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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you so much to all who reviewed! Its such an encouragement to my muse! If your still reading and still interested, please let me know! Also, big thanks to my beta, C, for going over this chapter!

Parts of the dialogue are taken from Bargaining part one and two
Buffy could hear the noises above her. They seemed so loud, so abrasive to her sensitive ears. They gave her some form of hope, however, so she focused on them as she kept clawing her way through the damp soil, feeling it lodge between her nails but not caring in the least at the moment. Her chest felt like it was being crushed from the inside. All she could think about was getting out.

She needed to get back where she was but she somehow knew instinctively that she had to fight to get out of the hole she was in. Panic was starting to well up inside of her and the idea of surrendering to death yet again was beginning to cloud Buffy's efforts just as a pair of strong arms gripped her, tugging her through the ground and onto the surface.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. It was so dark and cold up here, and her body was shaking as she finally focused on the man who was holding her. At that moment, in her eyes he looked like an angel, with shining white hair and glowing pale skin. This place though...it was so dark, cold and harsh...there shouldn't be an angel here. Maybe this guardian had come to rescue her from hell and take her back to where she had been...she could only hope.

Her throat hurt though; there hadn't been any pain before and she was already missing that aspect of the place she had been. Buffy's fingers twisted in the fabric of the man's tee shirt, clinging to the one thing that seemed safe in this hell or world or whatever it was. Her eyes focused on his bright blue eyes, clinging to the warmth in their depths, letting it warm her soul and comfort her fears, at least for the moment.

Thoughts swirled around so quickly in the slayer's mind that she couldn't figure out exactly what she was thinking. Was that even possible? To think so much that you ceased comprehending your own thoughts? Hazel eyes slid shut as she tried to fight the chill that was taking over her body; instead she chose to focus on the soft words that were coming out of her angel's mouth. Though they weren't really making sense to her, the sound was lulling her into a sense of security that she clung to.

********

"S'alright, pet, don't be scared...got you, your safe...never let anything hurt you again, Buffy, don't be scared..."

Spike just kept muttering the same sentiments over and over again. All he could tell her was that he had her, that she was safe, and apologize over and over again for not doing more to help her before. Promise after promise fell from his lips as he stood up, clutching her to his chest. For a second, he paused in uncertainty; did he take her to the Scoobies? She seemed so frightened and he was worried all the chaos that was sure to occur at the Magic Box would only set her back further.

His eyes dropped down to the trembling girl in his arms; she didn't look like his golden girl but it was her through and through. He could sense her fear, her panic, her confusion all through the claim and it was tearing him up inside. She didn't even recognize him. He was trying not to break down again, though cool tears were running unchecked down his cheeks. Heavy footsteps moved uncaringly over the graves as he carried Buffy through the dark cemetery unsure, as of yet, where he was taking her. He just knew he couldn't let her go, couldn't put her down. He'd let her go once before and look where that had gotten him - pulling her out of a grave. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Before she'd...well, gone away for a bit...they'd had a one sided relationship. How many bloody times had his love been thrown back at him? He was being used, he knew he was being used and he was just enough of love's bitch to put up with it. It seemed he would never find his peace with her but he sure as hell wasn't going to find it without her either.

Spike wasn't one to give up on things though. Angel -- in all his nancy boy glory -- had best described Spike's perseverance when he told Xander that 'Once he starts something he doesn't stop until everything in his path is
dead'. So he had moved past the whole making everything dead thing, well, with the aid of a government implanted chip and falling for a slayer, but still, the principle held. When Spike did something, he did it all the way and he kept going till he finished what he started.

So maybe he would never get his perfect chance with the Slayer; maybe he would never hear the words that he had so unwillingly spat out countless times I love you in return; and, maybe deep inside, he had come to realize that it was a losing battle. Needless of all the facts, Spike sure as hell wasn't going to just walk away. He wasn't going to give up hope.

Hope, what a foreign word for a vampire. Really, technically, there wasn't supposed to be any hope for a member of the undead. What was there to hope for? When he had been with Dru, his life consisted of danger and pain; he had lived on adrenaline, focusing on each day with the solitary goal of making
the most of that day alone.

Now, however, hope always seemed to be lingering just below the surface. Hope of acceptance, of affection, of usefulness...what a joke that was. Angelus, had he been around, would laugh his ass off if he could hear his childe thinking these thoughts. Hope. Hope that his slayer might be alright, might come back to them whole. He'd never give up hope. Especially not now. Buffy may not love him but there was no doubt in his mind that she needed him.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he focused his gaze down on the girl in his arms. "Almost home, pet, just hold onto me..." His words were a soft, tender murmur speaking quietly so he wouldn't wake up the girl who had finally fallen asleep. Maybe she would find some peace now, in her slumber. His mind reached out, trying to sense her feelings but they were muted within her.

Taking that as his assurance that she was ok for now, he started walking a little more quickly. She seemed to be calming down and as much as he wanted to hide her away with him forever, he knew that the little bit needed her sister and maybe, just maybe, that would help anchor his slayer just a bit more to the world she was suddenly pulled back into.

****************

"It should have worked. I don't understand what went wrong..."

Willow's head was buried in her hands, tears running down her cheeks as she leaned against Tara. The rest of the scoobies remained silent, the mood heavy and hurting as they all mulled over the events of the night.

"We have to try again! We can't just leave her there! She's counting on us!"

Willow was pleading with the others to understand, they had been so close, so damn close, and Buffy had been just out of her reach. She could feel it during the incantation, she could sense Buffy as if she had been in arm's reach of her! Her eyes flew up to Xander, widening at the words that came out of his mouth.

"Will, the urn of Neurosis..." Xander began.

"Osiris" Anya's voice was helpful even through her tears.

"Right, the urn of Osiris.." He began again before he paused, letting out a slow breath as a light shut off in Willow's eyes.

"Broken." Willows voice was soft when she said the simple word, her eyes traveling back to Xander. "It's broken. I remember."

So that was it, the spell hadn't been completed, the urn had been destroyed by the rampaging motorcycle demons and Buffy was gone. Her best friend had been counting on her and Willow had failed her. A sudden gut-wrenching grief overtook her, pain seizing her as the reality of it all settled in. With a harsh, primal sob she collapsed against Tara, clinging to her as the tears fell down her still dirty cheeks. Everyone was to lost in their own grief to even hear the bell above the door ring as it opened.


************

Spike's bright blue eyes took in the sight of the morose crowd that was standing around the magic box. Suddenly, his mind went back to the cemetery, when he had come up on all of them sitting around Buffy's grave. Red was crying hysterically against Tara, while the rest of the gang just looked uncomfortable. A sudden rage started welling inside of him though he tried to keep it at bay, not wanting to disturb the girl in his arms. They had gone and fucked with things. He knew it.

"Does someone want to tell me what the bloody hell is going on!?"

He growled out, full game face on without him even realizing it. Powerful emotions did that, they brought out the demon in him without his consent and you better believe these were some powerful emotions swirling around inside of the vampire. He had known, damn it, he had known something was up when they
started acting shady the past few days, hiding things and being all tense and whatnot.

His arms tightened protectively around Buffy, holding her closer to his body as his eyes flashed amber, daring anyone to come near him and his girl. How could they go and mess with something like this? Red didn't know her own power and anything could have gone wrong. His eyes dropped down to Buffy,
thinking about how she hadn't even recognized him. A sudden fear gripped him, his brow furrowed even through the ridges - what if something was wrong? What if she hadn't come back whole? His eyes flashed again as he glanced back up to the Scoobies, waiting for some sort of explanation.

Willow was the first to step forward, her brow furrowed and her voice hesitant. "...Buffy?" She questioned softly, her eyes on her best friend who was wrapped in Spike's arms and clutched to his chest.

"What...what's wrong with her?" Xander questioned, a little nervous with Spike all 'grrr' and the possibility of the Buffster being a zombie or something.

"Nothing is wrong with her!" Willow insisted, coming closer, not even acknowledging the fact that Spike was vamped out. "She's just...she's in shock and she's tired, its been a long day for her, I'm sure..." She was trying to rationalize the fact that her best friend was there just as her eyes dropped down to her hands at the same time that Tara's did.

"Her hands, her hands are bleeding...her fingers..." Tara murmured, coming up beside her girlfriend, her hand supportively on her back.

"Oh, she's filthy." Anya stated, just as confused as everyone else as to why the slayer was so battered.

It hit Xander first, complete horror crossing his expression as he began shaking his head. "Oh, oh no..." At everyone's questioning looks he continued, forcing out the words that were stuck like bile in the back of his throat. "Our spell. Our resurrection spell worked like a magic charm. We brought her back to life...right where we left her."

Finally, Spike couldn't hold back anymore. Visibly tense, he went into the backroom of the shop, laying out his slayer oh so gently on the couch there. His fingers tenderly trailed over his marks on her neck, hoping that the claim he had on her would offer some sort of comfort. "Rest, love, I'll be back...never leavin' you again, pet." He murmured gently, kneeling down to press a soft kiss to her forehead before he stood and returned to the front where everyone was standing in shock still.

"Bloody right you did! Had to dig herself out of her own bleedin' grave!" He growled, still vamped and in a complete rage. "What the hell were you thinking, Red?" He stalked over to the witch, his hands gripping her arms harshly. "You don't even know what your dealing with, what you could have done to her!" He shook his head, trying to calm himself down, to reign the demon in before he did something that would trigger the chip and send him into searing pain.

"If...If I hadn't shown up when I did..." he wasn't about to explain how he knew that she needed help, that was a story for another day. "..she would still be in that grave, she'd be dead for the third time and it would lay on each of your bloody hands!" That time, the bloody was meant literally. Buffy's blood would be on their hands and he hoped they understood what he meant by that.

Taking a deep, though unneeded, breath, he let his head tip back, rocking on the arches of his feet before he narrowed his eyes at the group once more.

"I am going to go clean her up before Niblet sees her. I don't want anyone bothering her right now. Red, you and Tara go get the first aid kit and get some soup or something going. Anya, you go get Dawn and bring her here. I don't want to move Buffy yet. Harris, go get the Watcher and tell him to start finding out exactly how this spell could affect the slayer." His words were commanding, taking control. Giving orders and getting things accomplished was the only way he was controlling himself at this moment. His eyes traveled over the Scoobies, daring them to protest.

For once, no one argued with the peroxide headed vampire.





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