Protected
Chapter Fifteen
Death
Spike had made it to the school basement. Angel, Xander, Willow, Lorne, Fred, and Mercy were already waiting for them. The seal was open and he tossed the scythe into the abyss. Willow and Mercy yelled out together,
"Diosa Isis, veijo y antiguo
Bellez a de la isla.
Guarde este mal de la tierra.
Guarde este mal en el es lugar.
A telo a esta la mina." (Goddess Isis, Old and Ancient, Beauty of the Isle. Keep this evil into it's place. Keep him from the Earth. Bind him to this blade.)
They dripped the candle wax from the candles into the medallion-like seal, and each corner closed. The First Evil was gone. They staggered out of the basement, Angel and Spike hanging back on the school steps. Dawn collapsed as she saw Andrew's body in the hall. Spike moved forward and clutched onto the youngest Summers and their tears mingled together. Angel sunk down, staring at the blood on the clothes and wounds of the battle. Willow fell in the courtyard, hugging Xander, kissing his face. He pulled her into his lap and held Willow like a small child. Wesley ran up and found Fred clumisly stuttering in the street, babbling incoherently. He caught her as her legs gave out and he carried her to the curb. Mercy sprinted out into the street, exhaustion setting in. She had to find Connor, though. She screamed for him and he appeared at her side. Both fell into the blood river in the gutter in front of the school. There was so much death. Lorne sat next to Angel, patting the vampire's back. Doors of Sunnydale opened, people looking for their morning papers. Instead of papers on their front lawns, they found pools of blood. One by one, they came out, staring at the frazzled survivors. Dawn had taken Andrew's body into her lap, cradling it in her hands. Spike longed to hold Buffy once more, but she was dust now. Angel sat next to Spike.
"Cordelia's gone, too. She was in a corner, huddled, and all alone."
Spike sighed.
"They turned her." He removed Mr. Pointy from his pocket, twirling it in his palm.
"I fixed it. The First had possessed her, as well. She's gone now."
Spike closed his eyes, trying to block out the images in his brain. Angel squeezed Spike's arm.
"It's not your fault."
Spike nodded. "I had, too. She didn't want to be a vampire, besides the First was there. I had to get rid of the First."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'll take care of Dawn."
"You'll stay with her?" Angel was surprised at his dedication.
"She's my Nibblet."
"Ah."
"She's the new Slayer, too."
"Will you stay in Sunnydale?"
"The whole being over the Hellmouth thing means we'll say. Guess I'm a British Wanker now. Who would have figured William the Bloody would fall for a Slayer and train another one?"
The two souled vampires fell silent, thinking of the irony, watching everything that was happening.
Police lights flashed in front of the high school. A few news crews had arrived as well as some of the high school students that should have been attending their classes. Fred and Wesley had stayed on the curb, Fred almost asleep. Willow still sat on Xander's lap and she herself had fallen asleep in her best friend's arms. Mercy was in a state of shock. All of the witchcraft had worn out the three girls. The fighters were more or less dead on their feet, some literally, some figuratively.
"What happened here?" A police officer shouted at the group.
No one even looked up at him.
"Was it gangs?"
Spike bubbled into inappropriate laughter.
"Much worse than gangs, mate."
"Come down here."
Spike glanced up at the sky.
" 'Fraid I can't."
"Now."
"See, I'm fond of the skin I have now. I already ruined my hands for a coupla days."
He held up his palms in clear view of everyone as if to prove his point.
"Sir, I highly suggest you come down here and answer some questions."
Spike started to chuckle, throwing his arms out. His grief was taking him over.
"Hear that, Peaches? I'm a Sir."
Angel stood next to him.
"I'm feeling a tad bit offended. You know, I want to be Sir."
Dawn left Andrew and stepped in front of them.
"Please, guys, don't do this."
But they did. They both shook their heads and vamped out.
"I'm afraid I can't. See, I'll fry like a bloomin' onion."
A horn honked and they saw Lorne in the GTX Plymouth Belvedere. He held out a couple of blankets to Wesley, and then he started to Spike. He was shouting and the crowd was listening with an abject horror.
"She's dead! Your saviour died protecting the world. She was a bloody 23 years old! She saved the world over and over again and not one of you even noticed. Now we've got your attention! They all had to die for you to realize! Who's left? A couple of vamps, a demon, two witches, a key, and four humans! The rest of them dead. The Watchers! The Slayers, who gave up their lives when they were 15 or 16 to save a bunch of undeserving pillocks! The humans that gave their lives for a good cause! None of you will bloody even appreciate that the World's Champion is gone. No one will know."
Wesley slowly handed them the blankets and the two vampires ran to the car. The high school students were really fascinating. Dawn Summers, the freak, was crying as she followed the blond monster to the car. He hugged her tightly and they watched the rest. The Medical Examiner's office had arrived and begun to bag up the bodies, some that weren't so human. Willow got to her feet and helped up a blind Xander. She stopped by the ME and said quietly, "We'll come by to identify the bodies after we rest."
She clutched Xander's hand as if to make sure one of them was still there. Connor lifted a sleeping Mercy in his arms, the sleeping beauty, and took her to the car. Fred let out a wail when she saw Gunn's body pushed by. She buried her head into Wesley's shirt. Wesley stroked her long brown hair, trying to comfort her. He remembered what it had been like when he'd found Lilah dead. He kissed the top of her head and slowly led her to the car. The police stared at Lorne. He didn't even bother to motion to them. The car slowly drove away from the commotion, with only one more message to the police. "Go to the Sunnydale Vineyard."
Chapter Fifteen
Death
Spike had made it to the school basement. Angel, Xander, Willow, Lorne, Fred, and Mercy were already waiting for them. The seal was open and he tossed the scythe into the abyss. Willow and Mercy yelled out together,
"Diosa Isis, veijo y antiguo
Bellez a de la isla.
Guarde este mal de la tierra.
Guarde este mal en el es lugar.
A telo a esta la mina." (Goddess Isis, Old and Ancient, Beauty of the Isle. Keep this evil into it's place. Keep him from the Earth. Bind him to this blade.)
They dripped the candle wax from the candles into the medallion-like seal, and each corner closed. The First Evil was gone. They staggered out of the basement, Angel and Spike hanging back on the school steps. Dawn collapsed as she saw Andrew's body in the hall. Spike moved forward and clutched onto the youngest Summers and their tears mingled together. Angel sunk down, staring at the blood on the clothes and wounds of the battle. Willow fell in the courtyard, hugging Xander, kissing his face. He pulled her into his lap and held Willow like a small child. Wesley ran up and found Fred clumisly stuttering in the street, babbling incoherently. He caught her as her legs gave out and he carried her to the curb. Mercy sprinted out into the street, exhaustion setting in. She had to find Connor, though. She screamed for him and he appeared at her side. Both fell into the blood river in the gutter in front of the school. There was so much death. Lorne sat next to Angel, patting the vampire's back. Doors of Sunnydale opened, people looking for their morning papers. Instead of papers on their front lawns, they found pools of blood. One by one, they came out, staring at the frazzled survivors. Dawn had taken Andrew's body into her lap, cradling it in her hands. Spike longed to hold Buffy once more, but she was dust now. Angel sat next to Spike.
"Cordelia's gone, too. She was in a corner, huddled, and all alone."
Spike sighed.
"They turned her." He removed Mr. Pointy from his pocket, twirling it in his palm.
"I fixed it. The First had possessed her, as well. She's gone now."
Spike closed his eyes, trying to block out the images in his brain. Angel squeezed Spike's arm.
"It's not your fault."
Spike nodded. "I had, too. She didn't want to be a vampire, besides the First was there. I had to get rid of the First."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'll take care of Dawn."
"You'll stay with her?" Angel was surprised at his dedication.
"She's my Nibblet."
"Ah."
"She's the new Slayer, too."
"Will you stay in Sunnydale?"
"The whole being over the Hellmouth thing means we'll say. Guess I'm a British Wanker now. Who would have figured William the Bloody would fall for a Slayer and train another one?"
The two souled vampires fell silent, thinking of the irony, watching everything that was happening.
Police lights flashed in front of the high school. A few news crews had arrived as well as some of the high school students that should have been attending their classes. Fred and Wesley had stayed on the curb, Fred almost asleep. Willow still sat on Xander's lap and she herself had fallen asleep in her best friend's arms. Mercy was in a state of shock. All of the witchcraft had worn out the three girls. The fighters were more or less dead on their feet, some literally, some figuratively.
"What happened here?" A police officer shouted at the group.
No one even looked up at him.
"Was it gangs?"
Spike bubbled into inappropriate laughter.
"Much worse than gangs, mate."
"Come down here."
Spike glanced up at the sky.
" 'Fraid I can't."
"Now."
"See, I'm fond of the skin I have now. I already ruined my hands for a coupla days."
He held up his palms in clear view of everyone as if to prove his point.
"Sir, I highly suggest you come down here and answer some questions."
Spike started to chuckle, throwing his arms out. His grief was taking him over.
"Hear that, Peaches? I'm a Sir."
Angel stood next to him.
"I'm feeling a tad bit offended. You know, I want to be Sir."
Dawn left Andrew and stepped in front of them.
"Please, guys, don't do this."
But they did. They both shook their heads and vamped out.
"I'm afraid I can't. See, I'll fry like a bloomin' onion."
A horn honked and they saw Lorne in the GTX Plymouth Belvedere. He held out a couple of blankets to Wesley, and then he started to Spike. He was shouting and the crowd was listening with an abject horror.
"She's dead! Your saviour died protecting the world. She was a bloody 23 years old! She saved the world over and over again and not one of you even noticed. Now we've got your attention! They all had to die for you to realize! Who's left? A couple of vamps, a demon, two witches, a key, and four humans! The rest of them dead. The Watchers! The Slayers, who gave up their lives when they were 15 or 16 to save a bunch of undeserving pillocks! The humans that gave their lives for a good cause! None of you will bloody even appreciate that the World's Champion is gone. No one will know."
Wesley slowly handed them the blankets and the two vampires ran to the car. The high school students were really fascinating. Dawn Summers, the freak, was crying as she followed the blond monster to the car. He hugged her tightly and they watched the rest. The Medical Examiner's office had arrived and begun to bag up the bodies, some that weren't so human. Willow got to her feet and helped up a blind Xander. She stopped by the ME and said quietly, "We'll come by to identify the bodies after we rest."
She clutched Xander's hand as if to make sure one of them was still there. Connor lifted a sleeping Mercy in his arms, the sleeping beauty, and took her to the car. Fred let out a wail when she saw Gunn's body pushed by. She buried her head into Wesley's shirt. Wesley stroked her long brown hair, trying to comfort her. He remembered what it had been like when he'd found Lilah dead. He kissed the top of her head and slowly led her to the car. The police stared at Lorne. He didn't even bother to motion to them. The car slowly drove away from the commotion, with only one more message to the police. "Go to the Sunnydale Vineyard."