The Protectors
By Heather Martin
Rated – R
Summary- The monks gave Buffy and Spike one night of fake memories. That would have been enough to change their lives. But when you add a glowing key in the form of an unborn baby, well . . . things wouldn’t just change, they would be turned completely upside-down
Disclaimer- Joss Whedon owns Spike’s eyebrow scar, his bleached hair, his crystal blue eyes, his manly arms, his muscular chest, his tight . . . *cough* Too bad isn’t it? But a girl can dream, right?
Spoilers- Starts during Out of My Mind. The entire Season 5, although I changed it tremendously to suit my own purpose
My apologies, guys. First, I was just lazy. Then school started and I had to concentrate on homework. Only one part left, though, and I’ll try to get that out before the beginning of next week.
Chapter 25
A new sensation swam over Buffy. It wasn’t something picked up by taste, smell, hearing, touch, sight, or her slayer radar. This was a seventh sense- entirely made up of Spike. It’s hard to describe exactly what Buffy experienced from the claim. It was like a door opened, one that had always been there but without a clearance code until now. The room she entered was full of Spike: memories, feelings, the essence that made him what he was. It was all there, and she fit each part inside her.
She’d never seemed so whole. She wandered if secretly she’d been searching for these ‘Spike puzzle pieces’ all her life. What did this mean? Was it an aftereffect of the claim? Or was it something more? Soulmates came to mind. A secret smile tugged at her lips.
She snuggled into him and he held her against him. The minutes ticked by. Precious time.
“We have to move,” Buffy mumbled into his chest.
He didn’t say anything. Suddenly he sprung up, throwing her off him. It took her a moment to recover from the loss of contact. She pulled herself to her feet.
“Sorry, pet. Thought I should do it fast and get it over with,” he explained.
She nodded.
They walked to the magic box was done without holding hands. Physical contact would have made it unbearable. Buffy entered the shop, immediately switching into slayer mode. She began to hand out weapons.
“Everyone ready to go?” she asked the gang.
“Yes, it’s time,” Giles announced.
Buffy swung the troll hammer. “Let’s set out then.” She glanced at the red-headed witch. “Will?”
Willow nodded. She stepped over to Tara, who was peeking into the display case. “Baby? Is there somewhere you should be?”
Tara straightened. She pointed at them all with anger. “You hold me back! All of you!”
“No one is holding you back,” Willow said softly.
Tara’s eyes roamed over the others. She hugged herself.
“You’re free to go, Tara,” Willow urged on.
It took a moment for Tara to move. She slowly walked to the door, glancing back for approval. Willow smiled in encouragement. They waited a moment before following, giving the mentally lost woman space.
“Everybody knows their jobs. Remember, the ritual starts, we all die. And I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn,” Buffy said.
It didn’t take long to come across their destination. Tara halted and craned her neck. Buffy took in the tower with trepidation. She caught movement below, along with sparks from welding. The sound of heavy machinery filtered into her ears. Tara continued walking and Buffy had to force herself onward.
Willow’s job came first. She managed to gain short proximity with the hellgod. She grabbed Tara and Glory’s heads. Her eyes went black with power. Tara and Glory hollered as blue electricity crackled between them. All three of them suddenly broke apart.
Buffy’s eyes went to where Willow and Tara landed. She saw them move with relief and turned her attention back to Glory. The goddess picked herself up.
“What the hell did that bitch do to me!?” Glory shouted.
Good job, Willow, Buffy thought.
“She made a little . . . hole. . . I need a brain to eat.”
Buffy stepped out into view. “Why not mine?”
Glory turned. She smiled. “Good idea.”
“Come and get it,” the slayer taunted.
The minions swarmed around Glory. They seemed very concerned over their ruler’s condition. Glory shooed them off.
Glory stood unsteadily.
“Not feeling well?” Buffy mocked. “Here, catch.” She removed her hand from around her back. The Dagon sphere glowed brightly in the night. She tossed it toward Glory.
Glory’s eyes grew large. She reflexively caught the ball. She stared at it for a minute before crushing it. She let the remains fall to the concrete.
“You’re going to wish you never-“
Buffy swung at the goddess with the troll hammer. She’d picked it up while Glory was distracted with the Dagon sphere. The god went flying into the wall of the construction warehouse.
Suddenly Buffy was confronted by shrill crying. The sound stabbed at her heart. Maternal instinct took over. She left the crumpled Glory to make her way toward the stairs that led up to the tower. She stumbled over a pile of bricks. She picked herself up and went on. A minion blocked her way but she easily punched him aside.
She stormed up. Got to get to the top. Got to get to the top. She didn’t look back. Dawn kept calling to her in distressed cries. I’m coming. I’m coming. Hold on, Mommy’s coming. Tears stung at her eyes and her chest tightened. Just before she made it to the ladder that led to the top there was a clang behind her. She turned to find Glory smiling at her. The goddess struck out before Buffy had a chance to react. The hammer went flying in the air. Buffy watched it fall to the dirty ground below.
“What ya gonna do now that I took your toy away?” Glory taunted. She glanced up at the platform. “I don’t think baby has a chance.”
And at that moment Buffy felt defeated. Her knees begged to buckle. She ached all over. She wanted to crawl back into the shell of her mind where nothing bad could happen.
Spike appeared out of nowhere. He tackled Glory from behind. He wrapped his arms around her neck in an attempt to choke her. It was a poor attempt, but Buffy appreciated it nevertheless.
“Get our lil girl,” he grunted.
Buffy moved to comply but from the corner of her eye she spotted Glory shrug the vampire off. He tumbled over the side of the structure. Buffy stopped with wide eyes. She watched as he reached out and grabbed the side, dangling. Buffy should have kept going. Not because her daughter was at stake, but because the entire world was. But Spike had managed to work his way into the forefront of that world. She couldn’t lose him. She made a decision to try and help him from falling. Glory acted faster, though. The goddess took her foot and pushed at Spike’s hands. One gave out and Spike barely hung on with the other. Glory’s entire attention was on the vampire, so Buffy took advantage of it. She kicked Glory away. She kept kicking until the deity lost her balance and fell off.
Buffy hurried over to Spike. She crouched down and held out her hand. Spike swung himself forward to grab hold. She hoisted him up. They shared a meaningful look before turning their gaze downward. Glory stirred and got up with no trouble. She combed fingers through her hair in an attempt to rid herself of dust. She glanced up at the pair of blondes with rage. She spotted the discarded hammer and picked it up.
Buffy squeezed Spike’s arm. “She’s too strong. She keeps getting up like the Energizer.” And now with the hammer . . ., she added silently.
A large vehicle rolled forward. It controlled a giant wrecking ball. The ball swung out at Glory. It sent her crashing through the wall of the warehouse. The engine shut down and Xander emerged from the machinery. He raised his head up to where Buffy and Spike were.
“The glorified bricklayer picks up a spare,” he shouted.
Buffy grinned like the Cheshire cat. She felt new confidence sweep into her. For the first time that night things had tipped in their favor.
“I have to go down and make sure she’s out of order,” she declared.
He nodded. “I’ll get the bit.”
Before parting, Buffy took his hand and squeezed. She raced down the ramp. She yelled a thanks to Xander as she passed. She entered the warehouse, wrinkling her nose at the musty smell inside. Glory lay on the floor, finally incapacitated. Buffy found Olaf’s hammer a few feet away. She effortlessly took it up. She stalked over with purpose. Buffy saw something in Glory’s expression for the first time. Terror. The goddess was absolutely afraid of the small slayer.
Buffy went at it, slamming the hammer down over and over. Blood splattered over Glory’s face. It was a wonder Buffy even recognized the change with all the red that covered the features. But Buffy did. The cheekbones shifted, becoming masculine. Her hand went slack, dropping her weapon.
He coughed, spitting up blood. Oh God. How could he be alive? He was a mere human.
“So she lost, huh?” Ben laughed.
“Tell her it’s over. She missed her shot,” Buffy replied.
She didn’t expect him to tell Glory anything. He was so broken. If he did survive she suspected he’d be paralyzed. But, if Glory emerged maybe all the injuries would mend . . . What would she do then? It would start all over. She wished she had the strength to pick the hammer back up and end it all. Hell, she’d be doing the poor host a favor. But she couldn’t. Buffy could never live with that sort of thing.
She turned to find Giles.
“I’ll deal with it,” he said.
His tone made her eye twitch. What did he mean by that? Was he going to call an ambulance? She shrugged the uneasiness aside. Trust Giles. He was old and wise, and always knew the best thing to do. So she nodded and left.
Buffy heard a familiar moan on her way back to the tower. She stopped dead. No. . . She crouched and turned him over. A giant gash had formed across the side of his face.
“Spike. . .?”
He squinted at her. “H-He pushed me off. Got to hurry. Got to get to her.” He tried to get to his feet but fell in her arms instead.
“Who pushed you off? Who got to her, Spike?” she demanded. Her voice was harsh and loud.
“I thought I killed him. What a stupid git I am.”
Forget it; she wasn’t going to get any coherent answer from him. She moved to put him down to rest but he protested. He gripped her arm hard.
“No, pet, I’m coming with.”
She didn’t argue. There wasn’t time. She helped him up, putting her arm around his shoulders. They walked up the walkway to get to their daughter. She looked up and saw a shadow. Something was up there with the baby. The something Spike had been speaking of. She urged Spike faster despite his injuries. She should have left him behind. When she got to the ladder she abandoned him and climbed up alone.
“Stay away from her!”
The man whirled around. He placed a watch back in his pocket. He smiled. “Times up,” he said. Then the man . . . no, not a man, opened his mouth. A long tongue like a snake shot out. Buffy quickly dodged. The tongue rolled back into his jaws. He got a strange look on his face, as if he swallowed a fly and was thinking ‘mmm, yummy’. How bizarre.
“What a nifty parlor trick,” she muttered.
She barreled at the frog/snake demon man, acting as a battering-ram. He went over the side. Everything froze then. The only thing Buffy was aware of was the tiny infant lying on her back. Her feet kicked and she sobbed with plea.
Buffy swept up the bundle. She smelled the baby’s soft hair, sucking in her scent. Her hands ran over her body, searching for injuries like any mother would. The only thing she found was a miniscule prick on her left foot. Buffy kissed the wound.
“Mommy’s got you, Dawnie. Everything’s going to be all right now.”
And as soon as she finished that sentence the air crackled. Blue electricity swarmed through the night sky. A flying creature materialized, resembling a mean fairytale dragon. Buffy knew then it wouldn’t be all right. She snuggled her daughter close to her heart.
This was it. Well, at least she’d go down with Dawn. Her face would be the last thing her daughter saw. Protecting her until the end.
Buffy wasn’t afraid to die. She never had been a religious person. But she battled monsters from hell everyday, and if you believed in the underworld you were forced to believe in heaven along with it. The only thing that broke Buffy’s heart was that her daughter never got a chance. She knew it was selfish not to care about the other people on earth, not that she didn’t care, but Dawnie was at the forefront of her mind. The girl would never grow up to be in the school play, or go to the beach, or receive her first kiss, or get married. Oh, Buffy wanted so much for her daughter.
The portal grew, taking up most of the sky. It reminded her of the blob from that horror move. Although, this was airborne and electrified. Half of Buffy’s mind accepted their fate, yet another half kept searching for a way out. The slayer fought to the end even if it wasn’t physically.
Dawn squirmed in her clutch. She kicked her feet wildly. Buffy caught the left foot. Bloody trickled down more steadily now. She wrapped her hand around the cut. If only I can stop it, she thought. If I staunch the blood . . .
Blood. My blood! Buffy’s eyes widened as everything fell into place.
Death is your gift.
Buffy knew what she must do. She hadn’t lied after all. Things were going to be okay. She gazed down at Dawn and poured her entire soul into her. You won’t remember, Buffy thought. She told her anyway.
“I love you.”
She prayed to the heavens for the first real time. Let her remember one thing, she begged. Just a glimmer, a feeling. Just the feel of her mother’s love.
Buffy pressed her lips to Dawn’s brow. The baby had stopped crying now. She looked up at her mother with large blue eyes. Buffy could have sworn that she saw understanding there. Buffy prepared to put her down.
“What are you doing, slayer?”
Buffy straightened, still cradling Dawn. Spike. . .
He stood unbalanced, more weight on his left. His right eye was also swollen. His good one stared at her with betrayal. He knew. Somehow he knew. Was it the claim?
“I have to,” Buffy said.
He took a step forward and winced. It must have taken a lot out of him to reach her.
“There has to be another way,” he said out of desperation.
“Tell me what it is.” She was surprised to hear that same desperation in her own voice.
He simply stared at her, lost. She knew that leaving him would tear him apart.
“It is always about blood,” Buffy said. “Remember?”
Buffy walked over and handed Dawn carefully over to Spike. “You promised to protect her.”
“Buffy. . .”
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Buffy whispered. She fought the tears that threatened to spill. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Three words in particular. But she was afraid they would make things more painful in the end. For both of them.
She stole one quick kiss. Then she spun around as something flapped over their heads. The dragon demon was wreaking havoc. Or was it another one?
Buffy took a deep breath and prepared herself to jump. To face the unknown.
“Buffy.”
She closed her eyes. She felt him near. He shoved Dawn back into her arms.
“I promised to protect her. I also promised to protect you. Maybe not outloud but . . . I always keep my promises.”
Her resolve broke. The tears spilled down her face. I’m so sorry, Spike. I’m so sorry.
He touched her cheek. His skin was cool but it spread warmth through her body.
“I’m a part of you, Buffy. Don’t forget that. I run through your veins.”
She shook her head. “Don’t do this.”
“Name one good reason why it should be you.”
“It’s my job.”
He snorted. “Try again. I don’t buy that. Being the slayer doesn’t mean you fight all your battles alone. It means making tough decisions and making sacrifices. If anything it means letting me go so you can live to fight another day.”
“Dawn needs a father.”
“She needs a mother more.”
Buffy’s lips trembled. She couldn’t see at all now, her vision was so blurry. There was nothing she could say to convince him not to do this.
“Face it, pet, I’m the better choice. Not many will miss me. Just . . .” He paused. “Just be sure and tell her about me, will you? Tell her what her daddy did? I may be a monster but I made one good decision in my go at it.”
You’re not a monster. You’re the man I . . .
“I love you.”
It was the last thing she had. Her last attempt to change his mind.
“Please stay,” she said through sobs.
The planet stood still for a moment. Buffy’s tears slowed a little so she could make out the vampire standing in front of her. He had his head tilted in that curious manner he was notorious to do. A small smile tugged at his lips.
“Thanks, luv.” He brushed his lips against hers. It was feather-light, a goodbye.
“No,” she said.
“I can go a happy man knowing that. Thank you.”
“No,” she repeated.
He turned.
“No.”
He went to the edge of the landing. He looked down at the vortex.
“No.”
Her voice obtained no response. Buffy’s legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor. She never saw Spike jump because water blinded her again. She felt it, though. She felt something black tug at her heart and rip it into two, fluttering away with one half.
“No. No. . . NO!”
+ + +
Xander was the one to drag her down. She let him without a struggle. Willow examined her with concern.
“Buffy, are you okay?”
When Buffy gave no response there was a commotion.
“Do you think she is in another coma?”
Buffy moved then and they fell silent. She gave the baby to Tara. Distantly, Buffy comprehended the transformation in the witch. She was back to being herself once more. The realization brought no feeling.
Buffy lowered to her knees. She examined the construction site. Miraculously all the demons had vanished, along with the escaped mental patients. There was nothing but debris and dirt. Buffy dug her nails into the dust below her. The remains of Spike were somewhere in this mess. But he was lost to her.
_________________________________________________
I got teary eyed writing this.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
WARNING- CHARACTER DEATH