Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox,
etc... except of course the ones I make up.
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
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APACOLYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 12: Not So Evil
There was silence amongst the guests at the Summers' house. The things they had just heard were horrifying, truly and utterly terrible. It was only a matter of time, however, before the interrogation began.
Dawn spoke first. "So, they all just died? Was it- did Ayanathla kill them?"
"No, she would have eventually, she intended to kill all the good on earth. What killed them was the energy they needed to channel through thtemselves in order to bind her, it was so powerful that it incinerated them," Anya said sadly. "That's what happens when someone allows themselves to get out of control with their magic," she added.
The last comment caused Tara to squeeze Willow's hand tightly. She could practically read her lover's mind of the horrible thoughts that were going through her head. Her face was saying it: What if that were me?
"So, what does this mean, exactly?" Buffy asked. "Now that she's trying to reemerge."
Anya sighed heavily. "My best guess would be to finish what she started."
"So an apocalypse?" Buffy questioned rhetorically. "Another?"
"Yes," the ex-demon answered simply.
"But she's human?" Dawn inquired, "so we can't kill her?"
"She's beyond humanity. The magicks she absorbed changed her, made her different, made her not-so-human. I guess a sorceress if you will."
"So she's a sorceress trying to end the world. Well at least we know what we're dealing with," Buffy stated.
Janice turned to Dawn and quietly asked if she could stay the night.
"Of course," Dawn replied. "I suppose it's not everyday that you find out about the impending apocalypse huh? Unless you're one of us I guess."
Janice smiled weakly. "I'm just gonna call my mom," she said as she turned and left for the kitchen.
After about fifteen minutes and she didn't come back, Willow got up and went in to check on the teen. She found her in the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools with her head in her hands.
"Janice?"
The girl's head shot up and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh, hey Willow," she said, obviously embarrassed about being caught crying.
"Hey, were you crying?"
That made it a world worse. "Uh..."
"It's okay, don't feel bad. I get it if you're scared or whatever."
Janice laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah well, apocalypse and all, I mean, it's kind of... wow."
Willow smiled. "Yeah, we've faced quite a few actually. It's amazing that we've gone this long without one."
Janice cocked her head. "Really?"
"Oh yeah, I think we've faced like, eight? Buffy's even died twice."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all. But I mean, look, we're all here. We're apocalypse experts. Kinda like the Ghostbusters, except, we don't have a fire truck. Or matching outfits."
Janice laughed. "Good, because I don't look great in beige."
"Felling any better?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, you know what, I am. Thanks," she said and Willow gave her a tight squeeze.
"It's what I do."
Willow released her and they both walked back into the living room where the conversation had picked up a bit. They had seemed to have changed the subject, probably just to get off such a morbid topic on an evening that should be a happy occasion.
Once again Spike left the party, this time, however, politely excusing himself first. Once he said his last congratulations he turned and ran up the stairs. No one seemed to think anything of it, except strangely enough, Xander.
After asking for the thousandth time if his wife was okay, he left the living room and ran upstairs where he expected to find Spike moping in Buffy's bedroom. However, he found him lingering in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his lack of reflection.
"Maybe it's broken," Xander joked, but Spike made no response. He just continued to stare at the mirror, which now reflected only Xander.
"Spike?"
"I'm thinking about letting my hair grow out," Spike told the carpenter randomly.
"What?" Xander asked, unsure of where the new topic had come from.
"I think I'm going to stop dying my hair."
Xander chuckled. "But Spike, it's so a part of your sinister attraction."
"Well maybe I don't want to be sinister," Spike said, turning around and revealing to Xander that he was holding the bottle of peroxide which he used to dye his hair.
"What do you mean?" Xander question, furrowing his brow.
Spike grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Maybe I don't want to be evil."
Xander was completely taken aback by that comment. Spike not wanting to be evil? That was a new one. He knew Spike was full of fun surprising but her never expected to hear something like that. Then it occurred to him.
"Does this have to do with this new demon or whatever, Ayanathla?"
"No. Yes. Sort of. It's just that..." he sighed "if this new bird were to kill all the good on the earth, and I wasn't considered that, good I mean, and Buffy and Dawn were to... you know. I just, I'd rather be dead than not have them. And I realized that recently, how much they really do mean to me. I always knew I loved them and cared about them but now they're a part of my life and having that taken away from me, I wouldn't be able to do it. I just..."
Spike stopped mid-sentence when he realized who he was talking to. Who he was sharing his feeling and fears with. But unlike he imagined he would, Xander was just listening respectfully.
"I just don't want to be evil."
Xander nodded and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, from what I've been told, you sort of have a soul now and-"
"Having a soul doesn't make me a good person, Xander," Spike interrupted. "Having a soul doesn't make me a man."
Xander sighed heavily. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned from living in Sunnydale, it's that you can't be so quick to judge another person. So Spike, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge yourself."
And with that, Xander turned and left Spike alone in the bathroom.
Spike turned back to the mirror where for a second, he swore that he had seen his reflection. He shook his head, knowing that that wasn't possible as he opened the bottle of bleach and poured the remainder down the drain.
TBC...
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Okay you guys, once again I'm going to shamelessly plead for reviews so here goes: Please please please review. Many reviews makes for a happy writer. And a happy writer makes for a fast writer!
Summary: While Dawn is dealing with balancing school, slaying and dating, Buffy and Spike are dealing with their relation. And all together they are dealing with impending apocalypse.
Spoilers: Well, it takes place about a year and a half after "Normal Again", but it's pretty AU. Xander and Anya are married and Tara is alive.
Continuity: It's the sequel to "The Delegation of Aurelius". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It sort of just picks up where "TDoA" left off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
APACOLYPSE NOW... AGAIN
Chapter 12: Not So Evil
There was silence amongst the guests at the Summers' house. The things they had just heard were horrifying, truly and utterly terrible. It was only a matter of time, however, before the interrogation began.
Dawn spoke first. "So, they all just died? Was it- did Ayanathla kill them?"
"No, she would have eventually, she intended to kill all the good on earth. What killed them was the energy they needed to channel through thtemselves in order to bind her, it was so powerful that it incinerated them," Anya said sadly. "That's what happens when someone allows themselves to get out of control with their magic," she added.
The last comment caused Tara to squeeze Willow's hand tightly. She could practically read her lover's mind of the horrible thoughts that were going through her head. Her face was saying it: What if that were me?
"So, what does this mean, exactly?" Buffy asked. "Now that she's trying to reemerge."
Anya sighed heavily. "My best guess would be to finish what she started."
"So an apocalypse?" Buffy questioned rhetorically. "Another?"
"Yes," the ex-demon answered simply.
"But she's human?" Dawn inquired, "so we can't kill her?"
"She's beyond humanity. The magicks she absorbed changed her, made her different, made her not-so-human. I guess a sorceress if you will."
"So she's a sorceress trying to end the world. Well at least we know what we're dealing with," Buffy stated.
Janice turned to Dawn and quietly asked if she could stay the night.
"Of course," Dawn replied. "I suppose it's not everyday that you find out about the impending apocalypse huh? Unless you're one of us I guess."
Janice smiled weakly. "I'm just gonna call my mom," she said as she turned and left for the kitchen.
After about fifteen minutes and she didn't come back, Willow got up and went in to check on the teen. She found her in the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools with her head in her hands.
"Janice?"
The girl's head shot up and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh, hey Willow," she said, obviously embarrassed about being caught crying.
"Hey, were you crying?"
That made it a world worse. "Uh..."
"It's okay, don't feel bad. I get it if you're scared or whatever."
Janice laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah well, apocalypse and all, I mean, it's kind of... wow."
Willow smiled. "Yeah, we've faced quite a few actually. It's amazing that we've gone this long without one."
Janice cocked her head. "Really?"
"Oh yeah, I think we've faced like, eight? Buffy's even died twice."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all. But I mean, look, we're all here. We're apocalypse experts. Kinda like the Ghostbusters, except, we don't have a fire truck. Or matching outfits."
Janice laughed. "Good, because I don't look great in beige."
"Felling any better?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, you know what, I am. Thanks," she said and Willow gave her a tight squeeze.
"It's what I do."
Willow released her and they both walked back into the living room where the conversation had picked up a bit. They had seemed to have changed the subject, probably just to get off such a morbid topic on an evening that should be a happy occasion.
Once again Spike left the party, this time, however, politely excusing himself first. Once he said his last congratulations he turned and ran up the stairs. No one seemed to think anything of it, except strangely enough, Xander.
After asking for the thousandth time if his wife was okay, he left the living room and ran upstairs where he expected to find Spike moping in Buffy's bedroom. However, he found him lingering in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his lack of reflection.
"Maybe it's broken," Xander joked, but Spike made no response. He just continued to stare at the mirror, which now reflected only Xander.
"Spike?"
"I'm thinking about letting my hair grow out," Spike told the carpenter randomly.
"What?" Xander asked, unsure of where the new topic had come from.
"I think I'm going to stop dying my hair."
Xander chuckled. "But Spike, it's so a part of your sinister attraction."
"Well maybe I don't want to be sinister," Spike said, turning around and revealing to Xander that he was holding the bottle of peroxide which he used to dye his hair.
"What do you mean?" Xander question, furrowing his brow.
Spike grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Maybe I don't want to be evil."
Xander was completely taken aback by that comment. Spike not wanting to be evil? That was a new one. He knew Spike was full of fun surprising but her never expected to hear something like that. Then it occurred to him.
"Does this have to do with this new demon or whatever, Ayanathla?"
"No. Yes. Sort of. It's just that..." he sighed "if this new bird were to kill all the good on the earth, and I wasn't considered that, good I mean, and Buffy and Dawn were to... you know. I just, I'd rather be dead than not have them. And I realized that recently, how much they really do mean to me. I always knew I loved them and cared about them but now they're a part of my life and having that taken away from me, I wouldn't be able to do it. I just..."
Spike stopped mid-sentence when he realized who he was talking to. Who he was sharing his feeling and fears with. But unlike he imagined he would, Xander was just listening respectfully.
"I just don't want to be evil."
Xander nodded and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, from what I've been told, you sort of have a soul now and-"
"Having a soul doesn't make me a good person, Xander," Spike interrupted. "Having a soul doesn't make me a man."
Xander sighed heavily. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned from living in Sunnydale, it's that you can't be so quick to judge another person. So Spike, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge yourself."
And with that, Xander turned and left Spike alone in the bathroom.
Spike turned back to the mirror where for a second, he swore that he had seen his reflection. He shook his head, knowing that that wasn't possible as he opened the bottle of bleach and poured the remainder down the drain.
TBC...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay you guys, once again I'm going to shamelessly plead for reviews so here goes: Please please please review. Many reviews makes for a happy writer. And a happy writer makes for a fast writer!