36
The cavernous room fell silent as Spike slumped over Lucy's body, his eyes wide and glassy. Angel was suddenly aware of the crackling of the torches against the wall and of the harsh breathing from Willow and Kennedy.
Willow's cry was the thing that broke the silence. A small strangled sob escaped her throat. It was more a cry of shock than anything else, shock at the tragic turn of events that had happened so suddenly.
Drogyn mumbled quietly and quickly under his breath. "The spell is ended." He whispered sadly.
Angel darted forward and grabbed Spike off of Lucy. "Spike? Come on Spike don't do this." Angel yelled into the blond vampire's face, shaking him the way just seconds before Spike had shaken Lucy.
It was obvious that Spike was gone. His body hung limply in Angel's arms, his eyes staring blankly towards the door. Angel put Spike's body down on the stone slab, arranging him so that he lay next to Lucy their arms close so that their hands were touching. With a level of tenderness that surprised even him Angel gently closed Spike's eyes.
Angel turned to look at the girls. Kennedy had taken Willow into her arms and was rocking her back and forth, whispering words of comfort into her ear as the witch cried. Willow let go of Kennedy suddenly and turned to hug Angel.
"I'm sorry Angel, I know you and Spike didn't always like each other, but well I'm still sorry." She mumbled clumsily.
Angel returned the hug gratefully. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for the both of them. Neither of them deserved this. I should have done more to help her, I mean that's what I do and Spike was finally becoming a good man… I- I should have done more."
Willow released her hold on Angel and shook her head. "It wasn't your fault Angel. You did everything you could to help Lucy. She knew how dangerous this was, she wouldn't blame you for anything."
Angel nodded and turned to look at the bodies. Lying side by side like they were it was easy to believe that they were merely sleeping. Angel prayed that wherever they had gone they were together as they would want to be.
"I'm sorry Angel. I did what I could, but Illyria's hold on the little one's soul was too great." Drogyn apologized, his voice thick with regret.
Angel squeezed Drogyn's shoulder with one hand. "Thank you for trying old friend. It wasn't your fault either."
"The bodies? We could bury them in the wood. I know a peaceful spot where they will rest peacefully." Drogyn offered.
Angel ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That will be fine, thank you Drogyn." He agreed with a nod.
Angel turned to the table, ready to pick up Lucy's body and carry it from the chamber. It was then that Lucy twitched and inhaled a giant breath of air. Angel jumped and realized that if his heart wasn't already stopped it would have done so right then.
Behind him he heard Willow and Kennedy both draw in shocked breaths of air. On the stone table Lucy coughed and began to move. Beside her Spike began to move as well, although he didn't breath.
"How?" Drogyn whispered.
Angel shook his head in confusion, but couldn't seem to find any words. He watched in amazement as Lucy and Spike both opened their eyes, obviously alive.
"Spike?" Lucy asked in confusion and reached out a hand blindly.
Spike sat up and leaned over Lucy. "Right here love, Right here." He assured her before kissing her deeply.
Angel backed up until he bumped into the stone wall and nearly smacked his head into a flaming torch. He pulled his eyes away from the definitely not dead couple and looked at Willow, hoping maybe she had an answer. Judging from the shocked look on her face, Angel surmised that she was just as confused as he was. He then looked to Drogyn, but the immortal warrior looked both confused and slightly horrified.
On the table Lucy and Spike had broken off their kiss and were holding each other tightly. Lucy suddenly released Spike and jumped up from the table, completely forgetting the fact that she was naked.
She let out a delighted laugh and spun around in a circle. "Oh my god." She said quietly, sounding awed.
"What is it love?" Spike asked, obviously concerned.
"I still have her powers. But I can feel them not, all of them. It's amazing." She giggled.
Suddenly Lucy disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared on the other side of the stone slab. She laughed and disappeared again. In less time than it took to realize that she was gone she reappeared again at Spike's side.
"This is amazing!" She giggled.
Spike broke his gaze away from Lucy and noticed that the rest of the room was staring at her just as intently as he had just been. It also occurred to him then that Lucy was still naked.
"Angel you mind not staring at my girlfriend like that when she's naked. You too Drogyn." Spike growled. He didn't seem to mind so much that Willow and Kennedy were staring.
"Oh yeah sorry." Angel muttered and averted his eyes to the ceiling.
Drogyn looked confused but followed the vampire's example.
Spike picked up Lucy's clothing from the floor and pressed them into Lucy's hands. Lucy was still practically vibrating with happiness and barely noticed the articles of clothing in her arms.
"Love get dressed." Spike ordered gently.
Lucy blinked and nodded. "Sorry, it's just so overwhelming. There's so much…" She whispered and began to put on her clothes.
Once she was dressed Angel put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot. "Alright so now do you two mind telling me how you're not dead?"
Lucy hopped up onto the stone slab, amazed at the ease of the action. She explained everything that had happened in the theater and everything her brother had told them. If she'd been talking to regular people she figured her story would have been met with disbelief. This group however simply commented on her and Spike's luck, but didn't seem surprised by their miraculous resurrection. The biggest reaction they got was from Willow who hugged them both and declared that she was happy they weren't dead.
"Now that the demon Illyria has been returned it is time that you left. The demons that guard the Deeper Well will not be held off for much longer, it is best if you leave before they attack." Drogyn instructed and waved a hand towards the door, indicating that they should follow him out.
"Drogyn are you sure Illyria is really gone from me? I mean if she's not in me anymore why do I still have her powers?" Lucy asked as they began the long journey back to the surface.
"The soul of the demon is gone, but the body remains, the powers are in the body. It is a strange circumstance, if Illyria had been the only one inhabiting the body then when she was returned the body would have died and the powers would have died as well. Because your soul is still here, it means that the powers are still here as well. When Illyria was inside of you she controlled the powers, you were able to feel and use some of them because she couldn't contain the full extent of them. Now that she is gone there is no barrier between you and the demon body." Drogyn explained as they walked up the rickety stairs.
Lucy nodded thoughtfully as she followed behind Spike. She found it hard to process what Drogyn was saying. Her mind seemed to be moving at a million miles per hour as she tried to get a handle on her powers. Before when she and Illyria had both inhabited her body she could feel the powers warming her as if she were sitting outside on a warm day. Now it was more like flying straight into the heart of the Sun.
She was distracted by the emotions she could feel coming from the others. She knew exactly what each of them was feeling as they made their way to the surface, but she wasn't bothered even by the negative emotions. She knew what they were feeling but she wasn't forced to feel them herself, it was almost like mind reading. She could also hear and feel the roots of the plants that were growing in the dirt above their heads.
Her mind was also distracted by the sheer amount of energy coursing through her body. She'd never known power like this, it made her feel invincible. She knew that if she wished she could tunnel straight through the rocks without any effort.
"The demons will hold for a few more minutes under my commands, hurry and leave quickly and you can avoid a fight." Drogyn instructed when they reached the doorway.
Angel and Spike both shook Drogyn's hand and thanked him for his help. As Lucy passed by she pulled Drogyn into a tight embrace.
"Thank you for everything you did for me. I can't tell you how much it means to me." She gushed as she hugged him.
Drogyn patted her back awkwardly and grimaced uncomfortably. "I was only doing my job little one, your gratitude isn't necessary." He insisted.
"Well thank you anyway. You saved me and I'll always be grateful to you for that." She insisted.
Spike pulled on her hand to hurry her along. She let go of Drogyn and walked out into the crisp night air. She could hear the harsh breathing of the demons again as they walked by. They all quickened their pace and kept it up until they were well past the creatures.
Thankfully they moved past the demons without a conflict and were soon walking through the once more quiet nighttime woods. Lucy inhaled the sweet scent of the trees and smiled at the cool breeze that blew across her face, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so happy. It occurred to her as they walked that she didn't need to hold onto Spike's shoulder for guidance, nor did she need to concentrate on the sound of her footsteps to keep her from walking into things. It was no longer a chore trying to move around with her disability. It wasn't as ideal as being able to see, but Lucy realized that her powers were going to make so many aspects of her life easier.
Spike smiled happily when Lucy moved to his side and slid her hand into his, interlacing her fingers with his. He was used to leading her as they walked so they very rarely had ever walked and held hands before, it was a nice change. He glanced over to see that Lucy's face was lit with happiness, her mouth curved into a gentle smile that made her already beautiful face even lovelier.
"I missed seeing you like this." He commented.
"Seeing me like what?" She asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Happy, smiling. It's the first time I've seen you look this peaceful since before all this started. Plus I missed your red hair." He joked and tugged on a lock of her silky hair.
Lucy stopped so that Spike's arm was pulled from the sudden lack of motion. "What do you mean missed my red hair?" She asked.
"Well I mean when you were all blue I just kinda missed your red hair, it's nice to see it again." He explained.
Lucy reached a hand up and touched her own face, although it made little difference. "I'm not blue anymore?" She asked her voice filled with hope.
Spike moved back to Lucy's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "No love. You look like you again." He assured her.
Lucy's smile grew even wider and she threw both arms around his shoulders. "I'm me again!" She exclaimed happily.
Spike picked her up off the ground and swung her around in a circle. He was just as delighted as she was to have her back to being just his Lucy once again. He set her down and gave her a quick kiss before they began walking again. Angel and the girls had quite a lead on them now, but Spike didn't hurry to catch up.
"What about my eyes Spike? Are they still blue or…" Lucy asked.
"They're green love. She ain't in you at all anymore." He assured her.
Without warning Lucy suddenly sat straight down onto her butt in the damp grass.
"Lucy?" Spike asked, his voice a mixture of confusion and worry. He grew even more worried when he noticed tears running down Lucy's cheeks.
"Love what's wrong? Should I get Angel or Willow?… I could go get Drogyn." He offered.
Lucy grabbed his hand before he could hurry away. "No Spike, I'm fine. Don't go get anyone. I guess I just realized that she's really gone. I- I don't think I really believed it until now." She whimpered.
It dawned on Spike then that Lucy wasn't crying because anything was wrong. She was crying because for the first time in so long, nothing was wrong. He took a seat on the grass beside her and pulled her onto his lap. She curled into him, the curves of her body melding perfectly to his. Her skinny arms wrapped around ribs and she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He held her for a long time as she cried quietly against him, finally letting out all of the pent up stresses and fears that she'd had locked inside of her for so long.
Spike pressed his lips to the top of Lucy's hair and inhaled her sweet apple scent that drove him so crazy. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that part of him had been absolutely convinced that he was going to lose Lucy to Illyria. He never would have admitted to having those doubts before, but now that she was safe it suddenly became clear to Spike just how close he'd come to losing her. As she cried against him Spike felt himself growing lighter and he realized that Lucy was crying for both of them.
"Hey not to interrupt whatever you guys are doing back there, but the sun is coming up." Angel reminded from far ahead in the trees.
Lucy laughed and climbed out of Spike's lap. She jumped to her feet, again surprising herself by how simple and effortless the motions were. She reached a hand down to help Spike up.
"Guess we better go before I'm stuck dating a bunch of ashes huh?" She joked as she pulled Spike to his feet.
"Yeah probably wouldn't be fun screwing a pile of dust would it?" He agreed with a laugh.
Hand in hand they hurried through the woods to the car that would take them back to the London Wolfram and Hart office and their waiting jet.
As Lucy felt the wheels of the jet leave the ground she smiled internally. She was leaving Illyria behind in England and moving forward with the man she loved. She remembered her brother's words about the coming fight between good and evil and knew that she and Spike's future would probably include fighting and pain.
The realization didn't scare her as much as she'd thought it would. She already dealt with more pain and struggles than most people could imagine and she'd come out the other side of those. She knew that as long as she had Spike by her side, it wouldn't matter what life threw at her in the future, she would make it through.
A/N- Sorry it has been so long between updates. I wasn't quite sure if chapter 35 should be the end or not, but there is some stuff I want to add into an Epilogue and I needed another chapter to get there so here ya go! Hope you enjoy and reviews are awesome!!!!