Title: Eleutheria
Author: Christine
E-mail: Xanderette43@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be unfortunately.
Distribution: Lil' Nibblin, Fanfiction.net, The Athenaeum, Little Bit of
Evil. anyone else just ask me and I'll let you have it.
Rating: R
Couple: Spike/Dawn
Author's Notes: I'm sorry this has taken so long for me to write, I've
been really busy lately and just haven't had time to write, but I'm back in
action now so don't worry. This takes place three years after the beginning
of season six.
******
Part Three
I look at the clock on the wall. It's almost midnight. My palms are suddenly sweaty, I know pretty soon Spike and I are going through that portal and there's a good chance we won't be coming back. I watch the seconds tick by as I wait for Willow and Tara to come back from their apartment. They told Buffy to go patrol the cemeteries so she wouldn't stop us from going tonight. The Magic Box is unnaturally quiet, I still can't get used to it. A few years ago it would've been noisy with Xander and Anya arguing and Buffy training in the back room. Buffy hardly ever trains anymore, I don't think she cares much about anything, especially her life. Hopefully this trip I'm taking with Spike will fix that. I need my sister back, she's been gone far too long.
The wooden door opens suddenly and I hear the jingle of the bell on top of it. I look away from the clock and see Willow and Tara coming towards me with spell books and bags of ingredients. I give them a small smile, and I know they see the worry within me. Tara rubs my shoulder comfortingly, trying to sooth me. Willow starts lining up the materials and asks Tara to draw the circle in the training room. Tara nods her head and picks up the red paint they brought with them. Willow hands her one of the books with a bookmark in it and she goes into the training room, closing the door behind her. Willow asks me where Spike went, I tell her I have no idea, he didn't want to tell me where he was going. She looks at me funny and then shrugs, going back to counting the materials. I look back at the clock, it's a quarter to twelve now. I can hear the tick of the minute hand as it makes its way around. Willow tells me to relax, everything will go just fine. I try nodding my head but I'm just too nervous about this whole thing. Not that I want to back out, but I'm just afraid of what we'll find there.
I'm just about to ask Willow about what the other reality will be like when the door jingles again and I see Spike walk in. I jump out of my chair and he takes me in his arms. Willow looks back at us and for a brief moment I think she's going to say something but she doesn't. She says hello to Spike and turns her attention back to the spell book. I look up at him and he brushes his lips against mine, calming my nerves for a few moments. I ask him where he was, cutting it so close to the time of the spell. He turns around and pulls a bag through the doorway. It reminds me of the sac that Santa Clause would bring with him every Christmas filled with presents. Spike tugs open the drawstring on it and starts pulling out weapons, some of which I've only read about in Giles' dusty books. He tells me to take my pick, we'll need something to protect ourselves with once we're there. I look down at the array of killing tools and I bend down to pick up the Morning Star. It's a little heavy, but not as much as the sword I was training with earlier. Spike takes the sword and stuffs a few stakes in his duster pockets. He hands one to me and I put it into my leather jacket's pocket that's hanging on one of the chairs.
I see Tara come back from the training room and she and Willow exchange looks. Tara opens her mouth to speak when the front door opens again and Xander and Anya race into the store. Xander gives me a big bear hug and Anya gives me a small wave and then goes to see what the two Wiccans are doing. I hug Xander back, I've missed him so much these past couple months. He could always make me smile no matter how depressed or angry I was. He lets go and looks at me up and down. His eyebrows go up and he asks why I'm dressed like I should be walking the streets of New York City. I roll my eyes and I tell him that Spike and I have to fit in with the crowd in the other reality, and since vampires make up most of that reality, leather would go better then lace. He nods in understanding and turns around as Willow calls us over. I grab my leather jacket and throw it on as we follow her into the training room in the back. She tells Spike and I to stand on the edges of the circle on the floor next to each other.
I look over at Xander and he gives me a small smile. I smile back and I see him walk over to Spike on the other side of the circle. I can see Spike roll his eyes and nod his head agreeing with whatever Xander is saying to him. Willow and Tara hug me and wish me luck before they start the spell and Anya throws her arms around me telling me I'd better come back or else she won't have anyone to talk to about men. I hug her back and I tell her not to worry, Spike and I will be back; hopefully with Buffy's cure. She goes back to stand next to Xander and I know they're worried beyond belief about this. I also know Xander wants to come with us, but it'll be too risky; it's already dangerous enough.
Tara gives Spike and I two amulets to help protect us, I stuff it into my pants pocket before I lose it somewhere. She and Willow exchange looks again and slowly start the spell, chanting to the Gods and Goddesses. I look over at Spike and he winks at me, trying to make the situation lighter somehow. I reach over to hold his hand and his fingers interlock with my own. I look back over at Willow and Tara. They're holding hands and I can tell they're in deep concentration. I can feel the mystical energy flowing off of them, I hope they have enough strength to keep the portal up until we get back. I pick up the Morning Star off the floor and grip it in my other hand tightly.
Willow's voice gets louder and suddenly a small hole in the air starts to appear. My hand clutches Spike's tighter as the opening becomes almost twice the size of me. Tara looks over at us and nods her head. I say goodbye to everyone and Spike motions for us to start to walk through the portal. I can feel my lip tremble when I realize that I might not ever see my friends ever again, at least the human versions of them. I hear Willow say we have forty-eight hours to find the urn and get back before the portal closes. I nod in understanding and Spike steps into the portal, his right foot disappearing. I close my eyes and follow him slowly into the darkness.
******
Part Three
I look at the clock on the wall. It's almost midnight. My palms are suddenly sweaty, I know pretty soon Spike and I are going through that portal and there's a good chance we won't be coming back. I watch the seconds tick by as I wait for Willow and Tara to come back from their apartment. They told Buffy to go patrol the cemeteries so she wouldn't stop us from going tonight. The Magic Box is unnaturally quiet, I still can't get used to it. A few years ago it would've been noisy with Xander and Anya arguing and Buffy training in the back room. Buffy hardly ever trains anymore, I don't think she cares much about anything, especially her life. Hopefully this trip I'm taking with Spike will fix that. I need my sister back, she's been gone far too long.
The wooden door opens suddenly and I hear the jingle of the bell on top of it. I look away from the clock and see Willow and Tara coming towards me with spell books and bags of ingredients. I give them a small smile, and I know they see the worry within me. Tara rubs my shoulder comfortingly, trying to sooth me. Willow starts lining up the materials and asks Tara to draw the circle in the training room. Tara nods her head and picks up the red paint they brought with them. Willow hands her one of the books with a bookmark in it and she goes into the training room, closing the door behind her. Willow asks me where Spike went, I tell her I have no idea, he didn't want to tell me where he was going. She looks at me funny and then shrugs, going back to counting the materials. I look back at the clock, it's a quarter to twelve now. I can hear the tick of the minute hand as it makes its way around. Willow tells me to relax, everything will go just fine. I try nodding my head but I'm just too nervous about this whole thing. Not that I want to back out, but I'm just afraid of what we'll find there.
I'm just about to ask Willow about what the other reality will be like when the door jingles again and I see Spike walk in. I jump out of my chair and he takes me in his arms. Willow looks back at us and for a brief moment I think she's going to say something but she doesn't. She says hello to Spike and turns her attention back to the spell book. I look up at him and he brushes his lips against mine, calming my nerves for a few moments. I ask him where he was, cutting it so close to the time of the spell. He turns around and pulls a bag through the doorway. It reminds me of the sac that Santa Clause would bring with him every Christmas filled with presents. Spike tugs open the drawstring on it and starts pulling out weapons, some of which I've only read about in Giles' dusty books. He tells me to take my pick, we'll need something to protect ourselves with once we're there. I look down at the array of killing tools and I bend down to pick up the Morning Star. It's a little heavy, but not as much as the sword I was training with earlier. Spike takes the sword and stuffs a few stakes in his duster pockets. He hands one to me and I put it into my leather jacket's pocket that's hanging on one of the chairs.
I see Tara come back from the training room and she and Willow exchange looks. Tara opens her mouth to speak when the front door opens again and Xander and Anya race into the store. Xander gives me a big bear hug and Anya gives me a small wave and then goes to see what the two Wiccans are doing. I hug Xander back, I've missed him so much these past couple months. He could always make me smile no matter how depressed or angry I was. He lets go and looks at me up and down. His eyebrows go up and he asks why I'm dressed like I should be walking the streets of New York City. I roll my eyes and I tell him that Spike and I have to fit in with the crowd in the other reality, and since vampires make up most of that reality, leather would go better then lace. He nods in understanding and turns around as Willow calls us over. I grab my leather jacket and throw it on as we follow her into the training room in the back. She tells Spike and I to stand on the edges of the circle on the floor next to each other.
I look over at Xander and he gives me a small smile. I smile back and I see him walk over to Spike on the other side of the circle. I can see Spike roll his eyes and nod his head agreeing with whatever Xander is saying to him. Willow and Tara hug me and wish me luck before they start the spell and Anya throws her arms around me telling me I'd better come back or else she won't have anyone to talk to about men. I hug her back and I tell her not to worry, Spike and I will be back; hopefully with Buffy's cure. She goes back to stand next to Xander and I know they're worried beyond belief about this. I also know Xander wants to come with us, but it'll be too risky; it's already dangerous enough.
Tara gives Spike and I two amulets to help protect us, I stuff it into my pants pocket before I lose it somewhere. She and Willow exchange looks again and slowly start the spell, chanting to the Gods and Goddesses. I look over at Spike and he winks at me, trying to make the situation lighter somehow. I reach over to hold his hand and his fingers interlock with my own. I look back over at Willow and Tara. They're holding hands and I can tell they're in deep concentration. I can feel the mystical energy flowing off of them, I hope they have enough strength to keep the portal up until we get back. I pick up the Morning Star off the floor and grip it in my other hand tightly.
Willow's voice gets louder and suddenly a small hole in the air starts to appear. My hand clutches Spike's tighter as the opening becomes almost twice the size of me. Tara looks over at us and nods her head. I say goodbye to everyone and Spike motions for us to start to walk through the portal. I can feel my lip tremble when I realize that I might not ever see my friends ever again, at least the human versions of them. I hear Willow say we have forty-eight hours to find the urn and get back before the portal closes. I nod in understanding and Spike steps into the portal, his right foot disappearing. I close my eyes and follow him slowly into the darkness.