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CHAPTER 6: Leap of Faith, part 4


Spike had let go of his sword for the moment, and his fists were now flying in a blur, turning the face of his enemy into a bloody mess. Not that he wasn’t bloody himself, but the damage he’d inflicted on Angelus was ten times worse than what he’d received. Angelus was lying on his back, taking the punishment with a smirk on his face that made Spike’s blood boil in his veins. He was out for vengeance. He knew it wasn‘t the time. He knew he should keep his head in check and that he had more important things to do, but he couldn‘t help himself. For a moment there, he just lost control and nothing else mattered, until he heard her voice in his head.


“Just promise me you will stick to the plan and you won’t get yourself killed because of Angelus.”


Spike stopped pummeling Angelus and shut his eyes tight, taking a deep calming breath. He was letting her down. She counted on him, and he was doing exactly what she asked him not to do. It wasn‘t time for revenge. It wasn‘t time for vendettas.


Looking up from Angelus’ ravaged face, Spike saw. And his mouth dropped open. Faith had started chanting.


His eyes widen as the ground started shaking underneath his feet.


**Bloody Hell--this can’t be good…**


He snickered at his own thought.


**Yeah, understatement of the year mate**


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Willow put her hand on the wall next to her to stabilize herself as the ground shook and pieces of what was left of the roof started falling. She watched helplessly as a column of orange light shot straight up from the opening in the ground and into the night sky through a hole in the roof.


**Oh God--this can’t be good…**


She turned sharply toward where Spike was standing over the prostrated form of Angelus and yelled to try to get his attention.


“SPIKE!!!”


He was looking at Faith, and Willow could only stare as Angelus took that moment of distraction to his advantage and knock Spike’s legs from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground.


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Dawn gripped the edge of the desk next to her to keep her footing when the entire building started shaking. She shot Cordelia and Buffy a panicked look, eyes glistening with restrained tears.


“This--this doesn’t mean anything, does it? It.. Doesn’t mean they failed, right?.. Right?!”


Cordelia walked to where the young girl was standing and put a comforting arm around her slender shoulder.


“It doesn’t mean anything Dawny. Even if Faith started the ritual--I’m sure the guys will find a way to stop it. We have to have faith in them. Besides, what else can we do? We have to wait.”


Buffy didn’t say a word. She only stared out the window at the orange light that now illuminated the night sky.


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Spike went down hard. He had been distracted for a second and was now paying the price. You just couldn’t be distracted around a master vampire like Angelus. The older vampire had knocked him down with his leg. Both men lunged at the sword Spike had let go of earlier, but Spike got it first and used the hilt to hit Angel and make him let go of his arm. They both stood up, facing each other.


“Time to end it poofter. I have somewhere I have to be.”


Spike threw himself at the older vamp with every intention in the world of making it quick this time. This fight had gone on for long enough and he would not let Buffy down. Not again. This time he would be the one saving the world. And he’d do it for Buffy and Dawn… Oh. And the rest of humanity--of course.


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Faith.


She was alone again.


It hurt.


Yeah, she could admit it now. It did hurt.


And she was scared. She hated to be scared but couldn’t help it this time around.


There was a fight going on around her. People. Believing in something. Fighting for a cause.


**What’s your cause Faith? What do you fight for? Do you believe in something? How could you believe in something if you don’t even believe in you--if you don’t believe in Faith. What about humanity girlfriend? Aren’t you part of them? Shouldn’t you be out there fighting for them… with them?**


She could feel the energy coursing through her body. But it was cold and empty. It felt evil. It shouldn’t matter though. She was supposed to like it. Wasn’t she supposed to be one of the bad guys now? Hadn’t she turned her back to her calling? She wasn‘t a Slayer anymore. That was Buffy‘s gig. It wasn‘t hers. She had no gig. Saving the world was for Slayers and she wasn‘t one.


But the small voice inside of her told her she was lying.


**You can’t turn your back on being the Slayer you idiot. It’s part of you. Whether you think you’re worthy or not. It’s not a choice and you know it. It just is. It's not like chosing to become a doctor or a fucking nun. Guess that's why you're feeling like shit right now Faithy... **


Yeah. Maybe that’s why she was stumbling over the words now. Maybe that’s why she was chanting with less conviction and hating the evil force crawling through her body.


Her voice was getting shakier as she pronounced the words.


Yeah. That was why she knew she couldn’t go through with it. But it was too late to stop now, wasn't it.


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Assessing the situation, Willow knew there was only one thing she could do.


Giles was too far from the action to be able to get anywhere near Faith in time to stop the ritual. Xander, despite the best intentions in the world, had a hard enough time surviving. He couldn’t be expected to save the day. And Anya already had too much on her hands and wouldn’t make it in time either.


She had to stop Angelus, and she had to do it now.


Taking the orb of Thesala out of her bag, Willow started chanting the words she already knew by heart, as fast as she could, all the while praying to all Gods and Goddesses that she wouldn’t be too late.


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Angelus stopped mid punch and frowned at Spike, not sure of what was happening.


“… oh shit!”


His head shot up as light went through him.


Spike tilted his head to look at the dark haired man as he dropped to his knees. It took him a few seconds to understand what was happening but then, he knew.


He stepped closer to Angel, who’s face was scrunched up in pain, and stopped in front of him. He looked down on the newly souled vampire, his chiseled features a mask of icy hatred.


“S..Spike?”


Spike cocked back his fist and slammed it into Angel’s face.


“That’s for my girl you bloody fucking wanker.”


Picking his sword up from where he had dropped it, Spike rushed towards the rogue Slayer who was still chanting, though her enthusiasm seemed to have severely dropped.


The sky was now entirely orange over their heads and the ground was shaking with increasing force. Faith was standing at the edge of the gapping hole in the ground, surrounded by a flow of light. She was alone now, the lawyer having taken cover near a wall in the back.


Spike approached Faith carefully. But before his foot touched the light, she snapped out of her trance like state and yelled at him.


“NO! Stand back. It’s gonna kill you!”


Spike hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he definitely wasn’t overly enthusiastic about going into that flow of energy.


“Trust me. You don’t want to do that. If you touch that light, you’ll burst into flames.”


They both turned as they heard Lilah shrieking Faith’s name. The woman tried to go towards them, but the floor was shaking too badly for her to keep her footing so she just kept at yelling for Faith not to stop chanting. The girl ignored her.


Spike turned back to Faith. They had looked through books, but hadn’t found anything about this ritual and he had no clue how to stop it. But… Faith knew.


The Slayer was staring down the Hellmouth, the energy making her dark hair move around her head as if she was standing on the deck of a boat on a bright sunny afternoon. She turned to look at Spike and he was startled by what he saw in her eyes. Determination. And incredible sadness.


“Run, Bleach boy. Take them out of here. And…” She choked, as if holding back a sob. “Tell her… Tell Buffy that I love her. And I’m sorry for everything.”


Tears were now flowing freely down her pretty face. And she was scared. She was scared shitless.


“Please--it’s important. I need her to know that I do love her. You two be happy, ok? And don’t do anything I would do.”


She gave him a quick smile, and before Spike could say anything, she took a graceful dive into the Hellmouth. Doing what nobody ever expected Faith to do: giving her life for the world, and erase her past mistakes.


“Will do luv. Will do…” Spike whispered with a sad smile.


But he didn’t have too much time to get sentimental. The old High School was coming down around them. Fast.


He turned around and shouted for everybody to leave the place.


“Everybody out! NOW!”


He looked up to make sure Willow would get it but she was already gone. He waited a few moment to make sure everybody was leaving, then made his way out. He passed by Angel who was still where he had left him mere moments ago, but kept on walking, not even sparing him a glance.


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The Scoobies watched in relief as Spike walked out of the building just a few moments before it went down. He walked towards where they were all waiting, carrying across his shoulder… Angel.


He dropped the unconscious vampire on the grass in front of the stunned Scoobies, giving him a swift kick in the ribs for good measure.


“Get that piece of trash away from me and tell him to be forever grateful to Cordelia Chase for loving him. If it weren’t for her, he’d be rotting under the rubble right about now.”


He turned to leave, but quickly added. “And when he regains consciousness, tell the bloody wanker that if he ever comes anywhere near Buffy or me again, I’ll do the same thing to him that he did to her… only a thousand times worst. I‘ll see you all at the hospital.”


The blonde vampire left so fast, he seemed to vanished into the night. But they couldn’t blame him. The Slayer was waiting.


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A/N: Where's the love, guys? If you don't review, I'll have to call my good friend Glory so she can give you all a good ass kicking for not worshipping me properly. Ok, bad attempt at BtvS humor. But seriously though, we're reached the epilogue and I'm dying to know what you thought about the story. So speak up and let me know or else, I'll just assume you abandonned me half way through it ;-)





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