TITLE: A Change In Destiny: Part VII: Battle For The Future

AUTHOR: Wicked Angel

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: It's finally arrived the night of the battle – but what will the outcome be?

FEEDBACK: Please!!!!! Please!!!! Please!!!!

Buffy, Spike, Angel and Cordelia all stood outside the old factory, there was an eerie silence

"It's too quiet" Angel stared at the old, crumbling building

"Yup it sure is" Spike looked up "You know what that means?"

Buffy nodded "They know we're here"

"Right okay enough with the psychic connection oh great warriors" Cordelia stared at them

They all stared at her, Angel smiled "You're a warrior too now I'm afraid"

Buffy and Spike nodded in agreement, Spike slung his crossbow against his shoulder and dropped his cigarette to the ground and Buffy stubbed it out with her boot

She looked up at Spike "Filthy habit – you do know that you're gonna have to stop when you get your Shanshy... Shanso… shan thingy"

Cordelia leaned over and whispered in Buffy's ear "Shanshu" and Buffy just looked at her and nodded

"You'll need to stop it when you… get all human again cos it can actually kill you"

Spike and Angel just looked at each other

"Sure thing ducks" Spike leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips "I love you too"

"Yeah I know, ditto" she squeezed him and he knelt down and spoke to her tummy

"Love you too little one" he kissed her stomach, and stood up

Angel and Cordy were kissing "Remember keep a close eye on her Angel" Cordelia pulled away and noted the two sly smiles on Spike and Angels mouths

"What????" Cordelia and Buffy looked at each other

"I hate too bring this up but I was just thinking, what would Drusilla and Darla think if they could see us now Angel?"

Spike noticed that Buffy was smiling and wasn't angry about him mentioning HER name

They didn't get a chance to respond,

"They would think you are disgusting – because that's what you are! A disgrace, but you won't be disgracing us for much longer"

Everyone's head suddenly shot up and they saw Poena hanging from a window

"Well are you all just gonna stand there smooching all night or are you gonna come in so I can kill the two most disgusting vampires ever to roam the earth and their little girlfriends, a slayer and PTB messenger! The fun never ends, I LOVE L.A!" he laughed an evil nerve shattering sound

Poena spat the insults at them "And that little thing inside you Slayer isn't gonna even get the chance to know what a disgrace it's family actually was!" he then disappeared as fast as he appeared

"Bastard – how does he know so much!?" Buffy was mad

"It's okay we'll get him! Bastard!" Spike was in a pure rage

"He's gonna die a painful death – bastard" Angel muttered, he and Spike looked so angry, so evil they looked like William The Bloody and Angelus

"Right so we established he's a bastard so let's do something about it!" Cordelia flipped her stake up and caught it in a Buffy style move, she smiled pleased with herself, 'maybe I am a warrior after all'

"Right kids time to party!" Spike led the way his duster billowing behind him as he headed through the large entrance. He looked like a man on a mission.

"Boss… boss… they're coming… they're coming!" one of the minions ran over to where Poena, Disficare and Horry stood

"Right, it's time" Poena stood tall and broad "Remember, she is mine!"

A small crowd of heads nodded

"Well don't just stand there! Get a move on!" Disficare chased some of the minions away

"Lets go boys!"

They all moved off to the rear end of the room and stood in the darkness waiting.

They entered the room and immediately Buffy's 'spider sense' kicked in, as did Angel's and Spike's

"I can sense them, they're in here" Buffy looked around the room her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness

"Yeah I can feel them too" Spike nodded

Angel agreed "Yup"

"See psychic buddy's I told you, I don't have the spider sense either" Cordelia looked at them all "But this isn't the right time to whine about that I suppose"

"Well I hate to say it but yeah!" Angel looked down at her "Come on let's go"

They all walked into the large room

"Hello…come out come out wherever you are" Buffy shouted into the darkness, the only response she got was her echo

"Look shit for brains do you want to fight or not?!" Spike screamed into the seemingly empty room

"Patience, patience is a virtue my dear William" Poena stepped out of the shadows followed by a large entourage of minions

"Yeah well I'm not exactly a virtuous person!" Spike stood in front of Buffy

"You can't protect her you know" Poena looked at him

"I don't need protection!" Buffy stood out from behind him

"Right enough with the small talk eh?" Cordelia stared around the room "Let's just get on with it"

"Oh she's feisty is that one Poena, can I turn her?" Disficare stared at her open mouthed

"You won't be turning anyone!" Angel growled and Spike raised his crossbow shooting Disficare right through the heart

Poena looked at Spike in shock "Wooden tipped arrows – you gotta love them!" Spike grinned

"Argh… get them!" Poena growled

And the fighting began

The room was very poorly lit but it was obvious they were vastly outnumbered, Spike stuck by Buffy's side trying not to let her out of his sight and on seeing she was comfortable continued with his own fight.

Buffy was fighting with one of the minions – they were exchanging strong blows.

"So you're the Slayer?" the vampire swung for her jaw, he missed and she punched him in the gut

"Yeah! Unfortunately for you!" and she rammed a stake through his back and into his heart as he bent over from the blow he received to his stomach

Meanwhile Angel and Spike were fighting Poena and Horry. Spike and Angel fought brilliantly together anticipating each others moves and knowing when and where to punch, this proved difficult for Horry and Poena who were struggling with them

"An old team reunited I see" Poena managed to spit out before Spike punched him "You realise I'm gonna kill your little prize beauty today William!" Spike's game face came out and he rammed Poena against the wall but Poena was strong and raising his leg kicked Spike in the stomach and sent him flying half way across the room. He landed next to Cordelia who was fighting a young female vampire, her movements were swift and her technique vastly improved from her days in Sunnydale Spike noted.

The vampire swung for Cordy but she simply ducked her head and avoided the blow, and she raised herself back up

"Now you do realise that the shade of lipstick you're wearing was discontinued in 1974 along with flares and psychedelic stripes and such?" Cordelia cocked hr head to the side putting on her fake smile

The vampire just looked at her confused and Cordelia just stared back "Never mind!" and dusted her

Spike had to laugh as Cordelia brushed her hands together. He headed back over to help Angel and sneaked a peek at Buffy – she and Cordelia were now battling a couple of minions, without a struggle, staking them – they too worked well together.

Buffy swept the legs from underneath one vampire and Cordelia bent over and staked it as Buffy rammed the next one up against the wall disposing of it appropriately. Buffy's face was scratched and her forehead was bleeding and one of the vampires, so tempted by the Slayers scent, pinned her against the wall and sniffed her

"Eww… you're pathetic" Buffy spat at him as she raised her arm behind him staking his back, she rubbed the dust from her jacket and continued.

Angel and Spike were still battling Poena and Horry, Spike punched Poena square on the jaw and his lip began to bleed, he licked it and looked over towards Buffy and moved away from Spike, he disappeared and Spike couldn't see him anywhere.

Angel had by this time managed to get Horry on the ground he kicked him in the face and as he tried to get back up Spike walked up behind him and snapped his neck and Angel stuck a stake in chest for good measure.

"At last we're getting somewhere – that just leaves Poena and the minions. See we're changing the vision already; we have the power to alter things Spike!" Angel grabbed his arm and shook it "Come on!" Spike moved off in a different direction to look for Poena and Angel went to help Cordelia as she was struggling with a larger weaponed vampire. Her lip was bleeding and she was struggling to fight back due to injuries she had sustained earlier, the vampire hit her stomach fracturing more than a few of her ribs and grabbed hold of her

"I can't breath Angel… help me" Cordelia was gasping as the vampires grip around her tightened making her injuries worse. But Angel couldn't help her he was beaten to the ground by three vampires with large staffs, they were thudding his back and he could hear Cordelia calling but he couldn't do anything. Noticing Angels situation Cordelia summoned up all the strength she had and threw her head back breaking the vampires nose, she turned around while he was distracted and staked him, picking up the weapon he dropped she made her way towards Angel and staked the vampire who was pounding him with the staff. She then passed Angel a weapon, as she did this a large vampire came up behind her and tried to bite her but luckily Angel saved her.

"Thanks Angel thought I was a goner there…. Shit, Angel it's happening… it's happening!" Cordelia screamed as she looked over at Spike ramming a metal pole through one of the minions before snapping his neck

"Spike it's happening!" Cordelia screamed at him and he nodded in understanding and raced to Buffy's side, the vision was happening, "We've changed some things but it keeps going back, it doesn't matter what we do she is going to have to battle Poena!" Cordelia was crying as she saw Poena drop from one of the beams and stand in front of Buffy, suddenly Angel and Cordelia found themselves battling another three vampires, they tried to get away but it was too difficult.

"I always wanted to kill a Slayer you know?" Poena rasped

"Yeah well you ain't killin this one!" Buffy spat at him as she kicked him in the chest

Poena grabbed her leg and twisted it around pushing her against a wall but she flipped her whole body upwards and caught his chin with her other foot and landed in her fighting stance

Spike was fighting two others and he could see Buffy and Poena, she looked comfortable fighting him.

"Buffy… Buffy…!"

"I think lover boys trying to get your attention Slayer!" Poena punched her and she fell back against the wall

Spike eventually broke free of his fight and ran towards Buffy just as Poena had grabbed her, he picked her up and threw her towards the machinery but Spike jumped up colliding with her mid-air and throwing her off course, unfortunately he went flying towards the machinery due to the momentum he gained trying to stop Buffy and he landed right on top of a large spike.

"You bastard…" Buffy screamed as she ran towards Poena who was smiling to himself, she fly kicked him and he landed on his back, she then jumped on top of him punching him continuously until he was nearly unconscious and bruised

"Sorry Slayer, either way you die, this way is better though because you die inside but must live on knowing he died for you!" Poena let out an evil snarl and Buffy staked him and ran to Spike

Cordelia and Angel having watched the commotion from the other side of the room after disposing of the vamps they were fighting, ran towards them.

"Shit…!" Cordelia ran over to Buffy who was by Spikes side

Spike was on top of an old rusty machine, one of the spikes had went right through him, through his back, his chest and out the other side – it was wooden so it didn't dust him but it most likely would kill him

"Spike? Spike? Wake up" Buffy stroked his forehead as tears fell from her face and landed on his cheek

"I'm here love, I'm here Buffy" Spike opened his eyes "Shit it's dark in here"

"Spike your gonna be okay" Buffy kissed his cheek as her tears flowed freely "You are, isn't he Angel?"

Angel just stood in silence, he walked over to Spike and took his hand and looked at the injury and the painful expression on his childes face "Spike…?"

"Angel, give me a few minutes with Buffy then… ok?" Spike struggled to get the words out as he writhed in agony

Cordelia leaned on Angel she was quite badly injured and her tears were blinding her, she went towards Spike

"Hey you, come on Spike we need you, who else is gonna insult me… come on for…" Cordelia broke down and the tears would not stop flowing and Angel led her away and sat her on the floor

Buffy leaned over him again "I love you, I will always love you" she kissed him tenderly on the lips, his lips were so dry

"Buffy, I love you so much and junior you tell him how much his daddy loves him, ok?" Spike lifted his hand for Angel to come back "Just remember Buffy I will never stop loving you"

Angel came over and pulled Buffy to the side, she leapt forward and kissed Spike one more time "I love you!"

Angel pushed her away again "I'm sorry Buffy" he looked down at Spike who nodded at him "I am so proud of you William"

"Thank you Angelus"

And with that he lifted a stake and sent Spike home.

"Noooooo…Angel noooooo!" Buffy collapsed crying and Angel bent down to comfort her but all she could do was punch his chest before collapsing into him seeking comfort

"I'm sorry I had to do it like that… it was the best way… he would only have suffered and died"

Cordelia was crying in the corner and she crawled over to where the ashes had landed and gathered them together putting them in a small jar that was next tot the machine

"Come on Angel… let's get outta here" Cordelia limped and Angel carried Buffy

"Angel get his duster I want his duster" Buffy whimpered and he carried her over and picked up his duster wrapping it around her, she could smell him, his smoky, musky scent and with that she became unconscious with shock, exhaustion, with fear.

Buffy woke up, she smiled she could smell him

"Spike? Spike…?"

Then the cold realisation hit her – Spike wasn't there, Spike was dead and she buried herself deep back into the comfort of his duster and clutched her stomach

"Buffy are you awake? Buffy?" Cordelia sat at the edge of her bed, she brushed the strands of hair out of her eyes "Come on Buffy, you gotta get up, try and eat something, if not for you just think of the baby"

"The baby… the baby… oh god" Buffy sat up and looked at Cordelia, her eyes were red from crying and she looked like she hadn't slept in days

"Come on I'll make you something to eat" Cordelia helped her out of bed and towards the kitchen

"How long have I been sleeping?" Buffy looked up

"Just since… since… since we left the factory last night, it's 8am now" Cordelia sat her down

"Where's Angel? Is he… is he human?" Buffy looked up

"No." Cordelia felt a tear stream down her cheek "I don't know what's happening – he's just sat in his office staring at the wall since we got in last night –Wes patched us up and then he went to Sunnydale with Gunn"

"Oh ok" Buffy couldn't cry she was still in shock, she kept expecting him to walk through the door but it hadn't happened and it wasn't going to

"I'm gonna be a single mom – Cordelia I don't think I can cope without him!" Buffy slumped her head on the table

"You'll have all of us" Cordelia pulled her hair back behind her head

"Yeah we'll be there for you" Angel put a supportive hand on her shoulder

"Oh Angel" Buffy couldn't cope "Oh Angel I can't do it, I can go on without him!"

Suddenly the room was filled with an eerie silence

"Oh come on Buffy don't cry, please don't cry" a strange voice came from the shadows

"Doyle? Doyle? Is that you?" Angel looked around the suddenly black room "Doyle where are we?"

Buffy, Cordelia and Angel looked around they were in a large black room, it had no furniture, no doors and no walls

"Yeah it's me" Doyle stepped out from the shadows "It's okay your safe"

Angel stepped forward and hugged Doyle "Hey man"

Doyle stepped towards Buffy "I'm sorry that had to happen Buffy"

"Yeah well so am I!" Buffy was angry "Now you make Angel human like you promised, if I can't be happy I sure as hell am gonna make sure Cordelia and Angel are!"

"Angel you have been granted the unique gift of humanity, use it well, you can still work for the cause and you will have our full support" Doyle patted Angel on the shoulder

"Thank you" Angel looked over at Cordelia and smiled and was suddenly surrounded by a bright light a few seconds later the light dispersed and Angel stood up, he took in a deep breath and put his hand to his chest where he found a beating heart

Angel ran forward and grabbed Cordelia

"Oh Angel your heart… it's beating… and your so warm" Cordelia leaned up and kissed his unusually warm mouth, it was a strange sensation as he had always been so cold.

It was all too much for Buffy you collapsed on the floor crying

"Oh shit!" Doyle looked above him and put his hands in the air "Come on man!" he looked around him and then down at Buffy "I'm sorry will you excuse me for 2 seconds please"

Angel nodded and Doyle disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Angel and Cordelia then bent down and sat next to Buffy

"Oh Angel I am so happy for you" she wept "I just wish Spike could see you now"

"I can pet!"

"Spike!?" Buffy's head shot up, as did Angel and Cordy's

Buffy scrambled to her feet and met Spike, he was standing right in front of her no gauging hole in his chest

"Oh my God!" Buffy ran to him and before he could say anything to her she grabbed him in a hug and kissed him

"I had a word with the guys upstairs" Doyle stood smiling

"When do you have to go back to… wherever it is you were?" Buffy looked deep into his blue eyes

Cordelia and Angel were holding onto each other watching the emotional scene unfold before them

"I don't!" Spike smiled "Doyle here had a few words with them and they are granting me my humanity for services rendered… I'm coming home Summers!"

Buffy fainted

"Well that wasn't the response I was looking for but it's better than nothing" Spike smiled and scooped her up in his arms "Thank you Doyle"

Angel came over and shook his childes hand "Good to have you back"

Cordelia couldn't speak she was to busy crying "Oh Spike I never thought I'd be so glad to see you" she leaned up and kissed his cheek

"Well I don't know quite how to take that Queenie but ta" Spike smiled at her

"Right well guess it's time for you guys to go back" Doyle looked around and smiled

"Yeah thanks Doyle – I think this one needs to rest" Spike looked at Buffy

"Sure" Doyle nodded his head and Spike and Buffy were back at the Hyperion.

Angel and Cordelia stood with Doyle

"Once again Doyle I am so grateful" Angel shook his hand

"Umm Angel would you mind if I spoke to Doyle for a few minutes?" Cordelia looked up at Angel

"Sure no bother" Angel smiled and kissed Cordelia and Doyle sent him back to the Hyperion

"So what's up Princess?" Doyle looked down at the brunette; she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh Doyle… I don't believe you did that… that was so nice"

"Oh well you know me, I'm a nice kinda guy" Doyle smiled and held his arms out to her and she ran into his embrace

"I'll always wear your ring Doyle" Cordelia lifted her hand up and showed him the ring he had given her and he lifted up her other hand and looked at the one Angel had given her "I'm lucky girl"

"You are that Princess – you're going to marry the nicest and most decent man I have ever known"

"Oh Doyle… I have loved the two most wonderful men in the world you and Angel" a single tear made it way down her cheek and Doyle wiped it away with his thumb

"Princess I…" He was stopped by Cordelia's finger, which she had put over his lip

"Doyle I am only gonna do this one last time, after this there will be no one else but Angel… I'm happy about that but I need to do this" Cordelia looked up at the Irishman who smiled down at her "There will ALWAYS be a place in my heart I'll keep for you" she leaned up and kissed him, Doyle was shocked, but she continued to kiss him slowly and tenderly and he responded holding her closer – he never wanted to let her go, her arms reached round his shoulders and his hands crawled up her back holding her close, he could feel her tears on his own cheeks as she wept while they kissed and then she pulled away and Doyle wiped her tear stained cheeks

"Thank you Doyle"

"No thank you Princess"

And with that she mouthed I love you and he smiled and mouthed back that he did too he nodded and she was sent back to the Hyperion back to Angel, back to the man she loved.

The next day Buffy woke up next to a breathing, smiling all human Spike

"Oh my God! Spike your alive… I thought it was a dream" Buffy lurched forward hugging him and kissing him "Oh your human… your warm and your breathing"

"Yeah and I'm hungry!" Spike smiled

"Oh I'm so happy, I've never been so happy" and the tears dripped down her face

"Oh Buffy don't cry" Spike kissed her

"I can't help it… I'm so happy!" she whimpered

"By the way you never told me just how cute I actually was!" he grinned cheekily looking in the mirror, he laughed and rolled her over tickling her

"Come on get ready and I'll take you out for breakfast – we're going for a walk in the park!" Spike smiled – he was so happy and so content and so was she.

"Well actually I was thinking we could go hunting for nursery furniture and a wedding dress and a wedding venue and…" Buffy was stopped mid-sentence by Spike kissing her

He managed to pull away for 2 seconds "Women!" and then his lips met hers once more

Meanwhile Cordelia and Angel were also lying in bed

"So come on when we going out? Lets go wake up Buffy and Spike and go to the beach or something" she was impatient she wanted to go outside, outside with Angel

"Ok, ok but I… I need breakfast first… I think I'm hungry" Angel looked over at Cordelia who smiled

"Angel?" Cordelia leaned on her elbow and looked at him

"Yeah?"

"I'm so happy!"

"Me too" Angel hugged her "So what do you want to do today?"

"I wanna go look for a really expensive wedding dress!"

Angel sighed and fell back into bed "My first day on earth as a human in 200 years and she wants to go shopping – only for love – only for love!"

And so an hour later the two happy couples left the Hyperion hotel hand in hand and walked out into the sunshine, as they stood on the side walk Angel and Spike looked skyward

"Christ peaches – it's bright!" Spike shielded his eyes

Cordelia and Buffy smiled at one another

"Yup it sure is that!" Angel looked over at Spike

"Well I'm gonna have to buy some sunglasses, whatcha think Angel?"

"Yeah, definitely!"

"Wait, wait!" Cordelia stomped her foot "First things first! We're gonna have to you two some 'normal' clothes as in coloured and not black" Cordelia smiled and looked at Buffy

"Yeah good idea Cordy I can see them in khaki" Buffy grinned and Angel and Spike looked horrified

"Over my undead body Summers!" Spike looked at her

"Yeah no way!" Angel agreed

They all laughed as Cordelia and Buffy dragged them down the street

"Sunset Boulevard here we come!" Cordelia was in her element

The two happily engaged coupled went down the street and spent a happy 'day' out.

No I'm not finished quite yet.