'Leave this town'.
Chapter one.
This is my 'Chosen' rewrite/post chosen in the way I wished it had happened No Anya getting bringer-ed or Spike getting flamey. There is a splash of other characters thrown in, but it will be written focused on Buffy and Spike's relationship.
"I can feel it Buffy. My soul. It's really there. Kind of stings." Spike leant his head back, mouth slightly open. The building was collapsing all around them, large chunks of rock crashing down taking more bodies , yet nothing seemed to matter outside of them and that single moment. "Go on then," he urged.
"No, you've done enough, you could still…."
"No, you've beat them back, it's for me to do the clean up." Buffy's lip quivered, "Spike," she pleaded.
"I mean it Buffy, I've gotta do this."
Buffy closed the distance between them lacing her fingers in his. Flames had already begun licking through his body, cloaking their hands. She ignored the burning pain, her eyes transfixed on him, their past up until present day running through her head, every moment like a painful slide show. Ask me again why I could never love you. You belong in the shadows, with me. You're not a man you're just an evil soulless thing. You came back wrong. I believe in you Spike. He can be a good man Giles, I feel it. You're the one Buffy. "No," she screamed withdrawing her hand, ripping the amulet sharply from his neck.
"Buffy! What are you doing?"
"I told you, I'm not ready for you to not be here."
They froze, eyes never leaving each other. Her eyes were wet, shimmering. "Buffy," Spike whispered cupping her face and stroking his thumb down her cheek. She raised her hand and covered his. The building gave enough ferocious shake knocking them to the floor and back to the cold reality. "Come on Buffy we have to get out of here."
They reached the stairs scrambling up and out of the seal into the basement.
"Buffy, watch out!" Spike yelled ducking a swing from a bringer wielding an axe.
"How… many… are….. there….. of….. these….. bloody….things?!" he panted between blows. He ducked another swing and kicked the bringer in the chest sending him flying into the wall. Darting forward he snapped his neck in one swift movement, letting him drop to the floor. He wiped his hands on his jeans and turned around to see Buffy simultaneously dismember two, scythe gleaming in the dark.
"Hey, you really do get two for one," Spike said raising his eyebrows.
"What can I say it's a girl's must have accessory," she remarked, smirking slightly. "But, we have to move Spike, come on."
They ran upstairs out of the basement and down the corridor. There were large pieces of rubble everywhere and every second the building was collapsing further around them. The main entrance and corridor towards the north wing was blocked and appeared unmoveable.
"Bollocks, gonna have to rethink the exit strategy love."
Buffy's eyes landed on the stairs. "Spike, we can still get to the roof, come on!"
Buffy reached the stairwell, spinning around for Spike. He was stood halted amongst the wreckage, head back inhaling deeply.
"Spike, what's wrong?"
With a flash he was kneeling on the ground two feet away, Anya's lifeless body in his arms.
"Buffy, she's still alive, but she's fading, I can only just hear her heart." He jumped to his feet, head darting around looking for an exit.
"The roof, Spike, it's our only way out," Buffy yelled taking the stairs two at a time. Spike remained still at the bottom staring up at her.
"Love, I can't. I go out there I'm dust, the sun. You have to go! You have to take Anya and get out of here. You need to go now."
She stood at the top, staring down at him firmly - "I'm not leaving you Spike."
"Buffy, you n-" "
No!" she shouted, "I'm not leaving without you."
Spike sighed, defeated, he tightened his grip on Anya and hurtled up the stairs.
"Bloody stubborn bint."
"We have to get to the bus," Buffy yelled heading towards the large window at the top of the stairs. She kicked through the thick glass shattering it and turned to face him. "Come on champion," and then she was gone.
"Oh, bloody hell!"
Spike pulled his duster over his head, awkwardly clutching Anya to his chest and dived through the window after her. He hit the hard ground in a roll, Anya and his duster disentangling in the process. Jumping to his feet, he slung Anya back over his shoulder and sprinted towards the moving bus, his free arm clutching his duster above his head. His body felt hot and he could see smoke beginning to come off him in thick waves.
The back doors of the bus were open revealing the remaining potentials and the scoobies slumped inside.
"There they are!" Dawn screeched pressed against the bus window. Buffy ran arms pumping, lungs burning reaching the bus first. Spike caught up with her seconds behind throwing Anya into the back of the bus. He grabbed Buffy's hand and they dived forward into the bus hitting the floor in a tangled heap.
"Dawn, blanket!" Buffy cried. She caught it and threw it over Spike covering him completely. The smoking stopped and there was an unnerving silence. Buffy realised that in all the bus-siness action she had been holding her breath and exhaled slowly.
"Spike?" She placed a hand on the blanketed figure. "S-Spike?" She slowly tugged on the blanket and Spike's hand shot out from underneath grabbing hers.
"I'm right here love, didn't fancy being barbequed is all."
She let out a small laugh, "You bone head!" she yelled smacking the blanketed form.
"OW, what the bloody hell you'd do that for!"
"You were gonna go all dusty on us you stupid vampire."
"Hey, a little gratification for the man who just saved the world," Spike said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Ah, ever the noble vampire," Giles retorted dryly from a few seats away.
"I hate to break up the little reunion, but I think we're clear," Faith called out from the front. The bus slowed to a stop and Robin slumped down in the drivers seat panting. Behind them what once was Sunnydale now appeared to have been replaced by an extremely large crater. No one spoke, everyone's eyes fixed upon the wreckage. Minutes passed until Giles spoke, rousing them all from their thoughts. "Buffy, what happened? What did this?"
"The amulet Giles," Buffy replied softly.
"Spike's amulet? The one Angel gave you?" Giles removed his glasses and began polishing them furiously. "Someone in-souled, but more than human – remarkable. Do you still have it?"
Spike snorted from underneath his blanket. "Didn't fancy hanging onto it Rupert, don't have much that goes with it. Figured it's done it's job now."
"Yes, quite," Giles replied. "Incredible." He paused, "What you did Spike…. you risked yourself to save others. No one knew the true powers of the amulet or what it foretold - not many other men would have done the same." He looked down inspecting his over polished glasses. "I owe you an apology, in fact we all owe you an apology." Buffy turned to face Giles, a slow smile stretching across her face. She squeezed Spike's hand in hers and they nodded at each other with unspoken agreement.
"Buffy, we need you back here," Willow cried. Her and Xander were hunched over Anya's lifeless body in the back and there appeared to be a large axe wound through her chest. "Oh God, it's bad Buffy, it's really bad."
"Oh An- please wake up," Xander pleaded, shaking her slightly. Buffy let go of Spike's hand and shifted to the back placing her fingers under Anya's neck searching for a pulse. "Xander, get me the bandages, this cut looks majorly deep for a mortal wound." She began dapping at the blood on Anya's shoulder, soaking the gauze in alcohol.
"I've told you before Buffy, it takes more than a sword through the chest to kill a vengeance demon," Anya rasped opening her eyes. Buffy laughed in relief and turned to face Xander. His mouth was dropped open, eyes wide.
"An, oh thank god you're okay," he choked, darting to her side. He smoothed her hair back from her face and just sat there looking at her in awe. "I love you so much Anya, oh god, I really thought you'd left me," he began sobbing.
Buffy smiled and shifted herself back over to her blanketed vampire, finding his hand once again. "Giles, I hate to be all party poopy, but what's the plan from here?" she asked, rubbing small circles with her thumb on Spike's. "We can't go anywhere until the sun goes down, I'm not risking Spike again."
"I'll be okay love, you don't need to –"
"Spike this isn't a debate," she exclaimed.
"Well, Buffy, I think the best course of action would be to establish contact with Angel at Wolfram and Hart in L.A. We need to inform them that the hellmouth is now closed and of our current situation. I'm certain Angel will be able to accommodate us all for the time being. It's approximately a two hour drive from here. " Giles's eyes flickered around the bus surveying the situation. Spike growled from underneath the blanket and Buffy gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"We need to establish contact with a wolf man and a who-what?" she replied.
"Wolfram and Hart, Buffy, they're an interdimensional law firm that Angel is running in L.A."
"Angel's running a law firm? Oh please," Spike snorted. "I always knew there was something amiss with that great poof."
"Spike," Buffy warned.
"I'm just saying is all love."
"I know, and I know it's not what you want to hear, but we need him, unless you fancy being all dusty mister…which by the way for the record is not gonna be happening."
"Buffy it's just…." Spike dropped his voice to a low mummer, "I can't lose you to him. I won't lose you to him."
"Spike, you really think after everything we've been through, and where we are now that I would do that. I'm with you Spike, I love you you jerk. So don't you think for one minute that I-"
"Do you really mean it?" his voice faltered.
"I've never meant it more," she replied firmly.
"Buffy," Willow's voice snapped her back into the moment. "Giles got hold of Angel, they know we are on our way. They're waiting for us now."
"Okay Wil, can you direct Robin, perhaps a locater spell? I need to fix up Anya, she's hurt pretty bad," Buffy replied casting an eye over Anya.
"Okay, I don't think I'm all mojo-ed out just yet..or at least I hope not," Willow chuckled nervously.
The drive was long and bumpy and everyone was beginning to feel extremely tired. The sun had gone down and Robin had drawn the bus to a stop at the side of the highway to give everyone a welcome break. Spike stepped off the bus into the cool air breathing it in deeply glad to be free. The desert lay before them, deathly still, the moon illuminating the wilderness.
"Do vampires really need to breathe?" Dawn asked appearing behind him.
"No, niblet. Old habits die hard I guess. I never have been much of one to follow the crowd." He raised a cigarette to his lips and sparked it up dragging on it deeply. They watched the smoke drift up into the sky in companionable silence.
"Hey, what you did today Spike, it was incredible," Dawn spoke softly, breaking the silence, her eyes transfixed.
"I was just doing my bit Dawn."
"No, really Spike, thank you," she kissed his cheek quickly. "You saved the world, you saved us all, I know Buffy isn't much on the congratulating. I just wanted you to know that she loves you. I know what happened between you and Buffy before was-"
"Niblet, please don't."
"I know how much you love my sister Spike, and I know that what you did you also did for Buffy."
Spike puffed out a long stream of smoke. "I did it for Buffy and I did it for you Niblet. The world wouldn't be worth living in without the Summers sister. I will always protect you and your sister until the very end."
"Oh Spike, you are getting soft in your old age." Angel's voice cut through the air, his tone cold and calculated. He stepped out of the shadows from behind the bus, moving slowly towards them.
"Peaches, what are you doing here? You're a tad late for the smackdown mate, although herorics has never really been your thing has it now?" Spike scoffed. Angel stopped and stood still, never taking his eyes from Spike. "I came as soon as I heard, I wanted to check Buffy was okay."
"I'm fine Angel, you didn't need to come here." Buffy remarked frostily, stepping off the bus.
"Yeah, I got Giles message, but I wanted to congratulate you in person. You saved the world Buffy…..again."
"Actually it was Spike, we just helped," Dawn offered smiling broadly at Spike.
Spike shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not the bloody hero here, I just did what I could, the amulet took care of the rest."
Angel's eyes flickered, "And where is my amulet, Spike? I must say I was a bit surprised to see you all things considered."
Buffy clenched her fists, "You knew, you knew the amulets powers and what would happen if Spike wore it."
"Hey, I said it was volatile, it was you who decided to put that thing over your boyfriend's neck." All three fixed their eyes on Buffy awaiting her reaction.
"Buffy! We really need to get moving if we're to make it to Wolfram before sunrise. We really must…. Angel, what are you doing here?" Giles voice cut through the air unknowingly diffusing the situation.
"Oh hey Giles, I came as soon as I heard the good news. I figured you guys would probably appreciate a little help. We're not the easiest law firm to find," he chuckled.
"Yes, well, thank you," Giles shook Angel's hand firmly. "It's good to see you."