Chapter 12
**
Previously:
“But you can save her. The trials that Angel would have taken to try and save Darla will work for Joyce. If you are willing to go through the trials in her name, you can save her.”
“What do I have to do?”
**
Penny walked across the street and knocked on the door to 1630 and waited for the door to be answered. After she was ushered inside by Buffy, Penny suggested that they ask Joyce to join them. When Joyce had joined them, Penny asked Buffy to explain who she was. Once she was sure that Joyce understood, Penny told them the truth about Joyce’s illness.
“I’m going to die?” Joyce asked, her voice soft and shaking.
“No. We can fix this, right?” Buffy pleaded with Penny.
“There is a way,” Penny informed them confidently. “It’s another thing the Powers wanted me to fix. They understand with perfect clarity that Buffy needs her mother.”
Bouncing happily in her seat, Buffy asked the important question. “So, what do we do?”
“At sundown, Spike will arrive and escort you both to the trials. Spike is the only one who can do this. It’s more of a test for him than anything else, but he doesn’t know that and he can’t be told. By going through the trial, he will ensure that Joyce here will be completely healed. The best way you can help him is to believe in him and to tell him that.
“I know that you want to do this for your mother, Buffy, but this fight is Spike’s. You have to let him do this; it’s his first step on the road to redemption and it’s his destiny.” Penny watched as Buffy’s expression changed from stubborn mutiny, to argumentative, then frustration, petulance and finally to grudging acceptance.
~*~*~
When sunset arrived, so did Spike. The trio walked in silence, guided by the directions Penny had given them. Walking up to the empty pool, Buffy, Joyce, and Spike looked at each other. Joyce held his gaze as she asked, “Are you sure?”
Nodding firmly Spike walked to the diving board and said, “It's time for a leap of faith." Taking a deep breath he said, “I'm either coming back with a cure - or you're about to see somethin’ bloody funny.” Taking a running leap, Spike bounced off the end of the board and dove into the empty pool. A blue light crackled around him as he disappeared.
~*~*~
Spike saw the ground a split second before he hit, but there was time enough to allow him to tuck and roll back to his feet. He looked around what appeared to be a dungeon-like chamber.
“Well, we certainly have faith. Now we'll test your valour.”
Spike spun at the sound of the voice. Standing calmly in front of him was a small man that appeared to be dressed as a butler in a black suit and tie. “And who would you be, mate?”
“I shall be assisting you with the trials, sir,” The butler replied politely.
Glancing to the side Spike noticed that both Buffy and Joyce are standing beside the man. Spike whirled back, glaring at the man. “Why are they here?” Spiked snarled. He was suddenly terrified for the two women.
“You wish to save this lady’s life?” The butler calmly asked as he indicated Joyce.
“Of course I bloody well do,” Spike answered the man belligerently.
“She is your collateral then. Should you complete all three trials, she will be healed.”
Buffy and Spike shared a glance, suspicion moving its icy tendrils through both their minds. “What happens if I don't complete the trials?” Spike asked.
“She dies instantly. In the mean time; Mrs. Summers, Miss Summers, you can relax with an iced beverage in our antechamber.” With his words both Buffy and Joyce disappeared.
“No,” Spike whispered.
“Oh, it's better this way, sir. In a few moments no living thing will be safe in here.”
Spike seemed not to have heard the butler, “You can't. Nobody said that she would...”
“Oh, I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding, but life is the bargain here. You have placed hers in the balance along with your own, of course. Anyway, you’d best get ready now, sir. This is no time to be dwelling on the negative.
“Your trials will consist of three separate challenges. I'll need your coat, tee-shirt, and shoes,” the small man instructed.
“You will give the coat to Buffy.” Spike’s statement brooked no argument. Removing his coat, tee-shirt and shoes, he silently handed them to the Butler. The warrior was preparing, he would not fail. “You said three challenges; I’m guessin’ the first one involves whatever the buggerin’ hell is makin’ that racket behind door number one,” Spike commented, pointing to the gate in front of him.
“Once that gate opens, all you have to do is walk through it,” the butler blithely announced before disappearing.
“Oh yeah, I’m sure it’ll be just that easy,” Spike muttered to himself as the gate started to rise. An ugly yellow demon, armed with a sword and two chains with sharp hooks at the ends made his way through the gate. “Slayer’s gonna be right brassed she missed you, mate,” Spike chortled with glee.
As the demon swung the chains around, trying to hook his opponent, Spike jumped to avoid them. Moving in closer, Spike punched the demon with a strong left hook, spun to the right, and disarmed the demon of his sword with a quick right hand. Ducking low and spinning quickly with a leg sweep, Spike dropped the demon to the floor. Swapping the sword to his left hand, Spike beheaded the demon in one swift move. Picking up the chains, he looked thoughtfully at the beheaded demon and then around the room. Noting two light fixtures on opposite walls, Spike brought down the sword a second time, slicing the body in two. Hooking one half, he dragged it to the one wall and looped the chain over a light fixture. He repeated his action with the other half and the opposite light fixture. As he turned back to the gate, it opened, and Spike walked calmly through.
~*~*~
Standing next to Buffy and Joyce in the ante-chamber, the butler looked at his pocket watch. “Seventeen seconds to win. Well, that record is going to be hard to beat.”
Buffy smirked at the man and shrugged. “He’s a warrior.”
“Is it possible to see what's happening?” Joyce asked, concerned for the blond vampire she had befriended.
“If you insist, but please remember - you did ask.” He clapped his hands and with a brief flash of light, they could see what was happening.
~*~*~
As the gate closed behind him, Spike was left in a long dark corridor. With a soft whoosh, the ceiling opened, allowing the hall to be bathed in moonlight. Spike studied the hall. The floor and walls were covered with crosses of all shapes and sizes. About half way down, there was a basin on a pedestal, and at the other end there was a door. Spike rolled his eyes and loudly stated his contempt.
“Could you be anymore predictable? Let me guess; the door’s locked and the bloody key is in the basin, prolly covered with holy water. Wankers.”
~*~*~
Joyce gasped and turned angrily to the butler. “Why don't you just kill him if you want him dead?”
“We don't want anything, madam. In this place, the journey is all. Where it may lead is not our concern.”
~*~*~
Spike shifted into game face, and using vamp speed he raced to the basin, pausing only long enough to pick up the key, which was in fact covered with holy water, and raced the rest of the way to the door. He unlocked it and stepped though.
~*~*~
Checking his watch again, the butler commented mildly. “He's quite remarkable.”
Buffy and Joyce replied in unison. “Yes…he is.”
~*~*~
As Spike entered the next chamber, chains shot out and manacles clamped around his wrists and ankles, pulling tight and leaving him spread-eagled.
Clapping his hands as he entered, the butler smiled widely at the vampire, “Well played! You fielded our strokes from end to end. My hat's off to you, sir. Of course, there is one final challenge.”
As he spoke, row upon row of lethal stakes poked out of the wall facing Spike.
Lifting an eyebrow, Spike quietly questioned the man, “My life for hers?”
“Exactly. This third test has no catch. Death is the final challenge. We can't restore one life without taking another, you see? In order for Mrs. Summers to live, you must die.”
“Well get on with it, then. Joyce needs to be getting home; her little one will start worrying soon.”
“Are you ready to give her life at the cost of your own?” The butler asked him.
Spike looked him straight in the eye and firmly replied, “Yes.”
“As you wish.”
Joyce shook her head in disbelief, whispering her denial. “No.”
Spike took a deep breath and harshly ordered the butler. “Do it.”
The butler released the stakes and as they hurtled towards Spike, Buffy felt the emotional paralysis that had held her frozen let go. It wasn’t fair! She didn’t want him to die, but it was either him or her mom. It sooo wasn’t fair. Needing to do something, both Buffy and Joyce tried to move toward the vampire, but felt themselves held back by an invisible force. Screaming out her frustration, Buffy sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t ready for him to be gone yet.
As she slowly opened her eyes at her mother’s gasp, Buffy was stunned to see Spike standing in front of her mother, once again fully dressed.
“Congratulations. You've passed the third test by accepting death. I'm told no one's ever gone that far before in terms of sacrifice. Kudos.”
Turning his head to the little butler, Spike ground out his order. “Pay up.”
“Of course.” Smiling at Joyce, the butler beckoned her closer, “You're a lucky woman, and soon you'll have your whole life ahead of you.” Placing his hands on the either side of her head a soft glow started to emanate from them. It only took a few minutes, but the relief from her pain was instantaneous.
Joyce gently thanked the little butler and made her way to Spike. Enfolding the vampire into her gentle embrace, she whispered her words of gratitude. Buffy took her turn at hugging her mother, and then, fixing her attention on Spike, she moved swiftly to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the lips.
Pulling back from the gobsmacked vampire, Buffy grinned at him before moving away. Spike appeared frozen in time. Looking at her mother, Buffy noticed that her mother seemed to be also. Turning suspicious green eyes on the butler, she ground out her question, “What’s happening.”
“It’s just temporary, I assure you, but I had an offer from the Powers That Be for you and thought you might prefer that it was not heard.”
“What offer?” Buffy hadn’t decided yet if she was angry or not.
“I have been given the power to remove his behavioural modification chip. The choice is yours.”
A thousand thoughts hit her at once; reason after reason for saying no. But, one though persisted above them all, ‘he asked for a chance’.
“Free them,” the Slayer ordered.
Once her mother and Spike were cognisant, Buffy explained what had happened and what they had been offered. Spike’s look of shock hadn’t subsided, and Joyce’s, ‘it’s about time’, made him do a double take.
“Your decision?” The butler politely inquired.
“Easy…” Buffy was stopped before she could complete her sentence by Spike’s firm request.
“Wait.”