of me William.”

Spike started to get teary eyed too. Watching the woman he loved stand there and say all these wonderful things about him and how he touched her heart some way was his idea of heaven.

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and touched his forehead to hers, “I trust you with my life…I could never say the same for Angel…” she whispered to him, “That’s why I wanted Dawn to be looked over by you… not him…”

“Love…”

“Shhh…” she whispered, “You reassure me all the time that I’m strong and such a wonderful person…now it’s my turn to say the same for you. Spike…William…I love you…”

“You don’t have to say it because I’m get all misty pet…”

“I’m not…and I’m not saying it because you’re vulnerable either…I’m saying it now because I have the strongest feeling at the moment to say it…and if it takes me a hundred years to persuade you that I love you then…so be it.”

Spike leaned back away from his Slayer and gently kissed her forehead, “I love you too...” he whispered with a sigh.

When he looked back at her Buffy didn’t give him a chance to say another word, she was already on top of his lips within seconds. The kiss was passionate and full of promise of love and devotion, however it was brief since they knew in the back of their mind there was wizard standing no more than twenty feet away.

When they broke away they glanced over at the Eli, who was busy himself with the bomb wires and trying to not interrupt anything between them.

Spike turned to Buffy and muttered, “After this is over…you and me…”

Buffy nodded at his plan, “You and me…big LONG vacation…”

Spike chuckled and hugged her close, “That and…well…maybe we can start a new chapter in out lives….”

“One that doesn’t involve smelly sewers and explosives?” she suggested.

“Here’s hoping luv…here’s hoping…” he sighed and they both went over to join the wizard



TBC.....

Chapter 28: Little Girl Trapped




“I just have one more question luv and I’ll never ask again…” Spike said as he walked with Buffy down the dark damp sewer tunnel. He carried the explosives as Buffy held the lit torch.

“Shoot.” She granted.

“I still really don’t understand why you don’t want Angelus to be resouled…it would make things a whole lot easier.” Spike pointed out.

“True…but…it wouldn’t be the right thing.” Buffy stopped walking and turned to Spike, “Angelus and Angel are two different people…the moment we resoul Angel he’ll find out all the evil things Angelus did to his city…his friends…people he loved. By reading Wesley’s journal the whole unsouling Angel thing was an accident. I don’t want Angel to be punished by something he had no control over…it wouldn’t make sense for him to go through the pain.”

“I get it.” Spike nodded. And they continued to walk down the tunnel in silence.

**********

Buffy connected a few wires just like Spike and Eli had showed her how to do earlier; her fear of doing something wrong had diminished. By now she was setting up these traps subconsciously by now after putting a few dozen together in the tunnels. Spike told her he had faith in her to do everything alone, letting himself be able to set up more traps in other tunnels. He told her if she ran into trouble to yell as loud as possible.

As Buffy set up her last piece of dynamite she got up onto her feet and dusted herself off. When was about to walk in the direction she entered the tunnel from she started hear what sounded like a cry in pain. Buffy pinpointed that it was coming from the other end of the tunnel and it sounded like a young woman.

“Hello?” Buffy yelled loud enough for her voice to echo down the tunnel. She picked up her torch light and walked towards the sound.

The crying got louder the more Buffy ventured. “Hello?” she tried again.

When Buffy reached the other end tunnel she came faced with a choice, the tunnel had turned into three separate paths. She chose the middle one, hoping she was guessing correctly. When the crying became more distinct and clearer Buffy knew she was on the right path.

When she reached the end of this tunnel she came face with a small ladder that lead up and out of the sewers. Buffy knew it wasn’t a wise choice to leave the tunnels without Spike knowing where she was going but the crying was memorizing and she couldn’t ignore it. She climbed the ladder and pushed the lid out the way to maker her way up.

When Buffy poked her head into the room where the ladder lead she came faced with the opening of a high ceiling room that seemed to radiate a cold feeling. The light coming into the room was mysterious—the walls were giving off an electric blue color to them. It reminded Buffy of some sort of futuristic world; and in the center the room was a large rectangular box laying on a stand.

‘What the heck is this place?’ Buffy instantly thought looking up at the ceiling and around all four walls. She noted their seemed to be no door entrance. ‘Totally weird’ she considered.

From behind Buffy two yellow eyes flashed in the dark but didn’t attack or advance at the slayer.

Buffy took one last look around the room and then stepped back on the ladder to go back into the tunnels to tell Spike and Eli about what she found. However the haunting voice caused her to freeze in her spot and gasp in surprise.

“Lost little girl?” the husky growled asked.

Buffy turned slowly around while holding onto the ladder and watched as Angelus step out of the shadows of the room. Her eyes were the size of saucer pan…she couldn’t blink anyway even if she wanted to.

“Been a long time Buff…” he said as he walked around the parameter of the room.

Words couldn’t form from Buffy’s mouth; she figured it was best to not talk anyway. She would let Angelus do all the talking.

“Knew you were such a curious little bitch…if someone’s hurt you heal, if someone’s hungry you serve, if someone calls into the night you answer…you know being the hero can only get you so far…and in the end all that’s left is your beaten body.” At the end of his little speech he gave a smile.

Buffy soaked in all the information he was telling her, concluding for herself that the sound she heard of a woman crying was Angelus’s way of luring her to him. For a moment she feared that he knew Eli and Spike were down in the sewers and were being attacked by Angelus’s minions at that very moment. ‘Please God let them be safe.’ She prayed.

“Not talking?” Angelus’s questioned Buffy’s muteness. “Were you brought back from the dead a little bit…wrong?”

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why bother talking…” she finally spoke up, “You always were the type of one that liked to hear the sound of their own voice.”

Angelus’s smiled, “I do…” He looked down into the sewer hole and then glanced back into her eyes, “Going somewhere?”

Buffy’s heartbeat picked up a faster rhythm. She tried to concentrate to slow it down by just thinking but she always knew her heart and brain were like two separate worlds that never wanting to work together.

“Thought we could have a little fun Buff...” Angelus stepped closer to her. “Just you…me…without interruptions from the sewer monsters.”

Buffy had to react fast if she wanted to get away from Angelus. She let go of the handles of the ladder and let her body fall straight down into the sewer. When she landed on her feet she broke into a run. She took a glance behind her shoulder to see Angelus’s nearly two feet behind her…chasing….hunting her.

Angelus’s leaped into the air and collided into Buffy’s body, sending her tumbling to the ground…pinning her underneath him. He roughly turned her around to make her look at him in the eye.

“No where to run…no were to hide…I hope you had your last look at the sunshine because you’re not going to live to see it again.” Angelus whispered as he panted for unneeded breath. Then he laughed, “Not that you see the sunshine anyway now…if you hadn’t noticed.”

Buffy built enough salvia in her mouth and spit in on his face. Angelus’s didn’t even blink.

“You deserve everything you have coming to you.” He shook his head.

Buffy then took a deep breath and screamed, “SPIKEEEE!!!”

*****

At the same time Buffy had just found out about Angelus’s little secret room Spike and Eli had meet up together in the sewer tunnels.

“You get all of your mojo done?” Spike asked Eli.

“Yeah…we have to do the opposite side of the casino now if we want this to be successful…do you think we enough explosives to bring this sucker down?” Eli questioned.

“We can only hope…the rest of the dynamite is at the entrance we came in at. We’ll grab Buffy and go back…maybe get some rest for a few hours…” Spike shared his plan.

“We have to set up what time we want to do this too.”

“I don’t want to make any final calls without Buffy…this is her fight as much as it is yours and mine.” Spike mentioned and the two of them started walking off in the direction Buffy was at.

“A little while ago did you hear something?” Eli stopped and asked the vampire, “Did you call me?”

“No…” Spike looked confused, “But I heard something too…I don’t think it sounded like Buffy either.”

“So you really aren’t going to perform the spell to give Angelus’s soul back?” Eli asked.

“Well technically I was going to ask you to do…wizard and all. However the slayer didn’t want to…besides, how would you like it if you got all the memories of what your evil self did while you were sort of in a dream?” Spike asked.

Eli stopped again and put a hand on Spike’s arm to stop him too. “Listen, I don’t care about him…if I had to come face to face with this ‘good Angel’ I wouldn’t treat him any different than his evil self…he’s a demon…he’s a killer…even if he didn’t have control over his actions…he murdered my wife. Nothing will bring her back.” Eli firmly said.

Spike looked down at the ground with a frown, “We don’t know if he killed her…he may have—“

“Don’t tell me!” Eli yelled, “I don’t want to listen to how he may have let her live…caged up like an animal…terrifying her…raping her…”

Spike swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. A few memories of being with Angelus back in the late 1800s flashed though his mind. Recollections of what he did to woman…young girls…husband’s wives….father’s daughters sickened him to his very core. The thought of something like that happening to Buffy stormed out a deep growl that never came across Spike’s lips. Thoughts of what Angelus’s could do with her body when he was done with her made his eyes flash a bit of yellow and caused his hands to ball up in a tight fist.

Spike’s deepest concerns were shaken from the shrilling scream of Buffy’s voice calling out his name. In a split second Spike took off in a sprint towards the tunnel that he remembered Buffy was in. Eli had followed the vampire, but not quit as fast…after all didn’t have superhero speed and he was carrying a flashlight.

When Spike stopped running he looked around in search of something. Eli didn’t understand what he was looking for, it was clear that Buffy wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“What are you looking for?”

“Buffy! She was supposed to be here!!!” Spike yelled in fear, “See the dynamite she was setting up.”

Eli shined his flashlight on the dynamite that was setup on the ground. Eli looked up at Spike and saw the vampire start to run down further into the tunnel. Eli followed, being careful not to disturb any of the wires lying on the ground. When the two reached the end of the tunnel and saw the three different paths that Buffy must have traveled down they stopped.

“Which one do we go down? Should we split up?” Eli asked as he was about to race down the tunnel on the right.

“No! Wait.” Spike held his hand up and closed his eyes and took a large breath...breathing in the air around him. He stepped forward towards the middle tunnel when he caught the scent of honey and vanilla…the scent he would always label as Buffy’s smell.

“This way!” Spike said and raced down the middle tunnel in a sprint again, Eli following.

Spike stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted Buffy’s torch she was carrying lying on the side of the tunnel.

“It’s a dead end…” Eli said when he flashed his flashlight to dead-end wall.

“She’s got to be here!” Spike shouted.

“Look!” Eli said and came a little bit closer when he flashed his light at the ladder on the side of the wall into a seal.

Spike jumped up on the ladder and traveled up it and tried to push the seal up and get in but he had no luck. He let out a cry in frustration as he pushed with all his might.

“BUFFY!!” he banged on the top of the seal.

“He’s got her…” Eli spoke the unthinkable.

Spike glared down at the wizard for even saying the words he couldn’t think were true. He made a promise, not only to himself but to her…he promised Buffy that he would protect her, keep her save. Spike squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and remembered….

The sun was almost clear of the horizon as Spike took his first few steps of pain, causing him to limp. ‘Dawn…Buffy…’ he kept chanting in his head.

A drop of sunlight hit his face and he cringed, causing him to slump down onto the ground to hide from the light. The right side of his face was bloody from his fall when the Doc shoved him off the tower. Spike didn’t want to have to worry about burns to his skin too…

Through the corner of his eye Spike noticed the Scoobies and Watcher silently moving closer something. When Spike raised his head he instantly saw her on the rumble…lying still…lying peaceful…lying breathless…

Spike let out a breath of dread…and then came the tears…

When Spike reopened his eyes he noticed that he was no longer on the ladder anymore. He must of have subconsciously climbed down the steps one by one and sat down on the ground because Spike noticed Eli was staring down at him at the moment with a worried look. However through Spike’s eyes Eli looked very blurry…he couldn’t figure it out until moments later why Eli didn’t look as clear through his eyes. The vampire had finally noticed that rivers of tears were traveling down his face with no intention of stopping.

********************

Buffy woke up with a killer headache. She cringed as she opened her eyes, finding it very hard to stand dealing with normal bodily functions…such as blinking or breathing. Then a though came her mind to cause her to forget all her pain and sit upright, ‘Angelus’.

She looked around and saw that the crazy evil vampire had left her on the ground of the mystery room all by herself. Buffy eyes quickly darted to the sewer door, the only known way of escape to her when she saw that it was no longer there. Panic started to serge through her veins and her body started to tremble…the room had suddenly become very cold to her again. ‘It’s magic…it must be magic…’ Buffy thought when she tried to reason what happen to the missing sewer entrance. ‘Damn that other little wizard…what’s his name…Rufus?’ Buffy cursed in her mind.

“As you can see…” Angelus’s voice came out of no where and caused Buffy to jump to her feet and look around. This time she wasn’t going to be taken off guard by what Angelus had in for her. She took care of him when she was sixteen she figured she could do it again now.

“….there is no way out…” Angelus’s told her.

“There’s a way out…” Buffy said. “You’re just hiding it.”

“Give the girl a prize.” Angelus’s laughed at her replay. “Honey….muffin…love…is that what Spike call’s you? Well…PET…the only way you’re leaving is in a box.”

Buffy just stared at him; she didn’t want to give off the fact that she was very confused at the moment. She looked to the middle of the room and saw the large wooden box sitting in the middle of the room and figured it was the box he was talking about.

“Are you going to run my ear to the ground or are you going to fight?” Buffy asked, getting straight down to business.

Angelus’s smiled and went over to a shady part of the dark room and grabbed something off the floor and turned to Buffy. He held up to two swords with the smile still plastered on his face and threw the one sword to her. Buffy instantly caught it and looked down at the shiny weapon and then back at him.

“It will be just like old times...” Angelus muttered.

“Sure you want to do this?” Buffy asked confidently, “Cause as I recall…I won in the end of the last battle.”

“By bringing forth your little asshole version of me…the one that cries and whines…this time I don’t intend on that happening…are you?” Angelus’s raised an eyebrow

“No…it’s only you and me…” Buffy said and raised her sword and initiated the first swing in attack.



TBC….

Chapter 29: I’ll See You on the Other Side



Buffy and Angelus’s swords clashed as the two seemed to dance around the room.

“And the thing about the dance is, you never gets to stop” Spike’s voice echoed in the back of Buffy’s mind.

‘Damn you Spike’ Buffy thought to herself as she recalled her love’s words back in the alleyway of the Bronze on that one night so long ago. The haunting of Spike’s words made her think that he was right in a way. Buffy thought about the last time she fought Angelus and then she realized things didn’t change… here she was eighty years later do it again. ‘Will this continue forever?’ she thought to herself.

As Angelus took another swing and Buffy ducked her head and sweeped her feet out to make him lose his footing, she made a decision….its either kill him or die trying. She wouldn’t settle for both of them walking away from this…this was it…this was the finale.

When Angelus jumped to his feet he took Buffy off guard and punched her in the face with his free hand.

“Come on hero…” Angelus taunted and socked her in the stomach, “This all you have in your dead little body?”

As Buffy recovered from her blow she noticed how cocky he was holding his sword. So she took a swing at his arm, knocking the weapon out of his grasp.

Angelus looked down and winced in pain when he saw she had cut him. When he looked back up at Buffy with fire in his eyes he saw the Slayer holding the point of the sword right at his neck.

‘This dance is over’ Buffy thought to herself, ‘It’s finally over.’ “Looks like I win.” Buffy said with a twinkle in her eye

Angelus just stared at her.

“What? No quick come back? No last words?” Buffy asked when all Angelus’s did was stare at her.

“You know Buff…I got nothing left more to say…except one thing…” Angelus ducked his head down and grabbed a small blade hidden up his sock and turned it on Buffy’s neck when he grabbed her from behind. The Slayer gasped in surprise as she felt the steel blade point into her jugular. “…you never pause when you have your enemy where you want them…at their mercy….its just a stupid move don’t you think?” Angelus continued.

Buffy unclenched her sword from her hand and let it fall from her fingers. She heard it clatter as it hit the ground.

Angelus loosened the knife at her neck and spun Buffy around in his arms to make her look up at him. “You know I should just do you the old fashion way…” Angelus’s said while darting his eyes to Buffy’s neck, “I tasted you...not too long ago….” He moved his eyes back to look at her to see her reaction.

‘The dream…’ Buffy instantly thought.

“As I recall your blood was sweet as candy…” Angelus said as he went back to being memorized by the skin on her neck, “…and I do love candy…” he started to lean in but Buffy took him off guard when she head butted him away, making him let her go and end up landing a few feet away from her on the ground.

“What every happened to ‘never pausing when you have the enemy right where you want them’? The way I see it Angelus…you talk too much” Buffy said as she watched Angelus rub his head.

Angelus’s let out a chilling laugh, “Oh Buffy, Buffy, Buffy…you now starting to take my advice?”

Buffy ignored him and went to reach for her sword on the ground but Angelus moved forward stepped on the sword, not letting her retrieve it.

When she looked up at him he answered, “Forget the weapons…”

*********************

“I won’t do it Spike.” Eli shook his head as they walked through the sewer tunnels and towards the entrance they first started at.

“Fine then. Don’t come.” Spike grunted with fire in his eyes.

“I don’t think you should go either…”

“Angelus has Buffy…if the only way to get to her is go through the city…then so be it.” Spike said as he picked up his pace a little bit as he saw the ladder in a distance.

Eli put his arm on Spike’s to stop him, “Look---“

“You want to stay? Fine! It’s probably best if you stay anyway and finish this work up down here. But you can’t change my mine…Buffy is in trouble and that’s where I go.” Spike explained and continued over to the ladder.

“I’ll give you 42 hours.” Eli said quickly before Spike could go disappear above ground.

Spike turned around and stared at the wizard.

“I’m going to set the timer…so you better not take your good old time getting revenge on Angelus…just get Buffy and get out…quick.” Eli said.

“42 hours?”

“1 am…Friday.”

Spike blinked a few times, gathering his thoughts. “If I’m not back…and Buffy gets out…do it…no questions asked.”

“And if neither of you are back?”

Spike didn’t answer.

“48 hours…” Eli changed his mind, “Just before sunrise…if my magic works and I lift the spell that Rufus has plagued over the earth…it will be just before sunrise.”

Spike turned and looked at the wizard and nodded and started back up the ladder.

“Wait!” Eli stopped Spike again and pulled out a gun from his inside his blazer pocket.

“Where did you get that?” Spike stared at the gun in shock, “We checked you for weapons and—“

“I’m a wizard Spike...” Eli rolled his eyes, “This stuff is like kids trick’s to me.”

Spike grabbed the gun and examined it and then finally tucked it in his coat pocket, “Thanks…and well…thanks for not betraying us…Buffy and I are grateful…really.”

Eli just nodded and looked down to the ground. He reached into his pocket and started to shuffle around looking for something else.

“And there is one more thing….” Eli said as started to pull the object out.

*********

Angelus kicked Buffy in the stomach, sending her flying into the wall and slumping to the floor. She groaned as she clenched her few broken ribs. ‘Oh god, help me’ she thought to herself, the pain was so unbearable that she felt tears welding up in her eyes.

After an hour of the both of them battling back and forth it was unfortunately Buffy who looked ready to throw in her towel. At first she had this confidence that she was going to swoop in and beat Angelus in just a few quick punches and take charge. But in reality it was Angelus who has dominated the fight for the better part of the evening.

“Do you want to stay down?” Angelus crunched down to talk with Buffy, who still was not able to get back up on her feet.

Buffy didn’t answer; she just kept holding her hurt side with her tired hands.

Angelus’s smile had a little blood coming from the corner of his lips. He swept his tongue out and tasted the blood with satisfaction.

“Well Buff…guess this leaves the big finale huh?” Angelus leaned into her face.

Buffy cringed and closed her eyes, waiting for the fangs to sink into her neck side. However all she felt was Angelus’s arms hoisting her up off the ground. Buffy was in shock when she opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her as he held her. For a microsecond she thought he was helping her, being the hero of the day and turning into Angel.

He smiled at her, giving his Oscar nominated impression of being the hero for a moment. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to get here…” he said staring down at her, “And I made you a present.”

‘Huh?’ Buffy thought to herself as Angelus walked a short distance to the middle of the room. With her head positioned in Angelus’s arms she couldn’t really see anything besides his face and the ceiling.

“Care to see?” Angelus asked and then dropped Buffy down out of his arms with bang and into the wooden box in the room that she forgotten about until now. “Its great craft work don’t you think?”

Angelus’s hands and eyes skimmed the rim of the box in admiration. Then he looked down at Buffy giving him a bewildering look.

“Oh baby…I’m going to enjoy this.” He said as he leaned down and gave her a cold hard kiss on the lips.

Angelus walked away out of frame from Buffy for a moment and came back holding a thick wooden lid. He gave one last smile and slammed it down on top of the box and locked all the sides with deadbolts. In a mere five seconds it went from being an ordinary wooden box to now Buffy’s death trap.

From the inside of the now “coffin” Buffy’s eyes widen at the darkness she was in and tried to thrust the top lid off but found no luck. Her breathing picked up as she realized the situation she was now in, and panic overcame her.

‘I’m back to where I started from…alone…trapped…and in a coffin...’ she thought to herself. ‘Well at least it’s not underground…’ and at the minute she thought that she felt the box shift a bit.

As soon as Angelus’s slammed the outside world away from Buffy by setting the finally deadbolt on the box, he pulled out a small remote control from his pocket and pressed a few buttons and watched the box start to be lowered into the floor.

Buffy screamed and pounded harder on the wooden lid as she felt the box start to be lowered somewhere.

‘Oh god, oh god, oh god.’ was the only thought that kept repeating in Buffy’s head as she continued to scream for help. “PLEASE!! NO!!! HELP ME!!!STOOPPPPP!!! LET ME OUT!!!”

Angelus’s listened to her screams from the outside with a smile of delight. The sound of a woman screaming in terror had always been like music to his ears. But now, hearing the Slayer beg for her life? To Angelus it was like an opera being sung just for him.

Angelus then mumbled a few magical words and then a door appeared on the side of the wall out of thin air. He started to whistle a happy tune over the sound of Buffy’s constant screaming as he started to exit the room.

******

It had been four minutes. Inside her coffin Buffy was lying on her side staring into pure darkness. After her constant screaming and thrashing in panic for a few moments a sudden calmness came over her and she just stopped moving all together.

“You win…” Buffy whispered inside the box, feeling almost like Angelus could hear what she was saying.

“I’m sorry Spike…” she breathed out, “I’m just…so tired…”

And with that she closed her eyes and let the Powers That Be take care of her fate.

Chapter 30: I Fight the Good Fight


‘I can’t remember heaven being like this…so bright.’ Buffy thought to herself when she came forth into a blinding light. ‘No…heaven wasn’t like this…it was more like just before dawn...peaceful...calm…just like coming home.”

“Buffy…” the voice called her out from a distance.

“Buffy…” it called again but a bit more loudly.

The brightest of the blinding light faded and the Slayer found herself standing barefoot in an ocean of sand. By looking around quickly Buffy realized she recognized the desert she was in. It was a familiar place that she could memorize inside and out—a place she could find blindfolded.

“Buffy…” the voice called out from behind her.

The Slayer turned around to see Dawn standing just a few feet from her dressed in a sundress that danced in the wind when a fresh breeze of air passed by.

“Hello Buffy…” Dawn smiled.

“Dawn…” Buffy glanced up and down at the figure that appeared to be her sister. “You can’t be her…” She whispered with sadness.

”No…I’m not her, you are correct about that.” She said and walked closer to Buffy slowly. “I can be anyone you so desperately desire…” the mystical figure of Dawn said. “And at the moment you were losing consciousness to your surroundings I’m guessing you wanted to see your sister.”

Buffy paused and thought about Dawn, “I do…I missed you—I miss her.” Buffy corrected herself quickly, she didn’t want this illusion to distract her and make her a fool.

The figure of Dawn nodded and then morphed into Mrs. Summers wearing her motherly warming smile.

“Mum…” Buffy gasped, “How did you—“

”It’s your mind dear…” Mrs. Summers reassured Buffy.

”I-I didn’t think my mind could do something like this…” Buffy shook her head in astonishment.

“Well I guess you can say this isn’t your normal dream…even for a dying brain that sees what it wants to see this is not even close…but it will do.”

”Dying…” ‘Dying brain? I’m dead?’ Buffy thought out the rest of her sentence.

“You aren’t died yet sweetie.” Joyce read Buffy’s mind, “The Powers wouldn’t like that would they?”

”Powers?” Buffy scrunched up her face in confusion. ‘What Powers?’

“Powers that Will...” Joyce started to explain, “Powers that Be, Powers of Fate…whatever term you prefer is fine…it’s all the same thing. Right?”

”Mum…I mean--wait, what do I call you?” Buffy asked.

“I have no real name…I’m just a guide…a mystical spirit that is sent her to help you.” Joyce smiled.

”Help me?” Buffy backed away and raised her voice in defense. She started to face away from the figure that resembled her mother. Buffy couldn’t fight having herself stand there being mad at a figure that appeared and talked just like the woman that was taken too soon from her. She then thought very hard about having someone else appear, someone that she could easily feel comfortable complaining to.

“Oh come on pet…don’t shield your gorgeous self away from someone that wants to help you.”

Buffy turned around and saw Spike dressed in his trademark black attire accompanied with a cocky attitude. ‘Much better…’ she thought.

”Some help…” Buffy scoffed, “You brought me back to a world that had everyone I loved and cared about taken away from me!”

”Everyone?” He cocked an eyebrow

‘Okay maybe it was a bad idea to have Spike as this mystical image person.’ She thought to herself.

”Well…okay, Spike’s here but still…even with him look how I turned out. Angelus won. I’m dead…again…and now realizing this, soon Spike will find out what happened to me and think its all his fault. Doesn’t really rank high on my scale as the proper way to die.”

The mystical figure of Spike chuckled, sounding too much like the real vampire that it was almost scary.

“Pet, you’re not dead yet…” he told her, “And do you really believe the Powers want you to lose to Angelus’s?”

Buffy shrugged, “The Powers do like making me there puppet master.”

”No they don’t…Things are done for a reason. There was reason behind everything you do each day. There was a reason you were chosen to die and save Dawn that night, a reason you were brought back eighty years later, a reason that out of everyone in your past Spike was there beside you.” He told her.

“And what about now?” Buffy asked after letting everything he tell her sink in. “Was there a reason why I’m dying again?”

”Well…on that account you can say even we were taken by surprise. It wasn’t supposed to happen. You see there are the Powers of Darkness just like there are the Powers of Good, luv.

”And it seems that this little twist of Angelus gaining the upper hand was thrown at us by our enemies, the Powers of Darkness…”

”So I guess you guys have bad days too huh?” Buffy joked with a small frown.

”Worlds not perfect pet…you were able to see that the day you were born. And even more so when you first fought you very first vampire.” The mystical figure walked closer to her, practically leaning in on her personal space.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at how close this mystical figure was standing to her. “Even as a spirit guide that looks like Spike you have some sort of attraction towards me?” Buffy nervously said and stepped back.

”Don’t blame me…it’s your mind luv…you must really think this guy is something special.”

Buffy’s face blushed a little and she gave herself a small smile when she thought of Spike.

”So…” she shook her thoughts of the loving thoughts she was having of the bleached vampire to the task at hand, “What now?”

”What do you mean?” Spike tilted his head with a curious expression.

“About me…if I’m not dead does that mean you’re sending me back? Or what?” Buffy shrugged.

”So now you care about your fate? If I recall, not a few seconds before you lost consciousness you were giving up…lying in a wooden box…surrendering yourself to death.”

Buffy looked down at her feet that stood in the golden sand. Even though she was talking with a mystical figure that really had no feelings or true form it felt very much like Spike telling her he was disappointed that she gave herself up so easily.

”What was I suppose to do?” Buffy muttered; the sound of pure exhaustion was distinct in the tone of her voice.

“Keep fighting…”

Buffy’s head snapped up when she didn’t hear Spike’s voice anymore…it was now Giles.

”Giles…” she was amazed that she didn’t even realize her mind wanted her Watcher to be present at the moment. I guess Buffy figured that Giles could yell at her just as well as Spike could.

But it surprised her more that this form of Giles wasn’t angry, “Buffy you know what you have to do…people are counting on you…you are the best of best fighters that I’ve ever seen…having the world on your shoulders all the time would be considered a burden to most… but to you…hell, its like breathing.”

Buffy blinked, “Is this Giles talking or the Powers…?”

The figure that stood as the British Watcher just stared at her, not uttering a word for a few second until…

”I believe in you.” The voice that came out of the mouth of the mystical figure was strong and different. When it spoke those words to her it didn’t sound just like one person talking. Buffy recognized a number of voices all collecting as one to bring out the emotions behind the words. In a single sentence Buffy could hear all the voices separate from each other and listen to each owner.

She heard Dawn’s voice…Giles’s, her mother’s, her friends…and Spike’s.

It was the encouragement that she didn’t realize she wanted and needed. And it was so powerful that the words sent her spiraling back to earth with a bang.

*~*~*~*~*~

A Few Miles from Las Vegas...


The gas petal was pressed all the way onto the floor of the car, climbing to reach its maximum speed limit. Spike wished he had more power put into the car but he knew he had minimum resources.

“Come on you damn thing.” He muttered under his breath as he watched his speed hit over one hundred.

In a distance he started to see the sight of civilization, if you could call a city run by vampires ‘civilization’. Spike knew that he was probably spotted by now since there was only one road coming from his direction.

He glanced up at where the sun would be and saw the darkness. Spike let out a sigh as he was only a few hundred yards from the first building of Las Vegas. As he drove past the building he kept his eyes open for any sign of attackers.

’Bang!’ the sound of gunfire happen almost immediately as Spike pasted the second building. Spike’s car was hit from the side but he still continued to drive. However being in the city he had to slow down just a bit due to the structure of the roads, which was a huge disadvantage. He was going at about 50 mph when he heard another loud ‘Bang!’ He was hit from the side again.

Outside, vampires loaded with guns on the rooftops were firing at the moving target with perfection. Someone finally aimed accurate enough to get Spike’s front tire blown causing him to swerve and crash into a building.

About twenty vampires sprung out of the darkness of the alleys and surrounded the still car immediately with stakes and guns in hand.

Spike came out of his car in peace, with his hands in the air.

”I’ve come to see Angelus.” He yelled out before they could start to fight him.

“Oh ya? Why would we bring you to him?” a vamp challenged.

“Cause I’m Spike…and I believe he’ll be expecting me.”

All of Angelus’s minions glanced at each other when they recognized the name.

*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 31: Swallowed Up


Spike walked in between two armed vamps, one holding a stake in hand and the other holding a gun. As they walked into Angelus’s casino all eyes turned to the bleached blonde in custody and stared. A few vampires and demons started to whisper and mumble to each other while pointing at Spike as if he was a freak from the carnival.

“I’m guessing you’ve all heard of me?” Spike muttered loud enough for only the armed vamps to hear. However, his eyes never lost contact with the crowd that gawked at him.

“You kidding? You’re number two on Angelus’s most wanted list.” The vampire grinned.

“And I suppose number one is…”

”The Slayer.” The vampire growled and licked his lips.

Spike narrowed his eyes at the vamp and eyed the weapon in its hand; wondering if could make an easy snatch at it and bash the guy’s brains in. ‘Just let it go…play it cool…’ Spike thought to himself and tried to calm down at the harsh words made about Buffy.

“Let’s go.” The other vampire pushed Spike forward.

They traveled through the lobby of the casino and around many vampire spectators. Once they reached the elevator the doors slid open automatically on cue upon there arrival. Spike then glanced up and caught sight of…’him’…lounging against back elevator wall casually.

“Angelus sir, we brought you—“ the vampire started to speak up properly to his boss but was cut off.

“Spike…” Angelus said and stepped in the just at the edge of elevator doors.

The two vampire lackeys could feel the sudden tension that pasted through the air. It frighten them quit a bit that they had to step away from the two old vampires and leaving Spike’s side.

Spike didn’t say anything. He just stood there…taking in his grandsire’s stance…memorizing the man he was going to kill before the nights end.

“Believe we have some…business…to discuss.” Angelus smiled and gestured for Spike to join him in the elevator.

Spike was hesitant. But when he thought of how every minute wasted may be causing Buffy pain in some way he quickly stepped into the elevator just in time for the doors to shut behind him.

The two armed vampires glanced from the closed elevator doors that carried the highly famous vampires up to each other.

”What do you think?” One asked the other.

The other vampire looked back at the elevator and shook his head, “Death and mayhem are just around the corner…I can feel it.”


*~*~*~*~*~*


When Buffy opened her eyes she saw she was back in the darkness of her coffin again. However, her aching body suddenly felt recharged from the experience she had just gone through.

‘I believe in you…’ the echo of the words still lingered in the back of her mind.

Buffy let in a deep breath and punched her leg up on the lid and in two trusts she felt the lid start to loosen. However, as soon as she felt like she was out of the woods she felt the box start to shift around her.

“Oh shit…” she muttered to herself as she felt her body toss to the side.

She kicked her leg up again and again, hoping to be successful with each try. And with her last hard kick Buffy felt the box shift again and the sensation of free falling suddenly came over her entire body.

”Ahhh!” Buffy screamed and tried to grab onto something to hold onto but all she could grab was the side walls of the box.

…
…..
……
*Bang*
And after a few moments it was all over. The box slammed onto something hard and Buffy hit the back of her head with a hard slam; the contact of the wood against the back of her head made her wince in pain and feel extremely dizzy.

The Slayer sat in the box breathing heavily, trying to recover from her ordeal that she thought she was going to die in.

“What’s that?” a whisper that was almost undetectable came from outside the box.

Buffy held her breath when she heard people and perked her ears up.

The whispering became louder and louder and then all of a sudden Buffy yelled out in desperation, “Help me!”

The whispering stopped for just a moment and was replaced with scratching on top of the coffin lid.

”Get it open Lewis!” a voice of a woman was detected from the outside.

‘People…humans?’ Buffy instantly thought when the voices became clearer. The thought of seeing normal human beings again sent a wash of relief over Buffy’s entire body.

And then in two hard yanks Buffy’s torture chamber was broken and the lid was lifted away from her. The Slayer closed her eyes and let out a little cry for joy. She just stood there lying in the crate basking in her freedom for a few seconds and trying to make heart stop beating so rapidly.

“It’s a lady.” A child’s voice said.

Buffy flashed her eyes open at the sound of a child’s tiny voice. Automatically her eyes caught sight of two children and a man standing above her in the crate…looking down at her in curiosity.

“What is she?” a whisper came from somewhere in the room that Buffy inhabited.

Buffy grasped the top of the crate and lifted herself up immediately to get a better look at where she was. However, the Slayer must have moved too fast because her actions caused the children and men to gasp in fear and take large steps away from her.

Once Buffy’s head popped out of the box she noticed her surroundings and more gleaming eyes.

“What are you?” the man stuttered…the one that was being called Lewis before.

Buffy turned to him and saw he was dressed in dark dirty rags that could pass as being homeless clothes. It was then that she noticed that not just Lewis was wearing the filthy rags, but everyone was—both children and adults alike.

“If she’s a demon kill it Lewis!” a woman whispered from behind him.

“I’m not a demon…” Buffy reassured the skeptical crowd before her as she got to her feet and moved out of the box.

Once again everyone took a step back away from Buffy—neither believing that she was a demon nor trusting that she was safe.

“Prove that you’re not a monster.” Lewis said and tossed a chained necklace he had in his hand of the holy cross at Buffy.

She caught it with ease and held it tightly in her hand. Buffy’s eyes darted around to the inhabitants closest to her…a woman, a man, the Lewis man, and two children. “I’m not a demon…” she firmly said and tossed the cross back to Lewis.

“Then what are you?” one of the children, a little girl that couldn’t be much older than six asked.

“I’m Buffy…Buffy Summers…” she told them, “And I guess…I’m here to help you.” Buffy glanced around at the metal bars surrounding the perimeter. ‘It’s a cage…’ she instantly thought.

“And what makes you so special..?” a woman asked.

“Where are we?” Buffy ignored the lady for the moment and stepped closer to the bars that caged all of them together.

“Hell…I guess you can say.” Lewis muttered.

”Angelus’s placed us here…way into the ground where not one speck of light could reach us…I guess you can say we’re his own private stash…his ‘secret garden’ as he likes to say.” One man stated.

Buffy placed her hands on the cold steel bars and caught sight of the long hallway of cages filled with other people. The hallway seemed to go on forever. Buffy could hear the moans and cries of the hurts ones where she stood echo through the chamber.

“I guess you could say…we were forgotten to the world.” Lewis whispered.

”Not in my book you aren’t.” Buffy said without turning away from the cages full of humans.

”Are you going to get us out of here?” the little six year old girl asked, “You said you can help us.”

Buffy turned around to the little girl who whore a green ripped dress that had mud stains everywhere on it. The little one had hope in her eyes and seemed to be depending on every word that Buffy uttered.

The Slayer sighed, “Ya…I’m going to get you all out…”

The little girl’s questionable face turned into a smile.



*~*~*~*~*



An hour later the two children in the cell were being kept busy by the woman as Lewis and the other man talked with Buffy.

”I wish didn’t say that to Noelle earlier about getting us out.” Lewis whispered to Buffy.

Buffy glanced up at him and then back at the little six year old that went by Noelle.

“Why?”

”Look, you’re new here and I’m sorry to tell you this but we are not getting out of here…this place as been here forever and will be here long after we all die…what ever Angelus’s plans are for the future don’t involve us staying alive….” Lewis explained, “So please don’t give Noelle hope when there is none…”

”How long have you been here?” Buffy asked.

“Too long…particularly a year.” he said.

Buffy couldn’t imagine staying a day in this dark damp chamber let alone a year. Her eyes darted over to the children who speaking with one of the young woman of the group.

”And everyone else?”

“Practically the same…some more, some less…” Lewis said and turned to look at Noelle and the child, a boy who was a bit older than Noelle. “The children, Noelle came in alone when she captured…arrived about two weeks ago…the boy, Christopher, arrived a few days after her.”

”How many people do you figure are held down here?” Buffy asked.

“Hundreds…many a thousand…being assigned to one cell doesn’t really give me insight to everyone else but I’ve heard counts…seems someone somewhere is keeping tally.” Lewis shrugged.

”And I’m the latest one…” Buffy muttered to herself and then snapped her head up at him when she thought of something that brought panic into her eyes, “When does Angelus’s bring new ones in?”

”He hasn’t been here in a while…a few days…he seems to come once a week. But he never brings the victims in himself…usually there is some vampire lackey that comes every other day to throw us food scrapings or bring a new body.”

”And is that day today?” Buffy asked.

Lewis thought for a moment and then looked up at Buffy, “Why do you want to know?”

”Cause I have an idea.”



TBC...

Chapter 32: Power Comes From Within



Angelus had his feet propped up on his desk and a smile plastered on his face as he looked across the room at Spike standing before. The souled vampire’s jaw was clenched and his fists were tightened as they hung by his side.

“How you’ve been Spike old boy? Your soul keeping you satisfied?” Angelus asked as he placed his hands behind his head, making himself very comfortable.

Spike didn’t say a word; he just kept staring at his grandsire teasing and mocking him.

“Aren’t you going to even ask about little Buff? You must be worried about her.” Angelus switched the topic to something he knew would interest Spike more.

“Where is she?” Spike asked, taking the bait that Angelus brought up.

Angelus laughed at his very demanding grandchilde. He uncrossed his legs off his desk and leaded forward on his desk. “You care deeply about her don’t you?”

“Answer me.” Spike growled.

“She worth quit a lot to you huh? Pretty much your whole existence is now focused around her…isn’t it?” Angelus kept mocking.

Spike didn’t answer and let silence overtake the two of them in the office.

Angelus nodded, “Would be pretty hard to live with yourself knowing if she died again…you failing her and living day after---“

Spike couldn’t take another word that came out Angelus mouth anymore. And in two struts he was in front of the desk and grabbing his nemesis by the collar of his jacket and pulling him inches from his face.

“Where is she?!” Spike growled while flashing his yellow demon eyes briefly.

Angelus just smiled at Spike’s threat and merely nodded, “I’ll do better than tell…I’ll show you.”

Spike shoved Angelus back out of his grasp, causing him to roll back in his chair a few feet. Angelus grabbed a remote control in his desk and pressed a few buttons and watched a big television screen being lowered from the wall. Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion. ‘What the hell is he doing?’ he thought to himself.

The black television screen flashed to a picture of Buffy struggling inside the box that she was in earlier.

Once Spike saw Buffy’s face he froze in place and started to stare mindlessly at his girl yelling and screaming for help while continuing to pound away in the box.

“I think this reality show would be a big hit if it was broadcasted on cable…but the only thing wrong is there is only one episode to offer.” Angelus smiled and glanced over at Spike across the room. His smile widened when he saw Spike’s panicked and stunned look on his face.

Angelus raised the remote and waited just till a certain moment before turning off the TV.

“I’m sorry Spike…” Buffy muttered on the screen. Spike swallowed and started to hyperventilate a little as he registered what she was saying. “I just…so tired…”

Buffy’s face vanished from the screen as soon as Angelus pressed a button on the remote. The disappearance of her face in a flash triggered something in Spike and he turned to his nemesis in vamp face and growled.

Angelus laughed, “Just the reaction I was looking for.”

--------------------------------------


About a few hundred feet below where Spike and Angelus were already at each others throats, Buffy was setting her plan of escape to action.

“I don’t want to do this…” Lewis muttered to himself as he held on to the cage bars and looked up and down the dark hallway.

“Don’t be a baby.” A lady whispered harshly.

The sound of heavy boots started to echo down the hallway.

“He’s coming…” Lewis whispered.

“Shhh…” the lady shushed everyone and crouched down beside a body covered in the only blanket in the cell.

“We got a dead one in here!” Lewis yelled down to the sound of the heavy boots that were coming closer.

The boots belonged to a vampire guard that made his rounds every other day just like Lewis told Buffy.

Once Lewis yelled out that there was someone dead in the cell the sound of the boots became quicker—practically skipping with excitement that there was free blood somewhere.

When the vampire reached Lewis’s cell he glanced onto the floor at a blanket wrapped around a body.

“Everyone back!” the vampire ordered everyone in the cell.

All the humans rushed to the back wall and away from the bars so they couldn’t escape.

“Back I say!” the vampire ordered and grabbed a key and started to unlock the cell and stepped in. “Any of you make a move I’ll bash the little girl’s scull in.” he snarled and threatened Noelle’s life.

Noelle reacted to the mean vampire’s words by burying her face in a woman’s dirty dress. The lady crouched down to the child’s level and wrapped a protective arm around her. Lewis also stepped in front of the little girl and blocked the two from harms way.

The vampire sniffed the air for any sides of blood and didn’t register anything.

“No bleeding is coming from the body.” The vampire said and kicked a lonely foot that was coming out from the blanket.

“She was sick.” Lewis informed. “She died this morning.”

“Shut up.” The vampire growled harshly, “I don’t care for her life story.”

Lewis bit his tongue and didn’t dare utter another word to upset the guard any further.

The vampire crunched down on the floor and started to unravel the blanket that reserved the body inside. And once he unwrapped the part that hide her head the guard was left staring at Buffy….playing dead on the ground.

“She’s young…” the vampire licked his lips.

Lewis’s heart started to race as he watched Buffy continue to play dead. ‘What is she waiting for…?’ the thought raced through mind. And before he could let his heart burst from racing so fast through his chest, he saw Buffy’s eyes flash open and smile up at the vampire.

“Young and alive.” Buffy announced and grabbed the vampire around the throat and threw him up against the bars.

The Slayer jumped to her feet and stared down at the fallen and very surprised vampire.

“You’re her…” the vampire muttered while looking up at Buffy.

“Slayer? The Chosen One? Why yes I am.” She smiled and jumped on top of him and started to punch away at his face.

And once she thought she had enough and the demon was lying on the floor unconscious she took the side of its cheeks in both hands and twisted its neck in one quick motion, sending the guard into a big pile of ash.

Buffy got up to her feet and turned around to the amazed looks on everyone’s face inside the cell. The Slayer shrugged and muttered, “Told you I had a plan.”

“What are you?” Lewis questioned.

“I go by a number of things...” she smiled, “But that’s not important right now…come on!” she yelled and went out the opened cell door.

She was hallway down the hall when Buffy noticed that no one was following her. She turned around to see Lewis and the rest of the group slowly stepping out of the cell…tasting there first moment of freedom. ‘Wow…I almost forgot how long these people were here…’ Buffy thought and looked around at all the other cages. ‘I got to get them out before this place blows up….’

She raced back down the hallway toward Lewis and the rest of the group. “We need to get everyone out…and quick.” She announced.

“I don’t think being quick is an option for us…” Lewis said; he still was a little bit in shock as he looked around and grasped his moment of freedom in over a year.

“Besides the keys the vampire had blew up along with his body.” The lady said.

“We have to get out of here…this whole place is going to blow up…” Buffy said.

“Blow up?” the lady asked as she held Noelle and the other boy, Christopher’s, hand.

“It’s the plan…well, the other plan…I’m not sure when it’s going to happen but it will. The whole casino and everything around it around going to be blow up with dynamite that’s placed under the ground.” Buffy explained quickly.

“How long do you think we have?” Lewis asked.

Buffy shook her head, “I don’t know…but we don’t have time to free thousands of cells…we got to do this quickly.”

“There is no other way than using a key.” The lady said.

Buffy bit her lip and tried to think up an idea fast…’Come on Buffy…think…think…’

“I love magic…its quick…its easy…its really just mind power and shifting energy from one part of something to another.” Willow told Buffy one time when they were inside the Magic Box just talking randomly about things.

“Anyone can use it…” the witch said.

Buffy smiled at the recollection of what her best friend told her and then turned back to the group of humans. However, she frowned instantly when she realized that this may take some time to convince a bunch of regular people about ‘real magic’.


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Spike’s knuckles ached in pain and were bruised and bloody by the feverish hits he delivered to Angelus. He brushed the blood on his black pants as he got up off the ground away from the bruised and battered Angelus leaning against the wall.

“Did that help ease your grief…?” Angelus muttered weakly from the ground.

Spike was leaning on his shaky hands against Angelus’s office desk and whispered, “No…”

‘He still believes she’s dead…’ Angelus thought to himself and smiled a little bit. Even the single effort of smiling with his battered face hurt.

“So what’s next?” Angelus asked as he grabbed a hold of the wall and tried to raise himself to his feet.

Spike whipped around with a gun pointing to Angelus’s.

“More pain and torture is next…” Spike muttered with tears streaming down his face from thinking about Buffy being out of his life again. One thought of never seeing her smiling face again caused Spike to fire a bullet into Angelus’ right arm.

The unsouled vampire howled in pain and grabbed a hold of his hurt arm that now had a bullet lodged in it.

“Have you forgotten…?” Angelus grimaced, “Bullets don’t kill us…” he winced again.

Spike fired another shot at Angelus’s leg and made the vampire slump down onto the ground again.

“I know what kills us, you pathetic jackass. Regular bullets don’t do harm…but poisonous ones do.” Spike growled and watched Angelus now nurse his hurt leg.

“Going to make my death slow huh?” Angelus managed to breathe out through the pain.

“I’m doing this for her…” Spike said and fired another uncared for bullet into Angelus’s body.

“For a dead girl.”

*BANG*

As soon as the words left Angelus’s mouth another bullet entered his chest to where his heart was supposed to beat.

“The only dead thing here is you…”

“And you aren’t?” Angelus asked, he didn’t know why he didn’t keep savor his strength and keep pestering the vampire with the gun. I guess he figured that he would make the best of his time before his ending.

“I guess you and I see a difference in the meaning to what ‘dead’ is defined as…” Spike explained and sat the gun down on the desk and started to walk away.

“Wait…” Angelus yelled out from the floor when he saw Spike starting to leave his office.

Spike stopped but didn’t turn back.

“What?” he growled.

“Aren’t you going to finish the job?” Angelus laughed, “Make sure I don’t come back and destroy the rest of your little world.”

Spike started walking again, “You’re nothing to me anymore Angelus…and besides, you already destroyed my world…there is nothing left for you to take.”

“FINE!! Go ahead! Do what you like!!! Destroy my city!!!” Angelus yelled after Spike and then muttered to himself, “I’ll see him in hell…”


TBC....almost done...almost...

Chapter 33: Stand Your Ground



The wizard dusted his dirty hands onto his jacket as he stood up from the ground. Eli surveyed the work around him that he had spent the last five hours dedicating his energy to. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead he looked at all the wires and dynamite connected up and down the tunnel. With a nod, satisfied of his accomplishment, Eli turned around with his lit torch and headed back to the entrance of the tunnel.

The sound of silence and isolation that was captured in the dark tunnel gave the young wizard a little bit of the hibby gibbies. Eli’s heart started to race a little bit and his mind opened to the side where imagination could get carried away with itself.

‘Is there someone behind me? What’s that sound? Did that shadow just move?’ the thoughts from the wizard started popping up one by one.

It was only when Eli found himself back to his starting position, where the duffle bag that was full of weapons were left, did the wizard start to feel a little bit more relaxed.

Eli crunched down and started to root through the bag a little bit, moving weapons and other things aside. He pulled out the magically orb that Spike and Buffy were fighting over with earlier out and started to examine it a little bit.

‘I wonder…’ Eli thought to himself as he came up with an idea.


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“Now you remember what I told you?” Buffy asked her group of trusted allies.

“I don’t think we can do this.” Lewis shook his head and forgot all about his lesson of how magic worked from Buffy.

“Not with that attitude you won’t.” Buffy frowned and shook her head. “Magic comes within…the more you believe it the more you can make it happen.”

“Then how come when we wished we wanted to be out of here and free it never came true?” Christopher asked.

Buffy paused and looked at the kid. ‘Good point…’ she had to admit to herself.

“Duh!” Noelle spoke up before Buffy could respond, “You never said ‘Abracadabra’ Chris...”

Chris rolled his eyes at the little girl while Buffy did the opposite—giving her a little proud smile for sticking up for her. ‘Looks like a got a personal fan club…’ Buffy thought.

“The words are Latin…they hold great power and when you put all your energy into believing what they mean you pretty much get the power of ten men bottled up inside you.” Buffy explained.

Lewis sighed and placed his hand on a locked cage that was holding about half a dozen people hostage and muttered, “Patefacio omnipotens.”

Nothing happened.

“That was pathetic Lewis.” A woman whispered.

Noelle wondered over to another cage occupied by people and closed her eyes and whispered sacredly, “Patefacio omnipotens”

The little girl pulled the bars with a big tug and the door opened widely with ease. Noelle smiled in victory.

All the adults and Buffy had there mouths opened at the little six year old doing something so powerful.

“Wow…” Christopher muttered, saying aloud what was on all the grown ups thoughts around him.


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Spike stepped off the elevator quickly and strutted into the lobby of the hotel. With his jaw clenched and his temper still steaming he gave off a vibe about himself that certainly read ‘untouchable’.

A few of Angelus’s lackey’s spotted Spike from the far end of the casino. They started to point and muttered comments about the bleach blonde before walking over with weapons held in hand. But even before the vampires could lay a hand on Spike, the bleached blonde had all the lackey’s tumbling to the ground after a few quick punches.

Everyone in the lobby, mostly vampires and demons, turned at the commotion. When Spike pulled out a stake from his pocket he heard hisses of distaste from the crowds around him.

Spike glanced up around him and noticed about five more vampires were advancing on him and about a dozen more were storming through surrounding entrances.

“This ought to be a picnic…” Spike grunted while staking a nearby vampire and then charging at the advancing crowd around him.


----------------------------------

“Patefacio omnipotens” Christopher whispered while closing his eyes. And when he opened them he smiled at the opened door that freed people.

The young boy turned his head and watched as humans started to come out of there cells and flood into the hallway—hugging and smiling at one another for there new founding freedom.

“Okay everyone!” Buffy announced loud so she could get everyone’s attention.

All the humans quieted down and turned to her. In the background Lewis and a few others were still opening cages and freeing humans.

“We have to get out of here and stay together. I’ve found out there is only one way of escape…the door behind me.” Buffy said and pointed to a wooden door. “And I have a feeling that there will be vampires guarding it. Now I really don’t know how many there is going to be so I’m going to have to ask you guys this favor…help me.”

Buffy paused and watched around her in the darkness at adults muttering to one another before she spoke up again.

“I know it’s a lot to ask but think of what you’ll be doing in the process…saving our world…a world that seems to no longer belong to us. Evil has taken it from our hands and won that battle a long time ago…but… they haven’t won the war. Just by taking a stand and saying ‘I will not give up’ makes you a hero…that’s what can make us an army. It’s us versus them...I can’t force you to do something you don’t want to…but I know I can’t do it without you…so, what do you say?”


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Two lonely and bored out of there mind vampires were standing guard at locked door. One vampire was showing the other a silly childish card trick.

“Is your card the….the ace of spaces?” one vampire asked the other.

“No you idiot…” the other one said and shook his head in disgrace.

“What? Let me see your card?” he asked.

“It was the joker card…you Joker.” The vampire laughed and threw the playing card down at the ground.

A sudden bang came from behind the locked door that caused both of the vampires to jump in surprise.

“What was that?” the vampire that still held the deck of playing cards asked.

“I don’t know…check it out.” The other one muttered and nudged the vampire closer to the door.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the Joker.” He laughed.

Another bang came from the opposite side of the door again and the two vampires shared a serious look with one another. One vampire reached out to grab its gun but didn’t have time to reach it before the door burst open with a crack and revealed Buffy behind it.

“Hello boys…” the Slayer smiled and stepped out from the doorway into the lit room with her hands on her hips.

The two vampires blinked a few times in shock and looked behind the Slayers shoulder to see a countless number of humans standing there and looking just as pissed off as she was.

“Uh-oh…” one vampire sang with a frightened look.

“Get em’!!!” Buffy yelled and all the humans rushed out of the door with a battle cry singing from their throat and fire in there belly. They were an army now and they were standing there ground.


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Eli sat cross legged on the ground of the dark tunnel with the orb glowing in front of him as he chanted with his eyes closed.

He was so deep in concentration that he didn’t hear the shuffling footsteps behind him. It was only when a familiar voice spoke up that he stopped his spell and turned around.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding…” Rufus muttered.

Eli took in a deep breath as he looked up at his brother wizard before him.

“Rufus…” Eli muttered and stood up quickly.

Rufus eyed the glowing orb on the ground and then looked back at Eli’s face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Rufus asked.

“The right thing…something good for a change.” Eli said.

“Good for a….” Rufus stopped and laughed at the words, “You feeling guilty are you? Don’t you realize what’s happening around you…the end is coming and its time to pick sides.”

“And you obviously picked Angelus’s side…” Eli stated. It wasn’t a question without a doubt that he knew Rufus had gone completely bad.

“Why not? It’s a side I know that will win…” Rufus explained.

“But its wrong…can’t you see that?” Eli asked, trying to see if maybe there was one spark of goodness still left in the wizard.

Rufus shrugged, “So what? Its easy to give in…” and the Rufus pulled from out of his coat jacket a gun. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Eli reacted by taking a step backwards immediately and rising his hands up in the air. “So this is how it’s going to be?” Eli asked, “You going to kill me?”

“I know what that orb is…” Rufus motioned to ground at the glowing orb that was still shining away. “You were going to restore his soul…”

“Quit the contrary…” Eli muttered and eyed Rufus’s fingers that were on the trigger of the gun. “That wasn’t what I was doing.”

“I’m not stupid Eli…I may not be as powerful wizard as you, but I do understand a few things…” Rufus narrowed his eyes and tighten his finger on the trigger a little bit more but not enough pressure to cause the gun to go off.

“Is this why you decided to go bad? So you can have to upper hand for once? Be in the power seat for a change?” Eli asked in disgust and then shook his head, “Well that’s not going to get you anywhere…you think being bad will make you Angelus’s number two man? That you’ll have power…”

“I will have power.” Rufus contradicted, “I already have it…do you see me being the one holding his hands up in surrender?”

“Shoot me then…” Eli challenged. “Do it…since your so bad…do it.”

Rufus raised the gun to Eli’s head. The good wizard bit his lip hard and froze in fear. The moment that Rufus had his gun pointed at his wizard brother seemed to linger for what seemed like days…Eli closed his eyes and waited. When he finally heard the gun go off he waited…waited for the pain…but somehow it never came.

Eli blinked his eyes open and saw the gun was no longer pointed at his face, but that the orb was blown to bits and was smoking a little bit on the ground. He turned and gave a questionable look to Rufus and saw that evil wizard was staring daggers at him.

“Whatever you were doing can never be done now…” Rufus said.

“I was trying to undo what you did…return the sunlight…” Eli explained, “Using the energy from the orb, I was going to undo the deed you shamelessly did.”

“I’ve grown accustom to the dark.” Rufus replied.

“You won’t be too fond of it when Angelus’s decides to turn on you and make a midnight snack of your neck.” Eli taunted out.

Rufus gave a deep growl before dropping the gun in his fingers and tackling Eli down to ground. The two wizard’s battle back and forth like young brothers would do as children. Rufus delivered a round of punches to Eli’s face at first but then the good wizard shoved him back and got in a few sucker punches too.

“Absentis!” Rufus muttered magically and sent Eli flying across the room, knocking over the lit torch, and causing one of the flames to land on the wire of the dynamite.

When Eli got up to his feet his eyes widened at what had happened. “Oh my god…” he muttered to himself and seemed to be unable to move. The wizard’s mind drifted back to Spike and Buffy…and the fact that they were still fighting in the hotel without knowing that a major explosion was about to happen.

Eli was about to rush forward and try to stop the spark from hitting the dynamite from happening when he got tackled again by Rufus from behind. The two wizards once again went down…wrestling on the ground.

“Stop it!” Eli grunted, “I have to…” he muttered in between fighting Rufus, “Buffy…Spike…”

“Oh shut up…” Rufus muttered and picked up the gun that was not back in his hand and aimed to fire.


--------------------------------------------------------

Outside the dark city of Las Vegas all was quiet and calm….even though it was run by vampires now it looked completely innocent.

The calmness was gone within seconds when a giant fire ball erupted over the main casino and a few other nearby by buildings. The whole top half of Angelus’s casino was blown to bits and only a giant mushroom cloud of dust lingering in the air.

It would have been a miracle if anyone survived…


TBC...

Chapter 34: Where I find my Heaven

Eli groaned against the wall of the tunnel as he clenched the left side of his stomach. Rufus was standing above the wounded wizard…shocked at what he just did.

‘I shot him…’ Rufus told himself again and again inside his head.

As Eli raised his hand covering his stomach he saw in the poorly dim lit area that the metallic red blood was now practically painted onto his fingers. He glanced up at Rufus and gave him an innocent and very much pleading look that asked for help.

Rufus took a step back when he saw the pain that his former friend was going through…letting every moment slip on by without bracing that any second his ex-friend could die in the sewers.

“I…” Rufus stuttered to find words.

“Don’t say you’re sorry.” Eli muttered in pain.

Rufus blinked a few times, feeling that any moment tears of guilt may start streaming down his cheek.

“I guess you had become exactly like Angelus …a killer.” Eli said.

The bad wizard took in a sharp quick breath.

“It was an accident.” Rufus made up an excuse to make him feel better.

“Say what you want to make you feel better.” Eli winced and held his side even tighter.

Rufus too also winced but it was a different type of pain. A pain he will have to live with longer than Eli would have to agonize.

Eli shifted on the floor of the tunnel. “You know the pain is not as blinding and gruesome as it seems…I mean it’s just a little piece of metal stuck in my body…shouldn’t be too hard to…” Eli closed his eyes and bit his lip in pain as he shifted once again on the floor. “Not hard to…” then he let out a scream in pain and removed his hand from his side and watched the bullet that was moments ago lodged in his abdomen come magically floating out of his body and holding itself in midair.

Rufus gasped at the site of the bullet.

“I love magic…” Eli spoke, seeming that he had more strength in his words than before. “It’s full of surprises…when fools use it.”

The good wizard climbed to his feet and looked at the bullet floating and spinning around in its position, seeming to be frozen in time until it was given an order on to whom to attack.

“I guess I am a good wizard…good enough to heal my own bullet wound…” Eli said and glanced back down at the bullet before watching it move with lightning speed across the tunnel and be swallowed into Rufus’s body in pain. “And good enough to act as a weapon too…”

Rufus fell down on the ground when the bullet entered his heart.

“You might have destroyed the orb that was needed to cause the earth to go back to the way things were Rufus…but there is one last way…one only way left to break the spell…and I’m sorry that this had to be the only way.” Eli explained.

After explaining to a man that was almost half listening and half melting in pain, Eli saw within seconds his nemesis die on the dusty floor. He felt that the death he caused had been an accomplishment and yet a burden on his soul.

‘Magic had consequences.’ It was pretty much the first thing that Eli learned when he discovered his power. And killing a man is the consequences he’ll have to live with till he dies, just like Rufus will have to live his afterlife with the consequences of using his magic for evil.

“Sorry old friend…” Eli muttered and within two seconds he had magically vanished into thin air to look for his only two friends that he knew.


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Eli appeared in the middle of an opening outside the streets of Las Vegas. He glanced up at the sky and noticed the sun starting to rise over the horizon. He gave a little smile at something so beautiful and so full of life…something that he felt he hadn’t witnessed in years. However, when he looked at the destruction of the buildings around him he had to wipe the smile from his face and grimace.

‘Please God…please…’ Eli prayed and looked around within the rubble of twisted metal of where the casino was for any sign of life.

The dust from the explosion had not settled yet—it seemed to linger just a few feet above the ground.

Eli squinted and tried to make out figures as best he could. When he heard a sound come from the far end at where the hotel’s entrance was he yelled out, “Is anyone there?”

Still recovering from his almost death experience from the bullet, Eli couldn’t rush as fast to the figure as he liked but he still quickly moved closer.

“Hello?” Eli called out again and then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Spike.

The bleached blonde stumbled out with a hurt leg and blood coming from a cut on the side of his face.

“Spike…” Eli breathed a sign of relief at finding one out of two of his friends. The wizard rushed over just in time to catch the unstable and weak vampire in his arms.

“Buffy…” it was the first thing Spike muttered when he came in contact with the wizard.

Eli ignored the vampire’s request and checked Spike’s head wound for any serious damage. “You are going to need some stitches on this cut…” Eli explained.

“Buffy…” Spike muttered again in a daze but still with determination.

“Spike she’s…” Eli stopped when he heard something come from the rumble around him.

The dust was finally settling and causing the visibility to be a bit clearer. The wizard squinted and saw a woman stumbling out along with a man and child.

Spike too followed Eli’s gaze when he saw a number of humans come out the remains of what once Angelus’s casino. The man coming out of the wreckage and coming closer to the two was Lewis…and he was carrying someone in his arms. Noelle was following close beside Lewis. The little girl had a cut on her arm, dirt on her face, and eyes that were already shredding tears.

Lewis stopped a few feet away from Eli and Spike and stared at them.

“Are either of you Spike?” Lewis asked the two.

Spike let go of Eli’s arm and started to get his thoughts together when he heard the stranger call his name.

“I am…” Spike whispered and glanced down at the motionless person in Lewis’s arms.

Lewis looked down at the unconscious Slayer in his arms and then back at the wizard and vampire. The three men were oblivious to fact that more humans were coming out of the wreckage with remarkable ease and that little Noelle was starting to cry even harder.

Spike then stepped forward and saw for the first time Buffy’s peaceful beautiful face that he never thought he’d see again. A face he remembered eighty years ago.

“Buffy…” Spike whispered in tears.

Eli lowered his head down and too let tears fall for the fallen Slayer.

‘It’s my fault…’ both the wizard and vampire thought at the same time.

“She saved us…” Lewis told the both of them. “She got us out of a prison…and gave us a chance to live again…she never gave up.”

“She never did.” Spike mumbled and closed his eyes and let more tears spill down his cheek.

“When the explosion happened…she only thought of others and getting us safe…and got herself hurt.” Lewis explained, “Before passing out cold she muttered your name.”

Spike’s head shot up quickly and looked at Buffy’s face. He soon realized that the peaceful look on his love’s face wasn’t one of death…but the way Lewis spoke about her seemed to cause Spike’s mind to jump to that conclusion.

The vampire reached out quickly and took Buffy into his arms while never letting his eyes leave her face.

“Love? Buffy?” Spike whispered to her.

Eli blinked in surprise when he too realized that the Slayer wasn’t dead. He then traveled a little bit closer to Buffy and Spike.

“Is Buffy going to be okay?” Noelle cried.

Eli heard the tiny voice and looked down to see the girl pulling on his pants to get his attention. The wizard had always been uncomfortable when being around children, however when he saw the little blue eyes begging him to comfort her he couldn’t resist. Eli stooped down and rubbed small circles on Noelle’s back to make her stop crying.

“Buffy?” Spike whispered again and started to kneel down on the ground with Buffy still in his arms. The pain in his one leg hurt so bad that he couldn’t support himself let alone his love too any longer.

“Come on love…rise and shine…” he whispered and ran his hand across her small face.

Buffy slowly moved her head from side to side as she was starting to regain consciousness. Her eyes began to flutter and she finally opened her eyes to see the most beautiful blue eyes that she ever seen.

Spike let out a sob of happiness when he saw her eyes meet his.

“Am I in heaven?” Buffy whispered.

The site before her was glorious. The sun was starting to rise and Spike was holding his arms around her while light was starting to pour onto his body. ‘It must be some sort of heaven…’ Buffy thought.

“No love…” he whispered and kissed her forehead and combed his fingers through her hair. “You’re with me and…and you’re alive…”

“Are you alive too?” she asked in confusion.

Spike looked up at the clear sky and the sun slowly creeping over the horizon and smiled. “It would seem that way wouldn’t it?” he said as he looked back down at Buffy.

“I don’t understand…” Buffy started.

“Gem of Amara…” Eli said and interrupted the happily reunited couple.

Spike and Buffy looked over to see Eli still comforting the six year old but still watching them in admiration.

“Gem of—but Angel had it…he—then he destroyed it.” Buffy explained.

“That’s what he thinks…” Eli smiled.


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L.A…1999….

“So what, you don’t get the ring because your period of self-flagellation isn’t over yet? I mean think of all the daytime people you could help between 9 and 5.” Doyle told his friend as the two of them stood on the roof and waiting for the sun to go down.

“They have help. The whole world is designed for them, so much that they have no idea what goes on around them after dark. They don’t see the weak ones lost in the night, - or the things that prey on them. And if I join them, maybe I’d stop seeing, too.” Angel explained.

“And who’d look out for all the insomniacs?” Doyle shrugged.

“I was brought back for a reason, Doyle, and as much as I would like to kid myself, I don’t think it was for 18 holes at Rancho.”

Angel took off the tiny ring that was on his left hand and sat it on ledge of the roof as he bent down and searched for a rock to smash it with. Doyle glanced down at the ring and then over at his friend’s turned back. In one quick moment he snatched the Gem of Amara up and placed it in his pocket for safe keeping. Doyle replaced the real one with a fake ring that anyone could find in a Cracker Jack box.

‘Sorry buddy…it’s too power and useful to be destroyed…maybe you don’t deserving to have it…but maybe one day someone else will.’ Doyle thought as he watched Angelus smash the fake ring.

“Oh, and that Rachel girl with the crazy boyfriend called. Said to say thanks, and that she found a little faith. Said you’d know what that means.” Doyle quickly changed the subject and gave Angel a smile that the vampire soon returned.

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Present day…Vegas…

“…Doyle gave the ring to Whistler, a good friend of his…who gave it to me---he was good friend of mine…” Eli explained with a smile as he told the tale to Buffy and Spike of the journey of the Gem of Amara.

Spike chuckled at the irony of the Gem of Amara landing back in his position once again after all these years. Buffy too smiled as she started to sit up straight a little bit.

“Are you sure you can sit up?” Spike asked in worry as he climbed to his feet with her. The two clung to each other as they stood on there own two feet.

“I can if you’re by my side…” Buffy smiled up at him as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Spike smiled and kissed her forehead. “I thought I’d lost you again…Angelus wanted me to believe you were dead…”

“And did you believe him?” Buffy asked.

“A part of me did…but another part of me didn’t seem to think you were gone. What happened? How did you get out?” Spike asked.

“Long story…how about you? How did you know I was trapped?” Buffy asked.

“Long story…” Spike shook his head.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it…” Buffy muttered as she rested her cheek on his chest and closed he eyes, basking in the feel of the new sunrise warming there bodies. She felt Spike’s hands rub her back and run her through her messy dirty hair. She felt loved and beautiful even with all the aches and pains shooting through every inch of her body.

“Buffy?” the sound of Noelle’s voice made Buffy open her eyes to the reality of what was around her.

Spike and Buffy looked down at the small child that was pulling on Spike’s leather duster. For some reason Noelle didn’t seem to be afraid of the souled vampire that dressed in tough apparel that was meant to scare others.

“What are we going to do now?” Noelle asked.

Buffy and Spike glanced away from the small child and looked at each other. The Slayer turned and looked at the humans that were once Angelus’s prisoners laugh with joy and cry in sadness at how bad the world had gotten until they were freed. Buffy watched as a mother hugged her two children close to her. She saw two lovers embrace at finding one another again.

“The Little Bit’s got a point…what are we going to do now luv?” Spike asked.

‘Yeah Buffy, what are we going to do now?’ Buffy thought to herself.

The Slayer knew that there was a world out there that needed to be fixed, needed to be put back in order, and needed a Slayer to work the nightshifts. She also knew that it will take years to have things back to the way they use to, before she died. But at the moment Buffy didn’t care; the future seemed light years away in her mind.

Buffy looked at all the people around her that were celebrating there life and what they had overcame. Buffy smiled and felt a warm feeling start to grow from inside her. It started to replace the cold one that had been living inside of her since the day she punched her way out of her grave.

‘What am I going to do?’ she thought to herself.

‘I’m going to live…’ Buffy thought as her smile grew more confident and strong.

‘Live for Dawn…live for my friends…’ Buffy thought to herself, ‘Like they intended on me doing…’


THE END