CHAPTER SIX ~ Revelations
Spike stood outside the door to the Magic Box, one hand on the doorknob, while Buffy and Dawn waited behind him. He let in one deep breath, sighed loudly, then turned back to the two impatient women. "I can't do it."
Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed past him, intent on opening the front door. Spike grabbed her arm. "Don't!"
"God, Spike. What's your deal? You've been in the Magic Box before, and facing a pissed Giles or Xander has never really been a problem for you." Buffy looked on as Spike let out another weary sigh and leaned back on the wall next to the entrance.
"Because, pet, being human means there's a lot more ways they can kill me now. It's not just limited to fire and sharp pieces of wood anymore." Spike was *dying* for a smoke at the moment. Even if he did hack up a lung, it'd be worth it for a few moments of peace.
Dawn had to smile. "You, the former Big Bad, are afraid of *Xander*?"
Spike looked indignant. "Course I'm not afraid of that ponce. I'm just saying, it's a lot easier for me to die now, and having just been returned to the living, I don't exactly want to leave quite yet."
Buffy nodded to Dawn, and they each grabbed one of the ex-vamp's arms, pulling him off the side of the building.
Spike was startled. "Hey! What are you…"
"Spike, just relax." Buffy took his hand in hers while Dawn stepped back a bit. "Look, I won't let them do anything to you, 'kay?"
He ripped his hand violently from hers and paced back to the door. "I don't need your protection, Slayer. I can handle myself just fine." And with that he opened the door, and let the ladies lead the way.
* * * * *
Giles was the first to look up from his spot at the round table, which was already piled up with quite a collection of books. Anya was next, in her usual position at the cash register. Finally, Xander glanced towards the door, and all of them were stunned to see the shockingly blonde man walk in behind the two females.
"Buffy…" Giles looked decidedly concerned, and not for the first time, he cursed not having his glasses to wipe nervously.
"Hi, Giles," Buffy replied quietly. "Um, look who's home."
Anya glanced over to Spike, but remained silent and went back to her tallying without a word. Xander glared at him, but also kept quiet, and Spike was beginning to get worried by all the not-talking going on.
"Allo, all." Spike tried to come out sounding like his confident, cocky self, but it didn't work. He sounded just as desperate as he felt.
Giles stood up and walked over to stand in front of him. "Spike. You're back." Though he sounded rather intimidating, Spike could detect a hint of welcome behind his words.
"Could say the same for you, Rupert."
Giles let out a tiny grin. "Yes, I assume you could."
Spike smiled in return. "So, how was the Mother Country? Just as dull and dreary as ever, I 'spose."
Giles was beginning to reply when Spike was suddenly slammed into the side of the table. "What the hell are you doing back, Dead Boy?"
"Xander! Stop it!" Dawn cried out.
Xander pinned Spike on top of the table and sneered down at him. "I thought you finally got a clue and left. Finally realized no one wanted you here."
Spike smirked. "Miss me, Harris?"
Xander tightened his grip on the blonde's neck and smirked back. "Not really, no. You shoulda stayed gone, Spike…"
Having enough with the testosterone show she held a front seat to, Buffy gently placed a hand on Xander's shoulder and pulled him back. "Xander, don't. Not right now…actually, never. Just leave it go, okay?"
"But Buffy, he…"
"Stop, Xander. Just stop. There are more important things to deal with right now." She turned to face Giles. "Such as what's happened to Spike."
Giles suddenly looked very interested. "And what has happened to Spike, exactly?"
The ex-vampire stood up from the table, then focused his gaze on the floor. "I'm not exactly of the undead persuasion anymore, mate."
Giles was confused. He turned to Buffy. "What does he mean by that?"
Spike let out an exasperated sigh and looked him in the eyes. "I'm not dead, you pillock. I'm alive."
"Oh…" Giles muttered. He sat down at the table and rubbed his eyes wearily. "…dear."
Dawn walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kinda a lot to take in, huh? Took me awhile to get used to it, too."
"Yes, right." Giles continued rubbing at his eyes, then looked back down to the table. "Well, at least I already have my books out…"
* * * * *
Giles, pen and notebook in hand, tried to catch the attention of the man pacing somewhat apprehensively in front of him, "Right, then. Let me see if I understand this quite correctly. You went to visit an evil…*lurking*…demon, somewhere in Africa…"
Spike stopped his pacing and faced the Watcher. "Uganda, to be exact. It's one of the ones in the middle."
Giles grinned and looked up. "Yes, thank you. I actually already knew that." He glanced back down to his notes. "In any case, you visited this demon, and he returned you to the living after you completed some…trials? Is that correct?"
Spike flipped absentmindedly through the pages of some ancient text. "That'd be correct."
Giles went back to his notebook. "And this demon…he just restored your soul to you out of the…how did you put it…the *evilness* of his heart?"
Spike never stopped his idle page turning, but was beginning to look unquestionably flustered. "Um, not exactly, mate."
Giles looked up to him once more, his interest renewed. "So why, precisely, *did* he return your soul and make you human?"
All eyes turned to Spike, except for Buffy's, which remained steadfast on the counter where she sat. The former vampire looked down at the pages in front of him and mumbled, "I wanted to give Buffy what she deserved."
Giles stared at him in puzzlement. "Can you repeat that, please? I…I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly."
Spike finally looked him in the eye and said clearly, "He said I could have anything I wanted if I completed the trials, and I wanted to give Buffy what she deserved." He took a deep breath, raised his head, and finished confidently, "I told Lurky that I wanted to be able to give her what she needed, and to be what she deserved. And look…he made it happen."
Giles once again pinched his nose, while Xander flew out of his seat. "Okay, that right there's about all I can take! I can deal with the Evil Undead over there becoming Soul Boy Jr. Heck, I can even deal with him being all warm and pulse having. But I'm drawing the line at letting that *monster* even suggest that he's what Buffy deserves!" He looked at Spike in pure disgust. "God, you'll *never* be what she deserves. You'll never be more than a thing to her, no matter what kinda mojo some evil demon pulls on you."
Buffy jumped down from the counter and pushed Xander back in his chair. "Okay, stop with the rant." She glared down at him. "Xander, when did you become my guardian? Who gave you the right to tell me what I do and don't do with my life? Or how I can or cannot feel about someone?"
Xander looked up at her incredulously. "Buff, he…"
"Really don't want to hear it right now. And believe me, I *have* thought things through. Look, I'm not saying I'm with, or going to be with, Spike. And I'm not saying that I won't. I'm just saying that it's *not* your choice, no matter how much you want to protect me." She sighed and took a seat next to him and took his hand. "I love you, Xand. And I know that you're just trying to look out for me. But I *am* a big girl now. I really can take care of myself. So I don't want to deal with this petty crap, okay? You can sit here and help us try to find out what's going on, or you can leave. Either way, I don't want to hear another word about this."
And without a word, Xander got up from his seat and left the Magic Box.
* * * * *
Anya walked to the front door and flipped the sign hanging outside from *OPEN* to *CLOSED*. "I'm heading home now, Giles. Do you still have the key to lock up the shop?"
Giles looked up at her distractedly from one of his tomes. "What was that? I'm sorry, this text is rather involved."
Anya sighed and walked to stand in front of him. "I asked if you still had your key to lock up the store. Reading all these small words is making my head hurt, and I don't like to be in pain. So I'm going home now, and you can make sure that the Magic Box is locked up before you leave, alright?"
The ex-librarian smiled back up at her. "Of course, Anya. I trust I'll see you tomorrow morning, then?"
She turned around and replied as she left, "You'd better be here bright and early, if you plan on getting paid…"
With the smile still on his face, Giles went back to his book. He, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike had all been sitting around the table, scouring through his collection of ancient prophecies and demon lore to find anything with the slightest relevancy to resurrecting vampires to their human forms or demons that returned souls. "I still believe that there is more to this than just your Cave Demon, Spike. I'm sure we'll find an explanation somewhere in here…somewhere."
Spike grinned sardonically at the older man. "Right, 'cause your dusty books have been so much help to us before, haven't they?"
The Watcher gave the blonde a small scowl, then turned back to the tome. He suddenly noticed a small passage just as he was about to move onto the next volume. "Oh…wait. I think I may have found something…"
Spike shot out of his seat and stood looking over the Watcher's shoulder. "What do you got?"
"Well, it...it seems there is a certain demon, a Mohra, that's blood has certain regenerative properties. When it is mixed with the blood of an undead being, such as a vampire, said being is restored to life." He turned to look up at the former vamp. "That could explain your sudden humanity, though it wouldn't exactly help us on the issue of your resouling. Maybe fighting one of these was a part of your trials?"
"Nope. Sorry mate." Spike shook his head, continuing to look over Giles' shoulder at another text beside the one he had just read from. "Didn't come to blows with any Mohras. I'd remember taking one of those on." He reached over Giles and picked up the book he was concentrating on. "Hey, now. Think I might've found something…"
Buffy got up from her chair to stand next to him. "What'd you get?"
"Spike, I just studied that manuscript. It didn't have anything useful to us." Giles once again pinched the bridge of his nose, the night's research beginning to wear him out.
The younger man was engrossed in the text. Finally, he turned to the Watcher and pointed out a passage. "Here, read this."
Giles took the book from his hand and began to read out loud:
"Borne from Darkness, Resurrected by Light
Two as One
The Man and the Woman
Warriors both
With Strengths and Weaknesses Equal
Battling in Darkness, Living in Light
Shall meet in Shadow to face the Final Evil
Then rise from the Last Battle victorious
Forevermore known as The Chosen Two
So shall it be until End of Days"
Giles paused for a moment, then set the book back on the table with a loud *thump*. "Dear lord…"
Buffy looked understandably confused. "Huh?"
Dawn sat up a bit straighter and looked at her mentor. "Giles? Is it really bad? Like dire, end-of-the-world bad?"
Giles seemed to come out of his daze for a moment. "Oh…no. Well, perhaps…just a moment, please." He began rereading the prophecy to himself.
Spike began to get agitated. "Look, I consider myself an intelligent man. But I'm gonna have to go with the Slayer on this one. What does it mean?"
The Watcher looked up to face him. "I would have thought you'd understand it's meaning. You *were* the one to point it out to me, weren't you?"
"Well, yeah. But I just thought it looked interesting, a good read. So can you please decipher it and tell us what it actually *means*, now?"
Giles pondered the text once more before turning to look at the ex-vampire. "This prophecy would seem to imply, Spike, that you are, in fact, the First Male Slayer, and that you and Buffy will have to face the final Apocalyptic battle together."
Spike stared dumbly at him for a moment. "Huh?"
Spike stood outside the door to the Magic Box, one hand on the doorknob, while Buffy and Dawn waited behind him. He let in one deep breath, sighed loudly, then turned back to the two impatient women. "I can't do it."
Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed past him, intent on opening the front door. Spike grabbed her arm. "Don't!"
"God, Spike. What's your deal? You've been in the Magic Box before, and facing a pissed Giles or Xander has never really been a problem for you." Buffy looked on as Spike let out another weary sigh and leaned back on the wall next to the entrance.
"Because, pet, being human means there's a lot more ways they can kill me now. It's not just limited to fire and sharp pieces of wood anymore." Spike was *dying* for a smoke at the moment. Even if he did hack up a lung, it'd be worth it for a few moments of peace.
Dawn had to smile. "You, the former Big Bad, are afraid of *Xander*?"
Spike looked indignant. "Course I'm not afraid of that ponce. I'm just saying, it's a lot easier for me to die now, and having just been returned to the living, I don't exactly want to leave quite yet."
Buffy nodded to Dawn, and they each grabbed one of the ex-vamp's arms, pulling him off the side of the building.
Spike was startled. "Hey! What are you…"
"Spike, just relax." Buffy took his hand in hers while Dawn stepped back a bit. "Look, I won't let them do anything to you, 'kay?"
He ripped his hand violently from hers and paced back to the door. "I don't need your protection, Slayer. I can handle myself just fine." And with that he opened the door, and let the ladies lead the way.
* * * * *
Giles was the first to look up from his spot at the round table, which was already piled up with quite a collection of books. Anya was next, in her usual position at the cash register. Finally, Xander glanced towards the door, and all of them were stunned to see the shockingly blonde man walk in behind the two females.
"Buffy…" Giles looked decidedly concerned, and not for the first time, he cursed not having his glasses to wipe nervously.
"Hi, Giles," Buffy replied quietly. "Um, look who's home."
Anya glanced over to Spike, but remained silent and went back to her tallying without a word. Xander glared at him, but also kept quiet, and Spike was beginning to get worried by all the not-talking going on.
"Allo, all." Spike tried to come out sounding like his confident, cocky self, but it didn't work. He sounded just as desperate as he felt.
Giles stood up and walked over to stand in front of him. "Spike. You're back." Though he sounded rather intimidating, Spike could detect a hint of welcome behind his words.
"Could say the same for you, Rupert."
Giles let out a tiny grin. "Yes, I assume you could."
Spike smiled in return. "So, how was the Mother Country? Just as dull and dreary as ever, I 'spose."
Giles was beginning to reply when Spike was suddenly slammed into the side of the table. "What the hell are you doing back, Dead Boy?"
"Xander! Stop it!" Dawn cried out.
Xander pinned Spike on top of the table and sneered down at him. "I thought you finally got a clue and left. Finally realized no one wanted you here."
Spike smirked. "Miss me, Harris?"
Xander tightened his grip on the blonde's neck and smirked back. "Not really, no. You shoulda stayed gone, Spike…"
Having enough with the testosterone show she held a front seat to, Buffy gently placed a hand on Xander's shoulder and pulled him back. "Xander, don't. Not right now…actually, never. Just leave it go, okay?"
"But Buffy, he…"
"Stop, Xander. Just stop. There are more important things to deal with right now." She turned to face Giles. "Such as what's happened to Spike."
Giles suddenly looked very interested. "And what has happened to Spike, exactly?"
The ex-vampire stood up from the table, then focused his gaze on the floor. "I'm not exactly of the undead persuasion anymore, mate."
Giles was confused. He turned to Buffy. "What does he mean by that?"
Spike let out an exasperated sigh and looked him in the eyes. "I'm not dead, you pillock. I'm alive."
"Oh…" Giles muttered. He sat down at the table and rubbed his eyes wearily. "…dear."
Dawn walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kinda a lot to take in, huh? Took me awhile to get used to it, too."
"Yes, right." Giles continued rubbing at his eyes, then looked back down to the table. "Well, at least I already have my books out…"
* * * * *
Giles, pen and notebook in hand, tried to catch the attention of the man pacing somewhat apprehensively in front of him, "Right, then. Let me see if I understand this quite correctly. You went to visit an evil…*lurking*…demon, somewhere in Africa…"
Spike stopped his pacing and faced the Watcher. "Uganda, to be exact. It's one of the ones in the middle."
Giles grinned and looked up. "Yes, thank you. I actually already knew that." He glanced back down to his notes. "In any case, you visited this demon, and he returned you to the living after you completed some…trials? Is that correct?"
Spike flipped absentmindedly through the pages of some ancient text. "That'd be correct."
Giles went back to his notebook. "And this demon…he just restored your soul to you out of the…how did you put it…the *evilness* of his heart?"
Spike never stopped his idle page turning, but was beginning to look unquestionably flustered. "Um, not exactly, mate."
Giles looked up to him once more, his interest renewed. "So why, precisely, *did* he return your soul and make you human?"
All eyes turned to Spike, except for Buffy's, which remained steadfast on the counter where she sat. The former vampire looked down at the pages in front of him and mumbled, "I wanted to give Buffy what she deserved."
Giles stared at him in puzzlement. "Can you repeat that, please? I…I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly."
Spike finally looked him in the eye and said clearly, "He said I could have anything I wanted if I completed the trials, and I wanted to give Buffy what she deserved." He took a deep breath, raised his head, and finished confidently, "I told Lurky that I wanted to be able to give her what she needed, and to be what she deserved. And look…he made it happen."
Giles once again pinched his nose, while Xander flew out of his seat. "Okay, that right there's about all I can take! I can deal with the Evil Undead over there becoming Soul Boy Jr. Heck, I can even deal with him being all warm and pulse having. But I'm drawing the line at letting that *monster* even suggest that he's what Buffy deserves!" He looked at Spike in pure disgust. "God, you'll *never* be what she deserves. You'll never be more than a thing to her, no matter what kinda mojo some evil demon pulls on you."
Buffy jumped down from the counter and pushed Xander back in his chair. "Okay, stop with the rant." She glared down at him. "Xander, when did you become my guardian? Who gave you the right to tell me what I do and don't do with my life? Or how I can or cannot feel about someone?"
Xander looked up at her incredulously. "Buff, he…"
"Really don't want to hear it right now. And believe me, I *have* thought things through. Look, I'm not saying I'm with, or going to be with, Spike. And I'm not saying that I won't. I'm just saying that it's *not* your choice, no matter how much you want to protect me." She sighed and took a seat next to him and took his hand. "I love you, Xand. And I know that you're just trying to look out for me. But I *am* a big girl now. I really can take care of myself. So I don't want to deal with this petty crap, okay? You can sit here and help us try to find out what's going on, or you can leave. Either way, I don't want to hear another word about this."
And without a word, Xander got up from his seat and left the Magic Box.
* * * * *
Anya walked to the front door and flipped the sign hanging outside from *OPEN* to *CLOSED*. "I'm heading home now, Giles. Do you still have the key to lock up the shop?"
Giles looked up at her distractedly from one of his tomes. "What was that? I'm sorry, this text is rather involved."
Anya sighed and walked to stand in front of him. "I asked if you still had your key to lock up the store. Reading all these small words is making my head hurt, and I don't like to be in pain. So I'm going home now, and you can make sure that the Magic Box is locked up before you leave, alright?"
The ex-librarian smiled back up at her. "Of course, Anya. I trust I'll see you tomorrow morning, then?"
She turned around and replied as she left, "You'd better be here bright and early, if you plan on getting paid…"
With the smile still on his face, Giles went back to his book. He, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike had all been sitting around the table, scouring through his collection of ancient prophecies and demon lore to find anything with the slightest relevancy to resurrecting vampires to their human forms or demons that returned souls. "I still believe that there is more to this than just your Cave Demon, Spike. I'm sure we'll find an explanation somewhere in here…somewhere."
Spike grinned sardonically at the older man. "Right, 'cause your dusty books have been so much help to us before, haven't they?"
The Watcher gave the blonde a small scowl, then turned back to the tome. He suddenly noticed a small passage just as he was about to move onto the next volume. "Oh…wait. I think I may have found something…"
Spike shot out of his seat and stood looking over the Watcher's shoulder. "What do you got?"
"Well, it...it seems there is a certain demon, a Mohra, that's blood has certain regenerative properties. When it is mixed with the blood of an undead being, such as a vampire, said being is restored to life." He turned to look up at the former vamp. "That could explain your sudden humanity, though it wouldn't exactly help us on the issue of your resouling. Maybe fighting one of these was a part of your trials?"
"Nope. Sorry mate." Spike shook his head, continuing to look over Giles' shoulder at another text beside the one he had just read from. "Didn't come to blows with any Mohras. I'd remember taking one of those on." He reached over Giles and picked up the book he was concentrating on. "Hey, now. Think I might've found something…"
Buffy got up from her chair to stand next to him. "What'd you get?"
"Spike, I just studied that manuscript. It didn't have anything useful to us." Giles once again pinched the bridge of his nose, the night's research beginning to wear him out.
The younger man was engrossed in the text. Finally, he turned to the Watcher and pointed out a passage. "Here, read this."
Giles took the book from his hand and began to read out loud:
"Borne from Darkness, Resurrected by Light
Two as One
The Man and the Woman
Warriors both
With Strengths and Weaknesses Equal
Battling in Darkness, Living in Light
Shall meet in Shadow to face the Final Evil
Then rise from the Last Battle victorious
Forevermore known as The Chosen Two
So shall it be until End of Days"
Giles paused for a moment, then set the book back on the table with a loud *thump*. "Dear lord…"
Buffy looked understandably confused. "Huh?"
Dawn sat up a bit straighter and looked at her mentor. "Giles? Is it really bad? Like dire, end-of-the-world bad?"
Giles seemed to come out of his daze for a moment. "Oh…no. Well, perhaps…just a moment, please." He began rereading the prophecy to himself.
Spike began to get agitated. "Look, I consider myself an intelligent man. But I'm gonna have to go with the Slayer on this one. What does it mean?"
The Watcher looked up to face him. "I would have thought you'd understand it's meaning. You *were* the one to point it out to me, weren't you?"
"Well, yeah. But I just thought it looked interesting, a good read. So can you please decipher it and tell us what it actually *means*, now?"
Giles pondered the text once more before turning to look at the ex-vampire. "This prophecy would seem to imply, Spike, that you are, in fact, the First Male Slayer, and that you and Buffy will have to face the final Apocalyptic battle together."
Spike stared dumbly at him for a moment. "Huh?"
