Chapter 17: Off to War
Spikes dreams were always the same these days. The setting would change, but each dream always ended with him as a big pile of dust at Buffy's hand. He supposed that the First was still playing him in its own way, but what it failed to realize was that the vision of Buffy staking him, while soul wrenching, suited him just fine. He could think of worse ways to go, that was for sure.
He was disturbed from this day's dream, this very possibly last dream, if the world did indeed stop revolving after tonight, by soft footfalls on the stairs.
"Whatdya want, Nibblet?" His voice was soft, his arm thrown over his eyes, shielding them from view as she approached.
"I brought you some breakfast, thought you might be hungry."
He sat up then gauging her at the foot of the stairs. Her face a mixture of worry, fear, and a small bit of determination. *Just a bitty Buffy.* he thought.
"Thanks. What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. Just thought I'd bring you a nice meal, spend some time with a friend, while very covertly avoiding the somber mood upstairs. I swear its like death warmed over up there. Those girls act like they've never been to an apocalypse before or something." She wrinkled her nose in jest, taking a seat next to him and handing him the mug.
His blue eyes twinkled back at her, "Well, not all of us can be mystical balls of energy ya know."
"Ya, I know." She smiled lightly at him, nibbling on her lower lip some, as he sipped at the blood."It's a pity really, cause maybe then they'd know better then to hog the bathroom or eat my wheaties. . ."
"Still want me to eat them?" His eyes glinted back up at her.
She waved him off, "Nah, if you did that we'd have to deal with an aftermath named Buffy. Not of the fun."
"Suppose not."
They sat in silence for a few mintues, Dawn fiddling with her pant leg, Spike sipping from his mug, before the dark haired girl wrapped her arms around the vampire in a hug. "Be careful," it was not a request.
"Always am, Lil bit Always am." He squeezed his little girl back, becaue that's what she was to him. Did matter how tall she got or her advancing years. She was his little girl.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking off up the stairs.
------------
Some hours later it was Buffy who woke him with a slight shake. He opened his eyes wearily only to gaze up into the face of a angel. A very soft smile grazing her otherwise somber face.
"It's time. Everyone's gathering upstairs. Faith should be arriving with Angel soon so. . ."
She fidgeted slightly in front of him as he lifted himself up on his elbows, nodding lightly. "Nibblet visited me. Told me to be careful. I think she might actually not hate me, doesn't that just bugger all?"
Buffy's mind drifted back to the last night she died, remembering her willingness to forgive and forget when everything around got just to dark and desperate to warrant caring about such little things anymore. "Well, one thing you can say about an apocolyspe, it brings people together."
She smiled down at his laughing face, before offering him a hand up.
His whole body warmed from the touch, hoping she'd never let go.
She did, but not until they had reached the awaiting mob in the kitchen.
---------------
A short time later, everyone was loaded with their weapon of choice, as well as anything else they needed in order to perform their assigned task. As a small army they headed out into the fresh night, the streets having long been deserted, no one stopped to question them. No one was left to even care.
Sunnydale had turned into a ghost town, seemingly overnight. Buffy idly wondered if the dreams she had been receiveing were being delievered to the whole town as well. Hell, if she wasn't the slayer and she'd been having those dreams, she didn't think a steel cage could have kept her here. *Just as well, no innocent bystanders afterall, that's a good thing. Right?*
They arrived at the high school in silence and with only a small nod of acknowledgement to one another they stalked inside prepared to start a war.
They appeared to be late.
--------------
The calm facade covering the outside of the school turned out to be just that, a facade. Inside it was anything but calm. The walls of the school were beginning to crumble as the power of the hellmouth was unleashed. A large rift had torn through the school, enveloping it in utter chaos.
Without a word the witch dropped to the ground and began preparing her spell, just as the first wave of demons became visible from the glowing rift.
"So I guess this means I don't have to open the seal, huh?" Andrew stated, his eyes wide in shock as a demon headed his way.
With a snarl, Spike shoved him out of the way, as the others took there predetermined places, hoping that the plan would still work with the simple change of the First having a slight headstart. "Get down!"
And the fight began. . .
Spikes dreams were always the same these days. The setting would change, but each dream always ended with him as a big pile of dust at Buffy's hand. He supposed that the First was still playing him in its own way, but what it failed to realize was that the vision of Buffy staking him, while soul wrenching, suited him just fine. He could think of worse ways to go, that was for sure.
He was disturbed from this day's dream, this very possibly last dream, if the world did indeed stop revolving after tonight, by soft footfalls on the stairs.
"Whatdya want, Nibblet?" His voice was soft, his arm thrown over his eyes, shielding them from view as she approached.
"I brought you some breakfast, thought you might be hungry."
He sat up then gauging her at the foot of the stairs. Her face a mixture of worry, fear, and a small bit of determination. *Just a bitty Buffy.* he thought.
"Thanks. What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. Just thought I'd bring you a nice meal, spend some time with a friend, while very covertly avoiding the somber mood upstairs. I swear its like death warmed over up there. Those girls act like they've never been to an apocalypse before or something." She wrinkled her nose in jest, taking a seat next to him and handing him the mug.
His blue eyes twinkled back at her, "Well, not all of us can be mystical balls of energy ya know."
"Ya, I know." She smiled lightly at him, nibbling on her lower lip some, as he sipped at the blood."It's a pity really, cause maybe then they'd know better then to hog the bathroom or eat my wheaties. . ."
"Still want me to eat them?" His eyes glinted back up at her.
She waved him off, "Nah, if you did that we'd have to deal with an aftermath named Buffy. Not of the fun."
"Suppose not."
They sat in silence for a few mintues, Dawn fiddling with her pant leg, Spike sipping from his mug, before the dark haired girl wrapped her arms around the vampire in a hug. "Be careful," it was not a request.
"Always am, Lil bit Always am." He squeezed his little girl back, becaue that's what she was to him. Did matter how tall she got or her advancing years. She was his little girl.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking off up the stairs.
------------
Some hours later it was Buffy who woke him with a slight shake. He opened his eyes wearily only to gaze up into the face of a angel. A very soft smile grazing her otherwise somber face.
"It's time. Everyone's gathering upstairs. Faith should be arriving with Angel soon so. . ."
She fidgeted slightly in front of him as he lifted himself up on his elbows, nodding lightly. "Nibblet visited me. Told me to be careful. I think she might actually not hate me, doesn't that just bugger all?"
Buffy's mind drifted back to the last night she died, remembering her willingness to forgive and forget when everything around got just to dark and desperate to warrant caring about such little things anymore. "Well, one thing you can say about an apocolyspe, it brings people together."
She smiled down at his laughing face, before offering him a hand up.
His whole body warmed from the touch, hoping she'd never let go.
She did, but not until they had reached the awaiting mob in the kitchen.
---------------
A short time later, everyone was loaded with their weapon of choice, as well as anything else they needed in order to perform their assigned task. As a small army they headed out into the fresh night, the streets having long been deserted, no one stopped to question them. No one was left to even care.
Sunnydale had turned into a ghost town, seemingly overnight. Buffy idly wondered if the dreams she had been receiveing were being delievered to the whole town as well. Hell, if she wasn't the slayer and she'd been having those dreams, she didn't think a steel cage could have kept her here. *Just as well, no innocent bystanders afterall, that's a good thing. Right?*
They arrived at the high school in silence and with only a small nod of acknowledgement to one another they stalked inside prepared to start a war.
They appeared to be late.
--------------
The calm facade covering the outside of the school turned out to be just that, a facade. Inside it was anything but calm. The walls of the school were beginning to crumble as the power of the hellmouth was unleashed. A large rift had torn through the school, enveloping it in utter chaos.
Without a word the witch dropped to the ground and began preparing her spell, just as the first wave of demons became visible from the glowing rift.
"So I guess this means I don't have to open the seal, huh?" Andrew stated, his eyes wide in shock as a demon headed his way.
With a snarl, Spike shoved him out of the way, as the others took there predetermined places, hoping that the plan would still work with the simple change of the First having a slight headstart. "Get down!"
And the fight began. . .