Harmony

Rated- PG13

Summary- There are two vampires with a soul. The world is falling into chaos because of this anomaly. There is no way around it. One of them has to die. But which one?

Spoilers- This takes place after Buffy’s Chosen and Angel’s Destiny

Disclaimer- Joss Whedon owns all the characters from BTVS and ATS. I’m just borrowing. Although, I’m kinda reluctant to give back a certain bleach blonde

Chapter 11

The world stopped at a little past eight AM.

The shrill constant beep exploded in their ears.

And they watched.

The defibrillator jolted Buffy’s body as electric currents swept through her.

“Clear!”

“Time?”

“Two minutes, fifty-one seconds.”

Two minutes and fifty-one seconds of oblivion.

“Up twenty. . . Clear!”

Spike couldn’t see. There was only darkness. A frigid blanket had draped itself over him. And his ears had gone deaf. There was nothing.

He didn’t hear the catch in the flat line. The long drone came back, but there had been a pause.

“Again.”

The paddles shot energy into the slayer. She jerked off the bed.

“Clear.”

Over and over. It never seemed to end.

And then. . .

“We have a pulse!”

Four minutes, fifteen seconds. Four minutes and fifteen seconds after the world stopped it started again.

Dawn shook her favorite vampire. He looked like a zombie, which wasn’t far off, but very disturbing.

“Spike?”

He made no response.

“Spike? Did you hear? They have a pulse. Buffy’s back.”

Everything came rushing back. His vision cleared, his ears filtered in the sound waves, and the blanket lifted.

Spike sunk to his knees. Dawn came down with him and wrapped her arms around him.

Spike, William the Bloody, slayer of slayers, cried in the embrace of a sixteen year-old.

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

Spike sat on the floor outside his love’s door. He couldn’t bring himself to go inside yet. He was still recovering from almost losing her.

“So, I hear you’re a good guy now. How‘s that going for you?”

He rose his blue eyes to land on Cordelia. She came over and sat down beside him.

“Mmm, for being carpet it’s pretty comfy.”

Spike stared down at his hands. “So, I hear you’re all with the visions. How’s that going for you?”

She shrugged. “You’d think being half demon it’d be a piece of cake.”

He rose an eyebrow at that.

“Don’t ask. Yeah, half demon here. The migraines are gone, but that doesn’t mean I welcome them.”

He offered a nod.

“I’ve been getting a lot since waking up. They were a jumbled mess at first, but now they’re more clear. Still not a picnic.”

His blue eyes met her brown ones. They were filled with plead. “Any that might help Buffy?”

“One thing about the damned PTBs, they love to show what is wrong, but they’re not big on giving solutions.” She let out a humorless laugh. “It is so uncool how we have to clean up their mess.”

They sat together in silence.

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

Spike didn’t bother to knock. He burst into Angel’s office, making the other vampire lift his head from his hands.

“Any news from the senior blokes?” Spike asked.

Angel straightened. “No.”

“Right then.”

The blonde reached into his duster pocket. When his hand emerged it held a wooden stake.

“I’ve been thinking. . .”

“Never a good thing, William,” Angel commented.

His grandchilde was about to make a comeback, but stopped himself. He fumbled with the stake.

“There are the two of us.” Spike gestured between them. “And there should only be just the one. So, if one of us was eliminated. . .”

A frown spread across Angel‘s face. “What are you getting at?”

Spike handed over the stake. He gripped the edge of the desk and leaned slightly forward. “I’m askin you to kill me.”

Angel should have jumped at the chance. It was his opportunity to be rid of the annoying bleach-wonder. Instead he set the stake down. Then he looked up.

Calmly, Angel said, “No.”

“What!?” Spike let go of the desk. “I’m askin you to off me. It’s your biggest dream. Think about it. You’ll be the only candidate for that Shanshu prophecy. And Buffy’ll need someone.”

“Why are you doing this, Spike?”

“Because it’s the only way! I just overheard some docs discussing Buffy’s condition. There is nothin they can do for her.” Spike let out a long breath. “And it isn’t only her, although she’s a large chunk of it. I’ve been thinkin about the other billion people outside the window. So, I’m askin again, ‘Kill me?’.

A few seconds passed. “No,” Angel answered.

Spike hit his fist down on the top of the desk. He growled. He snatched up the stake.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself!”

He began to stalk out of the room, prepared to find a private place for his end. He was halted by Angel. The elder vampire slammed him against the door.

“Can’t let you do it, Spike,” Angel said, slipping into game face.

“And why the bleeding hell not!?” Spike shouted.

“Because she loves you.” Angel’s features shifted back to human. He took in a deep breath. “Because she loves ‘you’.”

Angel released Spike. He took a step back. With steady hands, he began to unbutton his dark shirt. Then he offered his bare chest.

“Do it.”

Spike gawked in surprise. But he didn’t move.

“Do it!” Angel repeated.

Spike raised the weapon.

“I never liked you much, Angel. But I. . . I never hated you. Sometimes I even admired you. Kinda like right now.”

“Spike. . . Take care of her.”

“Course.”

And with that, Spike aimed. He thrust the stake, hitting its target swift and true. Angel only had time to enlarge his eyes and open his mouth before disintegrating. The stake fell from Spike’s hands, landing next to the pile of dust on the floor.

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An epilogue and this baby is done.