Of Fact and Fiction - Chapter Nine
by Angel Eternal aka Angeline
email: spikes_angel01@yahoo.com
Rating: R - I know I hate changing the rating, but I really had to.
Author's Notes: Thanks again to my beta reader Niriz!
Distribution: So far? Only at my site "In Dreams and Shadows", and at FF.net but it you want to
archive it go ahead, but just let me know first - I kinda like to know where it's going, and plus I find
out about more S/B shipper sites! g
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is owned by Joss Whedon, several
companies and God knows who else. One thing is certain - I don't own
any of it! Nothing - zip - nada!
Previously:
Buffy's body started to shake, her eyes wide and dilated. Her golden head dropped, as did
her shoulders. Spike's hand shook, as worry racked through him. "Buffy? Buffy-love?"
Her head suddenly snapped back, "Spike..."
Before his very eyes, her form was shimmering, and her body slowly becoming translucent.
"Spike?" her voice was a whisper in the air.
"I'm here Buffy - I'm here!" Futilely, he tried to grasp her shoulders harder, but he was left
with air.
"Buffy!"
* * *
Spike stared at the empty space before him, his mind unable to comprehend the events that had
so swiftly transpired.
One moment - he had her in his arms. She was his, and his alone. He saw love in her eyes - the
one perfect moment...and now she was gone. Vanished like a dream...
A howl of unspeakable pain clawed past his throat, and rent the morning air. A cry filled with
anguish and despair, as he realised that she was no longer his.
Spike stared bewildered. What had happened? He didn't understand - had Buffy gone back
to the real world? Was he now left behind?
A horrible thought crossed his mind - this was the solution for the Scoobies. He would be out
of their lives - permanently.
But Buffy - surely Buffy wouldn't...
But what if she didn't remember? What if she...the thought made him wince in pain....what if she
didn't want him in her life? Didn't want to face the inevitable problems that would come with him
and any relationship between them.
What if...
'Spike...'
He sat back up - hearing her voice.
'Spike...'
He strained his vampiric hearing, struggling to catch the whisper once more - but it was gone.
However those few moments made him realise. Bollocks the self-recrimnations crap.
Buffy needed him.
He didn't know how he knew it - but he did. With love came trust, and he had to trust what
he saw in her eyes. It was all he had.
* * *
"Buffy's gone!"
All of the Scoobies stopped instantly upon hearing Anya's frantic call.
Xander bolted to her side instantly, "What is honey? What did you say?"
Anya brushed away his hands, for once too worried to think about anything other then the
dilemma at hand. "Buffy - she's gone from that world!"
Willow took the book from her hands, "What? What do you mean?"
Without the book, Anya began to wring her hands, "Just that - Spike and Buffy were having
sex, then they were all mushy and then Buffy was gone!"
Xander took a step back, "Whoa! Spike and Buffy did what?!"
He had pretty much guessed that was the case with Anya's comments to Dawn, but hearing it
said...that was different.
Anya too distraught didn't see the shocked expression on her boyfriend's face. "Spike and
Buffy were having sex - but that's not the point Xander!"
Xander collapsed into a chair, looking dazed and confused.
Dawn was delighted, but in light of Buffy's disappearance, couldn't appreciate the developments
between her sister and her best friend.
Willow had been reading the last few passages, and now she looked up, a blush staining her
cheeks. "Umm - well - yes...Buffy is gone."
She had just skimmed over the parts about Spike and Buffy...well...doing stuff - it was too
much like voyeurism for her tastes.
Giles started to pace, he thought to just ignore the revelation. Anya was right, that was not the
most important aspect at the moment. "What do you mean 'gone' Willow?"
Willow took a deep breath in an attempt to steady her self. "From what I could see - something
came over Buffy - it was almost as if she was taken against her will. She's no longer in the same
dimension as Spike. Which means we have no idea what's happening to her."
Anya nodded, frantically, "We have to reach Spike - that's the only way we can help right now."
The others stared at her.
"Reach Spike? What do you mean? How can that possibly help?" Willow asked tentatively.
Anya started to pace, "Spike is the only one left in that dimension. We need to be able to contact
him - he has the best chance of reaching Buffy - we have none." her head snapped up and she
stood still. "You've got to put aside your personal differences with the vampire, and do what has
to be done." She stared right at Xander, who was still sitting half-slumped in the seat.
Xander didn't even raise his head in acknowledgement.
Anya turned to Willow. "Look, you can reach Spike in that other dimension, we just have to focus
on his energy, keeping in mind the inter-dimensional aspect. Can you do that?"
Willow's brow creased as she thought, "It'll be difficult - in fact I think it might be impossible."
Anya waved aside that comment; "Nothing is impossible Willow - if there's even a slight chance
you should do it."
Tara saw Willow's eyes light up, and she didn't like where this was going, "Wait! Willow, this could
be dangerous, trying to breach the barriers between dimensions..."
Willow laid her hand over Tara's shaking ones, "I've got to try Tara, and Anya's got a point. If Buffy is
danger, I have to do whatever I can. From what I read, it seems she is."
Giles nodded slowly, "Then we're agreed - we try to reach Spike in the other dimension."
Willow, Anya and Dawn nodded firmly. Tara seeing the determined expression on Willow's face caved
in - nothing stood in Willow's way once she had made up her mind. Xander was still in a state of
shock.
Tara reached out to squeeze Willow's hand, Willow squeezed back, unable to keep the apprehension
from sneaking into her heart.
* * *
Everything was pitch black; she was effectively blinded.
The last thing Buffy remembered was a cold chill descending on her, and reaching out to Spike in
a desperate attempt to regain coherence.
Buffy struggled to her feet, lost in the darkness. Her senses were heightened with apprehension. She
spun around as she heard footsteps, slow and measured, she couldn't determine from what direction
the sound was coming from, and stopped spinning.
Trying to slow her the racing beat of her heart, Buffy took in a deep breath. Whatever it was, it was
coming for her, and she could wait - she really had no other choice.
The steps slowed.
"Slayer..."
The voice was high-pitched, decidedly female, with a sing-song quality to the word.
Buffy stiffened, she knew that voice, she had heard it a couple of weeks ago - when she was chained
to a wall.
"Drusilla."
A laugh, with the edge of cynicism in it. "Slayer - well met."
Buffy's hands clenched into fists, as she vainly peered into the darkness. "What do you want from me
Drusilla?"
Drusilla laughed again, Buffy could almost see her swaying in the darkness, "What do I always want
Slayer?"
"Spike." His name slipped out before she could stop herself. She had thought to say her death, or
power or some such logical thing.
Again the shrill laughter rang out. "Isn't that wonderful? 'E's always on your mind ain't 'e Slayer? You
just can't get him off your mind. Like little itty bitty bugs, crawling in - nipping here and there...
'e won't always stay you know. No matter wot 'e says, 'e'll always love me - the way no one
loves you."
Drusilla started to sing, as Buffy recoiled from her in denial. She wanted to scream at the vampiress.
To deny the words that danced in the darkness, but she couldn't.
All of them left her.
The singer's voice deepened, to a husky baritone. Then the singing stopped. "Buffy?"
She gasped, taking a stumbling step forward, "Angel?"
"Where are you Buffy? I can't see you - it's so dark in here."
Grateful for a familiar and comforting voice, she cried out again. "I'm here Angel! I'm here!"
"It's so dark - your mind is so dark Buffy."
She stopped, and stood very still, "What?"
"Your mind Buffy - so deliciously dark..."
Suddenly hard hands clamped down on her arms, "Found you at last...lover..."
Buffy's head spun, as she struggled to force back the scream that worked its way up her
throat.
She felt ghostly fingers running through her hair, twisting the strands between fingers.
"Such darkness...I never knew you had it in you lover."
Buffy tried to pull back and was shocked to find the shackles on her arms wouldn't
budge. She heard his ominous laughter.
"See Buffy - see..."
And in a flash, her world became white, and scenes unfolded before her eyes.
* * *
Spike paced the darkened library - there had to be something, anything, to help him
find her.
He felt utterly helpless. Never had he felt such helplessness.
He had spent the day caged in the library, he was effectively driving himself up the wall.
"Ah - Lord William I presume?"
Spike whirled around, and saw Riley standing by the door; logically he knew that
this wasn't the poofter, but logic had nothing to do with this.
In a few swift strides, he was before him, and with the ongoing momentum of his stride,
punched the man in the face.
With a cry Prince Rhys was sent sprawling into the hallway. With a growl, Spike slammed the
door close.
He heard a low laugh; he spun around. Bolstered by the realisation that the damn
chip didn't work in this dimension, he was filled with cocky assurance. He didn't have
to be told who was lurking the darkness.
"How long have you been here?"
Angus chuckled, "Long enough Spike - long enough."
For a moment this man calling him 'Spike' threw him then he remembered
that there was another history here working between 'William' and 'Angus'.
"What do you want now?" Spike couldn't bring himself to call him 'Angus' - it just
wouldn't come out.
Angus stepped around a chair, and walked towards him, "Just wanted to congratulate
you my man."
Spike took a step forward, wary of this man. "What for?"
Angus nodded towards the closed door, "Well for one, despatching of that pesky
prince, and..." his dark gaze pinned Spike. "For the acquisition of the lady."
Spike bristled, "It wasn't an 'acquisition'."
Again Angus laughed, "Oh come on! Don't tell me that crap about love William.
Not again...we both know that you don't love her - you're just using her." His eyes
narrowed, "You may have a past with Desdemona, but I have one with Elizabeth."
Spike snorted, "Past is past you poofter - what has that got to do with the present?"
Angus snarled, and took another step forward, but Spike just laughed at him.
"You are such a poof you know that? I had my dark angel, and now I have her - my
light."
Angus snarled, "Light? Creatures such as you deserve no light Spike!" He spat out the
last word, then smiled, his voice changing to a silken purr. "Or have you forgotten?"
He smirked, "And besides, you know you never really had that dark angel. She was
always mine, you were just the pitiful substitute, and you know it."
Spike's hands clenched into fists, as images of Drusilla embracing and adoring her
precious 'daddy' flashed before his eyes.
"You destroyed her."
Angus took a step back, regarding him in a new light, "So you know about that?"
Spike didn't know what he was talking about, but he felt that the past that lay between
'William' and 'Angus' was somehow central to everything. "You bastard, you never
truly had either of them and you know it!"
With a growl Angus launched himself at Spike, pinning him to the ground.
"I loved Desdemona - more then you ever did. She was mine - Mine! Elizabeth is mine
as well!" Each word was punctuated with savage jabs to Spike's body, but his punches
were no where as strong as the Slayer's, and Spike allowed him to ramble.
"You should've seen her Spike - her dark hair - it was all over me, and the way she
screamed and screamed...she was mine! She screamed and begged, and then there
was nothing but blood...."
Spike threw him off, and whirled to his feet, his eyes cold, "You killed her?"
Angus laughed manically, and curled into a ball at Spike's feet. "Bloody and mangled
Spike - you would've liked her like that - she was so so beautiful. But I had to throw
her down the cliff - tragic death and all that! All because she said no." He laughed again,
and stumbled to his knees, his eyes dark, "And now you boy - you..."
Disgusted with him, Spike swiftly hit him on the head, the blow enough to knock him
unconscious.
Too many events lay between 'William' and 'Angus', perhaps as much between Spike
and Angelus.
There was nothing here but the rambles of a madman.
A searing pain, streaked through his head, forcing him to fall to his knees, clasping his
head. The pain was reminiscent of the chip zapping him, but this pain remained...
^Spike? ^
His head snapped up, he forced the pain to the back of his mind "Red?"
He heard a sigh of relief, "Where are you Red?"
^That's not important at the moment Spike - you have to listen...^
"Can you make it a quick one Red? You're splitting my head open..."
He could see her wince in apology, ^Believe me I know, I feel it too. Spike listen.
Buffy's been pulled into another dimension, we can't reach her, but we do know where
she is.^
She paused, and Spike shook his head, ^Uh Red? Spare me the dramatic pauses luv."
^Oh - sorry. No dramatic pauses. Buffy's in the dimension of illusions. We don't know
why she got pulled in, or who did the pulling, but we do know that you can reach her.^
"Me? Why can't you?"
He could see her shake her head, large eyes filled with sorrow, ^It doesn't work like
that Spike, Anya says that the dimension that you're in is closer to the one that Buffy's in.^
Spike absorbed the information, then nodded even though the action caused him more
pain, "Just tell me what to do Red."
* * *
Buffy leaned up to kiss Angel, the sword dangling from a loose grasp. He kissed her back
passionately. She leaned back, and stared up into his dark eyes, before plunging the sword
into his gut.
His eyes blurred with confusion, "Buffy?"
She nonchalantly pushed him into the swirling portal.
Xander and Anya were clasped into each other's embrace, the sword still dangling by her
side, Buffy drew it out, and in one stroke killed both.
She strode straight for Willow and Tara, who sat with books open. They looked up, smiles
wide.
"Hey Buf..." before Willow could finish the sentence, Buffy decapitated her, the sword
continuing its arc to do the same to Tara.
She placed the sword down, and drew out the cross-bow, perhaps one of her favourite
weapons. Swiftly, efficiently she loaded the arrow, before turning to plunge the arrow in
Giles' chest.
Stepping over bodies, she went to Dawn's side. Tenderly she pushed a strand of Dawn's
hair off her shoulder. Dawn looked up smiling adoringly at her sister.
Buffy smiled at her, before snapping her neck.
Buffy was standing before Spike; she caressed his sculpted cheek. He gazed into her eyes
lovingly.
Expression bland, Buffy drew out a stake and plunged it into his heart.
His ice blue eyes widened, before he was dust sprinkling over her. With an irritated sigh,
she dusted it off...
Buffy screamed. She was once more lost in the darkness, tears running down her face.
"No! I'm not...I didn't...I..."
"Ah lover...don't you see? You're killing them all, you can't deny that can you lover?"
His voice was all around her, within her - telling her the damning truth.
And the tears continued to fall, as icy fingers tugged at her soul...
~ To be continued ~