:. Chapter Six
AN: Gah. I had to cut this up. So I would have a little more time to get everything in. So Angel VS Spike is NEXT chapter. Sorry. I lied. I'm a baaaad person. I guess this means I won't be getting rights to AtS 'n BtVS for Christmas, huh? Okay, at least a car then? Or a laptop? A guitar? A life?!
:. Buffy
I watched as images of my friends flew through. Shots of Xander, Willow, Giles. Most of them having fun, like Willow and Xander decorating for Christmas, and Giles training some of the girls, and talking to me over a cup of tea (him) and a french vanilla cappuccino (me). I looked up at the lady after the images stopped.
"You see, Buffy? Those images would be much less happy if you had died with him." She explained.
"But there aren't any images of Spike. That's my problem. We're all happy, but it's like when I killed Angel to destroy the world. What if Spike's in some hell-dimension? What if I left him to crumble into the Hellmouth, with all those Turok-hans, and now he's being eternally punished?" I asked, letting all my worries spill out. The woman smiled.
"You don't understand. It was what he was meant to do. There is no way he could have a bad ending after saving the world like he did." She said comfortingly. But she was the one who didn't understand.
"No, he died in a Hellmouth. Hell-mouth. Mouth of Hell. As in the fiery world of all evil and torment." I said pointedly. "How could it be happy? There's no room for happy in hell. When Angel came back, He didn't talk for days, and when he did, it was jumbled and insane for a long time. And he was down there for a much shorter time than Spike has been already." The woman sighed.
"Look, darling, you yourself jumped into a portal to a hell dimension. How did you turn out?" she asked. I thought a moment. Oh.
"I. . .I ended up in Heaven." I replied quietly.
"You see? How do you know Spike has such a different fate for doing the exact same thing?" She pointed out.
"I died. I don't know if he fell in. . .or if . . ." I trailed off as an image appeared in the iced pond.
I saw myself run up the stairs to the exit. Spike was still standing in the sunlight, looking determined and somewhat excited. He let out a laugh as his skin began to burn. His eyes sparkled, and he looked pleased and ready as he began to turn to dust. There was a flash of golden light, and one last smirk before he dusted completely. The image faded. I turned to the woman, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"He died, just like you, Buffy." She said gently. "Do you feel better?"
"Well, a little. I mean, he did do a lot, and he had a soul. A soul that at least gets a chance to be judged. And saving the world does count as a pass into heaven, right?" I asked hopefully. The woman laughed.
"Of course it does, honey." She assured me. I wiped off my tears and smiled, feeling much lighter than I had in a long time. Spike was in a better place. He wasn't in hell. I felt a lot better about not dying with him if he got a happy ending.
"So he's probably being praised and stuff and he knows I'm here and I love him." I told myself aloud.
"Now have you come to terms with his death?" The woman asked. I nodded.
"Yeah. Definitely. Thank you." I said, smiling at her. She returned the smile.
"Good. Now that you've accepted his death, we'll find out what happened after!" She said, clapping her hands together, as if this had been the part she had been waiting for. I stared at her in confusion and surprise. After. . .? There was more? What more could there be?
"What?" I inquired weakly, unable to voice the rest of my wonders. "After?"
"Yes, of course. There is more to this tale you know." The woman replied. The closed her eyes a moment, then opened them. "Right."
"Watch." She said, indicating the icy pond. I looked again, wondering what I would see.
Angel was sitting on his desk, talking to his friends, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and the green demon. I think his name is Larry or Loren. Oh, I remembered. His name was Lorne. They were all talking happily, looking like they had just had success in a fight or something. Angel picked up a yellow envelope. The one I had sent him with the amulet he had given me and I had given Spike. He was laughing as he tore into it. The amulet fell out and hit the floor. I caught a glimpse of a tiny crack.
My eyes widened. Dust and small flames poured from the amulet, swirling around until the crack lit green, then closed. The swirls built up into a skeleton, which filled in to reveal a screaming Spike. He stopped screaming and looked around at the surprised group, eyes full of fear and confusion. Angel and Wesley stepped forward, looking suspicious and none too pleased. Spike looked at each person in turn, then his blue eyes settled on Angel and widened slightly. He said something, then changed into vampy-face. He dove for Angel.
I gasped. Spike had gone straight through the other vampire and was now standing in, yes, *in* the desk behind him. His anger visibly faded with the vampy-face and was replaced with confusion as he looked down at the half of him sticking up from the solid wood.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked.
"Spike's essence had been trapped in the amulet. He was trapped inside until Angel dropped it. Part of his essence was able to escape through the crack before the enchantment on the amulet fixed itself. Unfortunately, not enough essence was released to allow Spike to become corporeal." The old woman explained. "He was also trapped within the city limits of Los Angeles, unless the amulet would come with him." I frowned.
"Why didn't Angel tell me?" I asked. "I've called since sending him the amulet. . .why wouldn't he tell me about something like this?" The old woman gave me a look.
"Don't you remember when Angel figured out about you and Spike?" she asked. I remembered. He wasn't happy. He didn't think it was right, and what's more, he was completely jealous.
"I cannot believe him. Something this important happens and he gets jealous." I stormed. "I don't understand why he wouldn't say something! That must be why he kept cutting our talks shorter and shorter." The woman nodded.
"Yes, he didn't like Spike coming back. The first thing Spike asked about when he came back was you." I smiled as she told me this. "Angel did not want him going back to you. He has a hard time understanding why you would choose Spike over him."
"I know." I replied. "He thinks I should be sitting around pouting because we can never be together, like he does. He doesn't know how to move on."
"Yes, you're right." The woman agreed. "He had the amulet locked away, keeping it out of harm's way, and away from Spike." I stared. Angel locked it away for a reason.
"Then Spike couldn't come back if he tried. It's Angel's fault Spike hasn't come back!" I cried. I turned. "I have to get to Los Angeles!" the woman grabbed my arm and I was amazed at her grip.
"wait. There is more." She said, directing me back to the pond. I sighed, looking back down. The quicker I was done with this, the quicker I could get to LA and to Spike. I needed to see him, to talk to him, to make sure he knew I really loved him. I didn't know why the woman didn't understand that, but I knew she wouldn't let me go until she had told me all she had to tell. Besides, it would be best to know as much as I could about what had happened to him.
I concentrated on what was happening. Spike was following Angel around. I smiled. Spike had his smirk in place, and his eyes were sparkling with mischief. Angel looked annoyed, and I could tell Spike was having fun being a ghost. Suddenly, Spike's face changed to a look of horror, and he disappeared.
"What?! Where did he go?" I asked, searching the picture. He was gone.
"Listen." The woman replied. Suddenly, I could hear things happening in the picture. The image changed to one of the girl, Fred. She had a look of pity on her face.
"It's no place for heroes. It's the one with the pain. And the torment." Spike was saying. "It's like the world is falling apart and I've got a foot on either side. And every time I go back, the crack opens a little more."
He turned around, looking out the window.
"I'm scared." He admitted quietly. He turned back, looking at Fred with pleading eyes. "Help me?"
"He's being sucked into hell?" I cried in distress. "I have to-I have to go help him!" The woman shook her head.
"No, I'm not done, girl. This all happened a while back." She said. I looked at the picture again. Spike was standing in the middle of Angel's office, trying to get everyone's attention as they all tried to figure out where he was.
"Spike was being controlled by a ghost named Pavayne." The woman explained. "Spike defeated the ghost, learning then how to touch things, to be corporeal for a while." The image showed Spike writing the word REAPER in Fred's shower wall. I felt a twinge of jealousy, him being there while she was in the shower. But I could see all he wanted was help.
The image changed again to show Spike putting his hand through a glass beaker. Suddenly he touched it and it fell off the shelf. His eyes lit up, and he looked around to see if anyone was watching.
"His skill improved. He could pick up a few things. And. . ." she indicated the image, smiling. Spike closed his eyes a moment, drawing back one hand and holding the other up in a "stop" position. He opened his eyes and slammed his fist into the face of. . .a ninja? A ninja which had Gunn in a death-grip. I smiled. He was able to hit things. He probably was happy.
"What about the sucked-into-hell thing?" I asked. "Is that still happening?"
"No." the old woman replied. "That was Pavayne trying to pull him in." I sighed in relief. I had been very worried. I didn't want Spike to go to hell. That had been one of my worst fears about him.
"One day, Spike got a box in the mail."
I watched Spike and Harmony arguing about who should open the box. At least it looked like that. Finally, Harmony cut it open and a big blue light flashed, blinding Harmony, Spike, and me.
"Ow. What was that?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the dots flying around before them.
"A gift from above." The woman replied, as Spike walked straight into the door, and bouncing back onto the ground. I giggled.
"Idiot. Didn't he see the door was-" then it hit me. "Why didn't he go through? He's a ghost right?"
"Thanks to a friend, the Powers found a way to restore the rest of his essence, making him corporeal." The old woman explained. "He was freed from the amulet."
:. End Chapter Six
Okay. Two more. I swear. Then Spuffiness abounds. I promise.
Reviews welcome. I'm having a White Rabbit here!
AN: Gah. I had to cut this up. So I would have a little more time to get everything in. So Angel VS Spike is NEXT chapter. Sorry. I lied. I'm a baaaad person. I guess this means I won't be getting rights to AtS 'n BtVS for Christmas, huh? Okay, at least a car then? Or a laptop? A guitar? A life?!
:. Buffy
I watched as images of my friends flew through. Shots of Xander, Willow, Giles. Most of them having fun, like Willow and Xander decorating for Christmas, and Giles training some of the girls, and talking to me over a cup of tea (him) and a french vanilla cappuccino (me). I looked up at the lady after the images stopped.
"You see, Buffy? Those images would be much less happy if you had died with him." She explained.
"But there aren't any images of Spike. That's my problem. We're all happy, but it's like when I killed Angel to destroy the world. What if Spike's in some hell-dimension? What if I left him to crumble into the Hellmouth, with all those Turok-hans, and now he's being eternally punished?" I asked, letting all my worries spill out. The woman smiled.
"You don't understand. It was what he was meant to do. There is no way he could have a bad ending after saving the world like he did." She said comfortingly. But she was the one who didn't understand.
"No, he died in a Hellmouth. Hell-mouth. Mouth of Hell. As in the fiery world of all evil and torment." I said pointedly. "How could it be happy? There's no room for happy in hell. When Angel came back, He didn't talk for days, and when he did, it was jumbled and insane for a long time. And he was down there for a much shorter time than Spike has been already." The woman sighed.
"Look, darling, you yourself jumped into a portal to a hell dimension. How did you turn out?" she asked. I thought a moment. Oh.
"I. . .I ended up in Heaven." I replied quietly.
"You see? How do you know Spike has such a different fate for doing the exact same thing?" She pointed out.
"I died. I don't know if he fell in. . .or if . . ." I trailed off as an image appeared in the iced pond.
I saw myself run up the stairs to the exit. Spike was still standing in the sunlight, looking determined and somewhat excited. He let out a laugh as his skin began to burn. His eyes sparkled, and he looked pleased and ready as he began to turn to dust. There was a flash of golden light, and one last smirk before he dusted completely. The image faded. I turned to the woman, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"He died, just like you, Buffy." She said gently. "Do you feel better?"
"Well, a little. I mean, he did do a lot, and he had a soul. A soul that at least gets a chance to be judged. And saving the world does count as a pass into heaven, right?" I asked hopefully. The woman laughed.
"Of course it does, honey." She assured me. I wiped off my tears and smiled, feeling much lighter than I had in a long time. Spike was in a better place. He wasn't in hell. I felt a lot better about not dying with him if he got a happy ending.
"So he's probably being praised and stuff and he knows I'm here and I love him." I told myself aloud.
"Now have you come to terms with his death?" The woman asked. I nodded.
"Yeah. Definitely. Thank you." I said, smiling at her. She returned the smile.
"Good. Now that you've accepted his death, we'll find out what happened after!" She said, clapping her hands together, as if this had been the part she had been waiting for. I stared at her in confusion and surprise. After. . .? There was more? What more could there be?
"What?" I inquired weakly, unable to voice the rest of my wonders. "After?"
"Yes, of course. There is more to this tale you know." The woman replied. The closed her eyes a moment, then opened them. "Right."
"Watch." She said, indicating the icy pond. I looked again, wondering what I would see.
Angel was sitting on his desk, talking to his friends, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and the green demon. I think his name is Larry or Loren. Oh, I remembered. His name was Lorne. They were all talking happily, looking like they had just had success in a fight or something. Angel picked up a yellow envelope. The one I had sent him with the amulet he had given me and I had given Spike. He was laughing as he tore into it. The amulet fell out and hit the floor. I caught a glimpse of a tiny crack.
My eyes widened. Dust and small flames poured from the amulet, swirling around until the crack lit green, then closed. The swirls built up into a skeleton, which filled in to reveal a screaming Spike. He stopped screaming and looked around at the surprised group, eyes full of fear and confusion. Angel and Wesley stepped forward, looking suspicious and none too pleased. Spike looked at each person in turn, then his blue eyes settled on Angel and widened slightly. He said something, then changed into vampy-face. He dove for Angel.
I gasped. Spike had gone straight through the other vampire and was now standing in, yes, *in* the desk behind him. His anger visibly faded with the vampy-face and was replaced with confusion as he looked down at the half of him sticking up from the solid wood.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked.
"Spike's essence had been trapped in the amulet. He was trapped inside until Angel dropped it. Part of his essence was able to escape through the crack before the enchantment on the amulet fixed itself. Unfortunately, not enough essence was released to allow Spike to become corporeal." The old woman explained. "He was also trapped within the city limits of Los Angeles, unless the amulet would come with him." I frowned.
"Why didn't Angel tell me?" I asked. "I've called since sending him the amulet. . .why wouldn't he tell me about something like this?" The old woman gave me a look.
"Don't you remember when Angel figured out about you and Spike?" she asked. I remembered. He wasn't happy. He didn't think it was right, and what's more, he was completely jealous.
"I cannot believe him. Something this important happens and he gets jealous." I stormed. "I don't understand why he wouldn't say something! That must be why he kept cutting our talks shorter and shorter." The woman nodded.
"Yes, he didn't like Spike coming back. The first thing Spike asked about when he came back was you." I smiled as she told me this. "Angel did not want him going back to you. He has a hard time understanding why you would choose Spike over him."
"I know." I replied. "He thinks I should be sitting around pouting because we can never be together, like he does. He doesn't know how to move on."
"Yes, you're right." The woman agreed. "He had the amulet locked away, keeping it out of harm's way, and away from Spike." I stared. Angel locked it away for a reason.
"Then Spike couldn't come back if he tried. It's Angel's fault Spike hasn't come back!" I cried. I turned. "I have to get to Los Angeles!" the woman grabbed my arm and I was amazed at her grip.
"wait. There is more." She said, directing me back to the pond. I sighed, looking back down. The quicker I was done with this, the quicker I could get to LA and to Spike. I needed to see him, to talk to him, to make sure he knew I really loved him. I didn't know why the woman didn't understand that, but I knew she wouldn't let me go until she had told me all she had to tell. Besides, it would be best to know as much as I could about what had happened to him.
I concentrated on what was happening. Spike was following Angel around. I smiled. Spike had his smirk in place, and his eyes were sparkling with mischief. Angel looked annoyed, and I could tell Spike was having fun being a ghost. Suddenly, Spike's face changed to a look of horror, and he disappeared.
"What?! Where did he go?" I asked, searching the picture. He was gone.
"Listen." The woman replied. Suddenly, I could hear things happening in the picture. The image changed to one of the girl, Fred. She had a look of pity on her face.
"It's no place for heroes. It's the one with the pain. And the torment." Spike was saying. "It's like the world is falling apart and I've got a foot on either side. And every time I go back, the crack opens a little more."
He turned around, looking out the window.
"I'm scared." He admitted quietly. He turned back, looking at Fred with pleading eyes. "Help me?"
"He's being sucked into hell?" I cried in distress. "I have to-I have to go help him!" The woman shook her head.
"No, I'm not done, girl. This all happened a while back." She said. I looked at the picture again. Spike was standing in the middle of Angel's office, trying to get everyone's attention as they all tried to figure out where he was.
"Spike was being controlled by a ghost named Pavayne." The woman explained. "Spike defeated the ghost, learning then how to touch things, to be corporeal for a while." The image showed Spike writing the word REAPER in Fred's shower wall. I felt a twinge of jealousy, him being there while she was in the shower. But I could see all he wanted was help.
The image changed again to show Spike putting his hand through a glass beaker. Suddenly he touched it and it fell off the shelf. His eyes lit up, and he looked around to see if anyone was watching.
"His skill improved. He could pick up a few things. And. . ." she indicated the image, smiling. Spike closed his eyes a moment, drawing back one hand and holding the other up in a "stop" position. He opened his eyes and slammed his fist into the face of. . .a ninja? A ninja which had Gunn in a death-grip. I smiled. He was able to hit things. He probably was happy.
"What about the sucked-into-hell thing?" I asked. "Is that still happening?"
"No." the old woman replied. "That was Pavayne trying to pull him in." I sighed in relief. I had been very worried. I didn't want Spike to go to hell. That had been one of my worst fears about him.
"One day, Spike got a box in the mail."
I watched Spike and Harmony arguing about who should open the box. At least it looked like that. Finally, Harmony cut it open and a big blue light flashed, blinding Harmony, Spike, and me.
"Ow. What was that?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the dots flying around before them.
"A gift from above." The woman replied, as Spike walked straight into the door, and bouncing back onto the ground. I giggled.
"Idiot. Didn't he see the door was-" then it hit me. "Why didn't he go through? He's a ghost right?"
"Thanks to a friend, the Powers found a way to restore the rest of his essence, making him corporeal." The old woman explained. "He was freed from the amulet."
:. End Chapter Six
Okay. Two more. I swear. Then Spuffiness abounds. I promise.
Reviews welcome. I'm having a White Rabbit here!