Title: All Along the Watchtower (Chapter 1)
Author: Hafthand@aol.com
Summary: This is the "All Along the Watchtower" series. Things tend to spin out of control. What if something happened in the past that changed the future, and not for good. In the future Spike and Willow, with the help of the new Slayers, battle it out against the deadliest enemy yet as Hell slowly makes it's home on Earth. Meanwhile in the past, Buffy and Spike and the rest of the Scoobies are only beginning to fall down the path that changed the world.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Not mine. Property of Joss and his wonderful company of Mutant Enemy
Archiving: I would love it archived, but please ask me first so I know where it goes!
NOTES: PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT!! Okay folks, this is going to be a long story with many chapters, and be somewhat confusing at first, but I promise it will make sense later. Okay this is how it is set up. Each chapter begins with a song, this song should be read because it helped influence the chapter and may give clues to what will occur. After that, the story. Now the story goes like this: The future world of Sunnydale is where the action of this story takes place. The flashbacks to Buffy's time shed light on how the Earth came to be overrun by demons. The flashbacks are also the lighter parts of this fic seeing as the future parts are pretty dark.
This is a drama fic with dark parts and humorous parts.
Any questions, please e-mail me at Hafthand@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1: They Stood Up For Love
"Naked lovers feel the blood beneath their veins
Electric nerves communicate
With tiny explosions through their brains
Who is this energy that never left or came?
Give rise to passion the only glory
Of this human story
I give my heart and soul to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin'back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say, everything is just light
Not created, destroyed, but eternally bright
Masters in every time lord in every place
Those who stood up for love, down in spite of the hate
In spite of the hate
Who put the flower in the barrel of that gun?
Who lit the candle, started the fire,
Burnt down the fortress, the throne?
Who could house all the refugees in a single shack
or a lowly bungalow?
Who lives in a different dimension, free from the struggles we know?
I give my heart and soul to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say, everything is just light
Not created, destroyed, but eternally bright
Masters in every time lord in every place
Those who stood up for love, down in spite of the hate
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
They live in the light
We made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Waitin' on a rescue that never comes
Made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Maybe home is where the heart is given up
To the one, to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
They live, they
They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love
They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Masters in every time
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Stood up for love."
-"They Stood Up For Love" by Live
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's a grave new world. Prepare yourself for resurrection and retribution." (upn.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunnydale, CA
Summer's Cemetery #9
April 17, 2264
"Fuck! Things are going wrong Red, very wrong," Spike shouted through a cloud of dust.
"You think Spike?!" Willow shouted back sarcastically. What had started out as a routine 'Slam, Bam' had turned very ugly, very quickly as the warriors realized there were more minions then expected.
"Where are they coming from?" Spike shouted as he ducked away from a vamps roundhouse. He sprang back up and brought his fist up slamming it into his enemies gut. He flipped backwards perching on a tombstone. Looking around he saw what he was searching for and dove gracefully through the air over the minions head. Rolling on the ground he recovered his lost stake and turned quickly embedding the stake's point into the other vampire's heart.
"Traitors," the minion hissed before exploding into a pile of dust.
"Yeah, like I haven't heard that before you stupid git," Spike said as he flipped backwards to avoid an enemy's stake. He landed firmly on the ground to the side of the vampire and dusted her immediately. He crouched down as he heard more growls coming from his right. He looked to his left and watched as Willow fought off three more minions. He contemplated helping her but within seconds she executed three quick moves that left her attackers dust.
She looked down and brushed the dust off her red leather pants. He flowy, silk black shirt had been sliced in several locations, none thankfully near the heart. She looked up to make sure Spike was still there and he saw her eyes go big. He felt the vampire behind him and knew he had been careless. He heard Willow muttering in some language he did not know and felt as dust covered his back. "Thanks Red."
"Watch yourself next time," she said as she walked up to him. "Where's Darcy?" she asked, a moment of panic overcoming both as they looked frantically around the graveyard for their companion. Spike jumped to the top of the nearest mausoleum and looked over the huge graveyard.
"Got him. About 500 yards Northeast," Spike shouted down to Willow.
"Got it," she said before both disappeared, only to reappear not 3 yards from Darcy who was currently engaged in a fight with five vampires.
"Glad you decided to finally show," Darcy grunted as he rolled to avoid a punch, but not before one of the other vampires landed a kick to his side. "Think maybe you ponces could give me a damn hand?"
"Sorry mate, had trouble of our own," replied Spike before staking one vampire and flying towards another. Willow kicked a vampire in the knees and he dropped hard. Willow jumped on him and staked him. Darcy, now relieved of three vamps, quickly finished off the other two.
Dusting himself off, and breathing hard, Darcy turned to his companions. "That was over twenty tonight Spike. Twenty. We expected eight. What the hell happened?" Darcy shouted.
"Calm down junior. Your panties are getting bunched," Spike said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Darcy, do calm down. Listen, we obviously were given bad information. We had better head back to the Bronze and report in," she smiled reassuringly at the young boy. Darcy smiled tightly and mumbled 'Whatever' before heading out of the cemetery.
Willow watched him head towards the tunnels before turning to Spike her eyes flashing with specks of yellow. "Damnit Spike, that is the third time this month our info was crap. You think he knows we're close? You think he can know what we are planning?" Willow asked Spike.
He flicked his fag into the bushes and looked towards where Darcy had been. He glanced back at Willow before starting to collect their fallen weapons. "I don't know Red. Darcy seems to think he always knows where we are. His dreams are getting more vivid the closer we get. I don't know any more damnit! " Suddenly Spike stood up and fastened his eyes on Willows. "About the boy Will, what the hell kind of name is Darcy anyway? Some poofy, nancy-boy name from Austen is what it is," Spike growled as he and Willow headed towards the tunnels as well.
Willow allowed herself to laugh for the first time in a while. She knew Spike was trying to change the subject, and she let him get away with it, this time. "Wow, Jane Austen, that brings back some memories," her laughs died as her and her companion fell silent, lost in their thoughts of days gone by. Willow recovered first and patted Spike on the back. "Anyway, it wasn't your choice to name him Spike. His mother wanted to give him a romantic name, not a fighter's name."
Spike scoffed at this and swung the weapons bag down into the tunnel entrance. "Ha, very funny, only thing is she knew what he was destined to be, I mean look at his father. She knew his destiny was to be the slayer. She should have named him something fierce, hard. Something like..."
"Like William?" Willow asked and laughed again at the look on his face.
"Oh be quiet you silly bint and get your tiny ass down that tunnel," he said, picking up his beloved leather duster and throwing it on over his black leather pants, and plain, black cotton tee. Willow had known this curious vampire for over 260 years and yet his wardrobe was still the same. She once again laughed and enjoyed listening to the sound of it. He looked at her strangely. "You okay there Red? You finally cracking up on me?"
"Spike, I cracked up on you a long time ago," and with that she threw her legs over the side of the access tunnel and let her body fall down the thirty foot drop, choosing to bypass the ladder. She landed squarely on her feet and moved aside as Spike dropped down where she had just been. She turned and started towards the Bronze. She could hear Darcy in the tunnels ahead of them "He's upset Spike."
"So," he mumbled following behind her.
"So, maybe you should talk to him."
"Why me?"
"You know why Spike," he stopped then and gave her a hard look. She returned it, very used to this conversation.
"We are not having this conversation again Red," he said before angrily stomping away. She caught up to him and stopped him with an hand on his arm. He growled slightly and turned to look at her.
"Think about this Spike. The prophets say he is the one, the last one. If we can't win this time around, there will be no more winning, you got that."
"The prophets have been wrong before."
"Oh Spike," Willow threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine, yes they've been wrong, but listen to me carefully. If he is in fact the one, if he and the girls can in fact change this, this sick place we live in, then he needs to know who and what he is up against." Spike took out another cigarette and lit it up, inhaling the smoke deeply.
He sighed as he let the smoke out. "He knows who he is up against Red. They all know. Hell the whole fuckin' world bloody well knows. Angelus and Dru made sure of that when they moved in."
"Spike, Darcy and the girls, and everyone else may know their names, but they need to know what he is capable of, his ties to me, your ties to him. They are gonna need to know eventually. They can't face him not knowing. Especially Darcy. And as much as you hate to admit it, you want to tell them all, especially the boy." Spike had grown very silent and stared hard at Willow.
Throwing his cigarette on the damp sewer floor he crushed it with his steel- toed black boots. "Yeah, okay, so you're right. But we can't tell him until we're sure he's the one. If he isn't, then there really isn't any reason to turn his whole world upside down. He can barely stand me as it is," Spike said before offering Willow his arm and continuing the three mile trek to the Bronze.
Ahead of the two old friends, Darcy ran swiftly through the tunnels. His anger driving his inhuman speed faster than normal. But unfortunately he was human, and the speed soon wore him out. Darcy Sulfolk decided to walk the rest of the way to the Bronze. He had heard the stories of course, about what the Bronze used to be. Who could even imagine a place built simply for fun? Darcy would have loved to have seen the kids laughing and dancing, not a care in the world, but he was stuck in this one.
Having just turned 16, the slayer was finally allowed to patrol without his watcher, but he still needed the supervision of his two companions. His blood was too precious apparently. So much of his life had been covered in clouds, people only telling him what he needed to know and when he needed to know it. Darcy was 5'8" and still growing. Not particularly tall, but Spike was only 5'10" and he still kicked ass. True, Spike was a Vampire, and his fighting ability stemmed from that part of his demon, but Darcy himself was the slayer and had powers of his own, so his height really didn't bother him.
He roughly brushed his unruly brown-blonde curls behind his ears, his icy blue eyes focusing unnaturally well in the dark sewers. His heightened hearing could just make out the faint progress of Willow and Spike. If he could hear them, they could hear him. So he sped up and continued allowing his thoughts to stray.
He was always in so much constant training that he rarely had a moment to himself. He thought back on his past and pulled up the only image of his mother he could remember. The sun was out and she was holding him close. A man stood next to her, a man Darcy had always assumed was his father. The man had the same hair, build and eye colour as himself. But the man scared him a little. He was hardened by battle and his eyes were old and weary. His mother kissed him and turned back towards her son, smiling. Then the memory faded. That had been the day he had been brought to his watcher. He was only three, but it was his duty, his destiny.
He didn't mind it really, it was all he had really ever known, the fighting. In a world where all there was to do was fight, one couldn't miss the fun things, if one had never experienced them. But Darcy was different. As a Slayer, he had been given training and an education the rest of the population did not. He had trained under his watcher at the watcher's vast library with Ms. McKelly. He missed the old woman, she had been like a mother to him when his watcher was forced to leave on Council business.
Spike and Willow he had known all his life. He had after all been born in Sunnydale. His father, as the slayer was also under the care of Spike and Willow. That was their job. They watched over the slayers in battle, and they themselves were warriors. They'd saved the world countless times, and the world accepted them, even though they were vampires.
Darcy had once asked Ms. McKelly why those two vampires fought on their side and not with the others. She had smiled and said to ask his watcher. When Darcy returned to Sunnydale a few years later for some field training he asked his watcher why Willow and Spike were good. She smiled at him and said that he already knew why. In a sense that was true. Everyone knew the history. How Spike had redeemed himself in service of a slayer, how Willow had been turned and granted her soul, but it still seemed like things were missing. So Darcy asked his watcher why Willow was granted her soul and Spike wasn't, and why the other vampires couldn't get theirs.
Darcy was eight when he first learned a fragment of the truth that would not be revealed until years later. His watcher had looked at him with a sadness in her eyes Darcy had never seen there before. She had said, in words she hoped an eight year-old would understand, "Well, Darcy, souls are funny things. Naturally Ms. McKelly taught you how the demon takes over, leaving the human's soul intact but useless. There was a spell used once, to restore a vampire's soul as punishment. Years later a witch found the spell and had to once again use it on that very vampire because he had lost his soul again. It worked and his soul was restored. About eight years later that same witch was turned into a vampire. Her friends found the spell and used it to restore her soul and bring back the girl they loved dearly. Unfortunately she was the last vampire allowed back their soul, for around this time Angelus emerged. An integral part of the soul restoration spell was an orb called the Orb of Thessala. Angelus, realizing this spell could ruin his plans, had them all destroyed."
At the time Darcy had accepted his watcher's story. He was eight and she had made it sound dangerous and fun. Darcy while lost in his thoughts, had stopped walking and was startled at the sudden appearance of his friends at the other end of the tunnel. Looking at Willow, he remembered when he had found out that she was the girl in the story. It had been her friends that had loved her so much that they restored her soul. Looking at Spike Darcy also remembered when he had learned the truth of that whole story.
Willow had been hurt badly in a fight against a chaos demon. Her tiny body ripped to shreds and her heart failing slowly. Spike had been there, fighting alongside the heroes from the past. Willow's friend Xander Harris, the legendary watcher, begged Spike to stop his friend from dying. Spike argued against this course of action, but was soon swayed by his own care for the tiny witch. He drained her then filled her up again with his own blood. Immediately after she rose, Xander and the others performed the soul restoration spell, returning to Willow, that which she had lost.
"Oi, Darcy, wake up lad," Spike was waving a hand in front of Darcy who awoke from his thoughts. Darcy looked curiously back and forth between the two vampires before him, a question forming in his head. "You okay there," Spike asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Uh Willow, Spike, may I ask you both a question? It's rather personal." Spike looked uncomfortably at Willow then shrugged and went to stand against the wet, slimy wall of the tunnel. He began to search for the lock to the secret door hidden there. He never really mastered all the top secret stuff, Willow noticed.
"Go ahead Darcy," Willow asked cheerfully. Darcy had noticed she seemed to get extra cheerful when she was uncomfortable or sorry for something.
"Um well I was thinking about that story, the one where you got turned and your soul was restored to you," at Darcy's words he noticed Spike's face grimace and Willow shift uncomfortably. Obviously the situation still bothered them both after all these years, or maybe it was just the memories.. Willow urged me to ask my question. "Well I was just wondering why, if you got your soul restored Wills, how come, how come you didn't Spike?" The silence his question brought hung heavy in the air and Darcy began to regret bringing it up.
Willow turned towards Spike and both Darcy and she watched as he rose slowly. The cigarette he was smoking hung limply from his lips. He looked up at Willow, long and hard. He walked over to her and touched the spot on her neck where he had bitten her so many years ago. "I didn't want to you know, bite you. You were so tiny, and so much blood. That damn pillock of a demon bled more then you though by the time Xander and I were through with him. When he asked me to bite you, I didn't want to. But then I saw his face and I knew I had to do it. We couldn't lose you to Red, not you too." His voice broke then and he lowered his hand and head but continued speaking. "They did ask me whelp," he said finally looking at Darcy. "They did ask me and I said no. I'd never wanted me sodden soul, never bloody needed it." Having found the lock, Spike pushed open the door and left his two companions as he walked through the side door and into the Bronze.
"What does he mean he never needed it? Was it cause he had the chip back then?" Darcy asked Willow.
She turned her kind eyes on him. "No it wasn't the chip Darcy. It was a girl. A girl and love. They took the place of his soul and made him what he is today." She smiled once more at Darcy and followed Spike into the Bronze.
The door was open still and Darcy could hear the others. He could hear keys being punched on computers, reports being printed, and people talking strategy. Saving the information he had just received to analyze later, he walked into the Bronze, and closed the heavy secret door behind him. He stood in the middle of the largest west coast demon destroy operations. It had always sounded fancy to him. Like something out of those military novels he had read in the library. Really it was a bunch of rag tag people in a messy, musty factory that was located where the old Bronze used to be.
"Darcy! Darcy! Get over here," he heard his watcher calling for him. He walked passed computers and piles of old books and headed towards where Spike, Willow, and his watcher were standing. A warm smile spread over Darcy's face as he approached his watcher. He had known her as long as he had known the other two, and she was his most favourite person.
"Darcy dear, are you well, you took no damage?" she fretted over him as he stopped in front of them.
"Leave the poor boy alone will you Anya! He took no damage," Spike said, though he couldn't help but smile at the motherly way Anya doted over her ward. "So before we head into that meeting about tonight's huge failure, what's this big news you mentioned earlier."
"Huh," Anya looked at Spike, "Oh right, yes news," she said happily clapping her hands. "The girls are here."
Spike and Willow both attacked her with questions at once. "What?" "When?" "Why didn't you call us?" Finally Anya cut them both off.
"The other slayers and their watchers arrived about an hour ago. As for why they are here early, I don't know yet," Anya answered.
Spike groaned, "Great! All four slayers in one place, like Angelus isn't gonna know somethin's bloody well goin' on now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunnydale, CA
The Bronze
April 17, 2002
It had been over six months since Buffy had been brought back to life and at the moment she was wishing she were dead again.
"Oh come on Slayer, it isn't that bad, admit it! Better then you thought," he stated happily tugging her deeper into the crowd.
"Right, cause wrestling is so my favourite sport Spike," she replied sarcastically. He smiled at her and continued to lead her through the crowds. She couldn't remember why she had agreed to allow Spike to take her here. She tried to kid herself and say that it was because she felt sorry for the vamp. He was holed up with Xander now and was working at the Magic Shop, much to Gile's chagrin. Anya enjoyed his employment seeing as he had the most knowledge on the stuff if the shop, after herself of course.
Buffy couldn't contain herself any longer as she saw Spike stare in wonderment at the life-size cardboard stand-ups of the wrestlers. "Slayer, I'm buying one."
"Whatever Spike, " Buffy said before going to get herself a drink. An hour later she was finally able to drag away from the Bronze. As they were walking home from the convention, she looked back over the past six months and as always, was amazed at how much Spike had become a part of her life, and the other's lives as well. Even Xander was starting to tolerate him. When Xander had told Spike he could move in with him, Giles nearly had a heart attack.
"Slayer, where are you?" Spike asked looking at Buffy. She stopped and smiled at him.
"Just thinking," she replied. He walked up to her and grabbed her hand before continuing walking. Two months ago such an action would have caused Buffy to kick his ass immediately, but recently she had been allowing little physical contact here and there. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to analyze it just now. So she let it happen.
"Thinking about what Slayer?" Spike asked as they turned onto her street walking beneath a street lamp.
Buffy decided to be honest. "You."
"Me?"
"Yes you, is that so hard to believe?" Buffy asked.
"Well actually yeah," he said. "Normally you try not to think about me or if you do, it usually involves kicking my arse!" He had that cute little smile on his face and Buffy allowed herself to melt.
They walked the rest of the way to her house in silence. As the opened the door they were bombarded with that which is known as Dawn.
"Oh my god, you will never believe what is going on. Everyone is at the shop, we have to go NOW!" she babbled to them as she ran to Buffy's car. Spike shot a worried look at Buffy and ran into the house to get her car keys while Buffy ran to follow Dawn to the car.
Spike made record time to the shop and all the while Dawn refused to tell them what was going on. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," was all she would say. Parking in the handicap spot in front, the trio dashed into the Magic Shop yelling for Giles who was standing right in front of them.
"Do calm down," he said calmly as he cleaned his glasses. "Dawn did you tell them?"
"No."
"Tell us what Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Is everyone okay Rupert?" Spike asked at the same time.
"What? Oh yes, everyone is fine and in the training room. Do follow me," he said as he led them into the back. When they walked in they noticed Xander, Willow, Tara, and Anya sitting on the mats on one side of the room staring at a young girl sitting on the mats on the other side of the room.
"Who's this then?" Spike asked carefully. He didn't like what he was sensing from this girl.
"This, Buffy, is Isabella; the slayer."
"The what!" Buffy shouted. "Oh my god, is Faith dead? How Giles? When? Why didn't Angel tell us?" Buffy asked Giles all the while advancing on him.
"Actually, um, I assure you Buffy, Faith is not dead," he said and cleared his throat. Buffy, Spike, and Dawn looked at the others who were just as confused as they were. They all then looked at Isabella, who pushed her shoulders back with a confident look in her eyes.
"Well if Faith isn't dead, then why is she here Giles?" Buffy asked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This should not have happened this way. The girl was never supposed to be called."
"Well it is done, regardless of what was supposed to be."
"This will change the future. There will nothing but pain now."
"Then fix it Lily. Go to the future and fix it."
"It isn't that simple. We'd have to convince him to give it all up. Everything he had."
"Ha, look at what he has now. He will agree, with time."
"I will try."
"Please do Lily, I would hate to see what would happen if he says no."
"Imagine the future riding on that stubborn creature."
"Don't fret Lily, he'll see the way of things."
End Chapter 1: They Stood Up For Love
Next: Chapter 2: I Wanna Dance With You
"After eons of war and lifetimes, she's smilin' and free. " -Live
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay so what do you think!!!???!!!!
By: Ally (Hafthand@aol.com
Author: Hafthand@aol.com
Summary: This is the "All Along the Watchtower" series. Things tend to spin out of control. What if something happened in the past that changed the future, and not for good. In the future Spike and Willow, with the help of the new Slayers, battle it out against the deadliest enemy yet as Hell slowly makes it's home on Earth. Meanwhile in the past, Buffy and Spike and the rest of the Scoobies are only beginning to fall down the path that changed the world.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Not mine. Property of Joss and his wonderful company of Mutant Enemy
Archiving: I would love it archived, but please ask me first so I know where it goes!
NOTES: PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT!! Okay folks, this is going to be a long story with many chapters, and be somewhat confusing at first, but I promise it will make sense later. Okay this is how it is set up. Each chapter begins with a song, this song should be read because it helped influence the chapter and may give clues to what will occur. After that, the story. Now the story goes like this: The future world of Sunnydale is where the action of this story takes place. The flashbacks to Buffy's time shed light on how the Earth came to be overrun by demons. The flashbacks are also the lighter parts of this fic seeing as the future parts are pretty dark.
This is a drama fic with dark parts and humorous parts.
Any questions, please e-mail me at Hafthand@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1: They Stood Up For Love
"Naked lovers feel the blood beneath their veins
Electric nerves communicate
With tiny explosions through their brains
Who is this energy that never left or came?
Give rise to passion the only glory
Of this human story
I give my heart and soul to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin'back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say, everything is just light
Not created, destroyed, but eternally bright
Masters in every time lord in every place
Those who stood up for love, down in spite of the hate
In spite of the hate
Who put the flower in the barrel of that gun?
Who lit the candle, started the fire,
Burnt down the fortress, the throne?
Who could house all the refugees in a single shack
or a lowly bungalow?
Who lives in a different dimension, free from the struggles we know?
I give my heart and soul to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say, everything is just light
Not created, destroyed, but eternally bright
Masters in every time lord in every place
Those who stood up for love, down in spite of the hate
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
They live in the light
We made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Waitin' on a rescue that never comes
Made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Maybe home is where the heart is given up
To the one, to the one
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
They live, they
They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love
They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Masters in every time
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds
Stood up for love."
-"They Stood Up For Love" by Live
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's a grave new world. Prepare yourself for resurrection and retribution." (upn.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunnydale, CA
Summer's Cemetery #9
April 17, 2264
"Fuck! Things are going wrong Red, very wrong," Spike shouted through a cloud of dust.
"You think Spike?!" Willow shouted back sarcastically. What had started out as a routine 'Slam, Bam' had turned very ugly, very quickly as the warriors realized there were more minions then expected.
"Where are they coming from?" Spike shouted as he ducked away from a vamps roundhouse. He sprang back up and brought his fist up slamming it into his enemies gut. He flipped backwards perching on a tombstone. Looking around he saw what he was searching for and dove gracefully through the air over the minions head. Rolling on the ground he recovered his lost stake and turned quickly embedding the stake's point into the other vampire's heart.
"Traitors," the minion hissed before exploding into a pile of dust.
"Yeah, like I haven't heard that before you stupid git," Spike said as he flipped backwards to avoid an enemy's stake. He landed firmly on the ground to the side of the vampire and dusted her immediately. He crouched down as he heard more growls coming from his right. He looked to his left and watched as Willow fought off three more minions. He contemplated helping her but within seconds she executed three quick moves that left her attackers dust.
She looked down and brushed the dust off her red leather pants. He flowy, silk black shirt had been sliced in several locations, none thankfully near the heart. She looked up to make sure Spike was still there and he saw her eyes go big. He felt the vampire behind him and knew he had been careless. He heard Willow muttering in some language he did not know and felt as dust covered his back. "Thanks Red."
"Watch yourself next time," she said as she walked up to him. "Where's Darcy?" she asked, a moment of panic overcoming both as they looked frantically around the graveyard for their companion. Spike jumped to the top of the nearest mausoleum and looked over the huge graveyard.
"Got him. About 500 yards Northeast," Spike shouted down to Willow.
"Got it," she said before both disappeared, only to reappear not 3 yards from Darcy who was currently engaged in a fight with five vampires.
"Glad you decided to finally show," Darcy grunted as he rolled to avoid a punch, but not before one of the other vampires landed a kick to his side. "Think maybe you ponces could give me a damn hand?"
"Sorry mate, had trouble of our own," replied Spike before staking one vampire and flying towards another. Willow kicked a vampire in the knees and he dropped hard. Willow jumped on him and staked him. Darcy, now relieved of three vamps, quickly finished off the other two.
Dusting himself off, and breathing hard, Darcy turned to his companions. "That was over twenty tonight Spike. Twenty. We expected eight. What the hell happened?" Darcy shouted.
"Calm down junior. Your panties are getting bunched," Spike said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Darcy, do calm down. Listen, we obviously were given bad information. We had better head back to the Bronze and report in," she smiled reassuringly at the young boy. Darcy smiled tightly and mumbled 'Whatever' before heading out of the cemetery.
Willow watched him head towards the tunnels before turning to Spike her eyes flashing with specks of yellow. "Damnit Spike, that is the third time this month our info was crap. You think he knows we're close? You think he can know what we are planning?" Willow asked Spike.
He flicked his fag into the bushes and looked towards where Darcy had been. He glanced back at Willow before starting to collect their fallen weapons. "I don't know Red. Darcy seems to think he always knows where we are. His dreams are getting more vivid the closer we get. I don't know any more damnit! " Suddenly Spike stood up and fastened his eyes on Willows. "About the boy Will, what the hell kind of name is Darcy anyway? Some poofy, nancy-boy name from Austen is what it is," Spike growled as he and Willow headed towards the tunnels as well.
Willow allowed herself to laugh for the first time in a while. She knew Spike was trying to change the subject, and she let him get away with it, this time. "Wow, Jane Austen, that brings back some memories," her laughs died as her and her companion fell silent, lost in their thoughts of days gone by. Willow recovered first and patted Spike on the back. "Anyway, it wasn't your choice to name him Spike. His mother wanted to give him a romantic name, not a fighter's name."
Spike scoffed at this and swung the weapons bag down into the tunnel entrance. "Ha, very funny, only thing is she knew what he was destined to be, I mean look at his father. She knew his destiny was to be the slayer. She should have named him something fierce, hard. Something like..."
"Like William?" Willow asked and laughed again at the look on his face.
"Oh be quiet you silly bint and get your tiny ass down that tunnel," he said, picking up his beloved leather duster and throwing it on over his black leather pants, and plain, black cotton tee. Willow had known this curious vampire for over 260 years and yet his wardrobe was still the same. She once again laughed and enjoyed listening to the sound of it. He looked at her strangely. "You okay there Red? You finally cracking up on me?"
"Spike, I cracked up on you a long time ago," and with that she threw her legs over the side of the access tunnel and let her body fall down the thirty foot drop, choosing to bypass the ladder. She landed squarely on her feet and moved aside as Spike dropped down where she had just been. She turned and started towards the Bronze. She could hear Darcy in the tunnels ahead of them "He's upset Spike."
"So," he mumbled following behind her.
"So, maybe you should talk to him."
"Why me?"
"You know why Spike," he stopped then and gave her a hard look. She returned it, very used to this conversation.
"We are not having this conversation again Red," he said before angrily stomping away. She caught up to him and stopped him with an hand on his arm. He growled slightly and turned to look at her.
"Think about this Spike. The prophets say he is the one, the last one. If we can't win this time around, there will be no more winning, you got that."
"The prophets have been wrong before."
"Oh Spike," Willow threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine, yes they've been wrong, but listen to me carefully. If he is in fact the one, if he and the girls can in fact change this, this sick place we live in, then he needs to know who and what he is up against." Spike took out another cigarette and lit it up, inhaling the smoke deeply.
He sighed as he let the smoke out. "He knows who he is up against Red. They all know. Hell the whole fuckin' world bloody well knows. Angelus and Dru made sure of that when they moved in."
"Spike, Darcy and the girls, and everyone else may know their names, but they need to know what he is capable of, his ties to me, your ties to him. They are gonna need to know eventually. They can't face him not knowing. Especially Darcy. And as much as you hate to admit it, you want to tell them all, especially the boy." Spike had grown very silent and stared hard at Willow.
Throwing his cigarette on the damp sewer floor he crushed it with his steel- toed black boots. "Yeah, okay, so you're right. But we can't tell him until we're sure he's the one. If he isn't, then there really isn't any reason to turn his whole world upside down. He can barely stand me as it is," Spike said before offering Willow his arm and continuing the three mile trek to the Bronze.
Ahead of the two old friends, Darcy ran swiftly through the tunnels. His anger driving his inhuman speed faster than normal. But unfortunately he was human, and the speed soon wore him out. Darcy Sulfolk decided to walk the rest of the way to the Bronze. He had heard the stories of course, about what the Bronze used to be. Who could even imagine a place built simply for fun? Darcy would have loved to have seen the kids laughing and dancing, not a care in the world, but he was stuck in this one.
Having just turned 16, the slayer was finally allowed to patrol without his watcher, but he still needed the supervision of his two companions. His blood was too precious apparently. So much of his life had been covered in clouds, people only telling him what he needed to know and when he needed to know it. Darcy was 5'8" and still growing. Not particularly tall, but Spike was only 5'10" and he still kicked ass. True, Spike was a Vampire, and his fighting ability stemmed from that part of his demon, but Darcy himself was the slayer and had powers of his own, so his height really didn't bother him.
He roughly brushed his unruly brown-blonde curls behind his ears, his icy blue eyes focusing unnaturally well in the dark sewers. His heightened hearing could just make out the faint progress of Willow and Spike. If he could hear them, they could hear him. So he sped up and continued allowing his thoughts to stray.
He was always in so much constant training that he rarely had a moment to himself. He thought back on his past and pulled up the only image of his mother he could remember. The sun was out and she was holding him close. A man stood next to her, a man Darcy had always assumed was his father. The man had the same hair, build and eye colour as himself. But the man scared him a little. He was hardened by battle and his eyes were old and weary. His mother kissed him and turned back towards her son, smiling. Then the memory faded. That had been the day he had been brought to his watcher. He was only three, but it was his duty, his destiny.
He didn't mind it really, it was all he had really ever known, the fighting. In a world where all there was to do was fight, one couldn't miss the fun things, if one had never experienced them. But Darcy was different. As a Slayer, he had been given training and an education the rest of the population did not. He had trained under his watcher at the watcher's vast library with Ms. McKelly. He missed the old woman, she had been like a mother to him when his watcher was forced to leave on Council business.
Spike and Willow he had known all his life. He had after all been born in Sunnydale. His father, as the slayer was also under the care of Spike and Willow. That was their job. They watched over the slayers in battle, and they themselves were warriors. They'd saved the world countless times, and the world accepted them, even though they were vampires.
Darcy had once asked Ms. McKelly why those two vampires fought on their side and not with the others. She had smiled and said to ask his watcher. When Darcy returned to Sunnydale a few years later for some field training he asked his watcher why Willow and Spike were good. She smiled at him and said that he already knew why. In a sense that was true. Everyone knew the history. How Spike had redeemed himself in service of a slayer, how Willow had been turned and granted her soul, but it still seemed like things were missing. So Darcy asked his watcher why Willow was granted her soul and Spike wasn't, and why the other vampires couldn't get theirs.
Darcy was eight when he first learned a fragment of the truth that would not be revealed until years later. His watcher had looked at him with a sadness in her eyes Darcy had never seen there before. She had said, in words she hoped an eight year-old would understand, "Well, Darcy, souls are funny things. Naturally Ms. McKelly taught you how the demon takes over, leaving the human's soul intact but useless. There was a spell used once, to restore a vampire's soul as punishment. Years later a witch found the spell and had to once again use it on that very vampire because he had lost his soul again. It worked and his soul was restored. About eight years later that same witch was turned into a vampire. Her friends found the spell and used it to restore her soul and bring back the girl they loved dearly. Unfortunately she was the last vampire allowed back their soul, for around this time Angelus emerged. An integral part of the soul restoration spell was an orb called the Orb of Thessala. Angelus, realizing this spell could ruin his plans, had them all destroyed."
At the time Darcy had accepted his watcher's story. He was eight and she had made it sound dangerous and fun. Darcy while lost in his thoughts, had stopped walking and was startled at the sudden appearance of his friends at the other end of the tunnel. Looking at Willow, he remembered when he had found out that she was the girl in the story. It had been her friends that had loved her so much that they restored her soul. Looking at Spike Darcy also remembered when he had learned the truth of that whole story.
Willow had been hurt badly in a fight against a chaos demon. Her tiny body ripped to shreds and her heart failing slowly. Spike had been there, fighting alongside the heroes from the past. Willow's friend Xander Harris, the legendary watcher, begged Spike to stop his friend from dying. Spike argued against this course of action, but was soon swayed by his own care for the tiny witch. He drained her then filled her up again with his own blood. Immediately after she rose, Xander and the others performed the soul restoration spell, returning to Willow, that which she had lost.
"Oi, Darcy, wake up lad," Spike was waving a hand in front of Darcy who awoke from his thoughts. Darcy looked curiously back and forth between the two vampires before him, a question forming in his head. "You okay there," Spike asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Uh Willow, Spike, may I ask you both a question? It's rather personal." Spike looked uncomfortably at Willow then shrugged and went to stand against the wet, slimy wall of the tunnel. He began to search for the lock to the secret door hidden there. He never really mastered all the top secret stuff, Willow noticed.
"Go ahead Darcy," Willow asked cheerfully. Darcy had noticed she seemed to get extra cheerful when she was uncomfortable or sorry for something.
"Um well I was thinking about that story, the one where you got turned and your soul was restored to you," at Darcy's words he noticed Spike's face grimace and Willow shift uncomfortably. Obviously the situation still bothered them both after all these years, or maybe it was just the memories.. Willow urged me to ask my question. "Well I was just wondering why, if you got your soul restored Wills, how come, how come you didn't Spike?" The silence his question brought hung heavy in the air and Darcy began to regret bringing it up.
Willow turned towards Spike and both Darcy and she watched as he rose slowly. The cigarette he was smoking hung limply from his lips. He looked up at Willow, long and hard. He walked over to her and touched the spot on her neck where he had bitten her so many years ago. "I didn't want to you know, bite you. You were so tiny, and so much blood. That damn pillock of a demon bled more then you though by the time Xander and I were through with him. When he asked me to bite you, I didn't want to. But then I saw his face and I knew I had to do it. We couldn't lose you to Red, not you too." His voice broke then and he lowered his hand and head but continued speaking. "They did ask me whelp," he said finally looking at Darcy. "They did ask me and I said no. I'd never wanted me sodden soul, never bloody needed it." Having found the lock, Spike pushed open the door and left his two companions as he walked through the side door and into the Bronze.
"What does he mean he never needed it? Was it cause he had the chip back then?" Darcy asked Willow.
She turned her kind eyes on him. "No it wasn't the chip Darcy. It was a girl. A girl and love. They took the place of his soul and made him what he is today." She smiled once more at Darcy and followed Spike into the Bronze.
The door was open still and Darcy could hear the others. He could hear keys being punched on computers, reports being printed, and people talking strategy. Saving the information he had just received to analyze later, he walked into the Bronze, and closed the heavy secret door behind him. He stood in the middle of the largest west coast demon destroy operations. It had always sounded fancy to him. Like something out of those military novels he had read in the library. Really it was a bunch of rag tag people in a messy, musty factory that was located where the old Bronze used to be.
"Darcy! Darcy! Get over here," he heard his watcher calling for him. He walked passed computers and piles of old books and headed towards where Spike, Willow, and his watcher were standing. A warm smile spread over Darcy's face as he approached his watcher. He had known her as long as he had known the other two, and she was his most favourite person.
"Darcy dear, are you well, you took no damage?" she fretted over him as he stopped in front of them.
"Leave the poor boy alone will you Anya! He took no damage," Spike said, though he couldn't help but smile at the motherly way Anya doted over her ward. "So before we head into that meeting about tonight's huge failure, what's this big news you mentioned earlier."
"Huh," Anya looked at Spike, "Oh right, yes news," she said happily clapping her hands. "The girls are here."
Spike and Willow both attacked her with questions at once. "What?" "When?" "Why didn't you call us?" Finally Anya cut them both off.
"The other slayers and their watchers arrived about an hour ago. As for why they are here early, I don't know yet," Anya answered.
Spike groaned, "Great! All four slayers in one place, like Angelus isn't gonna know somethin's bloody well goin' on now!"
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Sunnydale, CA
The Bronze
April 17, 2002
It had been over six months since Buffy had been brought back to life and at the moment she was wishing she were dead again.
"Oh come on Slayer, it isn't that bad, admit it! Better then you thought," he stated happily tugging her deeper into the crowd.
"Right, cause wrestling is so my favourite sport Spike," she replied sarcastically. He smiled at her and continued to lead her through the crowds. She couldn't remember why she had agreed to allow Spike to take her here. She tried to kid herself and say that it was because she felt sorry for the vamp. He was holed up with Xander now and was working at the Magic Shop, much to Gile's chagrin. Anya enjoyed his employment seeing as he had the most knowledge on the stuff if the shop, after herself of course.
Buffy couldn't contain herself any longer as she saw Spike stare in wonderment at the life-size cardboard stand-ups of the wrestlers. "Slayer, I'm buying one."
"Whatever Spike, " Buffy said before going to get herself a drink. An hour later she was finally able to drag away from the Bronze. As they were walking home from the convention, she looked back over the past six months and as always, was amazed at how much Spike had become a part of her life, and the other's lives as well. Even Xander was starting to tolerate him. When Xander had told Spike he could move in with him, Giles nearly had a heart attack.
"Slayer, where are you?" Spike asked looking at Buffy. She stopped and smiled at him.
"Just thinking," she replied. He walked up to her and grabbed her hand before continuing walking. Two months ago such an action would have caused Buffy to kick his ass immediately, but recently she had been allowing little physical contact here and there. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to analyze it just now. So she let it happen.
"Thinking about what Slayer?" Spike asked as they turned onto her street walking beneath a street lamp.
Buffy decided to be honest. "You."
"Me?"
"Yes you, is that so hard to believe?" Buffy asked.
"Well actually yeah," he said. "Normally you try not to think about me or if you do, it usually involves kicking my arse!" He had that cute little smile on his face and Buffy allowed herself to melt.
They walked the rest of the way to her house in silence. As the opened the door they were bombarded with that which is known as Dawn.
"Oh my god, you will never believe what is going on. Everyone is at the shop, we have to go NOW!" she babbled to them as she ran to Buffy's car. Spike shot a worried look at Buffy and ran into the house to get her car keys while Buffy ran to follow Dawn to the car.
Spike made record time to the shop and all the while Dawn refused to tell them what was going on. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," was all she would say. Parking in the handicap spot in front, the trio dashed into the Magic Shop yelling for Giles who was standing right in front of them.
"Do calm down," he said calmly as he cleaned his glasses. "Dawn did you tell them?"
"No."
"Tell us what Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Is everyone okay Rupert?" Spike asked at the same time.
"What? Oh yes, everyone is fine and in the training room. Do follow me," he said as he led them into the back. When they walked in they noticed Xander, Willow, Tara, and Anya sitting on the mats on one side of the room staring at a young girl sitting on the mats on the other side of the room.
"Who's this then?" Spike asked carefully. He didn't like what he was sensing from this girl.
"This, Buffy, is Isabella; the slayer."
"The what!" Buffy shouted. "Oh my god, is Faith dead? How Giles? When? Why didn't Angel tell us?" Buffy asked Giles all the while advancing on him.
"Actually, um, I assure you Buffy, Faith is not dead," he said and cleared his throat. Buffy, Spike, and Dawn looked at the others who were just as confused as they were. They all then looked at Isabella, who pushed her shoulders back with a confident look in her eyes.
"Well if Faith isn't dead, then why is she here Giles?" Buffy asked.
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"This should not have happened this way. The girl was never supposed to be called."
"Well it is done, regardless of what was supposed to be."
"This will change the future. There will nothing but pain now."
"Then fix it Lily. Go to the future and fix it."
"It isn't that simple. We'd have to convince him to give it all up. Everything he had."
"Ha, look at what he has now. He will agree, with time."
"I will try."
"Please do Lily, I would hate to see what would happen if he says no."
"Imagine the future riding on that stubborn creature."
"Don't fret Lily, he'll see the way of things."
End Chapter 1: They Stood Up For Love
Next: Chapter 2: I Wanna Dance With You
"After eons of war and lifetimes, she's smilin' and free. " -Live
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Okay so what do you think!!!???!!!!
By: Ally (Hafthand@aol.com