Author: Kelley (beanyb1999@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG-13, babeeeee
Feedback: Oh, I like feedback. Please review!
Distribution: You want it? You really want it? Let me know!
Summary: Spike and Tara figured out what was wrong with Buffy. Spike has gone to fix it. Some chaos has ensued.
Disclaimer: Joss owns them all. I really need to remind him that I'm taking Spike for myself though.
Dedication: For Christy, my biggest helper through this crazy mess I named "Sweet William." For Shelley, my partner in crime. We're working on our sequel to "I'll Most Likely Kill You In The Morning." I promise! We just posted a little ficlet called "Think About It." Read it. Review it. It'll be fuuuuuun! Ok, enough shameless advertising. For my reviewers, you guys are the best! You're awesome. I love all of you…in a platonic sort of way. Or something.
A/N: Well, we're nearing the end. Just another one or two chapters to go and this baby will be finished. Aren't you excited? I'll try to update when I have the time…right now I'm going through the three different rehearsals a day thing. It's annoying. Ok, I'm going to shut up now! Toodles!
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"Well, this is . . . weird," Spike said, slowly removing his hands from his ears.
"Where are we?" William asked in wonderment.
"It looks like that bleedin' waitin' room from earlier."
Two doors appeared in front of them. They were both exactly the same in every aspect, but there were no walls, just doors.
Spike walked around to the other side of the door, but nothing was there, except the other side of the door.
Spike snorted. "What are we supposed to do now?"
He walked back over to William. They both stared at the doors, hoping they would find an answer.
"We meet once again."
William and Spike turned around. Once again, they were facing the same man who had brought Spike to his test.
"Would you mind tellin' us what's goin' on, mate?" Spike questioned.
"You've successfully annoyed the Powers more than anyone else ever has," the man said humorlessly.
"Yay us," William mumbled.
The man was not amused.
"Or-or not," William replied, nervous about what to expect next. He looked down and then turned his head to Spike.
"Are you going to tell us what's behind door number one?" Spike asked impatiently.
"Something like that. I won't tell you which door will lead you to the right place, but I'll tell you what's behind each." He cleared his throat. "Behind one door, you will find Heaven or Hell, depending of course on if you're a vampire or not. Behind the other door, you will have a straight path back to the unclaimed body. You get to decide which door to use."
"Well, that's bloody unfair considerin' I wasn't forewarned as to what to expect."
"The Powers decided that battling you was a lost cause. They're going to let you choose your own fates."
"You get sent to do a lot of their work," Spike said, tilting his head.
"That's how it has always been," the man retorted.
Spike nodded. "You probably work harder than anyone else . . ."
"Forget it," the man said, interrupting Spike. "I'm not going to tell you which door to go through."
Spike frowned. "Fine. We'll get it ourselves. This better not be rigged . . ."
The man disappeared before Spike could finish.
"Right," Spike answered, nodding vigorously. "Bloody pillock," he muttered under his breath.
They looked the doors up and down.
*****
"Aaaah! I can't take this!" Buffy cried, getting ready to pull out her hair.
"They have to choose the correct door," Drusilla said, swaying with her eyes closed.
"Does she always have to speak in metaphors?" Xander asked, not realizing she was actually being literal.
Drusilla laughed.
"Buffy! Make it stop!" Dawn looked down sadly at the sleeping vampire. The teenager was beyond panic at this point.
"Dawnie, I wish I knew what to do!"
Buffy's hands were shaking. She wanted to touch Spike, but the flickering kept getting worse.
She forced herself not to cry. Crying would get her nowhere. She would only upset Dawn.
Still, the thought of Spike coming back wrong made her sick to her stomach. Funny, coming back wrong would constitute him having a soul. He would also be William. Not that she believed William would be a bad guy, but it wouldn't be the same. William didn't want to come back.
She also realized that Spike would cease to exist. If no one came back, she'd eventually forget about the man who never gave up on her. How ironic.
That's when she understood everything. Spike was a part of her. She'd feel whole if and when he came back. Had that really been her problem all along?
Then it hit her for good. Things definitely were not right. At first it had all seemed like she'd been in a daze and that Spike would wake up no matter what. But now, as she watched, the flickering was more frequent than ever. The possibility of losing him forever loomed over her head. It was the worst feeling in the world.
A tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly rubbed it away.
He just had to come back though! She'd been such a bitch to him so many times in the past. He still loved her. He went back for her soul because he loved her. He was now paying the price for loving her.
Another tear rolled down her cheek soon followed by another and then another. Unable to stop the flow, she covered her face with her hands and cried as softly as she could.
The others were reminded of this situation, only reverse, when Spike had cried after Buffy died.
Somewhere, in the back of their minds, they all realized how important the bleached vampire was to the group.
"Spike, I'm still waiting," Buffy managed to say quietly between sobs.
*****
"Well," Spike said, clapping his hands once, "this is definitely not of the good."
"You're telling me," William grumbled.
Spike thought for a moment. "Ok, I'll go through the door on the left and you go through the other one."
"Wait," William said, stepping forward. "How do you know which one is which?"
"I don't know. I was hoping you'd somehow be enlightened with the answer."
"Sorry to disappoint you," William replied, wrinkling his forehead.
"Hey, I think you've got the better end of the deal, mate."
"How do you figure that, Spike?"
"Well, you're either going to Heaven or to Sunnyhell. I mean, Buffy's great. Yeah, she's a real bitch at times, but maybe they'll like you better since you're human. Just . . .try to make things all right for them if I end up in hell."
William frowned. Everyone spoke of how evil vampires were. The PTB could not stand Spike, but William didn't really think he was a bad guy. If someone got past the bleached hair and the whole evil demon factor, they'd find a seemingly human vampire. He looked at Spike and nodded solemnly.
They were silent for a moment.
"Ok, so there's no real way of knowing for sure which door is the right one. Any ideas, William?"
William grinned. "There's only one way I can think of."
"Go for it," Spike said, allowing William to step forward.
William pointed to the door at the left and then began pointing back and forth.
"Eeny meeny miney moe . . ."
Spike laughed uproariously.
William finished the popular chant, his arm pointed at the door on the left.
They both looked at each other.
"That's your exit," William told Spike nervously.
Spike sighed as the both stood in front of their respective doors.
They let out a nervous laugh.
"Wherever you end up, mate, don't become a grand poofter like my grandsire. Got it?" Spike asked jokingly . . . sort of.
"Same to you," William replied with a laugh.
"And uh . . . good luck," Spike added, trying to sound nonchalant.
William grinned.
They both opened their doors, stepping through slowly.
*****
Buffy quickly wiped the tears from her face. She took a deep breath.
Everyone in the room was quiet as possible.
They all stared at Spike.
Then, the flickering stopped.
At first, they didn't know what to expect.
When Spike's body didn't disappear, they all felt relief, but still didn't move. They waited for Spike to wake up.
Buffy touched Spike's cheek. She was still waiting for him.
Finally, his eyes opened.
No one said a word.
His eyes scanned the room. His face remained blank.
Everyone continued to stare, trying to figure out if they were looking at Spike or William.
Buffy bit her lip. She finally broke the silence. "Spike?"
His eyes looked into hers. He blinked quickly.
"Spike, is that you?" Buffy asked with hope in her voice.
He furrowed his brow. "Wow." That was all he said.