Title: Friend or Foe 3/3
By: Chen
Feedback: The only thing better than feedback is praise! Please feed me back.
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to ME (Grr! Argh!) and not to me. Charlie? The girl owns me.
Spoilers: Some s6 and that's it.
Archive: Please talk to me first?
A/N: Last part of the 'Friend or Foe' Trilogy. The Friends Series does go on. Hopefully soon.
This one was a tough cookie to write. I have to thank all the amazing BETAs I had working with me in this trilogy. Chris, Christy, Kelly, Mezz and Michelle. Never forgetting the Glorificus Colleen! I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. They were amazing.
***
1 This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
T.S. Eliot
***
Spike never came home and Charlie desperately looked for him. She had spent all of last night and today out, heading back home only when all her attempts proved futile.
Charlie had finally gone to Tara for a location spell and the witch had complied without asking too many questions. The look on Charlie's face and her crumpled clothes were enough for Tara to know much was at stake here.
Now with a location in hand, Charlie rushed out of the apartment, with only one thought in her mind: Find Spike and bring him home.
He now had what he had wanted for so long. All he had sought and tried so hard to get was now his. Would he be able to fight the demon without the help of the chip? Charlie turned her collar up against the rain as she made her way into the industrial district of Sunnydale.
It was him. Charlie stopped when she saw the glow of the cigarette illuminating his face. A chill went through her body as she made her way towards him. She only hoped it was not too late.
"Been looking for you since last night." She tried to sound as matter of fact as she could.
"Found me, now sod off."
"I was worried about you, baby. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine and dandy. Had myself a pretty good meal."
He was lying she could tell. He hadn't fed; at least not yet.
"So run along, pet. Go find yourself some other wanker to fuss over." The cockney act was back in place, as if it had never left. "I don't need you anymore, you hear me? So unless you fancy becoming dessert - just scram!" Spike shook his head and went into game face.
Charlie felt the sting of his words and forced herself to ignore them. Instead she concentrated on the vampire. She knew that he was using the game face to scare her away.
She was not leaving without him. One way or the other. There was no option for her here.
"Nothing is different Spike. Don't you know that?"
"Nothing is different she says! Everything is different! I'm finally rid of the bloody chip! I can go where I want, do what I want, when I feel like it! And best of all: feed! No more pig blood! I'm evil – when are you going to get it? I'm the same thing that killed your precious Frances, you git!" Spike's eyes glowed menacingly. "No use trying to pretend, ducks. I saw your face at the Bronze – I saw fear there."
"Bollocks Spike! That's just a load of crap! No more chip and you stop using your brain altogether? I have never been afraid of you. I was afraid for you! You think I am so stupid as to not be aware of how loosing the chip could affect you?" Charlie fought hard to focus and control herself. "One little piece of government hardware stops working and that changes everything? And don't give me all the biding your time talk. I know you. Have you forgotten that?" She pounded her fist against her chest. "I know you!"
"You knew the neutered vampire who'd been reduced to following the Slayer around!" Spike spat back in fury. "A pathetic wanker."
"Buffy. It all comes down to Buffy, doesn't it? Nothing else matters! Not even you." Charlie hugged herself. "What do you think will happen if you go back? She will hunt you down. She will have to Spike… and you know it. Is that what you want?"
"Beats the hell out of being her little toy, can tell you that."
Charlie realized she was loosing him… Loosing her friend. The tears fell freely now, blurring her vision as she desperately tried to reach him. She sent a silent prayer to a G'd Spike insisted would have nothing to do with the likes of him. Dear G'd, if there was ever a time I needed your help, it is now. Please, help me. I am begging You. Help me. Help us.
Charlie felt something inside her click and suddenly she knew exactly what to do. Thank you G'd. It was a gamble, but for Spike, she was willing to take it.
"I can't live without you. You are my family. If you really are going back to your old life… I want to go with you. There is nothing left for me here if you are gone. Frances is dead, like you so kindly pointed out. Turn me Spike. Let's never grow old together."
"Charlie – are you insane? You don't want me to do that to you girl."
"I don't?" Charlie came closer and Spike backed up against the wall, a look of fear on his face. Charlie swept her long dark hair and bared her neck, offering it to him. She could sense the demon struggling within him, but didn't back down. "I love you. You saved my life. It is yours to take. I am going wherever you are."
Spike pushed Charlie away making her fall. She just stood up again and came back to him. "I told you William, I am going wherever you are."
Spike looked at his friend's face and saw no fear there. Instead her eyes were full of love and determination. "I can't Charlie. I can't turn you. It wouldn't be you anymore, luv. I… I would never do something so awful to you Charlie girl. My Charlie." He hugged her close to him and felt her body shake with tears.
Charlie clung to him. "No chip in the world should tell you who you are and how you should live your life, baby. You decide. You! It's called free will. You have been doing it for years now. Don't give up! Please don't give up. I meant it when I said I don't want to be without you."
Spike could hardly speak when he raised his head from Charlie's shoulders, game face gone. That girl never gave up on him. He tenderly brushed her wet hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. How could he give up?
"You must be freezing. C'mon, luv, let's go home."
The End
By: Chen
Feedback: The only thing better than feedback is praise! Please feed me back.
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to ME (Grr! Argh!) and not to me. Charlie? The girl owns me.
Spoilers: Some s6 and that's it.
Archive: Please talk to me first?
A/N: Last part of the 'Friend or Foe' Trilogy. The Friends Series does go on. Hopefully soon.
This one was a tough cookie to write. I have to thank all the amazing BETAs I had working with me in this trilogy. Chris, Christy, Kelly, Mezz and Michelle. Never forgetting the Glorificus Colleen! I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. They were amazing.
***
1 This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
T.S. Eliot
***
Spike never came home and Charlie desperately looked for him. She had spent all of last night and today out, heading back home only when all her attempts proved futile.
Charlie had finally gone to Tara for a location spell and the witch had complied without asking too many questions. The look on Charlie's face and her crumpled clothes were enough for Tara to know much was at stake here.
Now with a location in hand, Charlie rushed out of the apartment, with only one thought in her mind: Find Spike and bring him home.
He now had what he had wanted for so long. All he had sought and tried so hard to get was now his. Would he be able to fight the demon without the help of the chip? Charlie turned her collar up against the rain as she made her way into the industrial district of Sunnydale.
It was him. Charlie stopped when she saw the glow of the cigarette illuminating his face. A chill went through her body as she made her way towards him. She only hoped it was not too late.
"Been looking for you since last night." She tried to sound as matter of fact as she could.
"Found me, now sod off."
"I was worried about you, baby. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine and dandy. Had myself a pretty good meal."
He was lying she could tell. He hadn't fed; at least not yet.
"So run along, pet. Go find yourself some other wanker to fuss over." The cockney act was back in place, as if it had never left. "I don't need you anymore, you hear me? So unless you fancy becoming dessert - just scram!" Spike shook his head and went into game face.
Charlie felt the sting of his words and forced herself to ignore them. Instead she concentrated on the vampire. She knew that he was using the game face to scare her away.
She was not leaving without him. One way or the other. There was no option for her here.
"Nothing is different Spike. Don't you know that?"
"Nothing is different she says! Everything is different! I'm finally rid of the bloody chip! I can go where I want, do what I want, when I feel like it! And best of all: feed! No more pig blood! I'm evil – when are you going to get it? I'm the same thing that killed your precious Frances, you git!" Spike's eyes glowed menacingly. "No use trying to pretend, ducks. I saw your face at the Bronze – I saw fear there."
"Bollocks Spike! That's just a load of crap! No more chip and you stop using your brain altogether? I have never been afraid of you. I was afraid for you! You think I am so stupid as to not be aware of how loosing the chip could affect you?" Charlie fought hard to focus and control herself. "One little piece of government hardware stops working and that changes everything? And don't give me all the biding your time talk. I know you. Have you forgotten that?" She pounded her fist against her chest. "I know you!"
"You knew the neutered vampire who'd been reduced to following the Slayer around!" Spike spat back in fury. "A pathetic wanker."
"Buffy. It all comes down to Buffy, doesn't it? Nothing else matters! Not even you." Charlie hugged herself. "What do you think will happen if you go back? She will hunt you down. She will have to Spike… and you know it. Is that what you want?"
"Beats the hell out of being her little toy, can tell you that."
Charlie realized she was loosing him… Loosing her friend. The tears fell freely now, blurring her vision as she desperately tried to reach him. She sent a silent prayer to a G'd Spike insisted would have nothing to do with the likes of him. Dear G'd, if there was ever a time I needed your help, it is now. Please, help me. I am begging You. Help me. Help us.
Charlie felt something inside her click and suddenly she knew exactly what to do. Thank you G'd. It was a gamble, but for Spike, she was willing to take it.
"I can't live without you. You are my family. If you really are going back to your old life… I want to go with you. There is nothing left for me here if you are gone. Frances is dead, like you so kindly pointed out. Turn me Spike. Let's never grow old together."
"Charlie – are you insane? You don't want me to do that to you girl."
"I don't?" Charlie came closer and Spike backed up against the wall, a look of fear on his face. Charlie swept her long dark hair and bared her neck, offering it to him. She could sense the demon struggling within him, but didn't back down. "I love you. You saved my life. It is yours to take. I am going wherever you are."
Spike pushed Charlie away making her fall. She just stood up again and came back to him. "I told you William, I am going wherever you are."
Spike looked at his friend's face and saw no fear there. Instead her eyes were full of love and determination. "I can't Charlie. I can't turn you. It wouldn't be you anymore, luv. I… I would never do something so awful to you Charlie girl. My Charlie." He hugged her close to him and felt her body shake with tears.
Charlie clung to him. "No chip in the world should tell you who you are and how you should live your life, baby. You decide. You! It's called free will. You have been doing it for years now. Don't give up! Please don't give up. I meant it when I said I don't want to be without you."
Spike could hardly speak when he raised his head from Charlie's shoulders, game face gone. That girl never gave up on him. He tenderly brushed her wet hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. How could he give up?
"You must be freezing. C'mon, luv, let's go home."
The End