May 1998
Buffy Summers made her way into the antechamber of the Crawford Street Mansion after sending Xander to locate Giles in one of the rooms. Spike hadn't let her down after all. There they all were, Angelus, Drusilla, Spike in his wheelchair, and a smattering of minions, engrossed in the ritualistic ceremony that was no doubt for freeing Acathla. As Angelus chanted and the other vampires looked on, she slowly brought her sword up to strike the nearest minion. The sword was a gift from Kendra, her fellow Slayer, now dead at the hands of Drusilla. She thought about that fact as she brought the blade down, slicing neatly through the minion's neck, decapitating him. The other occupants in the room turned in shock to see the Slayer stride through the dust of the minion, sword again at the ready. Buffy sent a small smile Angelus' way as she said, "Hello, lover."
Angelus gave Buffy an exasperated look. "I don't have time for this!"
Buffy replied, "You don't have a lot of time left."
"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think? You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"
"No, I don't."
As Angelus stepped forward to confront Buffy, Spike made his move. He quickly stood up from his wheelchair, and wielding a fire poker, slammed it into the back of Angelus' head . Angelus collapsed face first into the ground, where Spike began to hit him again. He grinned evilly. "Painful, isn't it?" Drusilla stood there aghast, not knowing what to do. Spike stopped his beat down of Angelus just long enough to see the second minion sneaking up on Buffy as she walked towards Spike and Angelus. "Slayer, behind you!" he called out, then watched as Buffy spun around suddenly, decapitating the second vampire as Xander ran by, making his way to Giles' impromptu cell. He then turned to face Drusilla, knowing that he'd have to fend her off as well. Drusilla looked at Spike, eyes full of rage.
"She's floating all around you, like the burning baby fish, yet you won't push her away! Not to worry my sweet, I'll break her hold on you!" With that, she leapt towards Buffy. This was all wrong. Spike thought for sure that Dru would attack him, buying the Slayer enough time to stop Acathla's release.
"Slayer, watch out!" Spike yelled, hoping his warning was in time. It wasn't. Dru tackled Buffy, knocking her sword loose, and began striking her with fierce slaps.
"You have bewitched my dear, sweet William. Time for you to say sorry." Drusilla grinned at Buffy, holding her two hands in her one and attempting to gouge her eyes out. "Maybe losing your eyes will dissolve your hold on my Spike."
Buffy struggled to break free from the insane vampire's grip to no avail. It was almost as if Drusilla's psychosis was fueling her strength. It was all Buffy could do to keep Drusilla where she was, much less break free from her grip.
"Dru, no!!" screamed Spike as he made his way over to help Buffy. "Let the Slayer go and let's get out of this bleedin' town." Spike stepped forward, ready to run when Angelus began to stir. "Oh, no you don't. Baby needs to stay down for his nap!" With that, Spike began to wail on Angelus again with the fire poker, swinging so hard that wet crunching sounds were soon emanating from the impacts.
"My Angel's hurting!" whined Dru. "I must help him!" With that, she got off of Buffy and moved to stop Spike from continuing his beat down. Within seconds, Buffy was on her feet in hot pursuit, grabbing a stray shard of wood to use as an impromptu stake.
"Stop beating on Daddy, Spike!" screamed Dru as she ran all out at Spike, who paused in his beating. As she tried to grab him, he slammed a swift back knuckle strike in Dru's left temple, stunning her and causing her to fall back directly on the Slayer's wooden stake. With a look of shock on all of their faces, Dru dissolved into dust.
"No! No! DRUSILLA!!" screamed Spike. "You bitch, you broke your promise! You said we could leave!" He leapt at Buffy, game face on, ready to exact some vengeance. He struck Buffy with a fierce punch, knocking her down to the floor. Buffy sprung back to her feet in an instant, ready to battle her reluctant partner turned once again enemy.
"Spike, stop! It was an accident! She just flew back on me when you hit her!" Buffy parried all of Spike's blows, noting that his rage had clouded his mind, crippling his fighting ability. "YOU hit her, not me! You want to blame someone, blame YOURSELF!" She then lashed out with a fierce sidekick, catching Spike in his midsection. If it weren't for his vampiric toughness, his spine would have been pulverized. Instead, it knocked him to the floor, nearly unconscious. She stepped toward Spike's prone form cautiously, unsure of the damage she had inflicted. "Spike's tougher than he looks", she thought to herself. She knelt down near him, checking him over. "Spike?" she said. "Are you okay?"
Spike slowly turned himself over, grimacing in pain as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Of course I'm not okay, you twit! I just watched the love of my life crumble into dust! How'd you feel? Oh, bloody Hell." Spike sat up, his face streaked with tears. "How could you do that to me, Slayer? We had a deal!"
"And I was all for honoring it, until, you know, the whole "I'm the Big Bad, and I'm gonna smack Drusilla away from me right into the Slayer's stake" thing. You know full well that more often than not, I have a stake in my hand. It kinda goes with the job title. You know, 'Slayer'?" She reached down, her hand outstretched. She looked into his pained eyes, looking for any sign of reason amongst all the rage and misery she saw there. "Please, Spike. I need you now! I don't know if I can take Angel out on my own."
"Well, its time to find out, now isn't it!" came a voice from behind her. She spun around, a look of abject horror on her face.
"Angel! No!" she cried out. But it was too late. He had already pulled out the sword embedded in the statue of Acathla. Ready or not, it was go time for Buffy. She picked her own sword off of the ground and moved to engage the vampire.
"You almost made it Buff", he said, smirking at her.
"It's not over yet", she replied as she moved to engage him.
"My boy Acathla's about to wake up. You're going to Hell."
"Save me a seat." Buffy swung out for the first strike, only to have it blocked by Angelus' own blade. They began to circle each other. "He's not Angel, he's not Angel.he's a vicious, psychotic demon that needs to be put down", she thought to herself over and over again, repeating it in her head like a mantra, hoping to channel her grief into her strength, maybe giving her a chance in Hell of actually pulling this off. Swords clashed again and again, sparks flying everywhere. Move and countermove, thrusts and parries. They seemed evenly matched, moving almost as if they were figure skaters, her nimble grace and his animal passion. Finally, Angelus' power and relentlessness got the better of Buffy. He cut her arm, knocking her to the ground, her sword skittering across the floor.
Spike, finally able to get to his feet, saw everything. "Oh God. He's going to kill her", he said, to no one in particular. He willed himself to walk, but barely got three feet before collapsing again. "Sorry, Slayer, you're on your own".
Angelus kicked Buffy against the wall, his sword precariously close to her face. She closed her eyes, looking defeated. "That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?" He swung his sword straight down to cleave her skull. Without opening her eyes, Buffy reached up and caught the blade between her hands. Then she opened her eyes, looking into the shocked face of her former lover.
"Me."
With a simple jerking motion, she slammed the hilt of the sword into Angelus' face and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling on the floor. With grim determination, she battled him back to the front of the statue where she finally cut him, sending his sword flying. Without remorse, she stalked a backpedaling Angelus. He slipped and fell to his knees. As she went to strike, Angelus' eyes began to glow and a shockwave seemed to pass through his body. It lasted an instant and an eternity. He seemed confused, and unsure. "Buffy?" He blinked twice and looked around "What's.where am.everything's so muddled". He looked at Buffy again "You're hurt." He reached out to touch her. She instinctively flinched, but the touch was tender and soft.
"Angel?" Buffy could hardly believe what she was seeing. Her Angel, the man she loved, had returned to her.
"Slayer, get it over with!! Take him out!" Spike yelled. He noticed before the other two people in the room that Acathla's mouth had widened significantly, a whirlwind effect starting to form. "Look at the friggin' statue, pet!"
Buffy looked over Angel's shoulder. Spike was right. Angelus had opened the gateway to Hell. Now, the only thing that could close it was.Angel. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she realized what she had to do for her friends, for the innocent people of the world, and for herself. She dried her eyes, then pulled Angel close to her, grabbing him tightly.
"What's happening, Buffy", asked Angel.
"Shh.it doesn't matter." She pulled away to look at his face. She then brought her lips to his and kissed him passionately. "I love you."
"I love you."
"Close your eyes." She brings the sword up, ready to stab Angel. Ready to have heart broken all over again.
Spike moved in behind Buffy, leaning in close. "Do it, Slayer. Do it now before it's too late!" he hissed in her ear. "It's time to save the bloody world, girl. You had best be up to it."
"I c-can't. I know I have to, b-but I.I." She began to waver, her sword lowering slightly.
Angel's eyes began to flutter open. He squinted then, noticing the bleach blond hair just beyond Buffy, said "Spike? What are you doing here? Buffy, you need to move out of the way now. I'll take care of Spike."
Acathla's mouth opened wider still, the vortex growing stronger. Furniture began to move toward the vortex. Spike realized that it was now or never. "Oh, bugger this!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the Slayer's sword hand, fiercely thrusting it forward into Angel's chest. Angel's eyes bugged out, then he grimaced in pain. Suddenly, the vortex only pulled on Angel, dragging him closer to the mouth of Acathla, closer to Hell.
"No!! No! I can't lose him again!" Buffy screamed as she shook off Spike's grasp, reaching out to grab onto Angel. If she grabbed him, held on tight enough, maybe, just maybe.
"No, Slayer, can't let you do that, now", said Spike as he reaffirmed his grip, this time around Buffy's waist, dragging her ever farther away from Angel. Angel began to fade from view, gradually becoming a vague outline of a man, then merely shadow, then.nothing. The jaws snapped shut. The vortex disappeared.
"ANGELLLLL!!!!" Buffy cried out, her mind searching for answers. Where was he? He just came back to her, how could he leave so soon? The tears flew freely, streaming down her face. Her voice grew hoarse and she began to choke.
"That's it, Slayer, get it out now. Better to grieve now and move on wit' yer life, than to keep it all bottled up and explodin' from the pressure. Yep, that's right.right indeed." He released the Slayer and stumbled over to the tiny pile of dust and ash that once was his Black Princess. Weakness finally overcame him as he fell to his knees in realization. Drusilla was gone. "Ashes to ashes and all that", he said to himself. Now the tears ran down his face, dropping from his face onto the pile of dust. Spike then felt a small hand tighten around his shoulder. He was suddenly back on his feet, a new rush of adrenaline urging his battered carcass on as he spun around, coming face to face with Buffy. She looked as if in shock, skin clammy and pale, lower lip all chewed up in her teeth. Before he could say a word, she lashed out with a left cross, planted solidly on the right temple. Spike's vision exploded into a field of starbursts as he fell once more to his knees. Before he could recover, she began kicking him in the ribs. Her final blow sent him flying into one of the mansion walls, causing the old building to shudder from the impact. Another burst of adrenaline spurred Spike to his feet and he rushed back towards the Slayer, game face on. He laid into her with a fierce punch to the face. Buffy staggered back, startled by the ferocity of Spike's attack. She swung out with another punch, but her timing was off. Spike blocked the blow and answered with a knee to the stomach. Buffy doubled over, and then dropped to her knees. She had used up the last of her own adrenaline with the last volley and was just too tired to move. Spike moved in for the kill, grabbing a fistful of hair. "I'm gonna bag me my third Slayer, and it's all for you, Dru!" he shouted as he yanked Buffy to her feet. As he turned her head to taste his bittersweet victory, he looked into her tear- soaked, bloodshot eyes. What he saw there amazed him. It was utter resignation. She was ready to die. No fight left in her at all.
"Fight back, Slayer!! I want my pound of flesh, damn it! Now fight me!! You broke your promise and its time to pay the piper!" he spat his words as a shudder overcame his body. His knees began to quake and tears spilt out yet again. They collapsed together, tears flowing freely. Without truly realizing it, they gripped each other tightly, sobbing in concert. "Bloody Hell, f-f-fight me, stake me or die tryin', just FIGHT!"
"Why? What do I have to fight for? My friends? All m-my being here has done is get them hurt. My family? Not wanted there. Myself? What's the p-point without.without." she couldn't finish. It was too hard to continue. It just was too painful for her.
"Without him, Slayer? Oh yeah, I really care about how your world's gonna fall apart without your precious Angel! What about MY world?! Huh?! How am I supposed to go on without my Black Princess!" Now it was Spike's turn to falter. His chest constricted so tightly that he would've been gasping for air, had he needed to breathe. "Suck it up William", he thought to himself. "It's time to be Big Bad. Can't let my pain control me. Not yet, anyway." He inhaled slowly and deeply, not that he needed breath, but to center himself, to focus. Slowly, he began to regain control. He began to extricate himself from the tangle of limbs that was he and the Slayer.
"You.you took him away from me", she said accusingly, tears still flowing.
"And you took her away from me. The way I figure it, we're even", spat Spike, wiping his face dry. Then, painfully, he stood up straight, fixed his clothing, readjusted his leather duster, and held his hand out to Buffy. "Here, let me help you up." She gingerly took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Don't you need to be somewhere?" he sneered. "Yeah, that's the ticket. Get all hard and unfeeling like. That'll do the ticket. Dead cert", he thought. He looked her in the eye. "Like home?"
"What home?" said Buffy, trying hard to stop crying. "Mom told me not to come back." Finally able to summon a shred of toughness, her tears stopped. She began clearing off her own face. "Shouldn't you be going somewhere, yourself? As in, out of town?"
"Yeah, I reckon so, Slayer. I'll be getting out of your hair soon enough. I'll just get in the old DeSoto and run off into the morning sun. Once I get out of city limits, though, I think I'll take a walk." He began to walk away from the Slayer, determined to get the Hell away from this town and embrace the sun for the first time since he became a vampire. His forward progress was halted, however, as Buffy spun him back around and gripped him by both arms. She looked into his eyes, fury and anger mixed with a dash of confusion radiating off of her.
"Why give up now Spike, when you just fought so hard to stay alive, or un- alive or whatever the Hell vampires do? I mean, God, YOU just sent Angel to Hell to save this world! Why end it now!? What about dog racing, Manchester United and walking happy meals?"
"All those things, they mean nothin' without Drusilla. How can I enjoy this world when the best part of it's a pile of ashes on the ground. And besides, you saved the world. I just gave you a little bit of help, s'all." He shook off her grip gently. "Go home, Buffy." With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the door leading to the garage.
Buffy ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him to face her again. "Spike, wait. You lost someone important to you, and it was my.fault." said Buffy, who had been thinking about it since Spike mentioned her taking Drusilla from him. "It WAS my fault. I didn't need to run up to Drusilla with my stake at the ready. And isn't it oh so coincidental that Drusilla lands on my stake in such a matter that it pierces her heart?" Buffy thought this through again. Drusilla murdered Kendra. Murdered. She didn't even fight with Kendra and win, like Spike and the two Slayers he had killed. He was up front about it. Drusilla hid behind her psychic abilities, tricking Kendra into lowering her guard and letting her throat be slit. Yes, that made it official. Buffy wanted Dru dead, in a permanent manner. And she got what she wanted. "I lost Angel, who was more important to me than anyone could ever know. You made that happen. But that doesn't just mean we're even. It means all we have left is each other, enemies or not. I refuse to let you die, every bit as you refused to let me die back there with Angel. So you're going to leave town, obeying the condition of our deal. And since I have nowhere else to go, guess what? You just got a new excuse to drive in the carpool lane. ME!"
Spike stared into Buffy's pained eyes. Once again, he was amazed. Where once he saw total defeat, he now saw a new sense of purpose form. "Bloody Hell, she wants to use me as an excuse to leave? Bugger that", he thought. And yet, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop her. Oh, he could avoid her, but she would just track him down to the ends of the Earth. Better to just play the role. He could always enjoy the sunrise another day. "You really serious? D'ya really want ta see the world accordin' to Big Bad? All right then, luv. We'll swing by your place, get a few of your fav'rit things, and its south we go. We'll lay low in L.A. for a time, maybe a couple of months, but that's it. We go our separate ways after that. The last thing we need is to be cramping each other's styles for too long. And before you get all high an' mighty about me endin' it all, I promise I will not kill myself. "Yet." You have my word of bond on it. And Ol' Spike ain't no welcher, that's for sure."
"No room for negotiation, huh?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so. Fair enough. I'll take your terms. Can we go?"
"Right this way. Just let me grab my bags, an' we'll be off."
"Fine." As Spike went upstairs to grab his bags, Buffy began to cry again. She did her best to stifle her sobs but the tears were uncontrollable. She collapsed in a quivering heap on the floor. She curled herself into a fetal position, just wanting it all to just turn off. No feeling. No pain. No emotions. But she knew that it was impossible, short of Spike's solution. She wasn't ready to give up on life, not yet. She just needed to get away from here, this town that has caused her so much pain.
Spike returned from upstairs with his bag. He really didn't want to take anything to remind him of the bad times here. He had enough of those to last six lifetimes. He was all prepared to tell the Slayer to sod off and go home, when he saw her, curled on the ground. She was shaking, and Spike could smell the grief emanating from a woman he knew to be so strong and resilient. Without any proclamation, he simply walked over and scooped her up. She relaxed some in his arms and looked up at him, sniffling, asks, "Why?"
"Everyone needs help here an' there, luv. Suppose maybe it's your turn. Now, off we go! Only a half hour 'fore sunrise. Got to hit the road!" He carried Buffy to the garage, put her in the passenger seat of the Desoto, threw his bag in the backseat, slid across the bonnet, and hopped into the driver's seat. Not even bothering to open the garage, he started up the car, slammed on the gas, burst through the garage door, and headed straight for the highway. After a quick stop at Buffy's home to let her get some belongings, they headed straight out of town. Spike eyeballed a sign in the distance. After a few minutes, the sign became legible. It originally said, "You are now leaving Sunnydale. Come back soon!" However, some practical joker made a few modifications.
"You are now leaving SunnyHELL. NEVER Come back", Spike read as he drove by the sign. "Here's hoping."
"Spike?"
"Yeah, Slayer?"
"Are you really going to leave me in L.A., then take off?" She looked at him with pained eyes, imploring him silently to not leave her alone.
Spike saw that look before. It was in the eyes of his Black Princess, just after the mobbing in Prague. He knew the look well. There was only one thing he could say in a situation like this.
"We'll see what we'll see, Slayer", he said with his trademark smirk. With that, he turned on his stereo, hit his CD change button, selected his track, and cranked the volume. The black DeSoto Sportsman with blacked out windows sped down the deserted highway, the only evidence of its presence being a swiftly fading 'Anarchy in the UK' by the Sex Pistols.
To Be Continued.
Buffy Summers made her way into the antechamber of the Crawford Street Mansion after sending Xander to locate Giles in one of the rooms. Spike hadn't let her down after all. There they all were, Angelus, Drusilla, Spike in his wheelchair, and a smattering of minions, engrossed in the ritualistic ceremony that was no doubt for freeing Acathla. As Angelus chanted and the other vampires looked on, she slowly brought her sword up to strike the nearest minion. The sword was a gift from Kendra, her fellow Slayer, now dead at the hands of Drusilla. She thought about that fact as she brought the blade down, slicing neatly through the minion's neck, decapitating him. The other occupants in the room turned in shock to see the Slayer stride through the dust of the minion, sword again at the ready. Buffy sent a small smile Angelus' way as she said, "Hello, lover."
Angelus gave Buffy an exasperated look. "I don't have time for this!"
Buffy replied, "You don't have a lot of time left."
"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think? You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"
"No, I don't."
As Angelus stepped forward to confront Buffy, Spike made his move. He quickly stood up from his wheelchair, and wielding a fire poker, slammed it into the back of Angelus' head . Angelus collapsed face first into the ground, where Spike began to hit him again. He grinned evilly. "Painful, isn't it?" Drusilla stood there aghast, not knowing what to do. Spike stopped his beat down of Angelus just long enough to see the second minion sneaking up on Buffy as she walked towards Spike and Angelus. "Slayer, behind you!" he called out, then watched as Buffy spun around suddenly, decapitating the second vampire as Xander ran by, making his way to Giles' impromptu cell. He then turned to face Drusilla, knowing that he'd have to fend her off as well. Drusilla looked at Spike, eyes full of rage.
"She's floating all around you, like the burning baby fish, yet you won't push her away! Not to worry my sweet, I'll break her hold on you!" With that, she leapt towards Buffy. This was all wrong. Spike thought for sure that Dru would attack him, buying the Slayer enough time to stop Acathla's release.
"Slayer, watch out!" Spike yelled, hoping his warning was in time. It wasn't. Dru tackled Buffy, knocking her sword loose, and began striking her with fierce slaps.
"You have bewitched my dear, sweet William. Time for you to say sorry." Drusilla grinned at Buffy, holding her two hands in her one and attempting to gouge her eyes out. "Maybe losing your eyes will dissolve your hold on my Spike."
Buffy struggled to break free from the insane vampire's grip to no avail. It was almost as if Drusilla's psychosis was fueling her strength. It was all Buffy could do to keep Drusilla where she was, much less break free from her grip.
"Dru, no!!" screamed Spike as he made his way over to help Buffy. "Let the Slayer go and let's get out of this bleedin' town." Spike stepped forward, ready to run when Angelus began to stir. "Oh, no you don't. Baby needs to stay down for his nap!" With that, Spike began to wail on Angelus again with the fire poker, swinging so hard that wet crunching sounds were soon emanating from the impacts.
"My Angel's hurting!" whined Dru. "I must help him!" With that, she got off of Buffy and moved to stop Spike from continuing his beat down. Within seconds, Buffy was on her feet in hot pursuit, grabbing a stray shard of wood to use as an impromptu stake.
"Stop beating on Daddy, Spike!" screamed Dru as she ran all out at Spike, who paused in his beating. As she tried to grab him, he slammed a swift back knuckle strike in Dru's left temple, stunning her and causing her to fall back directly on the Slayer's wooden stake. With a look of shock on all of their faces, Dru dissolved into dust.
"No! No! DRUSILLA!!" screamed Spike. "You bitch, you broke your promise! You said we could leave!" He leapt at Buffy, game face on, ready to exact some vengeance. He struck Buffy with a fierce punch, knocking her down to the floor. Buffy sprung back to her feet in an instant, ready to battle her reluctant partner turned once again enemy.
"Spike, stop! It was an accident! She just flew back on me when you hit her!" Buffy parried all of Spike's blows, noting that his rage had clouded his mind, crippling his fighting ability. "YOU hit her, not me! You want to blame someone, blame YOURSELF!" She then lashed out with a fierce sidekick, catching Spike in his midsection. If it weren't for his vampiric toughness, his spine would have been pulverized. Instead, it knocked him to the floor, nearly unconscious. She stepped toward Spike's prone form cautiously, unsure of the damage she had inflicted. "Spike's tougher than he looks", she thought to herself. She knelt down near him, checking him over. "Spike?" she said. "Are you okay?"
Spike slowly turned himself over, grimacing in pain as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Of course I'm not okay, you twit! I just watched the love of my life crumble into dust! How'd you feel? Oh, bloody Hell." Spike sat up, his face streaked with tears. "How could you do that to me, Slayer? We had a deal!"
"And I was all for honoring it, until, you know, the whole "I'm the Big Bad, and I'm gonna smack Drusilla away from me right into the Slayer's stake" thing. You know full well that more often than not, I have a stake in my hand. It kinda goes with the job title. You know, 'Slayer'?" She reached down, her hand outstretched. She looked into his pained eyes, looking for any sign of reason amongst all the rage and misery she saw there. "Please, Spike. I need you now! I don't know if I can take Angel out on my own."
"Well, its time to find out, now isn't it!" came a voice from behind her. She spun around, a look of abject horror on her face.
"Angel! No!" she cried out. But it was too late. He had already pulled out the sword embedded in the statue of Acathla. Ready or not, it was go time for Buffy. She picked her own sword off of the ground and moved to engage the vampire.
"You almost made it Buff", he said, smirking at her.
"It's not over yet", she replied as she moved to engage him.
"My boy Acathla's about to wake up. You're going to Hell."
"Save me a seat." Buffy swung out for the first strike, only to have it blocked by Angelus' own blade. They began to circle each other. "He's not Angel, he's not Angel.he's a vicious, psychotic demon that needs to be put down", she thought to herself over and over again, repeating it in her head like a mantra, hoping to channel her grief into her strength, maybe giving her a chance in Hell of actually pulling this off. Swords clashed again and again, sparks flying everywhere. Move and countermove, thrusts and parries. They seemed evenly matched, moving almost as if they were figure skaters, her nimble grace and his animal passion. Finally, Angelus' power and relentlessness got the better of Buffy. He cut her arm, knocking her to the ground, her sword skittering across the floor.
Spike, finally able to get to his feet, saw everything. "Oh God. He's going to kill her", he said, to no one in particular. He willed himself to walk, but barely got three feet before collapsing again. "Sorry, Slayer, you're on your own".
Angelus kicked Buffy against the wall, his sword precariously close to her face. She closed her eyes, looking defeated. "That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?" He swung his sword straight down to cleave her skull. Without opening her eyes, Buffy reached up and caught the blade between her hands. Then she opened her eyes, looking into the shocked face of her former lover.
"Me."
With a simple jerking motion, she slammed the hilt of the sword into Angelus' face and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling on the floor. With grim determination, she battled him back to the front of the statue where she finally cut him, sending his sword flying. Without remorse, she stalked a backpedaling Angelus. He slipped and fell to his knees. As she went to strike, Angelus' eyes began to glow and a shockwave seemed to pass through his body. It lasted an instant and an eternity. He seemed confused, and unsure. "Buffy?" He blinked twice and looked around "What's.where am.everything's so muddled". He looked at Buffy again "You're hurt." He reached out to touch her. She instinctively flinched, but the touch was tender and soft.
"Angel?" Buffy could hardly believe what she was seeing. Her Angel, the man she loved, had returned to her.
"Slayer, get it over with!! Take him out!" Spike yelled. He noticed before the other two people in the room that Acathla's mouth had widened significantly, a whirlwind effect starting to form. "Look at the friggin' statue, pet!"
Buffy looked over Angel's shoulder. Spike was right. Angelus had opened the gateway to Hell. Now, the only thing that could close it was.Angel. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she realized what she had to do for her friends, for the innocent people of the world, and for herself. She dried her eyes, then pulled Angel close to her, grabbing him tightly.
"What's happening, Buffy", asked Angel.
"Shh.it doesn't matter." She pulled away to look at his face. She then brought her lips to his and kissed him passionately. "I love you."
"I love you."
"Close your eyes." She brings the sword up, ready to stab Angel. Ready to have heart broken all over again.
Spike moved in behind Buffy, leaning in close. "Do it, Slayer. Do it now before it's too late!" he hissed in her ear. "It's time to save the bloody world, girl. You had best be up to it."
"I c-can't. I know I have to, b-but I.I." She began to waver, her sword lowering slightly.
Angel's eyes began to flutter open. He squinted then, noticing the bleach blond hair just beyond Buffy, said "Spike? What are you doing here? Buffy, you need to move out of the way now. I'll take care of Spike."
Acathla's mouth opened wider still, the vortex growing stronger. Furniture began to move toward the vortex. Spike realized that it was now or never. "Oh, bugger this!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the Slayer's sword hand, fiercely thrusting it forward into Angel's chest. Angel's eyes bugged out, then he grimaced in pain. Suddenly, the vortex only pulled on Angel, dragging him closer to the mouth of Acathla, closer to Hell.
"No!! No! I can't lose him again!" Buffy screamed as she shook off Spike's grasp, reaching out to grab onto Angel. If she grabbed him, held on tight enough, maybe, just maybe.
"No, Slayer, can't let you do that, now", said Spike as he reaffirmed his grip, this time around Buffy's waist, dragging her ever farther away from Angel. Angel began to fade from view, gradually becoming a vague outline of a man, then merely shadow, then.nothing. The jaws snapped shut. The vortex disappeared.
"ANGELLLLL!!!!" Buffy cried out, her mind searching for answers. Where was he? He just came back to her, how could he leave so soon? The tears flew freely, streaming down her face. Her voice grew hoarse and she began to choke.
"That's it, Slayer, get it out now. Better to grieve now and move on wit' yer life, than to keep it all bottled up and explodin' from the pressure. Yep, that's right.right indeed." He released the Slayer and stumbled over to the tiny pile of dust and ash that once was his Black Princess. Weakness finally overcame him as he fell to his knees in realization. Drusilla was gone. "Ashes to ashes and all that", he said to himself. Now the tears ran down his face, dropping from his face onto the pile of dust. Spike then felt a small hand tighten around his shoulder. He was suddenly back on his feet, a new rush of adrenaline urging his battered carcass on as he spun around, coming face to face with Buffy. She looked as if in shock, skin clammy and pale, lower lip all chewed up in her teeth. Before he could say a word, she lashed out with a left cross, planted solidly on the right temple. Spike's vision exploded into a field of starbursts as he fell once more to his knees. Before he could recover, she began kicking him in the ribs. Her final blow sent him flying into one of the mansion walls, causing the old building to shudder from the impact. Another burst of adrenaline spurred Spike to his feet and he rushed back towards the Slayer, game face on. He laid into her with a fierce punch to the face. Buffy staggered back, startled by the ferocity of Spike's attack. She swung out with another punch, but her timing was off. Spike blocked the blow and answered with a knee to the stomach. Buffy doubled over, and then dropped to her knees. She had used up the last of her own adrenaline with the last volley and was just too tired to move. Spike moved in for the kill, grabbing a fistful of hair. "I'm gonna bag me my third Slayer, and it's all for you, Dru!" he shouted as he yanked Buffy to her feet. As he turned her head to taste his bittersweet victory, he looked into her tear- soaked, bloodshot eyes. What he saw there amazed him. It was utter resignation. She was ready to die. No fight left in her at all.
"Fight back, Slayer!! I want my pound of flesh, damn it! Now fight me!! You broke your promise and its time to pay the piper!" he spat his words as a shudder overcame his body. His knees began to quake and tears spilt out yet again. They collapsed together, tears flowing freely. Without truly realizing it, they gripped each other tightly, sobbing in concert. "Bloody Hell, f-f-fight me, stake me or die tryin', just FIGHT!"
"Why? What do I have to fight for? My friends? All m-my being here has done is get them hurt. My family? Not wanted there. Myself? What's the p-point without.without." she couldn't finish. It was too hard to continue. It just was too painful for her.
"Without him, Slayer? Oh yeah, I really care about how your world's gonna fall apart without your precious Angel! What about MY world?! Huh?! How am I supposed to go on without my Black Princess!" Now it was Spike's turn to falter. His chest constricted so tightly that he would've been gasping for air, had he needed to breathe. "Suck it up William", he thought to himself. "It's time to be Big Bad. Can't let my pain control me. Not yet, anyway." He inhaled slowly and deeply, not that he needed breath, but to center himself, to focus. Slowly, he began to regain control. He began to extricate himself from the tangle of limbs that was he and the Slayer.
"You.you took him away from me", she said accusingly, tears still flowing.
"And you took her away from me. The way I figure it, we're even", spat Spike, wiping his face dry. Then, painfully, he stood up straight, fixed his clothing, readjusted his leather duster, and held his hand out to Buffy. "Here, let me help you up." She gingerly took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Don't you need to be somewhere?" he sneered. "Yeah, that's the ticket. Get all hard and unfeeling like. That'll do the ticket. Dead cert", he thought. He looked her in the eye. "Like home?"
"What home?" said Buffy, trying hard to stop crying. "Mom told me not to come back." Finally able to summon a shred of toughness, her tears stopped. She began clearing off her own face. "Shouldn't you be going somewhere, yourself? As in, out of town?"
"Yeah, I reckon so, Slayer. I'll be getting out of your hair soon enough. I'll just get in the old DeSoto and run off into the morning sun. Once I get out of city limits, though, I think I'll take a walk." He began to walk away from the Slayer, determined to get the Hell away from this town and embrace the sun for the first time since he became a vampire. His forward progress was halted, however, as Buffy spun him back around and gripped him by both arms. She looked into his eyes, fury and anger mixed with a dash of confusion radiating off of her.
"Why give up now Spike, when you just fought so hard to stay alive, or un- alive or whatever the Hell vampires do? I mean, God, YOU just sent Angel to Hell to save this world! Why end it now!? What about dog racing, Manchester United and walking happy meals?"
"All those things, they mean nothin' without Drusilla. How can I enjoy this world when the best part of it's a pile of ashes on the ground. And besides, you saved the world. I just gave you a little bit of help, s'all." He shook off her grip gently. "Go home, Buffy." With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the door leading to the garage.
Buffy ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him to face her again. "Spike, wait. You lost someone important to you, and it was my.fault." said Buffy, who had been thinking about it since Spike mentioned her taking Drusilla from him. "It WAS my fault. I didn't need to run up to Drusilla with my stake at the ready. And isn't it oh so coincidental that Drusilla lands on my stake in such a matter that it pierces her heart?" Buffy thought this through again. Drusilla murdered Kendra. Murdered. She didn't even fight with Kendra and win, like Spike and the two Slayers he had killed. He was up front about it. Drusilla hid behind her psychic abilities, tricking Kendra into lowering her guard and letting her throat be slit. Yes, that made it official. Buffy wanted Dru dead, in a permanent manner. And she got what she wanted. "I lost Angel, who was more important to me than anyone could ever know. You made that happen. But that doesn't just mean we're even. It means all we have left is each other, enemies or not. I refuse to let you die, every bit as you refused to let me die back there with Angel. So you're going to leave town, obeying the condition of our deal. And since I have nowhere else to go, guess what? You just got a new excuse to drive in the carpool lane. ME!"
Spike stared into Buffy's pained eyes. Once again, he was amazed. Where once he saw total defeat, he now saw a new sense of purpose form. "Bloody Hell, she wants to use me as an excuse to leave? Bugger that", he thought. And yet, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop her. Oh, he could avoid her, but she would just track him down to the ends of the Earth. Better to just play the role. He could always enjoy the sunrise another day. "You really serious? D'ya really want ta see the world accordin' to Big Bad? All right then, luv. We'll swing by your place, get a few of your fav'rit things, and its south we go. We'll lay low in L.A. for a time, maybe a couple of months, but that's it. We go our separate ways after that. The last thing we need is to be cramping each other's styles for too long. And before you get all high an' mighty about me endin' it all, I promise I will not kill myself. "Yet." You have my word of bond on it. And Ol' Spike ain't no welcher, that's for sure."
"No room for negotiation, huh?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so. Fair enough. I'll take your terms. Can we go?"
"Right this way. Just let me grab my bags, an' we'll be off."
"Fine." As Spike went upstairs to grab his bags, Buffy began to cry again. She did her best to stifle her sobs but the tears were uncontrollable. She collapsed in a quivering heap on the floor. She curled herself into a fetal position, just wanting it all to just turn off. No feeling. No pain. No emotions. But she knew that it was impossible, short of Spike's solution. She wasn't ready to give up on life, not yet. She just needed to get away from here, this town that has caused her so much pain.
Spike returned from upstairs with his bag. He really didn't want to take anything to remind him of the bad times here. He had enough of those to last six lifetimes. He was all prepared to tell the Slayer to sod off and go home, when he saw her, curled on the ground. She was shaking, and Spike could smell the grief emanating from a woman he knew to be so strong and resilient. Without any proclamation, he simply walked over and scooped her up. She relaxed some in his arms and looked up at him, sniffling, asks, "Why?"
"Everyone needs help here an' there, luv. Suppose maybe it's your turn. Now, off we go! Only a half hour 'fore sunrise. Got to hit the road!" He carried Buffy to the garage, put her in the passenger seat of the Desoto, threw his bag in the backseat, slid across the bonnet, and hopped into the driver's seat. Not even bothering to open the garage, he started up the car, slammed on the gas, burst through the garage door, and headed straight for the highway. After a quick stop at Buffy's home to let her get some belongings, they headed straight out of town. Spike eyeballed a sign in the distance. After a few minutes, the sign became legible. It originally said, "You are now leaving Sunnydale. Come back soon!" However, some practical joker made a few modifications.
"You are now leaving SunnyHELL. NEVER Come back", Spike read as he drove by the sign. "Here's hoping."
"Spike?"
"Yeah, Slayer?"
"Are you really going to leave me in L.A., then take off?" She looked at him with pained eyes, imploring him silently to not leave her alone.
Spike saw that look before. It was in the eyes of his Black Princess, just after the mobbing in Prague. He knew the look well. There was only one thing he could say in a situation like this.
"We'll see what we'll see, Slayer", he said with his trademark smirk. With that, he turned on his stereo, hit his CD change button, selected his track, and cranked the volume. The black DeSoto Sportsman with blacked out windows sped down the deserted highway, the only evidence of its presence being a swiftly fading 'Anarchy in the UK' by the Sex Pistols.
To Be Continued.