*******
Saturday
*******
Dawn drew in a deep breath. Oz and Xander arrived on the scene right as Dawn sat right up. She felt it. She felt the life returning to her limbs. Cordelia ran her hand along her head.
"Dawn?" Oz said hopefully coming to her side.
Dawn looked up at him with wide eyes. She then looked down at the stone. It was splintered. It was broken now, but Dawn felt like she had for the past few hours. She felt like a slayer again. Pure untainted blood was pulsing through her veins. She was healing, the slayer healing was returning. Fixing her.
She could feel it. She knew.
She was alive, but at what price.
*****
"You bitch!" Angel growled holding Drusilla up by her throat.
She looked at him and pouted, "You love him best!" she accused, "You always have. You spent all the time making him into who he is. You made him all bloody and you'd lap the blood off of his chest and then let him drink from your wrist."
Dru smiled at the thought. It was the most generous of things for a Sire to do to his child. Then she turned back to him glaring.
"Then you would do all the wonderful things to him. He'd cry out so prettily. You never did such nice things to me."
Angel looked at the pitiful thing he had made. She was twisted and deformed, but she was right. She would never be as beautiful as his William. She was right. She was not his favorite. He had done what he had thought best, he had pushed Spike to be the most outrageous vampire ever. He had made the scared little poet into a bloody killer. Part of Angelus would always be proud of him. She was different. She was broken he had made her this way. He looked at her sadly.
"You love him best," she sneered. It was mostly the Anointed One's remaining influence making her this way, but she was fickle under the attentions of her Sire. That is where most of her emotions lay.
Angel reached behind him. He didn't feel the guilt of his soul, nor did he feel the demand of Angelus. He was simply angry. It was his job to punish those who hurt his own.
"You're right," Angel said, deadly soft, "I do love him best."
Drusilla's particles fell to the ground.
Angel looked at his fallen Childe. Buffy was at his side crying. Willow's eyes were dark. Her eyes faded and she looked up at Angel and shook her head.
"Its lodged right next to his heart," Willow whispered. She knew that Spike and Buffy could hear her, but it seemed more appropriate to pretend to tell Angel discretely.
"Can you get it out?" Buffy asked weakly.
Willow shook her head, "I've never really studied how to protect a heart. Saving a vampire is not really something I ever planned to do."
Buffy's heart sank. She knew that her Willow could do this on instinct. However it would take a lot of concentration and a bit of practice with magics. This Willow had only begun to find her power, she was still new at the whole concept of magical manipulation. This Willow couldn't do much more than bend spoons, never mind skin a person alive.
In many ways Buffy was happy with this idea. This Willow wasn't about to end the world. The cost was only the life of the creature before her.
Buffy looked at Spike her eyes wide. He looked at her. He knew. He didn't say anything, he didn't dare move. In his mind this was his last moment to look at her, he wanted to look as long as he possibly could. He wanted to drink in the sight of her creamy skin and green eyes. The image of her would have to sustain him through the eternity of hell that he was doomed to. He wanted nothing more than to watch her until the pain was too much to bear.
"Willow please," Buffy begged.
Willow shook her head and held up her hands, "I don't know. I don't know how to fix him."
The admission made her feel weak. It was almost more than she could bear.
Buffy's eyes began to tear.
"There's got to be something that we can do," Buffy looked up wildly at Angel begging him to help her.
Angel shook his head and Buffy's heart fell.
"I'm sorry," Willow whispered.
Angel took her by the shoulders and gently pulled her away. Angel looked down at his child.
Spike didn't move a muscle, but he moved his eyes up at Angel.
Those eyes were saying, 'Don't you even dare to turn into a Nancy boy now.'
Angel smiled, "Good-bye William."
With that whisper he took Willow away. The rest of the Scooby gang had gathered. They all watched the pair. Angel motioned for them to stay back.
Buffy looked down at Spike.
She didn't dare touch him. She just let the heat emanate off her body into his.
"Its Saturday, don't you have something to do?"
He barely moved his lips. He was trying not to move. In their recently bonded state she could feel the agony that he was in. she could feel that he was in so much pain.
"Whistler! Was this all you sent me back for!" she yelled, "I was only here to fall in love and have to kill someone I love again."
There was no answer.
"Buffy, luv, please," Spike said through clenched teeth.
He was in so much pain. He was in agony. She couldn't watch him any more.
Buffy had nothing else that she could do. Tears blinded her.
She kissed him, her nose nuzzling the contours of his cheekbones. He felt the salty tears as she caressed his cold skin one last time.
He suddenly felt happiness. He felt alright with ending this life. This is what it was to exist, to stand on the precipice of this life and the next and feel the care of someone else. This woman knew of his past and of his actions. She knew he wasn't really anything that was admirable, but she loved him anyways. She looked at him and saw someone that was worth cherishing.
She knew of his lack of soul and she loved him. That moved him beyond words.
Which was fortunate because any heartfelt words would dust him instantaneously.
Buffy pulled away and looked into his eyes. She knew.
Buffy couldn't speak through her tears, but that was enough. He knew. He knew that she was under no delusions. She loved the monster, she loved him.
"I love you," he said to her and she pushed the stake into his heart.
His words lasted longer than his form. Buffy learned down and cried in the ashes of her lover.
Final Author's Note:
Well this is done. I just want to say thank you so much. The reviews have been wonderful. I hope that you have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please review and tell me what you think of this as a whole. I can take bad. For those who are similar to me, romantics, then there is an epilogue which is a bit of fluff which makes things a little better. Don't expect the white picket fence, soul, or baby.
Did I say thank you to everyone who reviewed and encouraged. It makes me happy (Do it one last time!!!)
PS - Want a preview of the next fic? E-mail me at AmandaLord@lycos.com and I will send you the first chapter preview. It will be a week or so before I get it up…I need a fricken break.
Saturday
*******
Dawn drew in a deep breath. Oz and Xander arrived on the scene right as Dawn sat right up. She felt it. She felt the life returning to her limbs. Cordelia ran her hand along her head.
"Dawn?" Oz said hopefully coming to her side.
Dawn looked up at him with wide eyes. She then looked down at the stone. It was splintered. It was broken now, but Dawn felt like she had for the past few hours. She felt like a slayer again. Pure untainted blood was pulsing through her veins. She was healing, the slayer healing was returning. Fixing her.
She could feel it. She knew.
She was alive, but at what price.
*****
"You bitch!" Angel growled holding Drusilla up by her throat.
She looked at him and pouted, "You love him best!" she accused, "You always have. You spent all the time making him into who he is. You made him all bloody and you'd lap the blood off of his chest and then let him drink from your wrist."
Dru smiled at the thought. It was the most generous of things for a Sire to do to his child. Then she turned back to him glaring.
"Then you would do all the wonderful things to him. He'd cry out so prettily. You never did such nice things to me."
Angel looked at the pitiful thing he had made. She was twisted and deformed, but she was right. She would never be as beautiful as his William. She was right. She was not his favorite. He had done what he had thought best, he had pushed Spike to be the most outrageous vampire ever. He had made the scared little poet into a bloody killer. Part of Angelus would always be proud of him. She was different. She was broken he had made her this way. He looked at her sadly.
"You love him best," she sneered. It was mostly the Anointed One's remaining influence making her this way, but she was fickle under the attentions of her Sire. That is where most of her emotions lay.
Angel reached behind him. He didn't feel the guilt of his soul, nor did he feel the demand of Angelus. He was simply angry. It was his job to punish those who hurt his own.
"You're right," Angel said, deadly soft, "I do love him best."
Drusilla's particles fell to the ground.
Angel looked at his fallen Childe. Buffy was at his side crying. Willow's eyes were dark. Her eyes faded and she looked up at Angel and shook her head.
"Its lodged right next to his heart," Willow whispered. She knew that Spike and Buffy could hear her, but it seemed more appropriate to pretend to tell Angel discretely.
"Can you get it out?" Buffy asked weakly.
Willow shook her head, "I've never really studied how to protect a heart. Saving a vampire is not really something I ever planned to do."
Buffy's heart sank. She knew that her Willow could do this on instinct. However it would take a lot of concentration and a bit of practice with magics. This Willow had only begun to find her power, she was still new at the whole concept of magical manipulation. This Willow couldn't do much more than bend spoons, never mind skin a person alive.
In many ways Buffy was happy with this idea. This Willow wasn't about to end the world. The cost was only the life of the creature before her.
Buffy looked at Spike her eyes wide. He looked at her. He knew. He didn't say anything, he didn't dare move. In his mind this was his last moment to look at her, he wanted to look as long as he possibly could. He wanted to drink in the sight of her creamy skin and green eyes. The image of her would have to sustain him through the eternity of hell that he was doomed to. He wanted nothing more than to watch her until the pain was too much to bear.
"Willow please," Buffy begged.
Willow shook her head and held up her hands, "I don't know. I don't know how to fix him."
The admission made her feel weak. It was almost more than she could bear.
Buffy's eyes began to tear.
"There's got to be something that we can do," Buffy looked up wildly at Angel begging him to help her.
Angel shook his head and Buffy's heart fell.
"I'm sorry," Willow whispered.
Angel took her by the shoulders and gently pulled her away. Angel looked down at his child.
Spike didn't move a muscle, but he moved his eyes up at Angel.
Those eyes were saying, 'Don't you even dare to turn into a Nancy boy now.'
Angel smiled, "Good-bye William."
With that whisper he took Willow away. The rest of the Scooby gang had gathered. They all watched the pair. Angel motioned for them to stay back.
Buffy looked down at Spike.
She didn't dare touch him. She just let the heat emanate off her body into his.
"Its Saturday, don't you have something to do?"
He barely moved his lips. He was trying not to move. In their recently bonded state she could feel the agony that he was in. she could feel that he was in so much pain.
"Whistler! Was this all you sent me back for!" she yelled, "I was only here to fall in love and have to kill someone I love again."
There was no answer.
"Buffy, luv, please," Spike said through clenched teeth.
He was in so much pain. He was in agony. She couldn't watch him any more.
Buffy had nothing else that she could do. Tears blinded her.
She kissed him, her nose nuzzling the contours of his cheekbones. He felt the salty tears as she caressed his cold skin one last time.
He suddenly felt happiness. He felt alright with ending this life. This is what it was to exist, to stand on the precipice of this life and the next and feel the care of someone else. This woman knew of his past and of his actions. She knew he wasn't really anything that was admirable, but she loved him anyways. She looked at him and saw someone that was worth cherishing.
She knew of his lack of soul and she loved him. That moved him beyond words.
Which was fortunate because any heartfelt words would dust him instantaneously.
Buffy pulled away and looked into his eyes. She knew.
Buffy couldn't speak through her tears, but that was enough. He knew. He knew that she was under no delusions. She loved the monster, she loved him.
"I love you," he said to her and she pushed the stake into his heart.
His words lasted longer than his form. Buffy learned down and cried in the ashes of her lover.
Final Author's Note:
Well this is done. I just want to say thank you so much. The reviews have been wonderful. I hope that you have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please review and tell me what you think of this as a whole. I can take bad. For those who are similar to me, romantics, then there is an epilogue which is a bit of fluff which makes things a little better. Don't expect the white picket fence, soul, or baby.
Did I say thank you to everyone who reviewed and encouraged. It makes me happy (Do it one last time!!!)
PS - Want a preview of the next fic? E-mail me at AmandaLord@lycos.com and I will send you the first chapter preview. It will be a week or so before I get it up…I need a fricken break.