Chapter 6: The Place Of Judgement
After Xander and Anya had left, Dawn went to talk to Buffy privately. "Buffy?" she said. "Yeah, Dawn?" "I think it's great that you're defending Spike in front of Xander, and that you're trying to find his killer, but....Why did you have sex with him if he wasn't your boyfriend?" "Dawn, it's complicated....and private, which I already told you." "That's why he left isn't it? Because you used him?"
"Dawn I....did use him. But I also eventually told him that I was sorry for it and that it was wrong. But he wasn't completely innocent either. Spike, he...let's just say, he had a big mouth. He said some hurtful things to me. But I can't....you know, how you can't say a bad word about anyone after they're dead even though they were far from perfect?" "Yeah," Dawn nodded. "Well, it's like that now. I wanna defend myself and I should, but he's dust. And it just seems so wrong."
"You know you said that Spike didn't deserve the torture his killer put him through?" Dawn said. "Yeah." "But he's still being tortured. He's a vampire. He's in some hell dimension with eternal torture. He doesn't deserve that fate." "I know that Dawnie. And I'll admit now, that I do actually feel a little guilty about this. But the truth is, there's nothing I can I do about it. The only thing I can do, is find this evil lunatic and hope that his hell is dimension ten times worse than Spike's."
"Do you think Drusilla could have done it?" Dawn asked. "Why do you think she did it?" "You did say 'evil lunatic' and well, she is evil and she's looney." "True, but I dunno." "And it makes perfect sense," Dawn continued. If she was the attacker, he wouldn't have fought back too hard, because he used to love her." "Well, we'll definitely put her on the list of suspects."
Dawn went to bed that night thinking of poor Spike being tortured in hell. But when Spike woke up, he was surprised to find that he wasn't in Hell, but it didn't look like he was in Heaven either. "He was laid on a real nice comfy bed, but it didn't look like he was in heaven either. He saw two people, a man and a woman, in robes. "Why aren't I in hell?" he asked them confused. "Would you like to be in Hell?" the man asked him not very nicely. "Because that can be arranged right now." "No, no, that's OK. It's kinda nice here. I like the bed."
"Well, you can't stay here on this bed forever," the man told him. "OK, so this must be like, a place of judgement and you two must be the Oracles." "You are correct, vampire," the woman told him. "Alright then, so judge me," he said as he laid back down on the bed, assuming it would be his last time to be comfortable. "We are not the ones who can do that," the woman told Spike. "But if I was," the man started. "I would send your scrawny, little, pale, no-good evil ass to hell right now."
Spike decided to ignore the man's insults and asked the woman, "So who is going to judge me then?" "The Powers That Be," she answered. "Right. I knew that. Have they made their decision yet?" "Yes, they have. And now it's time for you to make yours?" "Huh?" Spike was confused. "Yours is a special case, vampire." "But it shouldn't be. He should just go straight down to Hell." "I wouldn't talk against the Powers' decision if I were you," the woman said and that shut him up.
The woman continued. "You are special because you are the only vampire to ever exist who cared for and loved human beings without a soul. Your ultimate death was caused by your love for one of those humans." "Are you saying I might get to go to heaven?" "No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that you have been given two choices. The first is to go to Hell." "I don't think I like that choice. Give me the second." But before the woman could continue, Spike said, "Aren't Heaven and Hell the only choices? You're gonna send me back aren't you?"
"Yes. Going back to Earth is the second choice." "Alright then, back I go," he said getting out of the bed. "But there is a catch to it," the man informed him. "If you are sent back to Earth you will be a human, not a vampire." "Bugger. I just spent some time on earth with just human strength. I didn't fancy it much." "Then you're saying you'll go to Hell then?" the man asked hopefully. "I didn't say that!" "There is more Spike," the woman told him. "Not only would you be a human, but you will have no memories of your time spent on Earth as Spike or William."
"Bloody hell!" Spike said. "A human with amnesia." "Would you like to go to that bloody hell? Now's your chance." "Hey! I am getting sick and tired of you and your..." "Silence, vampire!" the woman ordered him. "Sit down." Spike did as he was told. Then the woman turned to speak to the man. "One more nasty comment from you, and I'll report your behavior to the powers." The man was quiet. "Men," the woman muttered and shook her head at the males' immature behavior.
She turned to face Spike again. "Now as I was saying. You will be human and you will not have any memories of being Spike or William, but you will not have amnesia. You will be given a new life, a new name, and a new family complete with all the false memories. And you will never, I repeat, never, remember your former existence." "So it's kinda like Dawn then, huh?" Spike said finally understanding. "In a way, yes I suppose it is. Spike, if you take this choice, you will be given a chance to live out a nice life as a good person. Then when you die, your final placement will be based on your new life alone. Nothing you did as Spike or William will matter. Also think about this. You will be getting a soul, but unlike Angelus you will not have to tortured by the all the bad memories. Which means no brooding for you."
"I like that last part but, will I get to know my new life now? How will I know that The Powers aren't gonna send me back as a criminal just for the fun of it. How do I know that The Powers aren't laughing somewhere saying 'Spike was an evil vampire who killed all the time, let's tell him he'll get sent back to Earth as a human with a chance of being good, but we're really gonna send him back as a serial killer. Won't that be funny?' Or what if they make me a homeless bum with no job or family?" "You will not know. That's a risk that you will have to take. It's a gamble Spike."
Spike thought about it for a second. He figured that he probably had a very good chance at getting a life that was better than Hell. And he might even get a chance to go to Heaven. "Alright then. I'm a gambler." The woman handed him a scroll and a pen. "Sign this," she told him. Spike scanned the scroll. It said the exact same things that the woman had told him. He picked up the pen. "Good-bye, Buffy," he said as he signed his contract. Then he fell into a deep sleep. When he wakes up, he will not be Spike anymore.
Author's Note: I'd like to point out that these are not the same Oracles that appeared on 'Angel' Season 1, because they were killed. They're new Oracles that I made. I kinda like that woman Oracle bossing the guys around. And I know some people may not like the idea of 'Spike not being Spike anymore', but keep in mind that just because the Oracles claim that he will never get his old memories back, that doesn't mean that they are right. Maybe eventually he'll find out who he is/was or maybe not. Heck, I don't even know. But I do know I'm not gonna do the old 'he hits his head on a pole and all the memories come flooding back'. If I can't come up with something I like then he won't, but if can then most likely yes. And after how horribly mean I was to Spike in Chapter 4, I think I was extremely nice to him in this chapter. He's getting a pretty darn good deal, doncha think? And admit it, you want to know what his new family will be like and what his new job will be. But I probably won't get into that in the next chapter. It will be focusing mostly on Buffy trying to find the Spike killer. See what happens when she wrongfully accused Drusilla of the crime.
After Xander and Anya had left, Dawn went to talk to Buffy privately. "Buffy?" she said. "Yeah, Dawn?" "I think it's great that you're defending Spike in front of Xander, and that you're trying to find his killer, but....Why did you have sex with him if he wasn't your boyfriend?" "Dawn, it's complicated....and private, which I already told you." "That's why he left isn't it? Because you used him?"
"Dawn I....did use him. But I also eventually told him that I was sorry for it and that it was wrong. But he wasn't completely innocent either. Spike, he...let's just say, he had a big mouth. He said some hurtful things to me. But I can't....you know, how you can't say a bad word about anyone after they're dead even though they were far from perfect?" "Yeah," Dawn nodded. "Well, it's like that now. I wanna defend myself and I should, but he's dust. And it just seems so wrong."
"You know you said that Spike didn't deserve the torture his killer put him through?" Dawn said. "Yeah." "But he's still being tortured. He's a vampire. He's in some hell dimension with eternal torture. He doesn't deserve that fate." "I know that Dawnie. And I'll admit now, that I do actually feel a little guilty about this. But the truth is, there's nothing I can I do about it. The only thing I can do, is find this evil lunatic and hope that his hell is dimension ten times worse than Spike's."
"Do you think Drusilla could have done it?" Dawn asked. "Why do you think she did it?" "You did say 'evil lunatic' and well, she is evil and she's looney." "True, but I dunno." "And it makes perfect sense," Dawn continued. If she was the attacker, he wouldn't have fought back too hard, because he used to love her." "Well, we'll definitely put her on the list of suspects."
Dawn went to bed that night thinking of poor Spike being tortured in hell. But when Spike woke up, he was surprised to find that he wasn't in Hell, but it didn't look like he was in Heaven either. "He was laid on a real nice comfy bed, but it didn't look like he was in heaven either. He saw two people, a man and a woman, in robes. "Why aren't I in hell?" he asked them confused. "Would you like to be in Hell?" the man asked him not very nicely. "Because that can be arranged right now." "No, no, that's OK. It's kinda nice here. I like the bed."
"Well, you can't stay here on this bed forever," the man told him. "OK, so this must be like, a place of judgement and you two must be the Oracles." "You are correct, vampire," the woman told him. "Alright then, so judge me," he said as he laid back down on the bed, assuming it would be his last time to be comfortable. "We are not the ones who can do that," the woman told Spike. "But if I was," the man started. "I would send your scrawny, little, pale, no-good evil ass to hell right now."
Spike decided to ignore the man's insults and asked the woman, "So who is going to judge me then?" "The Powers That Be," she answered. "Right. I knew that. Have they made their decision yet?" "Yes, they have. And now it's time for you to make yours?" "Huh?" Spike was confused. "Yours is a special case, vampire." "But it shouldn't be. He should just go straight down to Hell." "I wouldn't talk against the Powers' decision if I were you," the woman said and that shut him up.
The woman continued. "You are special because you are the only vampire to ever exist who cared for and loved human beings without a soul. Your ultimate death was caused by your love for one of those humans." "Are you saying I might get to go to heaven?" "No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that you have been given two choices. The first is to go to Hell." "I don't think I like that choice. Give me the second." But before the woman could continue, Spike said, "Aren't Heaven and Hell the only choices? You're gonna send me back aren't you?"
"Yes. Going back to Earth is the second choice." "Alright then, back I go," he said getting out of the bed. "But there is a catch to it," the man informed him. "If you are sent back to Earth you will be a human, not a vampire." "Bugger. I just spent some time on earth with just human strength. I didn't fancy it much." "Then you're saying you'll go to Hell then?" the man asked hopefully. "I didn't say that!" "There is more Spike," the woman told him. "Not only would you be a human, but you will have no memories of your time spent on Earth as Spike or William."
"Bloody hell!" Spike said. "A human with amnesia." "Would you like to go to that bloody hell? Now's your chance." "Hey! I am getting sick and tired of you and your..." "Silence, vampire!" the woman ordered him. "Sit down." Spike did as he was told. Then the woman turned to speak to the man. "One more nasty comment from you, and I'll report your behavior to the powers." The man was quiet. "Men," the woman muttered and shook her head at the males' immature behavior.
She turned to face Spike again. "Now as I was saying. You will be human and you will not have any memories of being Spike or William, but you will not have amnesia. You will be given a new life, a new name, and a new family complete with all the false memories. And you will never, I repeat, never, remember your former existence." "So it's kinda like Dawn then, huh?" Spike said finally understanding. "In a way, yes I suppose it is. Spike, if you take this choice, you will be given a chance to live out a nice life as a good person. Then when you die, your final placement will be based on your new life alone. Nothing you did as Spike or William will matter. Also think about this. You will be getting a soul, but unlike Angelus you will not have to tortured by the all the bad memories. Which means no brooding for you."
"I like that last part but, will I get to know my new life now? How will I know that The Powers aren't gonna send me back as a criminal just for the fun of it. How do I know that The Powers aren't laughing somewhere saying 'Spike was an evil vampire who killed all the time, let's tell him he'll get sent back to Earth as a human with a chance of being good, but we're really gonna send him back as a serial killer. Won't that be funny?' Or what if they make me a homeless bum with no job or family?" "You will not know. That's a risk that you will have to take. It's a gamble Spike."
Spike thought about it for a second. He figured that he probably had a very good chance at getting a life that was better than Hell. And he might even get a chance to go to Heaven. "Alright then. I'm a gambler." The woman handed him a scroll and a pen. "Sign this," she told him. Spike scanned the scroll. It said the exact same things that the woman had told him. He picked up the pen. "Good-bye, Buffy," he said as he signed his contract. Then he fell into a deep sleep. When he wakes up, he will not be Spike anymore.
Author's Note: I'd like to point out that these are not the same Oracles that appeared on 'Angel' Season 1, because they were killed. They're new Oracles that I made. I kinda like that woman Oracle bossing the guys around. And I know some people may not like the idea of 'Spike not being Spike anymore', but keep in mind that just because the Oracles claim that he will never get his old memories back, that doesn't mean that they are right. Maybe eventually he'll find out who he is/was or maybe not. Heck, I don't even know. But I do know I'm not gonna do the old 'he hits his head on a pole and all the memories come flooding back'. If I can't come up with something I like then he won't, but if can then most likely yes. And after how horribly mean I was to Spike in Chapter 4, I think I was extremely nice to him in this chapter. He's getting a pretty darn good deal, doncha think? And admit it, you want to know what his new family will be like and what his new job will be. But I probably won't get into that in the next chapter. It will be focusing mostly on Buffy trying to find the Spike killer. See what happens when she wrongfully accused Drusilla of the crime.