Title: Ice Cream and Hell (part 6 - New Life)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG - 13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.. Just Borrowing.
Summary: Buffy finds out that it might just be possible to rescue Spike, but at what cost?
Ice Cream and Hell
It was late. It had to have been midnight, at least, Giles thought as he put the last dish in the drying rack and wiped his hands on the dishtowel. He was trying to help Buffy any way he could. From doing the dishes, to staying in her mom's old room just as a comfort, to settling some nasty debts. That he would discuss with Buffy later. For now, he felt he owed her all he had to give.
"Giles?" He heard in symphony with the door creaking open and slamming
shut. A herd of feet pounded back to the kitchen.
"Y..yes. It's rather late, you know?" he said wearily as Willow, Tara and Anya stampeded into the kitchen.
"Where's Xander?" Anya asked, scanning the room as if Giles might have
hidden the boy in a cabinet.
"I believe he went to retrieve Buffy," Giles responded. "And Dawn's in bed so please try and keep the noise level down."
"Right, sorry," Tara said, gesturing a finger over her lips.
"We have news," Willow said, smiling. "We found Spike."
Giles' eyes widened. "You did? Where did you locate him?" He walked into the living room, three women in tow, and settled into the overstuffed armchair.
"He's in a hell dimension," Tara replied.
"Well, there are several hell dimensions.." Giles began. The three women sat in a line on the couch.
"He's at La Maison Rouge," Anya chirped, matter-of-factly. Giles looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head, and possibly a third. "You know, the Red House. The Red Mansion. Mephistopheles. You can call me Luke...Hell," she gushed.
"Hell?" Giles asked simply.
"Yeah, you know, the regular one," Willow contributed.
"Well, that's decidedly unoriginal," Giles said, wiping his glasses on his shirttail.
"I doubt he was going for points for originality when he ended up there," Willow countered.
"Ah," Giles responded at a loss.
"So, how do we get there?" Tara asked. " I mean without being evil and then dying."
"I told you, Luke's got a strict guest list," Anya interrupted. "You don't just show up at La Maison Rouge. It'd be like crashing Studio 54. Think Luke had a hand in that one too...."
"Who is Luke?" Giles asked, seeing a fourth head pop from the girl's
shoulders.
"Mephistopheles. Come on Giles.." she griped.
"Right," Giles responded, nodding. "So, Anya, since you are familiar with the rules of this dimension, how do we get there?"
"Think I asked that..." Tara said, raising her hand, then lowering it upon receiving Giles's version of the evil eye.
"As I was saying," Anya whined," Strict guest list. You either die, or
you're a demon. Or a blood relative of a demon."
"Blood relative?" Giles repeated. "Seems odd."
"Yeah well, Luke's an odd guy. He's got that 'all about the blood' thing in his head. But he *is* startlingly attractive."
"Well," Giles began, "None of us is currently a demon nor actively dead..." It sounded odd, but in this circle, a prudent point.
"But there is a blood relative, " Willow said, her tone becoming serious.
"Here, in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.
"Yes," Willow answered. "Buffy's baby."
Giles was silent for a long moment. " Willow, I doubt that an unborn child can flit off to hell to rescue its father."
"Her father," Tara corrected.
"Nor do I think Buffy would entertain the notion were it possible," Giles continued.
"But Buffy might be able to go, since the baby is still part of her,"
Willow responded, biting her lip against the tirade she knew would come.
"Buffy," Giles enunciated, biting back his anger," is in *no condition to journey to a hell dimension. She could give birth any day now. Not to mention the fact that we do not know she could indeed make it into the dimension under the rules that Anya so graciously outlined. Nor do we know if her powers will be of any consequence in another dimension. *Nor* do we have a way to get her there even if the rest of the scheme were feasible." His voice rose with every word.
"Of course you can get here there. Dawn's the *Key*, silly," Anya quipped, non-plussed by Giles' outburst.
"So, now you're suggesting we bleed her sister dry to boot? Have you all gone *completely* mad?"
"No, no. Completely dry brings down the walls to *all* the dimensions.
Three drops should cover opening one little portal," Anya responded, either confusing Giles's agitation with excitement or purposely bating him to explode.
"This is ludicrous," Giles raged, slamming his hand down on the coffee
table. Tara and Willow scooted back on the couch like scolded children,
"and if you *ever* breathe a *word of this to Buffy or Dawn, I will..."
"You'll what?" Buffy asked cheerfully, holding an ice cream cone in one
messy hand. Xander stood behind her in the doorway.
"Tell us what, Giles? And could you *make* any more noise?" Dawn asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes from the stairwell.
"Good Heavens," Giles responded, flopping back into the chair.
"Well, go on," Xander said, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Anya. Dawn descended the stairs and hooked her arm through Buffy's.
"Tell us what?" Buffy said, lapping butter pecan as it dribbled down the side of the cone.
"Giles?" Anya prodded.
"Giles?" Tara questioned. "Don't you think it's her call?"
Giles threw up his hands in frustration. "Tell them."
*****
Buffy sat completely still in the chair next to the couch, ice cream melting in a bowl on the table beside her. All eyes were on her. In every way on every word, she was torn. There was no guarantee she could make it into the dimension. There was no guarantee that if she made it there, she could find Spike and bring him back in one piece. Going at all would be endangering her child, herself, not to mention injuring her sister. Still, the chance, even the slimmest chance, to see him again, to touch him, to *say* it...
I love you, Spike
That would be worth the price.
"Can you guarantee me that Dawn would not he hurt?" Buffy asked, very
seriously. Dawn twitched from her perch on the floor, curled against
Buffy's legs.
"Anya tells us it should take just a few drops," Giles responded.
"Buffy, I want to help," Dawn pleaded, looking up at her sister with wet and strangely more mature eyes. " I want him back," she whispered. Buffy reached down and stroked her long dark hair.
"Have you found a way to make sure that both the baby and I survive her
birth?" Buffy asked, weighing her options heavily.
"Not yet," Giles responded, his attention turning to the floorboards.
The wheels turned in the Slayer's mind. Everything clicked into place like the tumblers in a lock. "Then I go," Buffy responded, resolutely.
"Buffy, are you sure?" Giles's voice was a mixture of frustration and fear. His chest was rising and falling at twice normal speed.
"You can't tell me you can save us, but I might be able to save him. I
think the choice is clear," Buffy replied, warm tears swimming in the backs of her eyes. "If I didn't try, then I think the what ifs are a little more than I could live with."
"Alright then," Giles responded, letting his breath escape in a loud sigh.
"We need to do this soon. Like now. We don't know how long this'll take and I don't know how long I've got before the baby makes a grand entrance. When can we do this?" Buffy was gushing, trying to cover the fear with words.
"We can probably have everything set by tomorrow evening. I would just like to look into a few details before I send you to hell," The disapproval was evident in his tone and in his words.
"Thank you," Buffy answered, pushing herself to her feet. Dawn stood up
with her. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Please do this for me."
Slowly, she made her way up the stairs.
To be contd...
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG - 13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.. Just Borrowing.
Summary: Buffy finds out that it might just be possible to rescue Spike, but at what cost?
Ice Cream and Hell
It was late. It had to have been midnight, at least, Giles thought as he put the last dish in the drying rack and wiped his hands on the dishtowel. He was trying to help Buffy any way he could. From doing the dishes, to staying in her mom's old room just as a comfort, to settling some nasty debts. That he would discuss with Buffy later. For now, he felt he owed her all he had to give.
"Giles?" He heard in symphony with the door creaking open and slamming
shut. A herd of feet pounded back to the kitchen.
"Y..yes. It's rather late, you know?" he said wearily as Willow, Tara and Anya stampeded into the kitchen.
"Where's Xander?" Anya asked, scanning the room as if Giles might have
hidden the boy in a cabinet.
"I believe he went to retrieve Buffy," Giles responded. "And Dawn's in bed so please try and keep the noise level down."
"Right, sorry," Tara said, gesturing a finger over her lips.
"We have news," Willow said, smiling. "We found Spike."
Giles' eyes widened. "You did? Where did you locate him?" He walked into the living room, three women in tow, and settled into the overstuffed armchair.
"He's in a hell dimension," Tara replied.
"Well, there are several hell dimensions.." Giles began. The three women sat in a line on the couch.
"He's at La Maison Rouge," Anya chirped, matter-of-factly. Giles looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head, and possibly a third. "You know, the Red House. The Red Mansion. Mephistopheles. You can call me Luke...Hell," she gushed.
"Hell?" Giles asked simply.
"Yeah, you know, the regular one," Willow contributed.
"Well, that's decidedly unoriginal," Giles said, wiping his glasses on his shirttail.
"I doubt he was going for points for originality when he ended up there," Willow countered.
"Ah," Giles responded at a loss.
"So, how do we get there?" Tara asked. " I mean without being evil and then dying."
"I told you, Luke's got a strict guest list," Anya interrupted. "You don't just show up at La Maison Rouge. It'd be like crashing Studio 54. Think Luke had a hand in that one too...."
"Who is Luke?" Giles asked, seeing a fourth head pop from the girl's
shoulders.
"Mephistopheles. Come on Giles.." she griped.
"Right," Giles responded, nodding. "So, Anya, since you are familiar with the rules of this dimension, how do we get there?"
"Think I asked that..." Tara said, raising her hand, then lowering it upon receiving Giles's version of the evil eye.
"As I was saying," Anya whined," Strict guest list. You either die, or
you're a demon. Or a blood relative of a demon."
"Blood relative?" Giles repeated. "Seems odd."
"Yeah well, Luke's an odd guy. He's got that 'all about the blood' thing in his head. But he *is* startlingly attractive."
"Well," Giles began, "None of us is currently a demon nor actively dead..." It sounded odd, but in this circle, a prudent point.
"But there is a blood relative, " Willow said, her tone becoming serious.
"Here, in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.
"Yes," Willow answered. "Buffy's baby."
Giles was silent for a long moment. " Willow, I doubt that an unborn child can flit off to hell to rescue its father."
"Her father," Tara corrected.
"Nor do I think Buffy would entertain the notion were it possible," Giles continued.
"But Buffy might be able to go, since the baby is still part of her,"
Willow responded, biting her lip against the tirade she knew would come.
"Buffy," Giles enunciated, biting back his anger," is in *no condition to journey to a hell dimension. She could give birth any day now. Not to mention the fact that we do not know she could indeed make it into the dimension under the rules that Anya so graciously outlined. Nor do we know if her powers will be of any consequence in another dimension. *Nor* do we have a way to get her there even if the rest of the scheme were feasible." His voice rose with every word.
"Of course you can get here there. Dawn's the *Key*, silly," Anya quipped, non-plussed by Giles' outburst.
"So, now you're suggesting we bleed her sister dry to boot? Have you all gone *completely* mad?"
"No, no. Completely dry brings down the walls to *all* the dimensions.
Three drops should cover opening one little portal," Anya responded, either confusing Giles's agitation with excitement or purposely bating him to explode.
"This is ludicrous," Giles raged, slamming his hand down on the coffee
table. Tara and Willow scooted back on the couch like scolded children,
"and if you *ever* breathe a *word of this to Buffy or Dawn, I will..."
"You'll what?" Buffy asked cheerfully, holding an ice cream cone in one
messy hand. Xander stood behind her in the doorway.
"Tell us what, Giles? And could you *make* any more noise?" Dawn asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes from the stairwell.
"Good Heavens," Giles responded, flopping back into the chair.
"Well, go on," Xander said, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Anya. Dawn descended the stairs and hooked her arm through Buffy's.
"Tell us what?" Buffy said, lapping butter pecan as it dribbled down the side of the cone.
"Giles?" Anya prodded.
"Giles?" Tara questioned. "Don't you think it's her call?"
Giles threw up his hands in frustration. "Tell them."
*****
Buffy sat completely still in the chair next to the couch, ice cream melting in a bowl on the table beside her. All eyes were on her. In every way on every word, she was torn. There was no guarantee she could make it into the dimension. There was no guarantee that if she made it there, she could find Spike and bring him back in one piece. Going at all would be endangering her child, herself, not to mention injuring her sister. Still, the chance, even the slimmest chance, to see him again, to touch him, to *say* it...
I love you, Spike
That would be worth the price.
"Can you guarantee me that Dawn would not he hurt?" Buffy asked, very
seriously. Dawn twitched from her perch on the floor, curled against
Buffy's legs.
"Anya tells us it should take just a few drops," Giles responded.
"Buffy, I want to help," Dawn pleaded, looking up at her sister with wet and strangely more mature eyes. " I want him back," she whispered. Buffy reached down and stroked her long dark hair.
"Have you found a way to make sure that both the baby and I survive her
birth?" Buffy asked, weighing her options heavily.
"Not yet," Giles responded, his attention turning to the floorboards.
The wheels turned in the Slayer's mind. Everything clicked into place like the tumblers in a lock. "Then I go," Buffy responded, resolutely.
"Buffy, are you sure?" Giles's voice was a mixture of frustration and fear. His chest was rising and falling at twice normal speed.
"You can't tell me you can save us, but I might be able to save him. I
think the choice is clear," Buffy replied, warm tears swimming in the backs of her eyes. "If I didn't try, then I think the what ifs are a little more than I could live with."
"Alright then," Giles responded, letting his breath escape in a loud sigh.
"We need to do this soon. Like now. We don't know how long this'll take and I don't know how long I've got before the baby makes a grand entrance. When can we do this?" Buffy was gushing, trying to cover the fear with words.
"We can probably have everything set by tomorrow evening. I would just like to look into a few details before I send you to hell," The disapproval was evident in his tone and in his words.
"Thank you," Buffy answered, pushing herself to her feet. Dawn stood up
with her. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Please do this for me."
Slowly, she made her way up the stairs.
To be contd...