That Same Night.
"Hey you two! Glad you could make it!" Charles Gunn waved the two blondes over to his table, offering Buffy a seat next to him. "I was worried you wouldn't find the place!"
"No worries there, mate", said Spike, grinning sarcastically as he sat down between Buffy and Alonna, who scooted her chair away from him. As if anyone could possibly miss the gaudy outer décor or the neon sign. The building could probably be seen from space. Of course, Buffy fell in love with the place, until she walked in. Once they had entered, the place became more to Spike's liking. Of the two hundred people inside, more than half were of the demonic persuasion. In one corner, there was a crew of vampires, in another, a couple of chaos demons, slime and antlers all too noticeable under the fluorescent lights. A virtual cornucopia of things that go bump in the night. The only thing bugging Spike was, why would vampire hunters hang out in a club that allowed vampires in the first place?
Gunn seemed to read the peroxide haired vampire's mind. "It's all good, man. We come here to scope out the latest crew of baddies, figurer out their game plan, and go make them dusty. Besides, not all demons are bad. Some just wanna be left alone, and some fight the good fight, just like us. You see that guy over at the bar, drownin' himself in whiskey? That's Doyle. He's half demon, and gets these visions. It's kinda like he sees into the future and stuff. When he's not swimmin' in bourbon., he helps us. Tells us where the bad guys are, what they're doin' and who they're doin' it to." He paused, looking over his shoulder as Doyle passed out onto the bar. He cringed at the site, as if it was a common thing. "He usually just does that, though."
"Yeah, that's reliable. I bet he rescues kittens from trees, too. So, where does see his visions? At the bottom of his Jim Beam bottle? Or after praying to the porcelain god?" Buffy didn't mean to sound so mean and nasty, but her mind was still trying to absorb the confrontation with Spike she had not even an hour ago. In the space of a few minutes, she had gone from nearly losing her only connection to her old life to having him embrace the idea of helping these kids fight off the vampires and other evil nasties infesting downtown LA. Not because he wanted to be a hero, but because he wanted her to be. She twirled that thought in her head, not even realizing that someone was trying to get her attention.
"Anne?"
"Who?" She finally snapped out of her reverie. Gunn was trying to talk to her. "Oh. Me. You mean me, who is named Anne. Yes, what's up?"
"Oh, that was so smooth, Slayer. Like bleedin' Bacardi 151", snorted Spike, remembering that Buffy was absolutely no good at the secret identity thing.
"Y' know, speaking of that", said Gunn, a perplexed look in his eyes, "Why does he call you 'slayer'?"
"Uhm, I.uh.that's a very good question. And I have an answer. A very good one. Spectacular in fact. Just give me a minute to think of it."
"Hey, it's cool. I don't need to know. When you feel ready to tell me, you will. That's how trust works. You gotta build it." He moved his seat in closer. "Tell you the truth, I didn't know what to make of you two when I first saw you on the strip. Spike would pick a fight with a bouncer or somebody's hired muscle, they'd get all up in his grill, then you come and lay the smack down on their ass. I mean, if he did the ass whuppin', I'd be like, yeah, I can dig it. Maybe he's a bad ass, or some martial arts geek tryin' to look cool for his girl. But you? C'mon. You're what? Five three? A hundred and ten pounds?"
"A hundred even, buster!"
"See, that's my deal. You're a little girl."
"Hey! I'm not that young!"
"Not what I mean. Sure, you're almost as old as I am, maybe seventeen?" She nodded in confirmation. "But you're sure as hell not Xena Warrior Princess. Hell, you ain't even Gabrielle. But you kick the hell out of three hundred pound men like they were grade schoolers, and you were the bully. So, I'm thinkin' you two gots to be bloodsuckers."
Hearing what Gunn just said, Spike choked on his shot of scotch, spitting it all over the table. Recovering from his shock, he looked at Gunn with a startled look in his eyes. "Vampires? Y' thought me an'.Anne were vampires? Oh, way off base, mate. Nope, completely normal bloke an' bird, that we are, right, Summers?"
"Uh.yeah. Totally normal. Plain even. Nothing special about us." Buffy began shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She knew Gunn was going somewhere with this.
"Now, here's the real interesting part. You're gonna love this. Me an' my sis, plus Jamal, we follow you from the Whisky. We're pretty well set on dustin' you. Then what do you do? You go and take out four vamps without breakin' a sweat! Damn! We take out vamps, we're tired, and dirty, and we wanna go home. You two? You act like it's taking out the trash or something. So, I got a pretty good idea what a Slayer is. But I'll wait until you feel comfortable enough to tell me." He looked at Buffy and Spike's flabbergasted expressions and grinned broadly. "I live on the streets in the hood. It kinda pays to be really observant. Chill, though. I ain't interested in telling anyone about you guys. I need your help, remember?"
"Slayer, I'd say th' gig is up", said Spike, looking pensive. "Y' may jus' wanna level wit' th' bloke."
"Bloke?"
"I'm English, deal wit' it."
"So, it's cool if I call you limey?"
"Do I look like bleedin' Terrence Stamp?"
"Well, with that hair color."
"Will you two please!!!" Buffy stood up, gripping two handfuls of her hair in frustration. "What is it with men and comparing penis sizes! Gawd! You two are worse than Xander and Angel." Buffy's voice trailed off, new tears pouring down her face. "Oh, great! Crying again. How many tears do I have left to shed?" she thought, wiping her face on her sleeve. She went to sit back down, not noticing that her chair had been knocked back. She stumbled, and almost fell when a pair of hands caught her just in time. She looked over her shoulder to see who her savior was.
"I dinna ken 'bout you, luv, but I'm thinking that would've been a nasty spill." Francis Doyle helped Buffy to her feet, then slid her seat back into place. "Why don't ye try sittin' down again, gorgeous." Buffy sat down, startled by the fact that not even five minutes ago, Doyle was completely passed out. And from the look on Gunn and Spike's faces, they didn't even see him move. Doyle looked at Gunn, cracked a small smile, and grabbed an unoccupied chair, seating himself between Spike and Alonna, who looked relieved for all of two seconds before scooting her chair some more.
"So, Gunn, are ye goin' to introduce me to your new friends or what?" Not waiting for Gunn to say a word, he stuck his hand out to Spike. "Name's Doyle. Official Spokes being for the PTB."
Spike stared at the hand for a moment, then, shrugging, shook the Irishman's hand quickly. He then looked at Doyle with a look of perplexion. "Th' PTB'? Wha's that? Poorly-dressed Tanked Blokes?"
"Ha! He's got a sense o' humor! I like him already! No, Billy boy, it stands for Powers That Be. The big kahunas for the forces of good and all that. Something I'm fairly sure you have no clue of."
"An' wha's that supposed to mean, y' bloody wanker?!" asked Spike angrily. Then he did a double take. "What did you call me? I didn't introduce myself. How do you know my name?"
Doyle just grinned, then startled himself with a loud burp. "Uhm, sorry, what were ye sayin', boyo?"
"How d' you know my bleedin' name, mate?"
"Oh, well, I know lots o' things about ye and the girl. The PTB lets me know these sorts o' things."
"An' what sorts o' things do these 'Powers' tell ye?"
"Nothin' I'm sure ye want repeated, o' that I'm sure. Now, where's the bourbon? I feel like drinking some more!"
A green hand appeared on Doyle's shoulder, settling him down. "Now, Francis. I'm pretty sure you've had more than enough tonight hon." The owner of the hand, a green skinned demon with red eyes and hair, plus vestigial horns on his temples, moved around Doyle and made his way to another empty chair, sitting lightly. He wore an extravagant burgundy suit with matching tie, with low quarter shoes impeccably polished. He smiled at Buffy, holding out his hand.
"Hello there, sweetness. I'm Lorne, the Host of Caritas. I hope your evening is going well?" Buffy shook his hand lightly, a peculiar look on her face. "Is this guy for real?", she thought to herself. "He's like a cartoon character or."
"Or what? Something out of Xander Harris' comic books?" asked Lorne, waggling his eyebrows. Buffy snorted out a laugh, then her eyes grew wide.
"How did you do that?"
"Dollface, I'm what's called an Anagogic. I read people like people read books. Just sitting here, I can catch vague feelings and the occasional thought, but I can get a complete picture of what you are and where you're going if you do one thing for me. And trust me, you need to know where you're going, especially if you're gonna associate with William the Bloody over here", he jerked his thumb in Spike's direction. Buffy's eyes followed the motion, watching as Spike pestered Doyle for more information, then giggled as the drunken Irishman vomited on his boots. Spike looked like he was going to kill Doyle, but then shrugged, and grabbed a bottle of single malt off of a passing waitress' tray. He chugged the bottle like there was no tomorrow, eliciting stunned glances from everyone at the table. The waitress looked to Lorne with a pissed off expression on her face, but Lorne gestured with his right hand, seemingly signaling for her to drop it. The waitress nodded and went back to the bar. Lorne turned back to Buffy, looking at her with one eyebrow cocked.
"You have a peculiar sense of humor, peaches", he commented, instantly regretting it as he saw Buffy's face fall.
"Spike used to call Angel that", she said.
"Hey honey, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring you pain. I'm here to help you. You have a decision to make, and I need you to do just this thing for me so I can show you the paths to follow."
"What do you need me to do?" asked Buffy, intrigued by the demon's words.
"Sing for me."
"Sing for you?"
"Sing for me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I can't believe I'm doing this", Buffy thought to herself as she haltingly approached the stage, karaoke book in hand. Lorne followed her up to the stage front, then stopped.
"This is where I get off, buttercup. You gotta spread your wings on your own. Pick something that sings to you when you see it. You'll do fine." With that being said, he retreated back towards their table, where Spike and Doyle were apparently playing 'Can You Top This' with their dueling whiskey bottles. Gunn had turned his chair towards the stage, watching Buffy intently. Lorne settled down next to him, waving Buffy onto the stage. She looked down into the book, positive that if she stared at it long enough, she could convince Lorne that she couldn't find anything she wanted.
"Damn", she said. Right there on the first page, it called out to her, just like Lorne said it would. She had played this song again and again back when she first lived in LA, before her parents divorced, before becoming the Slayer. She thought it applied to her life back then, because of the title, but now.now the lyrics fit her life.
"Might as well get it over with", she thought to herself as she brought her selection to the DJ, who looked up at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes.all three of them.
"You sure you want to do this song?", he asked as he handed her the microphone, "It's pretty sad."
"Yeah, it's this one. It's what I gotta do." She moved back towards center stage with microphone in hand. The DJ loaded up the track. The monitor at center stage blinked to life with the track information, 'Ode to My Family', in the Style of The Cranberries. The lyrics appeared in red against the black screen, as a countdown started from five.four.three.two.one. The lyrics began to turn gold. Buffy began to sing:
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do
Understand the things I say Don't turn away from me Cause I spent half my life out there You wouldn't disagree D'you see me, d'you see Do you like me, do like me standing there D'you notice, d'you know Do you see me, do you see me Does anyone care?
Unhappiness, where's when I was young And we didn't give a damn Cause we were raised To see life as fun and to take it if we can My mother, my mother she hold me Did she hold me, when I was out there? My father, my father he liked me Oh he liked me, does anyone care?
Buffy looked around the club as she waited for the second verse to begin. Everyone had devoted their attention to the stage. If it wasn't for the music playing, the club would be completely silent. Even Spike was staring at her. But unlike the others, like Gunn, who were transfixed on her, feeling her pain, Spike's face was completely unreadable. He just.stared at her. She averted her eyes, focusing back on the monitor as the second verse began:
Understand what I've become It wasn't my design And people everywhere think Something better than I am But I miss you, I miss Cause I liked it, cause I liked it When I was out there D'you know this, d'you know You did not find me, you did not find Does anyone care?
Unhappiness, was when I was young And we didn't give a damn Cause we were raised To see life as fun and to take it if we can My mother, my mother she hold me Did she hold me, when I was out there? My father, my father he liked me Oh he liked me, does anyone care?
Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care?
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Buffy took in the view from the stage. Everyone in the club, human and demon, was still transfixed on her. For the most part, tears flowed freely, as they all felt her pain. Buffy was thankful for that, as she didn't have a single tear left in her body. Then, a sound caught her attention. It started with Gunn, and the Host, as they slowly brought their hands together. Others joined in, and soon, Buffy was the recipient of a standing ovation. Even Doyle was bawling like a baby, and holding his head like he was in.immense pain. Buffy jumped off the stage and ran towards him, pushing her way through the crowd. She came up to Doyle just as he recovered from the pain. He began to chug down more whiskey. Buffy tore the bottle from his hand.
"Doyle, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm just fine! Ye gotta love how th' PTB sends their little messages. Visions. Powerful visions, full o' detail. 'Course, they hurt like hell. Hence th' bourbon." He grabbed the bottle back from Buffy, taking another long swig. "This one's a doozy, too. I saw a girl, her name's.Mushroom? Or, it was. She's a flower now. An' I saw you, holding a female vampire hostage, threatening.him." He pointed at Spike, who was still staring toward the stage. "Mushroom-flower girl's in Hell, I think. Or, at least a hell dimension, I can't be sure."
"Hell? She's in Hell?" Buffy blanched at the thought. She had to do something about this.
"No, she's not.yet. My visions predict th' future. We have time to stop this, if'n yer able."
"You're damn right I'm able! Gunn, you wanna go kill stuff?"
"I'm down. Alonna, you and Jamal head back to the safe house. Tell Chainz and the others I'll be back soon."
"But, Charles, you need back up! Ain't no way I'm leaving here without-"
"Chill. Right now. Just do what you're told. I'll be fine. I got Anne, Doyle and Spike with me. That's all the back up I'll need. Go home."
"Fine, but if get dead, I'm kickin' your ass!" Alonna stood up, and stepped to Buffy. "If he gets killed, you get killed. Got me, snowflake?"
"I got you. Now you get me. No one dies on my watch. Not now, not ever again!" Buffy spun away from a shocked Alonna and strode over to Spike. "How about it, killer? Wanna dance?"
"No."
"No?"
"What, are you bloody deaf? I said no. D'you need me t' spell it for you?"
"But Spike, I need you. You promised me! You gave your word! What happened to William Bennett not being a welcher?"
"William Bennett died 118 years ago. 'Sides, I made that promise to a girl I thought needed to be who she was again. Then I see that, that performance of yours. You're still pinin' away for the poof. You 'aven't made any progress at all! I thought that's what all o' this was about, you an' me getting' past our mutual pain. Look at me. D'you see me bawlin', mewlin' about like some pathetic sod, moonin' over my dear lost Drusilla? No! I got over it! Now its your turn, Slayer. Get over it."
"Actually", interjected Lorne, "she did."
"What are you talkin' about? She was just up there, all 'do you see me' an' all that rot." Spike got into the Host's face. "It seems t' me that she's refusin' t' let it go. I can't deal with another broken doll. Not again."
"Spikey, have you heard of a thing called catharsis?"
"Yeah, I bloody well have, an' never call me 'Spikey' again."
"Well, sugar, she just had herself a catharsis. She's purged, so to speak."
Buffy looked at the Host quizzically. Catharsis? Purged? One song on a stage is all it took to help her move on from the pain she felt.the pain. It wasn't there anymore. She still felt the grief, but it wasn't agonizing any more. It was a memory. The past. And now, she had to deal with her future.
"Spike, he's gone. He's never coming back. That's what you want to hear from me, right? Well, there, I said it. Angel is dead. Dead to the world, and dead to me. I'm over it. Are you? Or do you need to cry like a wittle baby?" She stood before him, arms akimbo, the resolve showing on her face.
Spike smiled broadly. Finally, Buffy was back. The only Slayer in his entire existence to kick his ass was awake and ready. "Luv, let's go kill naughty evil things!" He took off in a flash, dragging Doyle along by the arm. He looked back at Buffy and Gunn. "Let's go kill that evil! C'mon!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Doyle guided the makeshift team to the location of the portal; a shelter called the Family Home. Buffy made a nauseous face at the sight.
"Hiding a portal to Hell, and abducting people, in a homeless shelter for teens. This is sick. I'm killing SO many demons!" She went to kick in the door, only to be held back by Gunn.
"Chill for a sec, Anne. Let's not just go in there half-cocked, 'cause there's probably innocent people in there. We don't want to hurt anyone innocent." He walked up to the door and knocked. "Let's do like we're expected to, and ask for shelter."
"Oh, that's good plannin', mate. Why don't we just get on our hands an' bloody knees", Spike paused as the door opened to reveal a pleasant faced man in his thirties and a girl wearing a sackcloth robe, "and repent all our sins, 'cause we're dirty, dirty people!"
"Can I help you people? I was just going to redeem Lily here. If you wait in our common area for a few minutes, I'll be right with you. Were you referred here by the blood bank on second avenue?" The man moved away from the entrance, allowing the crew to pass by. "I'm Ken, by the way." Everyone had walked in except for Spike, who lingered at the threshold.
"Uhm, 'xcuse me, mate, but is this a private residence, or a public building?"
"Public building. All who need help are welcome. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, mate. Jus' curious is all." Spike strolled over the threshold with a grin on his face, which puzzled Gunn. Once inside, they all introduced themselves, giving Ken falsified background information on themselves.
"Well, it's good to meet you all. You've all come to the right place. I'll see you soon." Ken escorted Lily towards a door in the back of the common area. He opened the door, but before she walked in, Lily turned back toward the crew. She looked at Spike and Buffy curiously.
"Do I know you two? You look really familiar."
"No, I don't think so", said Buffy, who was wondering the same, since Doyle said that he had seen Lily with Buffy in the past together in his vision.
"I think I've met a bint who looked a little like you, 'bout a year ago", said Spike, "your name's not th' same though. She called herself Chanterelle."
"Oh, that was me! I called myself Chanterelle back then. I was hanging with a vampire cult. We almost got killed by these really mean vampires, until this girl saved us."
"Well, I'm glad you met someone you might know, Lily, but we really need to get on with the redemption", Ken said as he began to pull Lily into the small room.
"What's the rush?" asked Buffy, "can't she catch up with old friends?"
"We have a really tight schedule", explained Ken, who was looking really frustrated.
"Tight schedule? In a homeless shelter? C'mon, man, you don't expect us to buy that line of crap do you?" said Gunn, "I mean, dude, it's a homeless shelter. These peep's ain't got nothin' but time."
"Look, I don't have time to argue with you people! Just stay here! Some help please!" At Ken's request, two very large men came into the room. "Keep these people here until I get back. Lily, let's go!" He pulled Lily into the room and slammed the door.
Doyle ran up to the closed door. He tried to open it, but it was locked. "We need to get in here now! The portal's here, I can feel it!" He began to ram into the door, but it wouldn't budge. "A little help here!" Doyle yelled, as the men grabbed at him.
Buffy and Gunn sprang into action, taking hold of the two men and throwing them off of Doyle. They regrouped quickly and rushed the two. The larger of the two came at Gunn with a right cross, which Gunn easily ducked as he got in a couple good body shots. Buffy leapt right into the other man, a flurry of punched and kicks. He was down and out quickly. Spike made his way over to the door, kicking it down in one shot. Gunn decked the larger man, then joined Buffy as she ran to the now open door. Too late, as both Ken and Lily were gone.
"Where did they go?" asked Gunn.
"There! Into that pool!" exclaimed Doyle as three more goons entered the room, jumping on him, Spike and Gunn.
"Slayer! We'll hold off the goons, go get that girl!" yelled Spike, as he ducked a fierce roundhouse kick.
"On it!" Buffy jumped into the pool, passing through the dimensional barrier.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A seeming eternity later, Buffy landed hard on her ass. As her eyes adjusted to the lessened lighting, she began to look around. All around her, she saw mineshafts, with people of varying ages working in them. It was incredibly hot, and there were demons everywhere, forcing the humans to labor for them. It was like they were in Hell. Hell. Just like where she sent Angel. Her mind began to swim around that concept. Could Angel be here? Could there be a chance? She pushed the thought from her mind, concentrating on the task at hand. She had to rescue these people. She picked herself up off the ground, dusted herself off, and began to look around. She barely made it past the first mineshaft when she ran into Ken. He struck her in the face, causing her to stumble.
"Well, I see you stumbled on our little secret, haven't you Anne?" he said as he kicked at her, knocking her to the ground. "I don't see a reason to keep up my charade, do you?" He reached up to his face, peeling it back to reveal his demonic visage.
"You bring kids in, kids that have nowhere else to turn, then you bring them here to work your mines. You're sick!" Buffy spat as she picked her self back up.
"Oh, it gets better. Time passes here faster than in the Earth dimension. You work here a lifetime, then we throw you back, and only a few weeks have passed. It's a good deal. For us." Ken kicked Buffy in the gut, doubling her over. He followed up with a double axe handle strike to her neck, knocking her down and disorienting her. He picked her up and carried her bodily to the 'orientation' area, where a particularly ugly demon was lecturing the new workers, Lily included. Ken dropped Buffy to the ground, where two demons picked her up and made her stand in the group. The demon lecturing the group summed up his lecture.
"Get this through your heads right now! You are vermin! No, less than vermin! You're nothing! Nothing at all! You work hard, you live. Anything else, you die! Understand?" There was utter silence in the group. He walked up to the first person in the group, a boy about seventeen. He stood in front of him, an axe in his hand. "You! Who are you?"
"My name's-", was all the boy got out before the demon brought his axe crashing down the boy's head, splitting his skull. There were screams of alarm and horror echoing through the group. Buffy turned her head, biting back the bile rising in her throat. The demon walked down the line, asking the others the same question. They caught on quick, responding, "I'm no one.", and never looking up. The demon, very pleased with himself, sauntered over to Buffy, who kept her eyes cast down as well.
"Well, now. A new arrival. Do you understand, vermin? Who are you?" Buffy slowly looked up at the demon, who was grinning maliciously. She thought about her answer for a brief second, remembering all the pain and misery that had lead her up to this point. All the pain, all the misery, but also all the joy and happiness of her life. Her friends, who had always been there for her. Giles, who was more than a Watcher, but a father who understood her completely, even when he professed never to understand her American teenaged mind. Her mother, who only told her not to come back because she had too much to deal with in way too short a time period. And all the people she saved, who got to live their lives one more day because of her, even if they never acknowledged it. All her pain was worth it, because she was worth it. At that moment, 'Anne' faded away. She died so that 'Buffy' could live again.
"Hi! I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer?" The demon roared and brought his axe down. Into Buffy's waiting hands. In two swift movements, she stripped the axe away from the demon and gutted it from crotch to sternum. She grabbed Lily by the hand and guided her back toward the portal, screaming to the other workers, "C'mon! I'm getting you out of here!" A sizeable portion of them, the ones who hadn't been here so long that their wills had been completely broken, followed. As they neared the portal, they ran into a group of demon guards, led by Ken.
"Well, isn't this a surprise! You actually think that I'm going to let you just waltz out of here with my workers?" Ken took a menacing step forward, grinning as most of the escapees started shuffling back.
"No, Ken. I expect you to die a really nasty death, and I expect to use your head for a bowling ball 'cause, well, it's got that perfect shape."
"Oh, that's real cute, Anne. You don't think I've figured you out. All alone, even with that group of outcasts you showed up with. No hope, no joy. Lashing out, foolishly believing that if you save these people, you can save yourself. You're pathetic. You deserve to be here, suffering for the great god. You came to save them? You're all alone. Who's coming to save you?"
"First, it's Buffy. Try to remember that for all thirty seconds you have left to live, okay? Second, not that I need saving anymore, but I'm pretty sure that's why he's here." She motioned over Ken's shoulder.
"Right, I'm so naïve that I'll look over my shoulder and let you blindside me. Even if that happened, you'd never get past my guards." Without looking back, he gestured out to his sides, motioning for his guards to move forward. The only sound he heard was not the expected rushing forward of armed demons, but shuffling sounds, accompanied by the sound of flesh impacting on flesh. People were fighting right behind him and he hadn't noticed, so caught up with this girl in front of him. Slowly, he turned to discover his guards all dead, their bodies surrounding the blonde haired man that had asked about the center being a public building. He grinned at Ken, stepping into the light to reveal his demonic appearance.
"You're a vampire", said Ken, disbelieving. "How can you be helping her?"
"Made a promise to the lady", was all Spike said before rushing forward, slamming into Ken, and knocking him to the ground in a daze. He kicked Ken several times in the head and ribs, then turned to Buffy. "Slayer! Get those blokes an' bints out o' here! I'll hold off Jim Jones, Jr. here!"
"No, Spike. I'll take care of pus face. You go."
"You sure?"
"Oh, yeah." She smiled. Spike noticed it right away. This wasn't a broken doll trying to be brave. This was the real Buffy, back at last. He suddenly felt a pang of sorrow, realizing that soon, she would leave him behind. She didn't need him anymore. He almost began to dwell on that thought, but snapped himself out of it. He had a job to do for the Slayer, and a promise to keep.
"Alright, kiddies. Out we go!" Spike sang out as he grabbed the nearest escapee, leading them to the portal.
"Hey, Ken?" Buffy said as she stalked over to his downed form. "Remember when I said you only had thirty seconds to live? I lied. I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm."
"It doesn't matter what happens to me. I'm just a servant of the great god Acathla. When he rises, all of you will pay for this." Buffy stared at Ken with shock. Acathla. This was the Hell that Acathla opened to. Here. Of all the dimensions to come to, she came here. She grabbed Ken by his shirt, dragging him to his feet.
"Where is he!" she screamed, shaking him.
"Who? Acathla? He's in your dimension, frozen in stone. But that will soon change, for our great champion has returned to your dimension to once again awaken him."
"Champion? I don't care about your loser champion! Where's Angel! Is he here? Answer me!"
"Will it cause you pain if I don't answer?"
"Yes."
"Then let your ears burn with silence." Ken let his head drop back as Buffy dropped him back to the ground.
"Hey Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?" Buffy lifted the axe she still had in her possession and brought it down on his skull, splitting it. "Well, if Gandhi got really pissed off." She ran back into the pits, searching through the throngs of workers far too gone to escape when given the chance. "Angel!" she screamed, over and over as she ran through the masses, grabbing at anyone that bore the slightest resemblance. If he was here, he'd be with these people. No matter how strong he was, with the time dilation, he'd have been here for decades, if not at least a century. A hundred years of torment, never to end because of his immortality.
Buffy looked for what seemed an eternity. Angel was nowhere to be found.
She collapsed in a heap from the exhaustion. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She tried one last bellow, hoping to catch Angel's attention. It echoed throughout the pits. But the person who responded to it wasn't Angel, it was Spike.
"Got a little worried there, pet, when you didn't pop up right behind me. Why are you callin' for Angel?"
"Ken.he said, he said that this was Acathla's dimension. I thought that maybe, maybe Angel was here. That.maybe I could save him after all." She stared up at Spike, eyes screaming in pain.
"Slayer, knowin' the poof, he prob'ly tried t' do what we just did an' save everyone. They no doubt staked 'im long ago. There's nothin' you can do but come home. Now up we go!" He hauled her to her feet and half dragged, half carried her to the portal. "You did good, Slayer. Time t' celebrate an' all that rot." He pushed her up through the portal, then followed her through, neither noticing the figure in the shadows, curled up in a ball.
"I'm no one", he repeated over and over again, until he noticed the two blondes move past him. He looked hard at them, squinting as if he couldn't quite see them clearly. The dullness of his dark eyes faded as a light seemed to wash over them, clearing the haze of untold ages of misery. As the pair passed through the portal, he stood up. He stretched his large frame for the first time in what felt like ages. He ran a hand through his dark hair, tousling it as it spiked up at his touch, tufts pointing every which way. He walked forward slowly, unsure of his legs ability to support him. He reached the portal, looking through it. He could vaguely make out the figures through the inky blackness, but one figure shined through the murk. The hair, the figure, the face and the eyes of the girl burned through his mind as he passed through the portal, bringing a name to his lips that he hadn't said in a century.
"Buffy."
To Be Continued.
"Hey you two! Glad you could make it!" Charles Gunn waved the two blondes over to his table, offering Buffy a seat next to him. "I was worried you wouldn't find the place!"
"No worries there, mate", said Spike, grinning sarcastically as he sat down between Buffy and Alonna, who scooted her chair away from him. As if anyone could possibly miss the gaudy outer décor or the neon sign. The building could probably be seen from space. Of course, Buffy fell in love with the place, until she walked in. Once they had entered, the place became more to Spike's liking. Of the two hundred people inside, more than half were of the demonic persuasion. In one corner, there was a crew of vampires, in another, a couple of chaos demons, slime and antlers all too noticeable under the fluorescent lights. A virtual cornucopia of things that go bump in the night. The only thing bugging Spike was, why would vampire hunters hang out in a club that allowed vampires in the first place?
Gunn seemed to read the peroxide haired vampire's mind. "It's all good, man. We come here to scope out the latest crew of baddies, figurer out their game plan, and go make them dusty. Besides, not all demons are bad. Some just wanna be left alone, and some fight the good fight, just like us. You see that guy over at the bar, drownin' himself in whiskey? That's Doyle. He's half demon, and gets these visions. It's kinda like he sees into the future and stuff. When he's not swimmin' in bourbon., he helps us. Tells us where the bad guys are, what they're doin' and who they're doin' it to." He paused, looking over his shoulder as Doyle passed out onto the bar. He cringed at the site, as if it was a common thing. "He usually just does that, though."
"Yeah, that's reliable. I bet he rescues kittens from trees, too. So, where does see his visions? At the bottom of his Jim Beam bottle? Or after praying to the porcelain god?" Buffy didn't mean to sound so mean and nasty, but her mind was still trying to absorb the confrontation with Spike she had not even an hour ago. In the space of a few minutes, she had gone from nearly losing her only connection to her old life to having him embrace the idea of helping these kids fight off the vampires and other evil nasties infesting downtown LA. Not because he wanted to be a hero, but because he wanted her to be. She twirled that thought in her head, not even realizing that someone was trying to get her attention.
"Anne?"
"Who?" She finally snapped out of her reverie. Gunn was trying to talk to her. "Oh. Me. You mean me, who is named Anne. Yes, what's up?"
"Oh, that was so smooth, Slayer. Like bleedin' Bacardi 151", snorted Spike, remembering that Buffy was absolutely no good at the secret identity thing.
"Y' know, speaking of that", said Gunn, a perplexed look in his eyes, "Why does he call you 'slayer'?"
"Uhm, I.uh.that's a very good question. And I have an answer. A very good one. Spectacular in fact. Just give me a minute to think of it."
"Hey, it's cool. I don't need to know. When you feel ready to tell me, you will. That's how trust works. You gotta build it." He moved his seat in closer. "Tell you the truth, I didn't know what to make of you two when I first saw you on the strip. Spike would pick a fight with a bouncer or somebody's hired muscle, they'd get all up in his grill, then you come and lay the smack down on their ass. I mean, if he did the ass whuppin', I'd be like, yeah, I can dig it. Maybe he's a bad ass, or some martial arts geek tryin' to look cool for his girl. But you? C'mon. You're what? Five three? A hundred and ten pounds?"
"A hundred even, buster!"
"See, that's my deal. You're a little girl."
"Hey! I'm not that young!"
"Not what I mean. Sure, you're almost as old as I am, maybe seventeen?" She nodded in confirmation. "But you're sure as hell not Xena Warrior Princess. Hell, you ain't even Gabrielle. But you kick the hell out of three hundred pound men like they were grade schoolers, and you were the bully. So, I'm thinkin' you two gots to be bloodsuckers."
Hearing what Gunn just said, Spike choked on his shot of scotch, spitting it all over the table. Recovering from his shock, he looked at Gunn with a startled look in his eyes. "Vampires? Y' thought me an'.Anne were vampires? Oh, way off base, mate. Nope, completely normal bloke an' bird, that we are, right, Summers?"
"Uh.yeah. Totally normal. Plain even. Nothing special about us." Buffy began shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She knew Gunn was going somewhere with this.
"Now, here's the real interesting part. You're gonna love this. Me an' my sis, plus Jamal, we follow you from the Whisky. We're pretty well set on dustin' you. Then what do you do? You go and take out four vamps without breakin' a sweat! Damn! We take out vamps, we're tired, and dirty, and we wanna go home. You two? You act like it's taking out the trash or something. So, I got a pretty good idea what a Slayer is. But I'll wait until you feel comfortable enough to tell me." He looked at Buffy and Spike's flabbergasted expressions and grinned broadly. "I live on the streets in the hood. It kinda pays to be really observant. Chill, though. I ain't interested in telling anyone about you guys. I need your help, remember?"
"Slayer, I'd say th' gig is up", said Spike, looking pensive. "Y' may jus' wanna level wit' th' bloke."
"Bloke?"
"I'm English, deal wit' it."
"So, it's cool if I call you limey?"
"Do I look like bleedin' Terrence Stamp?"
"Well, with that hair color."
"Will you two please!!!" Buffy stood up, gripping two handfuls of her hair in frustration. "What is it with men and comparing penis sizes! Gawd! You two are worse than Xander and Angel." Buffy's voice trailed off, new tears pouring down her face. "Oh, great! Crying again. How many tears do I have left to shed?" she thought, wiping her face on her sleeve. She went to sit back down, not noticing that her chair had been knocked back. She stumbled, and almost fell when a pair of hands caught her just in time. She looked over her shoulder to see who her savior was.
"I dinna ken 'bout you, luv, but I'm thinking that would've been a nasty spill." Francis Doyle helped Buffy to her feet, then slid her seat back into place. "Why don't ye try sittin' down again, gorgeous." Buffy sat down, startled by the fact that not even five minutes ago, Doyle was completely passed out. And from the look on Gunn and Spike's faces, they didn't even see him move. Doyle looked at Gunn, cracked a small smile, and grabbed an unoccupied chair, seating himself between Spike and Alonna, who looked relieved for all of two seconds before scooting her chair some more.
"So, Gunn, are ye goin' to introduce me to your new friends or what?" Not waiting for Gunn to say a word, he stuck his hand out to Spike. "Name's Doyle. Official Spokes being for the PTB."
Spike stared at the hand for a moment, then, shrugging, shook the Irishman's hand quickly. He then looked at Doyle with a look of perplexion. "Th' PTB'? Wha's that? Poorly-dressed Tanked Blokes?"
"Ha! He's got a sense o' humor! I like him already! No, Billy boy, it stands for Powers That Be. The big kahunas for the forces of good and all that. Something I'm fairly sure you have no clue of."
"An' wha's that supposed to mean, y' bloody wanker?!" asked Spike angrily. Then he did a double take. "What did you call me? I didn't introduce myself. How do you know my name?"
Doyle just grinned, then startled himself with a loud burp. "Uhm, sorry, what were ye sayin', boyo?"
"How d' you know my bleedin' name, mate?"
"Oh, well, I know lots o' things about ye and the girl. The PTB lets me know these sorts o' things."
"An' what sorts o' things do these 'Powers' tell ye?"
"Nothin' I'm sure ye want repeated, o' that I'm sure. Now, where's the bourbon? I feel like drinking some more!"
A green hand appeared on Doyle's shoulder, settling him down. "Now, Francis. I'm pretty sure you've had more than enough tonight hon." The owner of the hand, a green skinned demon with red eyes and hair, plus vestigial horns on his temples, moved around Doyle and made his way to another empty chair, sitting lightly. He wore an extravagant burgundy suit with matching tie, with low quarter shoes impeccably polished. He smiled at Buffy, holding out his hand.
"Hello there, sweetness. I'm Lorne, the Host of Caritas. I hope your evening is going well?" Buffy shook his hand lightly, a peculiar look on her face. "Is this guy for real?", she thought to herself. "He's like a cartoon character or."
"Or what? Something out of Xander Harris' comic books?" asked Lorne, waggling his eyebrows. Buffy snorted out a laugh, then her eyes grew wide.
"How did you do that?"
"Dollface, I'm what's called an Anagogic. I read people like people read books. Just sitting here, I can catch vague feelings and the occasional thought, but I can get a complete picture of what you are and where you're going if you do one thing for me. And trust me, you need to know where you're going, especially if you're gonna associate with William the Bloody over here", he jerked his thumb in Spike's direction. Buffy's eyes followed the motion, watching as Spike pestered Doyle for more information, then giggled as the drunken Irishman vomited on his boots. Spike looked like he was going to kill Doyle, but then shrugged, and grabbed a bottle of single malt off of a passing waitress' tray. He chugged the bottle like there was no tomorrow, eliciting stunned glances from everyone at the table. The waitress looked to Lorne with a pissed off expression on her face, but Lorne gestured with his right hand, seemingly signaling for her to drop it. The waitress nodded and went back to the bar. Lorne turned back to Buffy, looking at her with one eyebrow cocked.
"You have a peculiar sense of humor, peaches", he commented, instantly regretting it as he saw Buffy's face fall.
"Spike used to call Angel that", she said.
"Hey honey, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring you pain. I'm here to help you. You have a decision to make, and I need you to do just this thing for me so I can show you the paths to follow."
"What do you need me to do?" asked Buffy, intrigued by the demon's words.
"Sing for me."
"Sing for you?"
"Sing for me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I can't believe I'm doing this", Buffy thought to herself as she haltingly approached the stage, karaoke book in hand. Lorne followed her up to the stage front, then stopped.
"This is where I get off, buttercup. You gotta spread your wings on your own. Pick something that sings to you when you see it. You'll do fine." With that being said, he retreated back towards their table, where Spike and Doyle were apparently playing 'Can You Top This' with their dueling whiskey bottles. Gunn had turned his chair towards the stage, watching Buffy intently. Lorne settled down next to him, waving Buffy onto the stage. She looked down into the book, positive that if she stared at it long enough, she could convince Lorne that she couldn't find anything she wanted.
"Damn", she said. Right there on the first page, it called out to her, just like Lorne said it would. She had played this song again and again back when she first lived in LA, before her parents divorced, before becoming the Slayer. She thought it applied to her life back then, because of the title, but now.now the lyrics fit her life.
"Might as well get it over with", she thought to herself as she brought her selection to the DJ, who looked up at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes.all three of them.
"You sure you want to do this song?", he asked as he handed her the microphone, "It's pretty sad."
"Yeah, it's this one. It's what I gotta do." She moved back towards center stage with microphone in hand. The DJ loaded up the track. The monitor at center stage blinked to life with the track information, 'Ode to My Family', in the Style of The Cranberries. The lyrics appeared in red against the black screen, as a countdown started from five.four.three.two.one. The lyrics began to turn gold. Buffy began to sing:
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do
Understand the things I say Don't turn away from me Cause I spent half my life out there You wouldn't disagree D'you see me, d'you see Do you like me, do like me standing there D'you notice, d'you know Do you see me, do you see me Does anyone care?
Unhappiness, where's when I was young And we didn't give a damn Cause we were raised To see life as fun and to take it if we can My mother, my mother she hold me Did she hold me, when I was out there? My father, my father he liked me Oh he liked me, does anyone care?
Buffy looked around the club as she waited for the second verse to begin. Everyone had devoted their attention to the stage. If it wasn't for the music playing, the club would be completely silent. Even Spike was staring at her. But unlike the others, like Gunn, who were transfixed on her, feeling her pain, Spike's face was completely unreadable. He just.stared at her. She averted her eyes, focusing back on the monitor as the second verse began:
Understand what I've become It wasn't my design And people everywhere think Something better than I am But I miss you, I miss Cause I liked it, cause I liked it When I was out there D'you know this, d'you know You did not find me, you did not find Does anyone care?
Unhappiness, was when I was young And we didn't give a damn Cause we were raised To see life as fun and to take it if we can My mother, my mother she hold me Did she hold me, when I was out there? My father, my father he liked me Oh he liked me, does anyone care?
Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care? Does anyone care?
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Do, do do do, do, do do do
Buffy took in the view from the stage. Everyone in the club, human and demon, was still transfixed on her. For the most part, tears flowed freely, as they all felt her pain. Buffy was thankful for that, as she didn't have a single tear left in her body. Then, a sound caught her attention. It started with Gunn, and the Host, as they slowly brought their hands together. Others joined in, and soon, Buffy was the recipient of a standing ovation. Even Doyle was bawling like a baby, and holding his head like he was in.immense pain. Buffy jumped off the stage and ran towards him, pushing her way through the crowd. She came up to Doyle just as he recovered from the pain. He began to chug down more whiskey. Buffy tore the bottle from his hand.
"Doyle, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm just fine! Ye gotta love how th' PTB sends their little messages. Visions. Powerful visions, full o' detail. 'Course, they hurt like hell. Hence th' bourbon." He grabbed the bottle back from Buffy, taking another long swig. "This one's a doozy, too. I saw a girl, her name's.Mushroom? Or, it was. She's a flower now. An' I saw you, holding a female vampire hostage, threatening.him." He pointed at Spike, who was still staring toward the stage. "Mushroom-flower girl's in Hell, I think. Or, at least a hell dimension, I can't be sure."
"Hell? She's in Hell?" Buffy blanched at the thought. She had to do something about this.
"No, she's not.yet. My visions predict th' future. We have time to stop this, if'n yer able."
"You're damn right I'm able! Gunn, you wanna go kill stuff?"
"I'm down. Alonna, you and Jamal head back to the safe house. Tell Chainz and the others I'll be back soon."
"But, Charles, you need back up! Ain't no way I'm leaving here without-"
"Chill. Right now. Just do what you're told. I'll be fine. I got Anne, Doyle and Spike with me. That's all the back up I'll need. Go home."
"Fine, but if get dead, I'm kickin' your ass!" Alonna stood up, and stepped to Buffy. "If he gets killed, you get killed. Got me, snowflake?"
"I got you. Now you get me. No one dies on my watch. Not now, not ever again!" Buffy spun away from a shocked Alonna and strode over to Spike. "How about it, killer? Wanna dance?"
"No."
"No?"
"What, are you bloody deaf? I said no. D'you need me t' spell it for you?"
"But Spike, I need you. You promised me! You gave your word! What happened to William Bennett not being a welcher?"
"William Bennett died 118 years ago. 'Sides, I made that promise to a girl I thought needed to be who she was again. Then I see that, that performance of yours. You're still pinin' away for the poof. You 'aven't made any progress at all! I thought that's what all o' this was about, you an' me getting' past our mutual pain. Look at me. D'you see me bawlin', mewlin' about like some pathetic sod, moonin' over my dear lost Drusilla? No! I got over it! Now its your turn, Slayer. Get over it."
"Actually", interjected Lorne, "she did."
"What are you talkin' about? She was just up there, all 'do you see me' an' all that rot." Spike got into the Host's face. "It seems t' me that she's refusin' t' let it go. I can't deal with another broken doll. Not again."
"Spikey, have you heard of a thing called catharsis?"
"Yeah, I bloody well have, an' never call me 'Spikey' again."
"Well, sugar, she just had herself a catharsis. She's purged, so to speak."
Buffy looked at the Host quizzically. Catharsis? Purged? One song on a stage is all it took to help her move on from the pain she felt.the pain. It wasn't there anymore. She still felt the grief, but it wasn't agonizing any more. It was a memory. The past. And now, she had to deal with her future.
"Spike, he's gone. He's never coming back. That's what you want to hear from me, right? Well, there, I said it. Angel is dead. Dead to the world, and dead to me. I'm over it. Are you? Or do you need to cry like a wittle baby?" She stood before him, arms akimbo, the resolve showing on her face.
Spike smiled broadly. Finally, Buffy was back. The only Slayer in his entire existence to kick his ass was awake and ready. "Luv, let's go kill naughty evil things!" He took off in a flash, dragging Doyle along by the arm. He looked back at Buffy and Gunn. "Let's go kill that evil! C'mon!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Doyle guided the makeshift team to the location of the portal; a shelter called the Family Home. Buffy made a nauseous face at the sight.
"Hiding a portal to Hell, and abducting people, in a homeless shelter for teens. This is sick. I'm killing SO many demons!" She went to kick in the door, only to be held back by Gunn.
"Chill for a sec, Anne. Let's not just go in there half-cocked, 'cause there's probably innocent people in there. We don't want to hurt anyone innocent." He walked up to the door and knocked. "Let's do like we're expected to, and ask for shelter."
"Oh, that's good plannin', mate. Why don't we just get on our hands an' bloody knees", Spike paused as the door opened to reveal a pleasant faced man in his thirties and a girl wearing a sackcloth robe, "and repent all our sins, 'cause we're dirty, dirty people!"
"Can I help you people? I was just going to redeem Lily here. If you wait in our common area for a few minutes, I'll be right with you. Were you referred here by the blood bank on second avenue?" The man moved away from the entrance, allowing the crew to pass by. "I'm Ken, by the way." Everyone had walked in except for Spike, who lingered at the threshold.
"Uhm, 'xcuse me, mate, but is this a private residence, or a public building?"
"Public building. All who need help are welcome. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, mate. Jus' curious is all." Spike strolled over the threshold with a grin on his face, which puzzled Gunn. Once inside, they all introduced themselves, giving Ken falsified background information on themselves.
"Well, it's good to meet you all. You've all come to the right place. I'll see you soon." Ken escorted Lily towards a door in the back of the common area. He opened the door, but before she walked in, Lily turned back toward the crew. She looked at Spike and Buffy curiously.
"Do I know you two? You look really familiar."
"No, I don't think so", said Buffy, who was wondering the same, since Doyle said that he had seen Lily with Buffy in the past together in his vision.
"I think I've met a bint who looked a little like you, 'bout a year ago", said Spike, "your name's not th' same though. She called herself Chanterelle."
"Oh, that was me! I called myself Chanterelle back then. I was hanging with a vampire cult. We almost got killed by these really mean vampires, until this girl saved us."
"Well, I'm glad you met someone you might know, Lily, but we really need to get on with the redemption", Ken said as he began to pull Lily into the small room.
"What's the rush?" asked Buffy, "can't she catch up with old friends?"
"We have a really tight schedule", explained Ken, who was looking really frustrated.
"Tight schedule? In a homeless shelter? C'mon, man, you don't expect us to buy that line of crap do you?" said Gunn, "I mean, dude, it's a homeless shelter. These peep's ain't got nothin' but time."
"Look, I don't have time to argue with you people! Just stay here! Some help please!" At Ken's request, two very large men came into the room. "Keep these people here until I get back. Lily, let's go!" He pulled Lily into the room and slammed the door.
Doyle ran up to the closed door. He tried to open it, but it was locked. "We need to get in here now! The portal's here, I can feel it!" He began to ram into the door, but it wouldn't budge. "A little help here!" Doyle yelled, as the men grabbed at him.
Buffy and Gunn sprang into action, taking hold of the two men and throwing them off of Doyle. They regrouped quickly and rushed the two. The larger of the two came at Gunn with a right cross, which Gunn easily ducked as he got in a couple good body shots. Buffy leapt right into the other man, a flurry of punched and kicks. He was down and out quickly. Spike made his way over to the door, kicking it down in one shot. Gunn decked the larger man, then joined Buffy as she ran to the now open door. Too late, as both Ken and Lily were gone.
"Where did they go?" asked Gunn.
"There! Into that pool!" exclaimed Doyle as three more goons entered the room, jumping on him, Spike and Gunn.
"Slayer! We'll hold off the goons, go get that girl!" yelled Spike, as he ducked a fierce roundhouse kick.
"On it!" Buffy jumped into the pool, passing through the dimensional barrier.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A seeming eternity later, Buffy landed hard on her ass. As her eyes adjusted to the lessened lighting, she began to look around. All around her, she saw mineshafts, with people of varying ages working in them. It was incredibly hot, and there were demons everywhere, forcing the humans to labor for them. It was like they were in Hell. Hell. Just like where she sent Angel. Her mind began to swim around that concept. Could Angel be here? Could there be a chance? She pushed the thought from her mind, concentrating on the task at hand. She had to rescue these people. She picked herself up off the ground, dusted herself off, and began to look around. She barely made it past the first mineshaft when she ran into Ken. He struck her in the face, causing her to stumble.
"Well, I see you stumbled on our little secret, haven't you Anne?" he said as he kicked at her, knocking her to the ground. "I don't see a reason to keep up my charade, do you?" He reached up to his face, peeling it back to reveal his demonic visage.
"You bring kids in, kids that have nowhere else to turn, then you bring them here to work your mines. You're sick!" Buffy spat as she picked her self back up.
"Oh, it gets better. Time passes here faster than in the Earth dimension. You work here a lifetime, then we throw you back, and only a few weeks have passed. It's a good deal. For us." Ken kicked Buffy in the gut, doubling her over. He followed up with a double axe handle strike to her neck, knocking her down and disorienting her. He picked her up and carried her bodily to the 'orientation' area, where a particularly ugly demon was lecturing the new workers, Lily included. Ken dropped Buffy to the ground, where two demons picked her up and made her stand in the group. The demon lecturing the group summed up his lecture.
"Get this through your heads right now! You are vermin! No, less than vermin! You're nothing! Nothing at all! You work hard, you live. Anything else, you die! Understand?" There was utter silence in the group. He walked up to the first person in the group, a boy about seventeen. He stood in front of him, an axe in his hand. "You! Who are you?"
"My name's-", was all the boy got out before the demon brought his axe crashing down the boy's head, splitting his skull. There were screams of alarm and horror echoing through the group. Buffy turned her head, biting back the bile rising in her throat. The demon walked down the line, asking the others the same question. They caught on quick, responding, "I'm no one.", and never looking up. The demon, very pleased with himself, sauntered over to Buffy, who kept her eyes cast down as well.
"Well, now. A new arrival. Do you understand, vermin? Who are you?" Buffy slowly looked up at the demon, who was grinning maliciously. She thought about her answer for a brief second, remembering all the pain and misery that had lead her up to this point. All the pain, all the misery, but also all the joy and happiness of her life. Her friends, who had always been there for her. Giles, who was more than a Watcher, but a father who understood her completely, even when he professed never to understand her American teenaged mind. Her mother, who only told her not to come back because she had too much to deal with in way too short a time period. And all the people she saved, who got to live their lives one more day because of her, even if they never acknowledged it. All her pain was worth it, because she was worth it. At that moment, 'Anne' faded away. She died so that 'Buffy' could live again.
"Hi! I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer?" The demon roared and brought his axe down. Into Buffy's waiting hands. In two swift movements, she stripped the axe away from the demon and gutted it from crotch to sternum. She grabbed Lily by the hand and guided her back toward the portal, screaming to the other workers, "C'mon! I'm getting you out of here!" A sizeable portion of them, the ones who hadn't been here so long that their wills had been completely broken, followed. As they neared the portal, they ran into a group of demon guards, led by Ken.
"Well, isn't this a surprise! You actually think that I'm going to let you just waltz out of here with my workers?" Ken took a menacing step forward, grinning as most of the escapees started shuffling back.
"No, Ken. I expect you to die a really nasty death, and I expect to use your head for a bowling ball 'cause, well, it's got that perfect shape."
"Oh, that's real cute, Anne. You don't think I've figured you out. All alone, even with that group of outcasts you showed up with. No hope, no joy. Lashing out, foolishly believing that if you save these people, you can save yourself. You're pathetic. You deserve to be here, suffering for the great god. You came to save them? You're all alone. Who's coming to save you?"
"First, it's Buffy. Try to remember that for all thirty seconds you have left to live, okay? Second, not that I need saving anymore, but I'm pretty sure that's why he's here." She motioned over Ken's shoulder.
"Right, I'm so naïve that I'll look over my shoulder and let you blindside me. Even if that happened, you'd never get past my guards." Without looking back, he gestured out to his sides, motioning for his guards to move forward. The only sound he heard was not the expected rushing forward of armed demons, but shuffling sounds, accompanied by the sound of flesh impacting on flesh. People were fighting right behind him and he hadn't noticed, so caught up with this girl in front of him. Slowly, he turned to discover his guards all dead, their bodies surrounding the blonde haired man that had asked about the center being a public building. He grinned at Ken, stepping into the light to reveal his demonic appearance.
"You're a vampire", said Ken, disbelieving. "How can you be helping her?"
"Made a promise to the lady", was all Spike said before rushing forward, slamming into Ken, and knocking him to the ground in a daze. He kicked Ken several times in the head and ribs, then turned to Buffy. "Slayer! Get those blokes an' bints out o' here! I'll hold off Jim Jones, Jr. here!"
"No, Spike. I'll take care of pus face. You go."
"You sure?"
"Oh, yeah." She smiled. Spike noticed it right away. This wasn't a broken doll trying to be brave. This was the real Buffy, back at last. He suddenly felt a pang of sorrow, realizing that soon, she would leave him behind. She didn't need him anymore. He almost began to dwell on that thought, but snapped himself out of it. He had a job to do for the Slayer, and a promise to keep.
"Alright, kiddies. Out we go!" Spike sang out as he grabbed the nearest escapee, leading them to the portal.
"Hey, Ken?" Buffy said as she stalked over to his downed form. "Remember when I said you only had thirty seconds to live? I lied. I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm."
"It doesn't matter what happens to me. I'm just a servant of the great god Acathla. When he rises, all of you will pay for this." Buffy stared at Ken with shock. Acathla. This was the Hell that Acathla opened to. Here. Of all the dimensions to come to, she came here. She grabbed Ken by his shirt, dragging him to his feet.
"Where is he!" she screamed, shaking him.
"Who? Acathla? He's in your dimension, frozen in stone. But that will soon change, for our great champion has returned to your dimension to once again awaken him."
"Champion? I don't care about your loser champion! Where's Angel! Is he here? Answer me!"
"Will it cause you pain if I don't answer?"
"Yes."
"Then let your ears burn with silence." Ken let his head drop back as Buffy dropped him back to the ground.
"Hey Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?" Buffy lifted the axe she still had in her possession and brought it down on his skull, splitting it. "Well, if Gandhi got really pissed off." She ran back into the pits, searching through the throngs of workers far too gone to escape when given the chance. "Angel!" she screamed, over and over as she ran through the masses, grabbing at anyone that bore the slightest resemblance. If he was here, he'd be with these people. No matter how strong he was, with the time dilation, he'd have been here for decades, if not at least a century. A hundred years of torment, never to end because of his immortality.
Buffy looked for what seemed an eternity. Angel was nowhere to be found.
She collapsed in a heap from the exhaustion. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She tried one last bellow, hoping to catch Angel's attention. It echoed throughout the pits. But the person who responded to it wasn't Angel, it was Spike.
"Got a little worried there, pet, when you didn't pop up right behind me. Why are you callin' for Angel?"
"Ken.he said, he said that this was Acathla's dimension. I thought that maybe, maybe Angel was here. That.maybe I could save him after all." She stared up at Spike, eyes screaming in pain.
"Slayer, knowin' the poof, he prob'ly tried t' do what we just did an' save everyone. They no doubt staked 'im long ago. There's nothin' you can do but come home. Now up we go!" He hauled her to her feet and half dragged, half carried her to the portal. "You did good, Slayer. Time t' celebrate an' all that rot." He pushed her up through the portal, then followed her through, neither noticing the figure in the shadows, curled up in a ball.
"I'm no one", he repeated over and over again, until he noticed the two blondes move past him. He looked hard at them, squinting as if he couldn't quite see them clearly. The dullness of his dark eyes faded as a light seemed to wash over them, clearing the haze of untold ages of misery. As the pair passed through the portal, he stood up. He stretched his large frame for the first time in what felt like ages. He ran a hand through his dark hair, tousling it as it spiked up at his touch, tufts pointing every which way. He walked forward slowly, unsure of his legs ability to support him. He reached the portal, looking through it. He could vaguely make out the figures through the inky blackness, but one figure shined through the murk. The hair, the figure, the face and the eyes of the girl burned through his mind as he passed through the portal, bringing a name to his lips that he hadn't said in a century.
"Buffy."
To Be Continued.