Part 18

Stepping into Darkness

Part 18

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Fliq pulled herself to her feet, watching as Buffy did the same. The group had been rounded to the center of the room, dozens of vampires circling them like vultures. Nodding to each other and to Spike, they prepared to fight.

"Ahh!" They turned sharply to watch as Angelus pulled Cordelia into him, "Let me go," She pleaded softly, "Please?"

"Oh, precious," Vampire Willow said, stroking a hand down her face, "don't worry, we'll make everything better," she smiled, "you'll be able to play with your Angel, just like you always wanted."

"No pesky soul to worry about this time, gorgeous," Angelus whispered in her ear as he stroked a hand down her body, his other still gripping her arm.

"Let her go."

"Ooh the watcher can speak," Vampire Willow and Tara walked towards him like predators, each swaying their hips and smiling seductively, "What do you think witch? Should we play with those vocal chords?" Tara grinned as they each stood at one side.

"Leave them both alone," Fliq snarled, her eyes flashing amber, "or believe me, I won't care how good a friend Angel is, I'll stake you all."

"I'm not a vampire," Tara said silkily, walking back towards the group.

"You think I care?" Fliq threatened in a deadly voice, "I'm dead remember, I won't be brought before any court."

"You couldn't do it, Fliq," Angelus laughed, "and you know it."

"Try me."

Suddenly Fliq and Spike were thrown out of the room by an invisible force as the room erupted in a ball of light. Spike cried out in agony as Tara ripped all the energy she could, shrouding Angelus and Vampire Willow in a protective shield. Fliq pulled Spike into her arms, sharing his pain as they both fell into the comfort of darkness.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Fliq yawned as she pulled herself from tranquillity, "What happened?" she whispered in a hoarse voice, "where are we?"

"It's okay, we're at Buffy's."

She opened her eyes, flinching against the light as Cordelia's face came into focus, "What happened?" she asked again.

"Willow threw you and Spike out of the room, let it rip with her little ball of sunshine."

"Tara drew more energy from Spike." Fliq whispered, "didn't she?"

"Yeah," Cordelia placed the damp cloth back on Fliq's head, "she surrounded Vamp Willow and AngelAngelus, in some kind of shield. I managed to get away in the confusion, but" she wiped a tear from her eye.

"They still have Wesley?"

"Yeah." Cordelia sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll get them back, both of them."

"I hope you're right. They're my familyI can't do without them."

"You won't have to." Fliq smiled.

"Gunn called, he said hi. He's doing better but they won't release him, or rather Anne wont let him be released."

"Good." Fliq stared at Cordelia again and smiled, "You thought I had the hots for Angel didn't you?"

"What?" Cordelia looked at her, surprise by her change in the subject.

"That's why you moved back into the Hyperion, isn't it?"

"II don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do." Willow said entering the room from behind, smiling at her, "Come on Cordelia, Angel is gorgeous, we all know you used to like him."

"What is this? Gang up on Cordelia day?" She saw them flinch at her choice of words and she smiled a little, "No matter what we face, something worse is always around the corner."

Fliq sat up, "Then we'll face that, too." She reached a hand out to Cordelia, "We'll get him back Cordeliaand then I'll tease you both relentlessly for the next few months."

Cordelia narrowed her eyes, "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Fliq wagged her eyebrows at the brunette, "Who knows, maybe I'll knock your heads together and you'll finally admit something."

"And the fact that he's been calling her lover doesn't admit something?" Willow asked, her eyebrows arched.

"Will you two lay off!"

The two smiled at each other before Fliq turned back to Cordelia and frowned, "I'm sorry I was such a bitch when we first met."

"Me too." Cordelia replied, "I mean that I was, not that you"

Fliq laughed, "I know." There was a pause as Willow joined them on the bed.

"If it helps, I'm sorry we never got on, too." Willow said, shifting her position.

"No you're not, I was a bitch in high school, to have been my friend you'd need to be one too." Cordelia smiled at Fliq, "So is this what you were like beforeI mean before the whole'grrr' thing?" Cordelia asked, "You know, less scowly and bitchy, more chatty?"

"Oh, I was very different," Fliq said, a little uncomfortable talking about her past, "I mean I knew I was destined to be a Slayer and I worked hard for it, I was ready at all times to be called. My dad saw to that." She smiled sadly, "I was still quite shy when I was around people, then I found the Sanctuary. My first thought was that I could get some action. You know stake vamps and stuff, get myself ready for my powers arriving. But I ended up being drawn into the place, the magick in me won over."

"So why is your tattoo different?" Willow asked, still curious about what the picture was. Fliq pulled her sleeve down and showed them the black tattoo on her arm. It was just like Willows, a pentacle, only Fliq's had two sharp points protruding the bottom of the circle and a stake cutting through a diagonal underneath it.

"The stake was there first. I felt a sharp pain and when I saw it, I knew I'd been activatedit wasn't long before the fangs arrived." There was an uncomfortable silence as Fliq drew her sleeve up.

"So the Sanctuary's where you met Spike." Willow stated, hoping that Fliq would continue.

"Yes."

"Tell us?" Willow asked, watching Fliq clam up, "please, it might help pass the time until nightfall, and"

"And you really want to know." Fliq finished for her.

"Yeah." Cordelia and Willow replied in unison.

"Okay"

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Wesley groaned. The blood began to trickle down his wrists as he struggled to free himself from his shackles. He flinched as the pain coursed through his back with an audible snap. Angelus' laugh haunted him as it echoed through the room, spurring Vampire Willow to continue.

Wesley had never been one for prayers, but now he prayed. He prayed to anything that would listen. He prayed for the dark comfort of unconsciousness or death for rescue seemed so far away. So far away that he could hardly taste the bittersweet victory that he prayed would come.

And, again, the pain snapped through him

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Spike leaned against the door, smiling as Fliq told the story of their past. He wiped a tear from his cheek and sighedthen he shook himself in disgust.

*I'm a demon and I'm crying like a pansy* he thought angrily, *that witch is going to pay* Slowly he opened the door as he listened to Willow sigh before watching that wonderful look of confusion scrunch up her face.

"Wait a minute, you lived in sin with Spike?"

"Lived in sin, Will?" Fliq asked raising her eyebrows.

"Well in those days, it would be."

Fliq smiled and pulled a chain from around her neck, she removed it and handed it to Willow, "No Will, I didn't live in sin."

Willow took the offered chain and gasped at the two rings dangling on it, "Beautiful," she whispered as she turned them around in her hand. She noticed an inscription on the inside of the gold band, "What does it say?" she asked, trying to read the Latin inscription.

"It says"

"As I step into darkness, love will shine through." Fliq turned to the door and saw Spike standing, staring at her.

"You knew you were going to become a vampire?" Willow asked quietly.

"I didn't know, I suspected. I heard Felicity talking in her sleep. About me, vampires and spells"

"Felicity?" Cordelia asked.

Fliq smiled, "What? You didn't actually think my parents called me Fliq did you?"

"Well, no but" Willow shook her head, "So, you turned Fliq, like Angelus said?"

"Yeah," Spike said softly, "That was one thing she couldn't forgive me for." There was silence as Spike and Fliq stared at each other. Cordelia exchanged a glance with Willow who was still fiddling with Fliq's chain.

"Spike?" Willow asked, "Where's your"

"In my pocket, Red," Spike said, pulling a chain with a single gold band on it from his pocket, "Always with me," he said, finally turning to look at the red head. He threw it to Willow who caught it and turned straight to the inscription.

"It's the same," she said, scrunching up her nose.

"Think about it, Will," Fliq said sadly, "I knew what he was going to become, and I knew what I was going to become." Willow stared at the rings once more before returning them to their owners. The room was silent once more, before Spike cleared his throat.

"It's dusk, we should go."

Fliq turned to Cordelia, "You ready to face this?"

Cordelia offered her a weak smile, "As ready as I'll ever be." Willow offered Cordelia a hug before they exited the room. Spike wandered over to Fliq.

"I might as well say this while I don't have any evil in me," she grinned as he continued, "I'm sorry. For everything I ever did to you. I loved you Felicity, don't ever forget that."

Fliq smiled, "I won't. I loved you too, William." Spike lowered his head for a lingering kiss. He pulled Fliq into his arms and softly began to whisper in her ears. Tears began to fall as he softly sang words only ever recalled in her dreams, "You remembered." she whispered.

"Always." Hearing movement downstairs, they pulled apart, their blue eyes gazing at each other.

"You know, I think that's the first time we've ever used the past tense, short stuff," Spike said, smirking, "That mean you've had enough of this hot, tight, little body."

"That an offer, blondie?" Fliq winked as his grin widened.

"What can I say, I'm a wanted man,"

"Don't think I'd like to share you with, Red." Fliq smiled at his shocked expression, "You be good to her Spike, or I'll stake you myself." Fliq said, seriously, "Come on," she shrugged to the door, "Time to follow the shadows."

~~~~~*****~~~~~

"How could I have been in a vampires body and not know about it?"

"Because you're a daft bint?" Spike smirked at Buffy's expression as he walked down the stairs with Fliq.

"Guess that spell hasn't made you as whipped as we thought," Cordelia added.


"I might be loosing my evil but I've still got my sense of humor."


"Well that's a matter of opinion," Fliq smiled before walking over to Buffy, "What's up?"


"I'm just curious, why didn't I know I was in a demon's body?" She frowned, "Not exacly something I'm used to."

Spike snickered, "I think the poof would beg to differouch." He glared at Cordelia as he rubbed his arm.

"Most of the demon's traits were still with me. You might have been the one sharing the body with it, but I was the one sharing the mind with it. It's hunger was a part of me, not you. It was reflectedor not as the case may bein me. If I had allowed myself to walk into the sunlight, or get staked through the heart, you would have died along with the demon, and I'd have been stuck in your bodyit was a part of me, not you."

"Why didn't you just walk into the sunlight and steal my body then?" Buffy asked, frowning, "Not that I'm not glad you didn't, butwhy not end it all?"

Fliq smiled, "Believe me I was temptedbut I couldn't do that to youit wasn't my life to take."

Buffy smiled and glanced out the window, "Lets go." They collected their weapons and headed to the door.

"Wait a minute," Buffy stopped, her eyes wide, "You still had it's hunger? then that taste in my mouthOh my God." Fliq grimmaced as Buffy ran to the bathroom.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

END OF PART 18

Yeah, so it got a little soppy in the middle there, sorry! (GAG!) Okay, this was originally a part about the background between Fliq and Spike but not only was it FAR too long, but apparently it didn't make sense! (I didn't explain things in enough detail). For this reason, I'm writing a prequel and I'll let you all know when it's finished! (Of course it's nearly all done since I had lots of it in this part!)