Caves of Gold -- part 12 of The Island of Galleno (Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.)

by Isabelle

Rating: R (for cursing, mild nudity, adult situations and violence)

Disclaimers: BTVS belong to Joss Whedon, ME, and UPN they are being used for entertainment, I don't own them. The Count of Monte Cristo belongs to Alexandre Dumas--Spike's journey was taken from the idea of the book and is used in the skeleton of the Series.

Summary: The moment that Spike finally has Buffy he is vamp-napped by Riley and a new officer, Jack Marshall and sent to the Island of Galleno off the Moroccan coast where all the leftovers of the Initiative are being placed. Buffy frantically looks for Spike but gets news that he was 'accidentally killed' by Jack, who decides to make Sunnydale his residence. The whole thing is Spike trying to get back to Sunnydale and Buffy thinking he's dead. It's filled with exotic places, tons of Original Characters, mysticism, enchantment, magic and love. It takes him years to find out who he is before he can find the one he loves.

Spoilers: Set after Normal Again, Season 6

Feedback: bih80reviews@yahoo.com

Archiving: Carnal Sins, DeathMarkedLove, and Only Time--all others please ask.

A/N: This part is not really that long but very important in the redemption process of Spike.

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She held him close to her bosom and rocked him back and forth.

"William?"

Her four year old whimpered and burrowed closer to her. His fever was rising quickly. She looked up at Willow and Tara.

"Almost done, Buffy--he'll feel better after this," Tara smiled at her.

The witches put the potion together as Buffy wet William's face with the lavender water that Willow said would help. Her baby squirmed and cried.

"No!" he protested.

"Baby, this will make you feel better," she soothed him, his eyes tightly closed, moving his head from side to side. She placed the thermometer in his mouth again despite his protest and kept it there.

Pulling it back up.

103.5

"Shit, it's going up, guys," she said worriedly. "I'm going to take him to the hospital."

"Buffy, just hold on--we're almost done." Willow told her and poured the potion in a cup, letting it cool down.

"This will bring it down immediately," Tara told her.

Buffy bit her lip and wet William's little arms and his neck, kissing his forehead and letting his heat burn her lips.

"Here, give him this," Willow said, handing Buffy a bottle filled with the green goo.

Buffy grimaced at the liquid. "He's never going to drink this."

"Try, he needs to at least drink half of it," Tara said, coming to sit next to her in bed. "I'll hold him."

Buffy handed her sweaty child to Tara, Willow held his face in place as he squirmed. Buffy took a deep breath and brought the bottle to his lips.

"No..." he cried and tried to break free. "No medicine."

"It'll make you feel better," Buffy tried, forcing the nipple past his shut lips. He cried and finally gave in. After drinking a little over half of it, she pulled the bottle back and wiped his chin and neck.

She took a sobbing William from Tara's arms. "I'll draw him a cool bath," the witch said and Buffy nodded in thanks as she held her crying baby.

"This needs to stop... these dreams are killing him," Buffy whispered to Willow.

Willow knelt next to her and stroked William's back. "I don't know what to say..."

"I have to tell Giles... we've found nothing in the Magic Box's collection... they're getting worse, Willow," Buffy let her tears slip on her shuddering child's hair.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Willow asked tentatively.

"Sure? For the past month he's been waking up sweating and with 103 fever, saying he's hurt and in pain and I can't see my baby this way anymore," Buffy held him tighter.

"He might just be sick..."

"He's afraid to go to sleep, Wills... he begs me not to put him to sleep and there's nothing I can do," Buffy's bottom lip trembled.

"I'll call Giles tomorrow," Willow told her and stood to help Tara with the bath.

Buffy sighed and sniffed, stroking William's hair and pulling back to look at his face. There were tear tracks down his face and his cheeks were pink and swollen.

"No sleep," he told her as he opened his eyes slightly. She wanted to hit something when she saw the pain reflected in those blue eyes, they reminded her so much of when Spike would get hurt... she would ignore him--never a kind word, never offering some gauze or anything.

"You drank you medicine and you'll be fine for tonight," she tried to sooth him. He shook his head and wrapped his small legs around her waist as he leaned against her and buried his face in her chest.

She wrapped her arms around him, tightly.

"Want it to stop," he whimpered.

She laid her head against his damp hair and nodded. "Mommy's trying her best to make it stop, baby... soon it'll be over." She whispered into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike blinked once. He blinked twice. Then he ran to her.

She smirked and back slapped him hard, sending him smashing against the wall, cracking the stone.

"Hands off, bleach boy," she smirked. He struggled to get back up. Gasping at how much it had hurt... he had forgotten how hard she hit.

She... he tasted that term in his thoughts. Quickly he turned to look at her.

She looked absolutely beautiful. All in black with long golden locks cascading down her shoulders.

"You're not her..." he chuckled. "Nice trick, boys..." But looking around he didn't find his mixed counterparts. It was a dark arena. Only her and him.

It always came down to her and him.

"I'm very much real, Spikey," she chuckled. "I'm what's real inside of you... anything that is left of her... this is me," she smirked. "Like the threads?" she pointed at her outfit.

Spike narrowed his eyes. "You're not her!" he screamed at her.

She gave him a pitying look and sharply kicked his face, making him fall, flat on his back, dazed and confused.

"For a bloody vision you sure hit hard," he mumbled to himself and brought his hand to caress his jaw.

"Up you go, big boy," she said as she hefted him up on her small bony shoulder and dragged him to the edge of the fighting ring, she quickly dropped him, making his spine hit the edge of the ring.

He groaned and rolled on his stomach, his emotions bleeding much more than his internal organs. This wasn't fair! How dare they show him this, how dare they make him beat her and hit her and do all the things he didn't want to do... how dare they show her to him in this light.

He felt her fingers grasp the short strands of his hair and pull him up. He hung limply on her grip. He pressed his face against her breast and started snuggling to her. He whimpered at the feel of her smooth hands and her soft hair. She started kissing his forehead, his nose.

He opened his eyes slightly and now she was no longer dressed in black leather but she had a flowing dress on, her face was free from the thick gunks of makeup and she smelled of vanilla rather than musk.

"Buffy?" he whispered.

"Shhhh," she murmured softly and smiled at him, kissing his parted lips.

He closed his eyes and sunk down with her on the floor. They were no longer in the arena... they were in the grass. The early morning dew hung around them.

"I love you," she whispered. He pulled her in his arms and just held her.

"It's not fair," he whispered into her hair. She felt so real, so sweet, so soft.

"Please come back to me," she begged as she pulled back, tears making tracks on her flushed cheeks. "I need you."

"You're dead," he told her.

"Dead without you," she responded and touched his lips. "Let me show you."

He closed his eyes just feeling the heat of her fingers warm his chapped lips and then it was gone. And he was alone, he knew it in his bones.

"Buffy?" he gasped as he opened his eyes. Now he was in the cemetery.

And he saw her come into view.

In her blue jeans and large black coat. She looked sad.

"Buffy?"

She didn't respond but continued walking, twirling Mr. Pointy in her hands.

"Buffy!" he cried and walked in front of her.

He stood in shock as she walked through him. Like the ghost he was.

Then he heard fighting. How long had he stood there?

Running to her he saw her fighting a large demon. Full of scales, and horns and gashing teeth. She fought well, but in a moment of relapsing the beast gashed her shoulder. She cried out in pain.

Spike charged forward, trying to tackle the demon. He fell on the ground, going right through them, like a spirit.

He sat there, watching in horror as Buffy hit it again but struggling, wounded and bleeding. The beast grabbed her waist with it's large claws and lifted her up in the air, bringing her face close to his.

It roared.

She winced as her ribs were crushed under the beast's claws.

"No!! Buffy, fight!" Spike cried, on his feet and beating on the air.

But she had no fight left in her and slowly, as her insides crushed within themselves her head lopped to one side. She was thrown on the grass floor and the beast walked away into the night.

So here it was--she had met her death.

"No..." Spike walked to the broken body. Her face was angelic as she lay in the moonlight. "No..." he cried, tormented.

He lay next to her, cursing and unable to touch her as his hands slipped right through her body. "No!" he sobbed--reliving her death all over again.

"Buffy!!" he cried out into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat up and gasped in bed.

Looking around her she cursed herself for allowing herself to be tormented by these dreams, again.

Pulling herself from her bed covers she put on her robe and walked out into the large hall. There was a light in the kitchen so she walked in, not knowing who would be up at this time of the night.

It was William.

The four year old was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor staring at...

She screamed.

There was blood, blood all over, on his blue pajamas, on the floor, small handprints on the counters.

"William," she dashed forward to inspect him. "Who did this? Did you do this?"

He didn't answer her and just stared, straight ahead--as if in a trance. "Baby, please!"

Suddenly he snapped out of it and looked at her, his blue eyes watering. "He's hurting."

"You're hurt?" she asked desperately.

He shook his head. "Not my blood."

"Whose, blood, William--tell me!" she cried as she shook him.

He started crying. "Not mine."

Buffy panted and looked at the blood around them. "Whose is it, baby--mommy won't be mad."

He looked at her. "The one."

"The one?" Buffy wiped his tears. "Who is the one?"

"He's in pain--the one in the heart," he sobbed.

Buffy looked lost and about to cry herself. "Oh... jeez--what's happening?" she asked the empty room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He didn't know how long he sat there--on the grass, crying his eyes out, just watching her torn body, blood making a pool around them both.

"I love it...when a slayer dies, don't you?"

Spike's head snapped up and he looked at the creature before him. "What are you?"

He creature smiled and chuckled. It was thin, disturbingly thin... and white. With bug black eyes and two antennas.

"Well, why don't you leave me to mourn before I pull out the bug spray?" Spike asked, wiping the tears from his face.

The albino roach laughed. "Vampire with balls... how nice, most just walk away and mind their own business."

"She is my business," Spike snapped at him, almost growling.

"Then why haven't you returned to her?" it smirked.

"Returned?" Spike asked. "I was ... bloody away!" he looked down at her beaten body. "Now she's dead." he closed his eyes.

When he opened them he was no longer in the cemetery with Buffy at his feet--he was back in the arena.

"How touching."

He quickly turned around--annoyed at the little game being played with him. And there she was in front of him--the same Buffy dressed in leather from head to toe. She smirked.

"Didn't think you'd get rid of me this easily, did you?"

Spike sighed. "You're not 'er... so why don't you just... bugger off."

She strode up to him, hips clad in leather singing at him. Right to his face.

*Slap*

A sharp sting on his cheek--not nearly using her real strength.

His jaw clenched as his blood boiled. He was tired of this.

Without warning he lashed out, punching her across the room. He was startled as he heard cheering... loud cheering--like an Arena.

He looked around--jaw dropping as he saw the masses of demons cheering him on.

"Kill the Slayer!" they cried.

"Drain her dry!"

All of the sudden he was back in the Cage.

His eyes narrowed as he saw Buffy standing up with a scowl on her face.

This was his ring.

Here he was the king.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I wish you would've told me about this before," Giles told Buffy gently over the phone. The blonde played with the cord.

"I know... it was just-- William put that down!" she sighed as she watched her son, warily, place her glass figurine on the table. "It's been rough as it is..."

"Something you shouldn't have had to endure alone... we're not your enemy, Buffy..."

Buffy nodded. "I know... I just knew the way you guys felt about Spike and I..."

Giles sighed and she could see him cleaning his glasses clear across the country. "We would've worked through this... Buffy," he began and Buffy tensed almost knowing what was coming. "We have to tell the council... it's not everyday a slayer gets pregnant by a vampire... and if Willow hasn't found anything in Anya's collection I might be able to find something here."

"I don't want the council to know," she said quickly, picking up William in her lap as he lay his head on her shoulder.

"Buffy--"

"They might take him away..." she tightened her hold on her four year old. "I can't let that happen... you know that."

"I won't let them take him away... a child belongs with his mother, I think they would understand that enough," he tried to soothe her.

"Wanna talk!" William asked, trying to grab the phone from her.

"Giles, William want to say hi," she said.

"Of course," the older man smiled.

"Hello?" William asked into the phone.

"Hello William," William grinned at Giles' familiar voice.

"Grandpa Giles!" William greeted, happily.

Giles got a sick twisted feeling in his stomach. This was Spike's child... yes he was also Buffy's, and he'd always love her like a daughter but he was Spike's... he now knew why Buffy kept this from him.

"How are you, lad?" he asked.

William giggled. "You speak like Spike."

Buffy froze and quickly took the phone away from a confused William.

"Giles?"

Giles was trying to process what he just heard. Buffy had specifically told him that the only ones who knew about Spike was Tara, Willow, Dawn and himself--now.

"Buffy how does he know?" he asked, confused.

"Well... you see, that's the other thingy..."

"What other thingy?" Giles frowned.

"He's having dreams... like prophetic types..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before he knew it he was beating the shit out of her... or it, he didn't know all he saw was hate.

Her blonde hair was falling and splaying everywhere, blood ran down his hands, mixed with hers and his as his knuckles were cut on her teeth.

"Ahhh!" he screamed and he straddled her and pummeled her.

Over and over and over again.

Yet... he suddenly was back in that alley long, long ago... where she did the same to him.

He stopped.

Looked down at the mess he had caused and gasped as he saw her tattered face.

He gasped and backed away, crawling, drowning in his own horror.

"Oh god..." he gasped. She lifted her head just a bit and grinned, blood flowing from her lips and tongue. "You always hurt the ones you love."

She chuckled. The crowd went wild as she plopped down.

"No!!" Spike screamed and curled himself into a ball. A tight, little ball of pain and suffering. "No... no... no..."

He didn't know how long he stayed in there with the crowd cheering and the scent of her blood running through him.

"Easy there, William..."

He looked up at the familiar voice. "Archie?"

The older vampire was sitting in his chair, amongst all his books --smoking his pipe and smiling at him. "The one and only, William."

"But..." he sat up and saw that he was lying in his cot at the old hut. "You're dead... this place got blown to bits..."

"Of course it did!" he laughed. "But it doesn't stop it from surviving in your head... you're the only one left... the only proof that we lived here at all."

"I'm lost, Archie... I don't know what to do...you should've come with me," Spike sniffled.

Archie took a drag from his pipe and shook his head in disagreement. "I left something for you."

He stood and beckoned him to follow.

Spike walked behind the vampire for what seemed like hours, through the once familiar jungle until they reached the caves were they had found the boat.

"Remember how deep I told you these caves went in?"

Spike nodded. "Thirty seven feet under the earth."

"Start counting," he told him.

Spike counted the feet as they descended.

"Stop." Archie told him.

"Twenty five?"

They were twenty five feet into the decent. Archie nodded and crouched down on the ground. He ran his hand over a piece of pale white stone.

"Here, find it here." he looked up at Spike.

"Find what?" Spike asked, confused.

"Go home, William--much is waiting for you there."

Spike blinked ...and he saw his life pass before him in slow-motion. Then suddenly he was blinded... like an explosion.

He felt nothing but saw everything, like the island was blown --how all the creatures didn't have time to run before they were disintegrated.

She screamed in shock and then he was falling on his butt.

His eyes were wide as he looked around him.

He was back in the chamber of gold.

The cave of gold. With mountains and mountains of it. The black lake gold.

He grinned... then laughed.

"Whoo hooo!"

"The test has been completed." he heard a voice say. It sounded like the roach guy but he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a golden idol as he ran out the entrance door.

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Lugo was standing watch when Spike almost trampled over him.

"Zeru! You're alive!" Lugo literally crushed Spike in an embrace.

"How long was I away?" Spike asked as he saw Fadma's eyes light up and his men looking at him as if he should be dead.

"Thirty seven days..." Fadma answered for them all.

"Fuck..." he murmured under his breath. He took a deep breath. "Matters now... let's get packing.. it'll take days to get the stuff out, well need to summon help..."

He threw the golden idol to one of his men they smiled at him.

"And then what, Zeru?" Lugo asked him.

Spike patted his back and smiled at him. "Then I'm going home, Lugo... home after six years."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC...