Lost Champion
Chapter One
AN: Collaboration between Thianna and Elizabeth Anne Summers. Thanks yous to Thianna and Shadow for betaing.
Through it all, he could hear her rushing up the steps and for that he was thankful. His hand still tingled slightly from when she had laced her fingers with his. He tried to focus on it – the feel of her hand against his, the look in her eyes that told him she loved him, and the way her lips moved when she said the three words he had been longing to hear for what seemed like forever. He could see that she wanted him to leave with her but he knew otherwise. The Hellmouth had to be closed and he was the Champion to do it.
And that was why he had to say it. *No you don’t, but thanks for saying it.* He wanted her safe. He had to see this to the end but she still had her life ahead of her.
He afforded himself one fleeting imagination of “what if”. He dared to imagine a life where maybe he and the Slayer could be together. But, the burning from the light spread through his whole body and Spike opened his mouth in a howl of pain. He closed his eyes, preparing for the end. Maybe this would count favourably for him at his final judgment along with his redemption. Not that he had any illusions of wearing a toga, fluttering his wings, and stroking a harp, but all of this had to count for something.
The pain was gone and the light not so blindingly bright. This must have been the end he thought, but when he opened his eyes he was confused at his surroundings.
He was standing in the middle of the street, in a town square that looked to date back nearly two centuries. There were people staring at him in equal shock and cars stalled, not just the ones he was blocking, as their drivers gawked. The most amazing thing, though, was that it was broad daylight and he wasn’t a combustible pile of dust.
“Bugger,” he muttered and patted himself down, glad he was at least clothed. *Was this purgatory?*
The sound of car horns broke him out of his thoughts and he moved onto the sidewalk so traffic could continue. He looked around, unsure of where to go. He needed to find out where he was, why he wasn’t bursting into flame-y bits, and what had happened to the other Scoobies back in Sunnydale. Where would he get his answers, though?
He started walking down one of the tree lined streets radiating out from the town square when he heard tires squeal. He looked up and glanced over his shoulder to see a green car with a racing stripe making a U-turn to come back towards him. The little Neon skidded to a stop next to him as the pulsing rock music stopped and he watched the door open warily.
“What the hell?” a tiny blonde exclaimed as her head popped up over the top of the car, Southern accent rolling off her tongue.
He wondered if the Southern accent might be a clue to where they might be. Hopefully she was from around there. His eyes moved over her as she came around the car towards him, studying what might be the person to help him. She was smaller than his Buffy with dark streaks in her hair and bright blue eyes like his own. Nearly as pale as him, too. She may look like Buffy, but her style leaned more towards his own what with the dark make-up, tattoos, and black nail polish. The girl wore a pleated skirt of black and red plaid with black straps hanging around her hips and a netted that showed her black bra. He forced his eyes not to linger on her cleavage, but thought that maybe this might be what Buffy could look like if he ever got hold of her. He had pictured his slayer like this on more than one occasion.
“That’s what I’d bloody well like to know!” he finally said dryly.
“Woah, in character much there,” she said with a chuckle and let her eyes wander over him in similar perusal, but with a bit more interest lighting her eyes.
“In character? What are you on about?” He shook his head.
“What’re you doin’ here?” she asked curiously finally, ignoring the strange questions for now.
“I don’ bloody know! I don’ even know where the bleedin’ hell I am!” He gestured around wildly.
She figured to just amuse his second comment, “You’re in beautiful Dahlonega, Georgia, home of the first major American gold rush.”
“Thanks for the soddin’ history lesson, but what the hell am I doin’ in this hick town?”
“Okay, I know girls prob’ly fall all at your feet for doin’ the whole Spike act, but come on...” She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. She had bristled at the term ‘hick town’ even if she herself had called it that on occasion.
“Dizzy bint, this isn’ a bloody act!” In the next instant, he couldn’t help his anger getting the better of him what with the stress of the situation and fatigue from the fight. His face shifted and she jumped back with a yelp. Good to know he was still a vampire. Maybe he wasn’t in purgatory after all.
“Okay then... new problem... how did you get into the real world?” She kept her distance from him warily.
“Real world?” He tried to shake off his game face, not wanting to scare off a potential ally.
“Uh... yeah... you’re a character in a television show last I had checked. I’ve got your calendar hangin’ on my wall.” He looked dubious and she chewed her bottom lip in thought before sighing, “Look, I can prove it like you proved to me you were really Spike when you went all grr argh on me, okay? It’ll also help me figure out if I’m dealin’ with nasty Spike or nice Spike. Basically, bein’ the Buffy geek that I am, I can prob’ly tell you more ‘bout yourself than *you* remember.”
He gave a loud snort then hooked his thumbs in his jeans, looking amused. “Right then. How many slayers have I offed?”
“Two. One in China durin’ the Boxer Rebellion, and then there was Nikki Wood in New York.”
He frowned slightly. “How did I get turned?”
“This bitch Cecily got all uppity with you and you ran out cryin’, bumped into Angelus on the street and Dru followed you to where she attacked you.” She crossed her arms. “Oh, and later you went home to see Mommy Dearest and you turned her and she went all bitchy monkey in heat on you, so you dusted her.”
He couldn’t help the low growl that sounded at her reference to his mum. He just had to remind himself that he needed her help and if she knew him that well she knew to watch her tongue where his mum was concerned. Not unless she had some sort of death wish.
“I assume you know about the Buffybot then.” At her nod he continued. “Who made her?”
“Warren.” She tilted her head with a grin. “I always did wish I could find someone to make me a Spikebot.”
“Right.” He quirked a brow at her. “How did I off the Annoyin’ One?”
“Tossed him in a cage and hoisted him right up into the sunlight.” She looked at him tiredly. “Look, give me a real hard one now so we can prove it once and for all and get on with figurin’ out how the hell you got here.”
“Fine. I got one. Figure only me an’ the demon bloke that was there would know what happened. What do you know about when I got me soul back?” His eyes narrowed as he studied her answer to that one.
“Well, they didn’t show a complete blow by blow, but from what I saw? In the cave in Africa, first there was this guy with the flamin’ hands and you broke his neck to win. Then at some point was this pointy eared demon guy that you ripped the head offa... then these icky scarabs were crawlin’ all over you. Then after that they showed the demon doin’ the glow-y touch to you to give you your soul.” She tilted her head. “Which you really didn’t come out and ask for, but I guess he figured that’s what you really wanted since he seemed to be of the psychic sort. He knew you were there about Buffy when you arrived.”
“Bugger... I’m a bloody kiddy show character!” He paced away from her gesturing wildly then stopped and walked back towards her. “Look, so now you know it’s the nice, or at least souled, me that you’re dealin’ with, yeah? So you’re goin’ t’ help me get back? ‘Cause not sure how much you know beyond the soul part, but I was down in the Hellmouth doin’ my bit t’ hold off the First when suddenly I’m here.”
“What?” she squawked, interrupting him. “So this is you, right after the end of the series? When you were down there and went dusty with the amulet on? You came *here*?”
“So you did see that. Good t’ know.” He heaved a sigh as he went over what she had said. “End of the series, you say? Which means you bloody well can’ tell me how the Slayer an’ the other white hats faired... if my sacrifice did them any good...”
“There was a bit after you... you know.” She shifted on her feet and ran her hand through her hair. “Buffy got out and caught up with the others. Then the Hellmouth pretty much collapsed in on itself... and they stopped just outside the city limits to look at the ginormous crater left. So, you do have somethin’ to go back to and hopefully we’ll come up with somethin’... whether it be to send you back or contact them or in the very least see how they’re doin’ since then, okay? So for now let’s get you to my apartment and out of the middle of the street.”
She motioned him to the car and went around to get into the driver’s seat. He eyed the little green Neon with the racing stripe before getting in. He barely had time to arrange himself comfortably in the small car before she sped off down the road with him clinging to the seat. *The bint drives like a bloody maniac*, he thought, forgetting he drove much worse. He missed the sly glance she threw him out of the corner of her eye before flipping through her rock music to a particular song.
He did notice when suddenly Rebel Yell started blaring through the car. “Bloody hell woman; that is not funny!”
“I think it is,” she gave a little snort of amusement. “And no worries, my apartment’s right there.”
Still, he reached out to turn down the radio as they pulled into the parking lot. She gave him a dry look for it and parked the car in her space then reached for her purse under his legs. She led him to her door and went inside, heading over to drop her purse onto her desk. When Spike came in behind her with a chuckle, she blushed slightly knowing he had noticed his face splashed across her computer screen and the walls.
“Yeah yeah yeah, yuck it up... so now we’re even,” she grumbled and turned to go grab her phone. “I was out to get some lunch when you sorta sidetracked me, so I’ll just order in a pizza instead. Lemme guess, you want hot wings, too?”
“Not real hungry at the moment, but sure.” He moved around the apartment, investigating what he might be calling home for who knew how long.
She made the call then hung up the phone, hand lingering over the handset for a moment before looking at him. “I... really don’t know where to get you blood while you’re here... I know on the show that I think they got you stuff from the butchers... but I don’t think we gotta butcher shop.”
“We don’ know if I still drink blood, what with the not-so-combustible skin. But, as I proved t’ you, I’m still a vampire... so might be good t’ have blood on hand.” He tilted his head. “So where do you get your steaks an’ such if you don’ have a butchers?”
“Wal-Mart, duh.”
He chuckled. “Then maybe we can try t’ talk t’ someone there ‘bout gettin’ some of their blood. Don’ want t’ have t’ resort t’ breakin’ int’ the hospital or feedin’ on people around here.”
“Guess last resort would be just feedin’ on me,” she said with a shrug then grinned. “Not that I would complain, of course.”
“Sure, luv. If we can’ get blood anywhere I might have t’ settle for you,” he replied with an amused look. He turned to continue his perusal of her apartment and picked up a book. “You’re a Wiccan like Red?”
“Kinda. I’m a Wiccan, yeah, but I’m not some uuber witch like the Wiccans on your show. In the real world, magic is that slight of hand stuff. I do... well, I *am* psychic in that I get somethin’ similar to slayer dreams now and then... and I’m a bit sensitive or empathic... but that’s not magic.”
“It’s still worth a look-see t’ see if we can’ find somethin’ that might help me.”
She sighed. “Sure. Maybe we’ll find somethin’ on the internet. ‘Cause I obviously don’ got anythin’ in the way of spellbooks. That’s just somethin’ on Wiccans, as in our beliefs and practices.”
With a nod, he set it back down and moved to keep looking around. Over to the side was a fish tank and moving past it he poked his head into the bedroom, spotting a hamster cage in there. The bed was unmade with black sheets and a mink blanket. Then there was a pile of shoes and jackets in one corner while a pile of books and folders was in another. Bloody messy bird, she was. He wondered where he was going to be sleeping since at the moment he had no hope of getting home soon. If ever. He shoved that depressing thought away, opting for optimism.
The doorbell rang and the she stopped watching him to scoop up her purse to get some money for the pizza. A few minutes later, she set the food on the coffee table in the middle of the living room before going to the kitchen to get some paper plates and napkins. When she turned around she gave a start at seeing him behind her. Vampires should come with bell collars, she thought to herself with some amusement.
“Well, you know me, obviously, but I’ve been a right wanker an’ didn’ ask your name.” He took the paper plate she held out lamely.
“Marie. Is me. I’m Marie,” she said with a blush and ducked around him to go get a slice of pizza. “I don’t think you’ve been a wanker. I’d be freaked too if I suddenly found myself in a weird place and not sure how I’d get home. Especially if I had a loved one back home I was worried about.”
She settled down on the couch and turned on the television, looking up at the vampire when he didn’t sit down. Turning down the volume, she tilted her head in question.
“Luv, as you know it’s been a right long day for me,” he began softly. “I don’ want t’ be a rude guest, but I...”
“Oh, no problem. I’ll put everythin’ in the fridge and you can have it later. And the bed is yours; I got no problem sleepin’ out here on the fold out couch.”
“Wouldn’ be right,” he offered up a token objection.
“Nonsense,” she said and thumbed towards the room with a smile. “Might smell like some icky human girl, but it’s better than the couch and a heap big champion like you deserves a nice rest after savin’ the world, right?”
“Right,” he echoed with a slight smirk then nodded to her in thanks before disappearing into the room.
He grudgingly tugged his boots off and plopped onto to the bed. He propped his arms underneath his head and tried to get comfortable. His eyes settled on the ceiling above him and he found a life size poster of himself sneering down at him. He let out a smirk and shook his head. Was this his reward for saving the world? To exist in a place where he wasn’t shunned or deemed a monster by society. From what he could gather, he was popular here. Or admired at the very least. Is this worth it? Could he exist here just in case Marie couldn’t find a way to send him back? Maybe. But this world was missing one thing. Buffy.
Tbc...