Author's Note: Much dialogue taken directly from "Becoming Part II"

Chapter 25: The Battle

"You," Angel leered. "I don't have time for you."

"Well, make time," Buffy replied piercingly. "Because it's just occurred to me that I never got the chance to properly tell you how peeved I was after you ditched me the other night. I was thinking we could sit down and talk maybe, have a little heart-to-stake." She held up Mr. Pointy derisively.

Angel chuckled humorlessly. "Clever. Sorry baby, but I've got more important things to do than shoot the breeze with you. I've got a world to end. So I suggest you get lost, 'cause you're a little in over your head here."

Buffy shrugged and didn't move from her spot. "Being the world's chosen safeguard against the forces of evil isn't exactly pitching for the Little Leagues. I figure I'm right where I belong."

Angel swaggered to her slowly with a lazy smile. "Fine. Have it your way. Feel free to stay and watch the show. Too bad you won't get to applaud at the end. With you roasting in hell and all."

Buffy shook her head. "Not going to happen."

Louder laughter rose this time. "Right. You really scared me good last time we met up. That non-staking thing you did was very intimidating."

She hardened and gripped the stake tighter. "You wanna see the other tricks I got?"

Angel gave her a deadly grin and neared her. "Give it to me."

She launched forward, her left leg sailing in to connect to his neck, but he caught her ankle and spun her around, throwing her ruthlessly to the ground, her sword and stake clattering down beside her. Spike lunged to him, surprising him momentarily with a powerful punch to the face, but Angel just shook his head out of a daze and stared at Spike appreciatively, rubbing his chin. "You've got your daddy's spunk, Spikey," he cooed. "And I bet you have mother's flavor." He licked his lips mockingly. "Let me tell you kid, she was one of the best I ever had. I couldn't really enjoy her at the time, what with the whole oppressive guilt-of-the-world thing I had, but the way she tasted-----so fresh, young . . . scared . . .she was one of my most delicious victims."

Spike tightened and there was almost a flicker of yellow-ambered rage in his eyes fierce enough to rival a vampire's wrath. "I swear to God, I'll kill you----" he murmured in low, murderous tones.

"No!" Buffy had gotten up and separated the two, staring at Angel coldly. "He's mine."

Angel winked at her. "Always and forever, duchess."

He punched her in the face, but she quickly recovered, blocking another swing and doling out one of her one. She brought her knee up and rammed it into his gut, eliciting a low moan from him. She kicked him in the face and he fell to the floor heavily. She stalked up to him, grabbing a spare piece of scrap wood and tried to fling herself down, aiming for his heart. Angel rolled out of the way and sent her sprawling. He tried to grab her, but she kicked up off the ground and punched him thunderously again. Grunting with each uppercut she administered, she had cornered him into a wall, but he blocked her punches finally and did a roundhouse to her stomach that knocked the wind out of her. Staggering back, she was soon locked into a henchman's grasp. Spike tried to reach Angel, scrambling for the sword, but Drusilla shrieked and flew onto his back.

"Bloody 'ell!"

"Stop ruining it, William! Stop ruining my party!"

He tried throwing her off, but her arms were like steel around his neck. "I don't want to hurt you, luv," he panted through her tight grip.

She shrieked again, throwing her razor-like nails into his face, scouring red streaks against his cheek. He responded with a head-butt that knocked her into a daze as she fell to the floor. He looked down at her frail body sadly. "Doesn't mean I won't, though."

Meanwhile, Buffy delivered a head-butt of her own on the henchmen. Turning around, she staked him easily and Spike had already successfully staked the other henchmen. They turned to face each other for a split second, reassuring each other silently.

Buffy nodded. "Get Giles, in the other room."

He hesitated. "But you-----"

"He's your father! Now go!"

He headed for the back room, and Buffy turned around, poised to kick Angel. But he had moved to quickly for her and wove his arm around her neck tightly. Her breathing constricted, she flailed helplessly.

"Can't you leave well enough alone, Buffy?" he growled into her ear. "Little Ms. Slayer thinks she can cleanse the world of evil, but here's a news flash. Evil? It's gonna keep on coming. After I open Acathla, battling me will be the least of your problems."

She grabbed at his arm. "Don't flatter yourself," she wheezed. "You're the least of my problems now. You're just a simple stake-and-go case."

He chuckled and brought his lips to her cheek, letting them drift down her neck. "Right, baby. Keep telling yourself that."

He kissed her on the neck tenderly, and for a second, she let herself forget that he was evil. The touch felt so intimate and familiar and evocative of the Old Angel. Her eyelids wavered closed, but she forced them open and delivered a sharp jab to his eye and kick to his gut. He yelled and she freed herself from him. She held up the stake again.

"I think I'll let this do all the talking for me."

Spike meanwhile scrambled into the backroom and found Giles badly beaten and chained to a chair. His breath hitched up a moment, and he immediately grabbed a heavy axe and began to throw it against the chains. Giles seemed dazed and half-conscious.

"S-Spike?" He sounded so lost and broken.

He hesitated and flung the axe against the chair again. "Right here, dad," he assured him quietly. It was the first time he has said the word and meant it.

Giles swallowed hard. "You aren't r-real . . . you're not my son . . ."

Flinging up his head, he stared at his father, tensing up and clenching his teeth. "That's how I feel at times, but it can't be helped."

"N-no . . . you're just a vision . . . a h-hallucination. Like Emma . . . like your mother . . ."

Tensing up again, he gaped at Giles, finally shattering the chains to pieces. "You saw my mother?" he whispered in disbelief.

Giles gazed up at his son blearily and nodded. "She said that she would protect you . . . she told me that we could be a f-family . . ."

Spike was silent, not knowing how to respond. His emotions were tumultuous and varied. All he could do was grab Giles, hoisting his weight onto one shoulder. "Come on old man. We need to get you home."

"No," Giles murmured. "Y-you need to stay . . . and help Buffy . . ."

Conflicted, he gazed from his father to Buffy, who still fought Angelus violently. Before he could loose himself in indecision, a solution presented itself. Ms. Calendar flung into the mansion, slamming the doors back.

"Spike! Buffy!"

Spike and Buffy turned to view the source of the voice. As Buffy turned, Angel, free from her pummeling, wiped his hand on his cut forehead and grabbed the nestled sword out of Acathla. He grinned menacingly and parried it in his hand. Ms. Calendar gasped and Buffy turned round in dismay. Her eyes widened.

"Oh God."

"The portal . . ." Ms. Calendar was shaking. "He opened the portal . . ."

Angel smiled and slashed the sword in the air. "This is where the fun begins."

Ms. Calendar was backing away, grabbing onto Spike and Giles. "I c-came to tell Buffy not to . . . A-Angel's . . ."

"Not to what?"

She stared at Spike, torn. Finally, she took hold of Giles and eased him off of Spike's shoulder. "You have to stay with her now," she directed firmly. "You have to help her fight. You have to help her stay strong. And whatever you do . . . you have to make sure she kills him with the sword . . . he's the key, the only way to close the portal is to kill him."

Spike stiffened, but still squared his teeth. "An added bonus."

"And Spike" she continued insistently. "It's very important that . . . well, make sure she does it . . . regardless of what happens. Whatever he says, whatever he does, make sure she kills him."

He stared at her mysteriously. What did that mean? Still confused, he nodded. "Get out of here," he said, flinging his head towards the door. Then, in a softer tone, he added, "Take good care of him."

Ms. Calendar nodded and dragged Giles away. At that moment, Dru awoke and screamed with delight when she saw Acathla, his hollow cavernous mouth growing larger and larger, as to swallow the whole world.

"Oh Daddy! You've done it! The celebration's already started! Ms. Edith will be ever so pleased!" She barreled for Angel, but Spike blocked her solidly.

"As pleased to see me, pet?"

Buffy grabbed her own sword and swung at Angel, who ducked it easily. He quickly thrust the sword towards her and her own sword clattered to the floor. He advanced her and she backed away in response. He sliced the air around her and she fell when trying to duck. She scrambled into the atrium on her knees and he still followed her ruthlessly.

"Now that's everything, huh?" he whispered with a demonic glint in his eye. "No weapons, no friends, no hope."

Buffy closed her eyes, imploring herself for some strength to guard against whatever was coming.

"Take all that away . . . and what's left?"

Quick as lightening, he threw his arm forward, jabbing the sword into her face. Just as rapidly, she grabbed the sword between her palms and held it inches away from her face. She opened her eyes. "Me."

She shoved the blade away from her, shooting the hilt of the sword backward, Angel. He stumbled back and she took the opportunity to kick him in the chest. As he fell back once more, she grabbed her own sword and tried to thrust it at him. He parried it just in time and they exchanged several blows and blocks. Trying to spin around, she threw the sword at him from above and he managed to block it, but not without falling to one knee. She kicked him in the side and he fell to the ground.

At the same time, Dru stared up at Spike with intense scorn. "Let go. Mummy doesn't wanna play right now. There's a party. She's got to attend to the refreshments."

He smirked and whipped a stake out of his sleeve. "I'm thinking the refreshments can wait, Dru."

Her eyes widened and she softened immediately. "Pet . . ." she began with a hint of supplication in her voice.

"Party doesn't seem so important now, does it?"

She stared up at him, donning a soft expression. Her eyes turned imploringly puppy-like and her lips quivered helplessly. "You wouldn't want to do that to your Black Orchid Princess."

The soft expression was not lost on him and he could feel himself weakening. "I didn't want many things. And I don't want this. But it's the way it has to be."

"It doesn't!" She placed a hand around his neck and licked her lips luringly. "It doesn't have to be that way, William."

He willed himself to stay strong. "Don't," he ground out.

"We can still be together," she cooed. "I promise we can. Don't you remember how we were together? All roses and honey, it can be like that again."

He tried to wrench her hands away. "No."

"Remember that night when you took out that vampire's nest down on Holloway and we made love there all night. It was the first time, the only time. It doesn't have to be that way."

"You're the vampire now," he murmured, the words still ugly and heavy to him.

She nodded and bit her lip as she smiled. "But it's a beautiful world, pet. All those years fighting them, I could never see the stars the way I do now. I can see 'em now and they sing to me." She leaned in and licked his neck sensuously. "Don't you want them to sing to you?"

He stiffened. To feel his love's body pressed to his, though it was cold, it was too much to take. The truth was he did want the stars to sing to him. Anything, no matter how crazy it was, he would do anything just to touch her again. Rigidly, he nodded slightly.

She grinned and stroked his neck gently. "That's right, my prince. It's what you want." Her eyes glittered hungrily as she closed in.

"Do you love me?' he murmured, the words tumbling out of his mouth as if out of his control.

She didn't even turn to look him in the eye. "You know I do," she replied, but her voice was altered and thick with hunger. It wasn't her innocent, girlish voice anymore. It was a monster's. It was then he knew that it was a lie, it had always been a lie. So he thrust out his stake again and hit her squarely in the heart. She gasped and jolted up, staring him in the face. As she began to crumble to dust, he clenched his teeth and answered:

"I love you too, Dru."

And then she was gone. All that was left of her was a pile of dust scattering about the floor. He felt his heart wrench and he choked a sob. He turned blindly to see how Buffy was faring, but she was still too occupied with Angel. She had raised her sword, ready to dispatch him, but of all a sudden, he let out a howling and shuddering cry and she hesitated.

A spark of light flashed in his eyes then went dark again and she lowered the sword carefully. Groaning, he fell to the floor again and clutched his sides in pain. She shook with fear. What was he playing at?

Hoisting himself on his arms, he got up and stared at her. His face, previously shrouded with hate and mockery, was now open with love and fatigue. "Buffy?" he whispered softly.

She widened her eyes and felt the tears start to drip onto her cheeks. No . . . no it couldn't be . . .

"Oh God, Buffy." He was on his knees, reaching for her. "Oh God, I've been so lost . . ." he held his arms open and clung to her legs. And she could feel the love emanating from him. And she nearly screamed with joy and relief. He was back. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

She leaned down to face him. Spike still looked on in silence, too amazed to speak. "I know."

He stroked her cheek and kissed her. "Buffy . . . I love you."

She choked a sob and smiled dazzlingly. "I love you."

But then she saw past him to the growing blue glow that surrounded him from behind, filling the air with soft screams and moans of pain. This hadn't changed anything after all. Acathla's portal was still open. The world would still end if she didn't do something. She knew what she had to do.

"Close your eyes," she said gently, urging him up. He did as he was told and stood, still holding onto her.

She gave him one last, lingering kiss and felt like she was going to die. But then she brought his own sword up from her side and slammed it into his chest. It was too quick for him to react, and it was only a few seconds later when he screamed.

She backed away and stared at her love, holding out his hand for her with a sword protruding from his chest. The hazy cloud of blue shot out of Acathla's mouth fully this time and tugged Angel, drawing him into the vortex. He began to call out for her, but it was too late. She stumbled blindly back, and Spike caught her before she could fling herself into a wall. He held onto her tightly and she buried her face in his chest, unable to bear the sight.

With one last "Buffy!" Angel was gone. A flash and he swirled into Acathla's mouth. The quiet settled again and all they were left with was a stone sculpture and a pile of dust. The birds chirped and flitted outside but they couldn't hear it. All they could hear and see and feel was pain.

Buffy fell to her knees and started to cry. She didn't try to restrain herself and just cried, trying desperately to relieve herself of what she had done. She had murdered her love. She was a murderer, not a slayer, but a murderer. They both were.

Spike let her cry, not knowing what to do. He tried to awkwardly pat her on the back, but she continued to sob. He stared at her, realizing there was nothing he could do to help her. He knew because he felt the same way. So he just stood silently, stuffing his hands in his pockets. There was nothing to say.