In the Name of Love
By Tales of Spike
Spoilers: Story started just prior to As You Were and runs through to the end of Hells Bells. From there on the story goes AU, so Normal Again, Entropy etc. haven't happened and won't.
Dedication: Who wrote such a nice review for the chapters up to chapter 20 that I decided just to post the rest for her.
Disclaimer:
Training room, The Magic Box, Cloth, crystals, string etc. all lain out as if for locator spell but on a larger scale. A small sack in the corner of the room seems to be moving on its own until a kitten's head appears from it.
Tara: Right, we have the spell, but before we break Faith out of jail, we're going do a trial run. We'll make the portal and we should be able to see where it comes out.
Spike: So, we see where Faith'll be goin' but do we send someone through and if we do can we get them back.
Willow: We don't know how to get someone back. We could open the portal again but because time seems to flow differently in different dimensions, say we wait a day here it might be a minute there, or it could be variable. I mean this Joss guy, the one who owns everybody, he could spend a week writing about stuff that takes place over a two day period in April and then just skip the next three weeks and start writing about something that happens in May. There's no predictability at all. Time might not even run in the same direction in both realities all the time. What if he decided he knew what he wanted to happen at the end and then filled in the bits in the middle? And does it become our reality when he writes it, or when this Mutant Enemy production company film it, or is it when UPN transmits it because that's when it enters the public consciousness?
Spike: When did this go all Stephen Hawking. I thought it was just, send Faith, Faith shags manic depressive, he cheers up, we get to have lives again.
Willow: We can hope. Anyway, we thought we might try sending, say one of your poker kittens through. At least that way we can check it works.
Spike: That was meant to be my breakfast. I didn't bring'em for you to chuck through portals at some bloke what's muckin' up our lives… Second thoughts, go ahead, with any luck it'll shit on his carpets.
(Spike goes over to the sack in the corner, picking up each of the three kittens he has with him one by one, talking baby talk to them. Tara follows him over.)
Tara: Spike, what are you doing?
Spike: (He's stopped the baby talk and is now holding a little ginger kitten, that seems to be trying to stroke Spike's nose with it's front paw.) Well, I kinda thought, if I'm going to eat two of them, and then we're sending the other one to him, then maybe we ought to send the cutest one so I was just working out which one I thought it was.
Tara: Yeah, you wouldn't want to eat the cute one.
Spike: Well, what did you think happened to that first kitten you had?
Tara: We only had one kitten.
Spike: Nah, you din't, had two. They were both black and white but they'd diff'rent markings, pet. See I borrowed the first one, but I lost her and by the time I was back ahead of the game she was already some demon's supper so I just stuck her collar on a different one. You really didn't notice? But then, I don't think the second one was around very long.
Tara: Shh! You know Willow gets sensitive when you mention her spells going wrong. She just wanted to meet Atomic Kitten.
Disclaimer 2: Nope, I didn't make up what Spike is singing. It's a song called "Vengeance" by New Model Army.
Feedback: I'd really like feedback, I get all insecure without it and start to think no one's reading this crap I produce, so bring it on at Sandy.Osborne@blueyonder.co.uk.
Chapter 21
"… I wish Quentin Travers and all his knowing accomplices in his misdeeds, against me and those I love, would be permanently transported to an alternate reality where they can live out the rest of their natural lives in safety but they will be unable to harm any other sentient beings either directly or indirectly," Spike read from the notes he'd made on the piece of paper. "And if they all have to wear pink tutus from now till the day they die that would be a bonus," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the other demon, but not the humans to hear.
"Done," replied Fernak as his face took on that veiny look.
Spike looked at the chair where Travers had been sitting. All that remained to show he'd been there were six cable ties two loops of leather thonging and a white terry-towelling bathrobe. Spike lifted the bathrobe and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, he'll have other clothes to wear where he's gone," said the vengeance demon.
Spike smiled and started singing to himself under his breath. "I believe in justice, I believe in vengeance, I believe in gettin' the bastard, gettin' the bastard, gettin' the bastard…"
In comparison with the equivalent facility in our reality the demons in charge run a benign regime. All the inmates are well fed and looked after. They are allowed out of their cells for a daily exercise period and those who are able are encouraged to take part in group activities. In an effort to make them feel at home, when replacement clothing is necessary the keepers duplicate the inmate's original clothing as closely as possible. All the facilities inmates are allowed to live out their natural life spans and no-one even thinks about hacking bits off of them to make cyborgs. Whilst life here is considerably more pleasant than in the facility once run by the Initiative, it is also far more secure. There has never been a successful escape attempt.
For some reason all six new inmates just appeared one evening in the facilities holding cells. They were all wearing tutus in different shades of pink. All have been subjected to behaviour modifying surgery. As a comparative study three have been fitted with the latest behaviour modifying microchips. The other three, (Quentin Travers and his two lawyers) have been subjected to the more traditional pacifying technique known as frontal lobotomy.
"Okay, I reckon if we get a move on and I can get back to the hotel, grab the rest of my stuff and if you'll give me a lift to Heathrow I can get a plane as far as New York tonight. I should get away with booking in late as long as I've only got hand luggage."
"Don't you have to get another coffin and go freight?
"Nah, flying east this time. It's still slightly dodgy but I'll risk it. I can get on a plane leaving here at half eight at night local time and be in New York just after eleven at night there. Tomorrow I leave New York about eight and get to LA just after eleven. It's okay when the time zones are working for you. Just a pity I can't see a way to do it all in one night using the commercial flights.
Let's move it people. I'd really like to be home tomorrow."
Spike shoved all the tools back in his bag, removed the tape from the video camera passing it to Giles. "Right, as promised no permanent injuries, no dead bodies. I take it you can sort out getting copies of that to the council and it's my guess Ronnie knows how to get a copy to the Tarakans." He moved quickly toward the van. "Ronnie, pet, I don't suppose you'd consider letting me clear off that contract, so that I don't have to worry about it hanging over my head any more?"
"I might, if I can have the document back, wherever it is."
"Well, funnily enough I happen to know just the person who's looking after it. I'm sure when they've finished their research you could have it back, provided it has "discharged in full" written across it. What'd you rather have, cash or services?"
Ronnie laughed. "What kind of services are you offering?"
"Nothing that would have the slayer sticking a stake through my heart."
"In that case I'll stick with the money."
"You think that'll be worth your while?"
"I know it. I did a little exercise once where I worked out how much it would cost to hold one of those little bashes you used to throw for Drusilla every so often. I'll take my chances."
"Christ, I don't even want to know the number you came up with. Never dared work it out at the time so don't tell me now."
"Then of course there would be the houses. Assuming the ones where the deeds are in a woman's name went to Drusilla that would mean she got Lisbon, Moscow, Athens, Rome and Boston. That still leaves you London, Paris and New York but then I've only traced back over the last sixty-five years so far, so there may be more."
"Leave a man some secrets, pet. Yeah, there's another one in my name in Florence, the rest are all in Dru's. I'll sort out the valuations and get back to you with a figure."
"If you have a house in London, why were you staying at a hotel?" Giles asked.
"For one thing, anyone could do what I assume Ronnie here did and check the land registry on places where we've stayed before. For another thing, I don't think the tenants would be overly impressed."
"Tenants?"
"Yeah, don't think it would do the places much good to be sitting empty. Look, you thought I was skint, turns out one of your number's been a bit less inclined to make assumptions, and she's been doin' the math. Get over it.
Just out of interest how much did it cost you to lay hands on a tenth of everything I own?"
"Translated into sterling, about two hundred and twenty pounds."
"Bloody hell!" Spike gave a lop-sided smile. "I suppose if someone's got to make a profit I'd as soon it was you."
* * * * *
Despite the fact that The Magic Box had closed its doors to the public several hours before, it currently seemed almost as busy as it did at peak trading hours. None of the assembled Scoobies could bring themselves to settle at the normal table. Anya, Buffy and Dawn were nervous about Xander's appearance or lack thereof. Tara and Willow were just nervous around each other. As a result Anya was flitting round the store with a duster and the others were doing impressions of browsing customers. Of course, when Dawn started wandering round the shop picking up things and looking at them, first Buffy's browsing and then Anya's dusting began to follow the same route.
"Jeez, would you two stop checking out my every move. I was just looking." Dawn moped off in the direction of the table, which was still decorated by the vase of yellow roses. She pulled out a chair and sprawled across it, lying back as far as she could without falling off, arms folded, legs wide. So it turned out she was the first to see Xander come through the door.
His head was slightly bowed and his movements were hesitant, as if he was unsure of his welcome, which was, of course, the case.
"Hey." The greeting was downbeat and non-committal. He looked round the room with a hangdog expression, nodding a greeting to the women present.
Anya moved over to the counter picking up the vase on the way. Everyone else headed for the table where Dawn waited. She glared at Xander as he sat down. "Okay." Buffy tried to find a place to start. "Dawn'll do the important bit later. I guess I get to do the pre-show. You probably all know or have guessed bits of what I'm going to say. I don't think anybody knows the full story.
Since I came back, I haven't really been comfortable round most of you. For months, I didn't feel right. I haven't been able to open up and I've kept secrets from all of you. At first I talked to Spike, but I… I took advantage of how he feels about me. I… I needed comfort and I took it from him. He thought it was the start of a relationship, but it was more like the end. I blackmailed him. I told him that if he told anyone about us I would stake him. I stopped talking to him. He tried to send me away when he realised what it was going to be like, tried to say if he couldn't have all of me that he didn't want the crumbs. I didn't see or didn't care what I did to him."
The group stared at her. Xander's mouth was hanging open. "Bu- Bu…"
"I'm not finished. It went on for months. I haven't been coping very well and whenever things got too much, I'd go to him. I'd used him as a release mechanism and then just to make sure he wouldn't think it was anything other than physical I'd sling a few insults his way and leave him. Every time he tried to tell me he cared about me I'd tell him he couldn't. It wasn't real. He didn't have a soul so he couldn't feel anything and if he did it wasn't love.
I beat him to a pulp, and told him I would never be his girl, that he was evil and without a soul there could never be anything good inside him." Buffy caught Dawn's eye and gave her a rueful smile. "The black eye he had at my birthday party, that was what still showed after a week of vampire healing. He tried to stop me going to the police and when I started hitting him instead of taking the time to explain why I had to do it, he let me. He didn't hit back. He didn't even defend himself and I left him for dead in an alley with three hours to go before the sun came up. I never even spoke to him till he turned up at the party. Never even checked whether he made it out of the sun.
And when Riley came to town, I never even bothered to get his side of the story. I just got on my high horse and broke off the whole thing. Turns out the only reason he got tricked into having those eggs was that he was trying to protect some of us.
So I guess you're all wondering by now what's the point of telling you this now.
I want you all to know that he's basically the innocent party in all of this. He's never done anything except be there when I've needed him on whatever terms I've forced him to accept. He didn't want to hide what was going on. That was me.
I've treated him really badly, but when I've thought about it, so have most of the rest of you. He's always treated like an outsider unless we need him. I think he's more than earned the right to be treated like a member of the team and it's time he was. I know that part of the reason he's been excluded in the past was to spare my feelings but as of now, I'd like him to be given the same consideration you'd give me or Willow or Xander or any of the rest of you. And that still stands whether we manage to make things work when he gets back or not. I'm not saying this because he's going to be my boyfriend; I'm saying it because I think he's proven himself. Has anybody got any objections?"
Buffy looked across at Xander expecting him to be the first and most vocal opponent.
"Buffy, he may have spent a year or so helping us, but he spent far longer trying to kill us. I just don't think he can be trusted. He's a demon. That means he's inherently evil. That isn't going to change."
Behind him Anya looked at him as though her heart were breaking. Xander just seemed to refuse to see the inconsistencies in his logic. He never even seemed to notice that half of his words could equally well be applied to his ex-fiancée.
"Yes, he is a demon. His basic nature is to do evil, but just look at what he's done in the last year. He hasn't killed anyone. He's patrolled with me day in day out since I got back. He's spurned by his own kind and belittled and insulted by you and by me but he's still done nothing but help me, look after my sister and help you all defend the Hellmouth when I wasn't here. If he can do that when we're all against him imagine what he can do with our support.
While he was away he had the chip removed."
Apart from Dawn, the rest of the group looked shocked, but Buffy continued without giving them a chance to interrupt. "It was a matter of necessity. I think in the long term he's always wanted to do it, but circumstances meant he was at risk if he didn't have it done straight away. It's going to be a hard adjustment for him. Xander, if you persist in pushing his buttons then don't be surprised when you get unpleasant results. To be honest, I think you've been… You've acted like a bully for three years now, knowing he couldn't do anything about it. I think he's due some payback or an apology."
"So apart from the fact he's evil and he's dead you also want us to overlook the fact he can hurt us. You want us to overlook the fact you'll be sharing your bed with a thing that will rip your throat out the second his control slips."
"Xander, since I came back he could have done that any time he wanted. Tara says the differences are minute, but the chip didn't recognise me as human. He going to need our help. He's way too proud to ask so I'm asking for him before he gets back. If we want him to overcome his basic nature then we have to be supportive, no more "evil dead, you're in my seat" cracks. I think it's a pretty long time since Spike's actually done anything evil. I'm not saying you have to be friends with him. I just wish you would be civil. Or at least stop being hostile."
"I don't really know any other way to be with someone I hate, but I'll try, only because I don't want to lose you, Buffy, but when it all ends in tears and it will, I'll be the first one to say I told you so." Xander's words seemed to offer a truce, but his expression was bitter.
"Anyone else got any problems about this while we're on the subject?"
Tara replied, "it does worry me a bit that he's got his chip out, but only a little. I think he'll be okay, but it might take a while not to act nervous around him."
"That's just the way things are. You can't help it and I think he'll understand if it takes a little while to adjust. If it helps when they wanted to force him into doing something they threatened the three people he cared most about. Dawn, me and you. I doubt you're in any danger.
I've said my piece. I think it's Dawn's turn now… Dawn."
Dawn looked round at the faces in the room, and then blurted out her news. "I don't know if I've got a soul. I didn't say anything before because I thought Buffy wouldn't be able to love me. She said all this stuff about Spike, and I thought it must apply to me as well. So it was only when she decided to give Spike a fair chance, soul or not, that I felt I could say anything. As things turned out it was Xander going on about Spike that made me tell both of them. I don't know if any of you can tell, or if we can research the spell the monks used to make me or whatever. If I don't have one, I need to know if there's a way to get one and I need to know what difference it would make to see if I'd want one."
"Oh, sweetie…"
"Dawn, you're human. You can't be human without a soul. What on earth would make you think you might not have one?" Willow asked.
"Well, you're a powerful wicca. If you wanted to and you were still practising, could you make a soul?"
"Er, no, but you were made by monks, holy people. They must understand how important a soul is. They wouldn't let you be soulless."
"Willing to make a bet?"
"Tara, is there any way you can tell by reading her aura?" Buffy asked.
"I'm sorry. It can tell you about emotions and about your health, but your soul… not as far as I know."
"Giles is sorting out where the council's research on Glory came from. He's going to see if he can find out anything about the spell that way. Other than that I don't know what else we can do. We pretty much know we don't have anything on the monks. Tara and Willow if you could try the spell books, maybe you might be able to find a spell they might have used or adapted. Anya, have you any books about orbs of Thessula, and how they work?"
Buffy turned to get a response from the store's proprietor, only to find she was no longer in her position behind the counter, or apparently anywhere else in the main shop.
End of chapter 21