Shaddyr's Eclectic Collection Pretender Fanfiction Buffy Fanfiction Shaddyr Convergence
Convergence
part 8
by
Shaddyr
Giles had Buffy and Jarod sit cross-legged on the grass,
back to back in a protective circle in the center of the pentagram. Jarod
hung back for a moment, and then took his place with obvious reluctance.
Giles crouched down beside them for a moment, put a reassuring hand on Jarod's
shoulder and dropped a fatherly kiss on the top of Buffy's head. "We're
going to begin. May God protect you both." He stepped out of the circle
as Tara started lighting the candles. Willow lifted a cup of burning incense
and began to chant in Latin.
Buffy turned her head to speak over her shoulder to Jarod. "Nervous?"
He gave her a dry chuckle. "Oh, I'd say that's a major understatement."
"Don't worry. We've done things like this before. It can't be much worse
then when we fought Adam."
"Adam?"
"A human-demon cyborg cross breed that was brutally murdering demons and
people alike."
Jarod processed that for a second. Just as he opened his mouth to respond,
a cool mist swirled up around them, snatching the words from his mouth.
And then his world suddenly tilted on its axis and all thoughts of demon
cyborgs fled from his mind.
Spike paced nervously back and forth a few times before stopping beside
Giles. "What's gonna happen, Watcher? This is safe, innit? I mean, nothing
can happen to Buffy 'coz of this spell, right? You checked it all over,
made sure the witches knew what they were doin'?"
Giles drew a deep breath then slowly exhaled to center himself before turning to deal with the agitaited vampire. "Spike. They
know what they are doing. Now stop flitting about and sit down. Or go away.
I don't really care, just be quiet."
Spike started pacing again. "You don't understand, Rupes," he continued.
"I can't lose her again, I just can't." He stopped and stared at the two figures
that were now partially obscured by a swirling haze. "Bloody hell, is that
supposed to happen?" Spike strained forward, trying to see. "I swear, Watcher, something happens to her, this bloody chip's not gonna stop me from-"
"Spike, *do* be silent!"
The vampire grumbled quietly, but did as requested. He leaned back against
a nearby grave marker and watched the proceedings intently. All his senses
were on full alert, and he became aware of someone approaching. He turned
to face the intruder, ready to slay whatever vampires, demons or other creatures
needed slaying. He was not prepared for the site of the leggy brunette in
pajamas being followed by two unknown men.
Giles. We've got company."
Sydney's brows furrowed as he took in the sight before him. Jarod and a young
woman sat on the ground in the center of a large pentagram. Another woman
read from a book on her lap. Latin, he realized from the bits he heard.
A third woman lit candles, then tossed handfuls of shimmering powder on
the two figures in the circle. Off to one side stood two men, one who looked
somewhat bookish, the other with an aura of danger coming off him and an
eye catching shock of blond hair. Sydney realized this was the man Miss
Parker had described. Spike.
Broots touched Sydney's arm. "Uhm, Syd? I'm not seeing things, am I? Does
that look like some kind of hocus pocus to you?"
Before he could answer, the blond man stepped out in front of Parker, blocking
her path. "Thought I told you this wasn't a safe place to be, luv."
Unsurprisingly, she showed no sign of having heard him and tried to continue
towards Jarod. He caught her arm, but Parker fought him, flailing about
to break free. There was no grace or forethought to her movements, just
a blind panic reaction. Sydney could see the surprise in Spike's face, and hurried
forward to intercede.
"She can't hear you," he explained. He noted that Spike was fairing better
against her then Broots had; he'd simply turned her away from him and wrapped
an arm around her, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. "She's sleepwalking," he continued.
"Sleepwalking?" The disbelief was evident in his voice.
"Right, mate. And I'm out here for a picnic." As if in reward for his sarcasm, Parker tossed her head back and connected sharply with Spike's face. "Ow! Bloody hell!
The older man stepped forward and studied the struggling woman. He lightly
touched her forehead and muttered under his breath, then reached into his
pocket and pulled out a small drawstring bag. As Syd watched, he took a
pinch of whatever was in the bag, placed it in his palm, and blew it at
Parker. For a brief moment, the powder seemed to flare brightly, then faded
away. He nodded, returned the bag to his pocket and turned to face the psychiatrist.
"Spike is quite right. Miss Parker is certainly not sleepwalking. She is
under magical influence."
Faced with this unbelievable diagnosis, Sydney decided to tackle the less preposterous part of what the man had just said. "You know Miss Parker?"
"Not exactly," the other man replied, extending a hand. "Rupert Giles. I
assume that you are Sydney. Jarod spoke of you."
Sydney took the proffered hand, bemused by the strange circumstance. "I see.
This is Mr. Broots." He introduced the dazed computer tech and took a moment
to collect himself. He and Giles watched as Broots approached Spike and
tried to help calm Miss Parker. Broots earned a kick in the shin for his efforts.
Sydney pulled his attention back to Rupert Giles. He glanced meaningfully
towards Jarod, the woman with him and the ritual taking place. "Perhaps
you might explain what exactly is going on here?"
Giles paused for a moment, then nodded. "It will likely challenge your ability
to believe."
"Of that I have no doubt. It seems there are a great many happenings of
that nature in Sunnydale."
"Quite so. To the point, then. This is a binding spell. The Convergence
has come. Buffy and Jarod are the Chosen. Only together will they be strong
enough to fight the coming evil."
Sydney blinked, watching as the younger men still struggled to control Miss Parker. His mind flashed back to her dreams "This is
what she's been seeing for days."
It was Giles' turn to blink. "Seeing? She has visions?" He leaned in closer,
eager for new information. "What did she tell you?"
As Sydney quickly described the dreams, Giles became grim. "Did it always
end with her father asking her to join him?"
He nodded. "I realized that her Inner Sense was trying to show her something-"
"She's the missing piece."
"Pardon me?"
"The prophecy says that the Centre shall rise. As far as we could understand,
the reference was to the place. But I don't think that was it." Giles shook
his head, frustration evident as he tried to puzzle it out. "Jarod ran a
- a sim I believe he called it - to try to better understand the prophecy.
In doing so, he set events in motion. I believe that Miss Parker has been
summoned here to complete the Convergence."
Further discussion was forestalled as a brilliant light shot straight up
from the protective circle like a sheet around the two figures within. It
distracted Spike for a fraction of a second, but that was all Parker needed
to break free.
"No! You'll bollocks everything up!" He lunged after her and knocked her
to the ground, keeping a very tight grip on her arms, despite the pain in
his head. There was no telling what might happen if she stepped into the
circle right now.
Broots was torn between getting Miss Parker free and letting the other man
keep her under control. He looked over at Sydney then back over at the man
restraining her, his body wavering with indecision.
Sydney was suffering a similar quandary, wanting to go to Jarod and yet
feeling an obligation to keep Miss Parker from harm. There was so much happening
that he didn't understand. He looked pleadingly at Giles. "What can we do?"
It was then Spike noticed that the green haze that had enveloped the high
school was now creeping over the ground, little crackles of energy leaping
and sparking as it advanced. "Oi, Watcher!" Spike called out. As Giles turned to look at him, he was suddenly overcome by an incredible feeling of exhaustion, a lethargy that sapped the strength from his body and pulled him toward the ground. The others outside the circle seemed likewise to be affected; he watched Sydney crumple and Broots stagger to his knees.
"Tara!" Giles struggled to speak. "Spell..."
She slowly lifted her arm, her hand shaking with the effort; her fingers
described a pattern in the air while she muttered an incantation. As the
protective spell took effect, the sluggishness began to fade.
While they tried to regain their wits, a figure coalesced before them from within the vapor. An instant later, a well-dressed, older man stood there. He looked
congenial, a welcoming smile on his face. Broots' jaw dropped and he unwittingly fell
back to his knees as he recognized the man. Sydney felt a deep sense of
shock settle in on him as Mr. Parker stepped towards them.
"Sydney! Broots! I see you brought my little girl. Thank you."
The appearance of her father seemed to free Parker of the thrall she'd been
in. "Daddy?" Her voice shook as hope and disbelief warred within her. "Is
that you?"
"Yes, Angel, it's me." He laughed, the deep chuckle that those who had known
the chairman recognized. Then his voice became very soothing and inviting.
"Angel, I've come for you. I told you that the new Parker Legacy begins
with you. It's time for you to join me."
Her face was a study in confusion. "You jumped, Daddy, I saw you jump from
the airplane."
Mr. Parker clucked his tongue and took a step toward her. "It's all right
now, Angel." He extended a hand to her. "Come to me."
She wouldn't let it go. "I need to understand, Daddy. Don't ask me to do
this, to trust you until you make me understand."
Mr. Parker's expression became murderous. "You *will* come to me. I'm your
father, and I told you- "
"Are you?"
Jarod slowly became aware that something was different. He opened his eyes
and looked around. A wall of white light surrounded him. He glanced down
to find two forms lying before him - his and Buffy's.
//Oh my god, is she okay?//
//I'm fine,// came Buffy's voice from within his mind.
He was surprised. //Somehow I was thinking that when we did this, we wouldn't
sense each other. We'd just be one entity.//
He felt her laughter. // We are one entity. We just happen to define the
term split personality.// The humour was a welcome if momentary respite from the seriousness of their situation. Soon, however, they focused once again upon their current state.
//So, what have we become?//
Jarod/Buffy held up their hands and saw the physical expression of energy
- but the body was unimportant. Knowledge of Purpose washed over them. Jarod
was the thinker, the strategist - Buffy was the indefatigable warrior. They
were the Chosen. They would defeat the evil or die trying.
They stepped through the curtain of light.
Mr. Parker loomed over his daughter, who was still in Spike's grasp. "You
are my daughter in all the ways that matter. Come to me. The Centre shall
rise anew, the way it should have always been."
She shook her head. "Momma told me I was going to have to choose. I was
afraid that I wouldn't be able to. I was afraid I'd make the wrong choice."
She looked up at the man she'd called father all her life. "You said it
was the Parker madness that started the Centre. Now you want to start another
one?" Shaking her head, she continued. "You've lied to me, deceived me so
many times. I'm so tired of being lied to. No, Daddy. I need answers first.
I want to understand, please, help me understand..."
He sighed loudly. "I tried this the easy way, but if you insist on being
stubborn..." He reached out to grab her, but Spike shifted her behind him
and smoothly rose to his feet.
"I believe the lady said no, mate. So bugger off."
Mr. Parker's lips pressed together in a thin line and his nostrils flared
slightly. Then, with a mere flick of his wrist, he sent the vampire flying
into a headstone. With no more thought to Spike than one would accord a fly,
Mr. Parker turned his attention back to his daughter. A hand descended on
his shoulder and held him in place.
"You should look into an anger management course or something," Jarod/Buffy
said as s/he stepped around him to place him/herself between him and Miss
Parker. For a moment, Jarod's attention wavered as he tried to ascertain
Miss Parker's state and Buffy was distracted with trying to convince herself
she was not worried about Spike laying motionless on the ground. The Chairman's
lips curled up into an unpleasant smile, and again he flicked his wrist.
Jarod/Buffy staggered back a few steps. S/he felt like s/he'd been hit with
a Troll hammer. The Jarod part lifted the particulars of what a Troll hammer
was from Buffy as he chided her - and himself.
//We have to stay focused!//
//Yeah, I know.// There was anger in her reply, and humiliation. Jarod felt
her resolve to not be caught off guard again. S/he drew herself up straight and faced the Chairman.
"Is that the best you've got?"
Then came the demons.
//I had to ask...//
Chaos. There was no other word for it. There were demons of every kind Buffy
had ever seen - Jarod absorbed their names as she automatically catalogued
them - as well as a bunch she hadn't. S/he fought with mechanical precision
while taking in the scene around him/her.
Willow was maintaining the protective field around their bodies while Tara
managed to keep Giles, Sydney, Broots and Willow safe with her ward. The
sickly green haze had enveloped the protective bubble she'd placed around
them, attacking it. There were already places that looked to be weakening.
Spike and Parker were both trapped outside the ward, and Jarod/Buffy was
fighting in earnest to keep them alive. The blond vampire had come to and
was gleefully throwing himself into the battle, but the sheer number of
demons was overwhelming. S/he'd get close enough to fight Mr. Parker, when
suddenly there would be a fresh onslaught and s/he would again be distracted
with keeping Miss Parker safe. And Spike while s/he was at it.
Finally, there was a break in the mass and s/he stood facing Mr. Parker.
"Let's mambo."
The Chairman flicked his fingers and an energy surge flew at Jarod/Buffy.
S/he rolled with it, the blast dissipating harmlessly behind him/her. Mr.
Parker scowled.
"You can't win," he stated confidently and threw another volley.
As s/he ducked it, Mr. Parker managed to get a hold of his daughter. She
punched and kicked, but he simply laughed at her efforts and quieted her
with a blow to the head. She was stunned, but not defeated.
"Don't you see, Angel? Just agree. I want your willingness. The things to
come - it will be a wonderful future, but you must choose it."
Jarod/Buffy's foot lashed out. The kick sent Mr. Parker sprawling, freeing
Miss Parker from his grasp. She scrambled towards Spike, who disposed of
the demon he'd been fighting, then stepped over to interpose himself between
her and her father once more.
"Looks like she did choose, mate."
With a look of fury over being thwarted, Mr. Parker waved some of the demons over.
"Kill him."
With a sickening crack, Spike broke the neck of something gray and slimy as it rushed him.
"Haven't had a fight this good in bleedin' ages!" he proclaimed, a wicked
grin on his face. "Just so ya know, mate," he said conversationally as a
vampire came flying at him, "I don't kill so easy, what with already bein'
dead and all." He whipped out his stake and impaled the demon in midair.
Jarod/Buffy watched Spike as he fought, and Buffy could see he was injured
and tiring fast. SO then why was he jumping into the center of the fray? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks. //He's getting ready to go out with a bang of glory!// she mentally shouted, her anger and fear flooding over Jarod as well.
He had discovered something interesting; every time feelings of concern for Spike escaped Buffy's control, they were
filled with new strength. But as soon as she realized what she was feeling,
she clamped down on it. The distraction allowed the attacking demons to
get the upper hand and wear her/him down.
For the life of him - quite literally, it seemed - Jarod could *not* get
her to see what was happening.
//Would you just let it go?// the Buffy part of them insisted. //I don't care about him and, hello? Busy fighting for our lives here!//
A fresh influx of demons had filled the space between him/her and Mr. Parker.
S/he twisted the head off a vampire, punched right through a scaly demon's
chest and pulled it's heart out, then pivoted on one foot and let the other
one fly in a brutal snap kick that broke some armor-plated demon's neck.
Jarod's thougt-voice rose above the pitch of battle. //We fight better when you allow yourself to admit you care about him. That
you love hi-//
Her/his hands shot out and grabbed another demon by the head, smashing its
face down into her/his knee repeatedly.
//I do *not* love him!//
//Do you usually sleep with men you don't love?//
S/he faltered for a moment, and an ugly orange monster got its paws on him/her,
sending Jarod/Buffy crashing to the ground. It began pummeling him/her,
but s/he wriggled free and knocked it on its pumpkin-coloured ass.
//Do you mind? I'm trying to repress! And again with the saving the world
here!//
They finished off mean, orange and ugly, and then a pair of horned demons
stepped up to the plate. As s/he engaged them in a deadly dance, Jarod forced
the point. //Buffy, you can lie to him. You can even lie to yourself.//
She tried to ignore him. Demon number one went down.
//But I'm here in your head, hearing your thoughts and feeling your feelings.
//
Demon number two buckled beneath his/her onslaught, melting into goo as
s/he snapped its spine.
//You can't lie to me. You love him. //
She tried to launch into another round of denial and the distraction got
him/her punched in the back of the head by a vampire.
//I *can't* love him!//
S/he staked it, then turned and grappled with something unidentifiable.
//You already *do*. What you mean is you don't want to. You're afraid to.//
S/he was hit by a blast of whatever it was Mr. Parker was throwing around.
The pain lanced through him/her, leaving him/her stunned. Mr. Parker laughed.
"You can't fight me. Your energy is in discord. It's a delicious feast."
//Can't you see?// Jarod demanded. He felt Buffy's mind go rigid, her feelings
freezing up entirely. //He's sucking us dry because we're fractured. Buffy,
I'm not telling you to run out and marry Spike. I'm just asking you to admit
that you're in love with him - at least here and now, to yourself and to
me. If you won't, we're going to end up dead, along with all the people
we love.//
In spite of Spike's valiant efforts to defend her, the Chairman managed
to get a grip on his daughter once more. Jarod/Buffy fought to get through
the mass of demons separating them.
"Now, Angel. It's time to make your choice."
She looked him square in the eye. "Never. I will never willingly choose
to join you." There was fear in her face, but she held her head up high.
"I don't know who you are, but you're not my father."
Mr. Parker gave her a cold smile. His features began to melt, morphing into
a horrifying amalgam of her father's human face and some unknown demon.
She tried to pull away, but he had her in an iron grip. "Perhaps not. But
I posses all that is left of him. As I did his father before him. As I will
possess you. It would be so much less painful for you if you had just given
over willingly, but I'll take you either way."
Jarod/Buffy realized at once that this was the moment of Convergence. Once
that thing merged with Miss Parker, it would be powerful enough to open
the Hellmouth. As s/he struggled on in the fray, Jarod's feelings of love
for his huntress swept over Buffy. His fear that she would suffer and die,
or worse yet, be changed by the thing that Mr. Parker had become. The wish
that she could have seen beyond their hunter/prey relationship to accept
his love for her and in turn admit to her own. The regret that he and Sydney
weren't closer. The longing for his family. And the crystal clear truth
of what he had seen inside Buffy's soul. Her love for Spike.
The moment she capitulated, a dam broke within her spirit, and the brief
flashes of strength they had felt before were nothing compared to the tidal
wave of power that now crashed down and infused them. A quiet voice spoke
in their shared mind.
>>You have found unity. You are one.
//Mrs. Parker?// Jarod's mental voice sounded shaken.
>>Only together will you have victory.
With renewed resolve, Jarod/Buffy made his/her way over to them, arriving
just as Miss Parker started to scream. S/he grabbed the demon thing by the
shoulders and pulled him away from her. Spike managed to catch her before
she hit the ground and pulled her out of the way.
"You really need to hone your listening skills there, pal," s/he commented,
then landed a right cross that sent the demon staggering backwards. "You
show up on my turf, mess with my Hellmouth and threaten my friends. This
is not of the good." Spin kick, followed by a 1-2, chest head combo. "This
has been an unbelievable hellish year for me and you are *really* startin'
to piss," *Whack!* "me," *Thud!* "OFF!" His/her finally blow never landed
as the demon caught his/her fist in its hand.
"Enough of this foolish banter!" It wrapped its arms around Jarod/Buffy's
torso and began to squeeze, while at the same draining his/her energy. The
lethargy was fast becoming incapacitating.
The Buffy part of him/her struggled, but the Jarod part silenced her.
//No. This is what the battle was meant to come to. This is how it must
be won. The only way to destroy this thing is to be something it cannot
consume.//
//What?// She was groggy and confused.
//It was absorbing our discord, thriving off the negative energy. This thing
lives off fear, hate, pain and insanity. Everyone who read the scrolls went
mad and it consumed them. Let's give it indigestion.//
//And how?//
//You know the answer, Buffy.//
He was right. She did know. Together, they pooled all their hope and all
their love. Then s/he focused on it and forced it out at the demon holding
him/her captive.
"Aaargh!" The thing stumbled back from him/her as if burned. Jarod/Buffy
pursued it.
"What, did I leave a bad taste in your mouth?" This time, s/he wrapped his/her
arms around the creature, willing the connection into existence, trying
to send the positive energy to the demon in his/her grasp.
The thing convulsed, thrashing wildly to break free as it keened a high
pitched wail of pain. It finally threw him/her off and backed away.
"You've won this battle, but don't for a moment imagine you've won the war."
Before their eyes, the sulfurous green fog that had been clinging to everything
seemed to withdraw in on itself, fading into nothingness. The heavy blanket
of dark magic that had been draining them also receded, and the hordes of
demons seemed to melt into the dark as well.
"When next I return, you will - "
He stopped speaking quite suddenly, a shocked look on his face. Whatever
he was going to say was lost forever as he disincorporated, leaving only
a few tendrils of oily black smoke in his wake.
Spike stood there with a large axe he'd grabbed from the weapons that had
been brought from the magic shop. "Bloody pretentious wanker." He tossed
the axe on the ground near the open bag he'd liberated it from, wiped away
some blood that was dripping in his eyes, then glanced around at everyone.
"Right then. I think we're done here. Anyone up for a beer?"
The nest morning, Parker walked into the Magic Box followed by Broots and
Sydney. All three of them were still in varying degrees of shock over the
events of the previous night. Broots looked like he had a million questions,
but was holding back because he was afraid of the answers. Sydney was pensive,
lost in thought. Miss Parker was subdued, her normal tough as nails image
giving way to a quieter more contemplative appearance.
A door at the back opened and Giles stepped into the main part of the shop.
Parker caught a glimpse of what looked like it might be a gym before she
closed the door.
"He's gone, isn't he?"
Giles nodded. "He left something for you, though." He walked across the
room and stepped behind the counter, rummaging under it for a moment till
he found the item he sought. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to
her.
"So what the hell does the lab rat have to say this time?"
She ripped it open and unfolded the note inside.
"It looks like the prophecies were real after all, Miss Parker. We've
played our parts, fulfilled the destiny we were born to. But nothing
was written about what happens next.
I run, you chase? You were right - that choice was made for us a long
time ago. I think it's time we chose our own destinies.
You made the right choice last night. Now you have to make another one
- a choice about us. I hope you choose wisely.
~J
She folded the letter carefully and replaced
it in the envelope.
Sydney gave her a curious look. "Anything to share?"
She shook her head. "No." She looked back over at Giles. "You'll pardon
me if I tell you this was not fun and I hope I never see you again."
His lips quirked into a smile. "I think, given your experiences in Sunnydale,
I understand."
She glanced around briefly while Sydney and Giles said their goodbyes, promising
to keep in touch. Her gaze fell on Broots who was nosing through an assortment
of candles and incense that were advertised to enhance ones sexual appeal
to the opposite sex.
"C'mon, Romeo," she intoned dryly, chuckling at the flush that coloured
his cheeks. "We're outta here."
Buffy stepped out of the training room as the three of them left the shop.
"Thank god. I was wondering if she was *ever* going to leave."
Giles looked surprised. "I admit she is rather brusque, but I didn't find
her impossible to deal with."
Buffy snorted. "Well, you obviously didn't have her stick a 9mm in your
ribs. Tends to make me a little cranky."
"Yes, I imagine so." He pulled off his glasses, absent-mindedly polishing
the lenses before replacing them. "So, how did you find your warm up? Any
residual effects from the spell?"
"Nothing serious." She thought for a moment. "My balance is a little wonky,
but it's no big. I could feel it improving even as I ran through my kata."
"Good, good. We should take some time this afternoon to record last night's
particulars."
"No can do, Giles. I have plans today."
"Buffy, I would prefer to record your account of what happened while it's
still fresh in your mind. This sort of information could prove invaluable
one day to a future slayer."
"And I feel all kinds of guilt over that. Really, I do. But this is important."
The Watcher fixed her with a stern look, and then sighed. "I don't know
why I thought you might listen to me today when you never have in the past."
She gave him a grateful smile and a hug. "Hey, you can preoccupy yourself
analyzing Jarod's report. I'm sure you have enough there to keep you busy
for a month."
Giles perked up at the thought. "Yes, there is that..."
Buffy grabbed her sweater and slipped out of the Magic Box, glad that Giles
was distracted. She was doubly glad that before Jarod had given Giles an
interview, he'd agreed to leave Spike's name out of it and just focus on
the think-lovey-thoughts aspect of fighting the demon. She wasn't quite
ready to deal with Giles trying to deal with her feelings for another vampire.
She was barely ready to deal with them herself.
As she walked, she mused about the events of the night before. After Spike
finished of the demon and they had made sure the danger was over, Tara and
Willow had released the binding spell. She and Jarod had both been groggy
and disoriented after being slammed back into their respective bodies. Spike
had been at her side in a moment, holding her hand, helping her sit up.
Giles and Sydney had been busy dealing with Jarod and Miss Parker, and
Willow and Tara were so exhausted they'd gone straight home. So she'd been
left alone with Spike and all the revelations that had been forced upon
her to prevent the end of the world
Nothing like being forced to deal with the truth, she thought as she kicked
a pebble before she turned off the sidewalk to walk across the grass.
She hadn't wanted him to touch her, afraid that he'd be able to read her
like an open book. Unsurprisingly, he'd interpreted it as disgust and loathing.
As soon as he got her home, he'd walked away, tight lipped and furious.
And she'd felt horrible.
She stopped in front of the familiar crypt, her stomach in her throat. This
was the point of no return. She could go back home and act that it never
happened. She could keep pretending that she didn't have these feelings.
And she could keep killing Spike by inches, denying him happiness because
this was so wrong.
She pushed the heavy door open. Since when had she who had never read the
Slayers handbook ever worried about the rules?
"Slayer?" a sleepy voice called across the room.
She smiled. Buffy didn't know what the future would hold, but it was just
possible that it might contain a convergence of their own. She shut the
door behind her. "Spike. We need to talk."
~fin
