Chapter 28
"You said you came here to warn me." Angel said. "About what?"
"In due time, my son. In due time. Sit down." Angel's father sat down on the couch. "You're living lushly nowadays."
"This isn't my home."
"No, it isn't, is it? You took this house. A nice family used to live here, didn't they? How did you get this house?"
"No."
"How Liam?"
"I killed them."
"Exactly, just like you're going to do the little family you tried so hard to build when the day comes."
"You son of a bitch!" Buffy said.
"What?" Holden asked.
"I think I'm gonna kill you just a little bit more than usual." Buffy punched at his face, Holden blocked and kicked her.
"Aw, come one. I mean, we had a moment. You opened up. It was really sweet. It made me want to bit you. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I'm just new to this mortal enemy stuff." Buffy stood and he kicked her. "Pretty fast learner, though, right?"
Buffy kicked him and jumped him, pushing him and herself through a stained glass window into a nearby crypt.
Dawn and Conner were alone at home. The power was out. They were standing in the middle of the living room, looking around. They could hear a sound: something like a cross between roaring wind and a growling animal.
"I hear you. I hear you breathing. Are you hurting my mother? Are you keeping her from coming back to me?" Dawn called. A strobe-like flash lit the room momentarily. A white-eyed Joyce was lying on the couch one second, and then gone the next. "Mom? I see you. I'm coming towards you, ok?" Another flash, and Joyce was lying on the couch screaming while a dark shadowy figure choked her as she reached out toward Dawn and Conner. "She's trying to talk to me. Get off her and let her talk to me!"
"The axe!" Conner said.
Dawn got down on the floor, crawling around looking for the battleaxe. Suddenly the shadowy figure had the axe and swung it at Dawn's head. She screamed just as Conner caught the axe and kicked the hand away.
"Get out!" a voice yelled.
Dawn ran toward the front door, which had swung open again. Wind was blowing hard into the house. She almost went out, but stopped in mid- stride. "No!" Dawn shut the door. "She's my mother. I'm staying."
Buffy proceeded to kick the crap out of Holden. Finally he fell to the ground. Buffy straddled his chest, pointing a stake at his heart. "See? You're dead. That enough of a moment for ya?"
"Ok. But are you killing me because I'm evil or because you opened up?" Holden asked, changing back to his human face.
Buffy groaned and stood up, kicking him in the face. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I got no worries. I'm dead. The biggest thing on my mind is whether or not Tricia Waldman came to my funeral or not. Do you remember her? Ohh.. biteable."
"See, this is what I hate about you vampires. Sex and death and love and pain.. it's all the same damn thing to you."
"Well, you know it's-it's kind of a guy thing. We talk about nailing a girl, there's all this.."
"No, it is not the same. With vampires, it is completely.. Believe me, I know."
"Oh my God!"
"Oh, your God what?"
"Oh, well, you know, not my God, because I defy him and all of his works, but.. Does he exist? Is there word on that, by the way?"
"Nothing solid."
"Oh. I keep getting off topic because my mind is racing here. All right. I'll make a deal with you. We fight. To the death. Great. That last fight was just exhilarating. And I actually had a move coming up to block that stake. But you have to answer one question, and if I'm right, I get to ask anything.. no secrets, no defensiveness, anything I want to know."
"What's your question?"
"Your current relationship: is it with a vampire?"
Dawn sat Indian-style on the living room floor, surrounded by white candles and thick books. She had one of the books open to a specific page. The strange breathing sound was still present. Conner stood next to Dawn, making sure nothing would harm her unless it got through him.
"I know you're there. I will cast you out. My mother needs to talk to me." Dawn called. She held a bowl and sprinkled dust from the bowl on the ground in front of her. A force pushed her and Conner backwards across the room. They both stopped when their backs hit the wall, but Dawn still had the bowl in her lap. "I cast you from this place." She sprinkled dust. "It is your poison and your bane." She sprinkled more dust.
Conner felt something coming and he jumped in front of Dawn. A claw raked across his cheek and left a bloody gash. He yelped, but refused to go down. "Keep going." He said. She sprinkled dust again. "It is the skin that is cut from your flesh!" Suddenly, a strong wind blew out all the candles. The living room window exploded inward, shattering pieces of glass all over Dawn, Conner, and the room.
"I'm sorry! I thought you were joking about that whole 200 something years older thing." Holden said.
"Well, I wasn't." Buffy said, looking over at Holden.
"And you love him?"
"More than I've ever loved anything in this whole world. My last thoughts before I died were 'I love you Angel. Please forgive me for everything.' And I knew he would. And he still does. He can't hate me. No matter how much he tries, he can't."
"Does he want to hate you?"
"No. But sometimes I want him to."
"Why?"
"I have all this power. I didn't ask for it. I don't deserve it. It's like.. I want to be punished. I want to hurt like I think I deserve. I sorta think.. you know, this is, um, complicated. If you'd rather just fight.."
"Tell me."
"I feel like I'm worse than anyone. Honestly, I'm beneath them. My friends, my husband. I feel like I'm not worthy of their love. Cause even though they love me, it doesn't mean anything cause their opinions don't matter. They don't know. They haven't been through what I've been through. They're not the slayer. I am."
"If Angel's a vampire, and he's the one that you sent to hell, killed if you want, he came back and he went through hell thinking he could forget you only to come back to you when you were doing pretty much the same thing the entire time, shouldn't he understand?"
"Yes, but.. Sometimes I feel.. this is awful. I feel like I'm better than them. Superior."
"Until you can't win. And I thought I was diabolical.. or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you've got an inferiority complex about it. Kudos."
"It doesn't make any sense."
"Oh, it makes every kind of sense. And it all adds up to you feeling alone. But, Buffy, everybody feels alone. Everybody is, until you die. Speaking of.. you ready for our little death match?"
"I suppose. Thanks, for listening."
"Oh, you know, there's some things you can only tell a stranger."
"You're not a stranger. That stuff with Spike before and then with Angel is pretty.."
"Hold it."
"What?"
"Did you say Spike?"
"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Angel asked.
His father stood. "That's what I came to warn you about. Whose side are you on Liam?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm not anything evil, if that's what you think. I was sent to keep your family safe because you didn't do it for yours."
"Stop it!"
"I cannot. I must make you see. Your wife is just as much to blame for killing the family in the end to."
"Buffy? She would never.."
"She's not the same Buffy you once knew. She's no longer that innocent virgin you fell in love with. You both will turn against them all in the end."
"No."
"Yes. You will be together in hell. Where you go, so she goes too."
"I won't hear this. I can't."
"You must. For your own safety and for hers. When this evil comes, stay away from your darkness."
"Angelus?"
"Your darkness." With that, Angel's father disappeared.
Angel closed his eyes and then opened them up to find that he was running. Making his way to the Espresso Pump. He had to tell Buffy. He had to keep them all safe.
The lights were still out. The windows were busted in. Papers blew around. The room looked like a disaster area. Dawn stood up behind Conner and continued with the banishing spell. "I cast you out with every prayer from every god that walked the Earth and crawled beneath." Conner felt the presence again and he blocked Dawn only to be thrown across the room with her, both of them landing on their butts. Dawn continued. "I cast you out with the strength of those who love me. I cast your out with the strength I have inside me! I cast you out into the void. That's right! Die, you bastard!"
The noise and wind stopped. Blood spattered all the walls, but then faded and disappeared altogether. The house was still a complete wreck, but still now. Dawn whimpered and collapsed. Conner knelt by her side as a golden light filled the room. They both looked up and saw a vision of Joyce standing there in front of them, beautiful and glowing, wearing a long white gown. Dawn managed to push herself up on her arms and sit up with Conner's help.
"Mom?"
"What do you mean? How do you know Spike?" Buffy asked.
"What do you mean, how? He was the guy that, um.. oh, what's the word?" Holden said.
"Sired?"
"Yeah, he was the guy that sired me."
"Things are coming, Dawn. Listen, things are on their way. I love you. I love you Conner. And I love Buffy, but she won't be there for you." Joyce said.
"What? Why are you.." Dawn asked.
"When it's bad, Buffy won't choose you. She'll be against you."
"Grandma, please wait." Conner said.
"I'm happy I got to see you Conner. I'm proud of both of you." Joyce started to fade.
"No! No, don't go! Please, don't go!" Dawn said.
Joyce disappeared entirely. Dawn, still sitting in the middle of the living room floor, sobbed. Conner held her to him and felt tears slide down his face.
Buffy staked Holden and ran out of the crypt. Angel was probably waiting for her at the Espresso Pump. She had to tell him about Spike. They had to get to Faith and warn her. As she ran up, she saw Angel looking around frantically.
"Angel!" Buffy called, running up.
"Buffy!" Angel turned to her and pulled her to him tightly.
"We have to talk." They both said simultaneously.
"Listen, we need to get to Faith. Now." Buffy said.
"Why?"
"She's in danger."
"She's always in danger."
"She's in even more now."
Faith walked to the door to answer it. She had been sound asleep when the loud, incessant pounding had started. Grumbling, she yanked the door open. Spike stood on the other side.
"Spike? What he hell do you want? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Faith asked.
"We need to talk. Can I come in?" Spike asked.
Faith rolled her eyes and stepped out of the way to let Spike in. With a half grin, Spike stepped over the threshold and into the darkened apartment. Faith closed the door behind him.
"You said you came here to warn me." Angel said. "About what?"
"In due time, my son. In due time. Sit down." Angel's father sat down on the couch. "You're living lushly nowadays."
"This isn't my home."
"No, it isn't, is it? You took this house. A nice family used to live here, didn't they? How did you get this house?"
"No."
"How Liam?"
"I killed them."
"Exactly, just like you're going to do the little family you tried so hard to build when the day comes."
"You son of a bitch!" Buffy said.
"What?" Holden asked.
"I think I'm gonna kill you just a little bit more than usual." Buffy punched at his face, Holden blocked and kicked her.
"Aw, come one. I mean, we had a moment. You opened up. It was really sweet. It made me want to bit you. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I'm just new to this mortal enemy stuff." Buffy stood and he kicked her. "Pretty fast learner, though, right?"
Buffy kicked him and jumped him, pushing him and herself through a stained glass window into a nearby crypt.
Dawn and Conner were alone at home. The power was out. They were standing in the middle of the living room, looking around. They could hear a sound: something like a cross between roaring wind and a growling animal.
"I hear you. I hear you breathing. Are you hurting my mother? Are you keeping her from coming back to me?" Dawn called. A strobe-like flash lit the room momentarily. A white-eyed Joyce was lying on the couch one second, and then gone the next. "Mom? I see you. I'm coming towards you, ok?" Another flash, and Joyce was lying on the couch screaming while a dark shadowy figure choked her as she reached out toward Dawn and Conner. "She's trying to talk to me. Get off her and let her talk to me!"
"The axe!" Conner said.
Dawn got down on the floor, crawling around looking for the battleaxe. Suddenly the shadowy figure had the axe and swung it at Dawn's head. She screamed just as Conner caught the axe and kicked the hand away.
"Get out!" a voice yelled.
Dawn ran toward the front door, which had swung open again. Wind was blowing hard into the house. She almost went out, but stopped in mid- stride. "No!" Dawn shut the door. "She's my mother. I'm staying."
Buffy proceeded to kick the crap out of Holden. Finally he fell to the ground. Buffy straddled his chest, pointing a stake at his heart. "See? You're dead. That enough of a moment for ya?"
"Ok. But are you killing me because I'm evil or because you opened up?" Holden asked, changing back to his human face.
Buffy groaned and stood up, kicking him in the face. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I got no worries. I'm dead. The biggest thing on my mind is whether or not Tricia Waldman came to my funeral or not. Do you remember her? Ohh.. biteable."
"See, this is what I hate about you vampires. Sex and death and love and pain.. it's all the same damn thing to you."
"Well, you know it's-it's kind of a guy thing. We talk about nailing a girl, there's all this.."
"No, it is not the same. With vampires, it is completely.. Believe me, I know."
"Oh my God!"
"Oh, your God what?"
"Oh, well, you know, not my God, because I defy him and all of his works, but.. Does he exist? Is there word on that, by the way?"
"Nothing solid."
"Oh. I keep getting off topic because my mind is racing here. All right. I'll make a deal with you. We fight. To the death. Great. That last fight was just exhilarating. And I actually had a move coming up to block that stake. But you have to answer one question, and if I'm right, I get to ask anything.. no secrets, no defensiveness, anything I want to know."
"What's your question?"
"Your current relationship: is it with a vampire?"
Dawn sat Indian-style on the living room floor, surrounded by white candles and thick books. She had one of the books open to a specific page. The strange breathing sound was still present. Conner stood next to Dawn, making sure nothing would harm her unless it got through him.
"I know you're there. I will cast you out. My mother needs to talk to me." Dawn called. She held a bowl and sprinkled dust from the bowl on the ground in front of her. A force pushed her and Conner backwards across the room. They both stopped when their backs hit the wall, but Dawn still had the bowl in her lap. "I cast you from this place." She sprinkled dust. "It is your poison and your bane." She sprinkled more dust.
Conner felt something coming and he jumped in front of Dawn. A claw raked across his cheek and left a bloody gash. He yelped, but refused to go down. "Keep going." He said. She sprinkled dust again. "It is the skin that is cut from your flesh!" Suddenly, a strong wind blew out all the candles. The living room window exploded inward, shattering pieces of glass all over Dawn, Conner, and the room.
"I'm sorry! I thought you were joking about that whole 200 something years older thing." Holden said.
"Well, I wasn't." Buffy said, looking over at Holden.
"And you love him?"
"More than I've ever loved anything in this whole world. My last thoughts before I died were 'I love you Angel. Please forgive me for everything.' And I knew he would. And he still does. He can't hate me. No matter how much he tries, he can't."
"Does he want to hate you?"
"No. But sometimes I want him to."
"Why?"
"I have all this power. I didn't ask for it. I don't deserve it. It's like.. I want to be punished. I want to hurt like I think I deserve. I sorta think.. you know, this is, um, complicated. If you'd rather just fight.."
"Tell me."
"I feel like I'm worse than anyone. Honestly, I'm beneath them. My friends, my husband. I feel like I'm not worthy of their love. Cause even though they love me, it doesn't mean anything cause their opinions don't matter. They don't know. They haven't been through what I've been through. They're not the slayer. I am."
"If Angel's a vampire, and he's the one that you sent to hell, killed if you want, he came back and he went through hell thinking he could forget you only to come back to you when you were doing pretty much the same thing the entire time, shouldn't he understand?"
"Yes, but.. Sometimes I feel.. this is awful. I feel like I'm better than them. Superior."
"Until you can't win. And I thought I was diabolical.. or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you've got an inferiority complex about it. Kudos."
"It doesn't make any sense."
"Oh, it makes every kind of sense. And it all adds up to you feeling alone. But, Buffy, everybody feels alone. Everybody is, until you die. Speaking of.. you ready for our little death match?"
"I suppose. Thanks, for listening."
"Oh, you know, there's some things you can only tell a stranger."
"You're not a stranger. That stuff with Spike before and then with Angel is pretty.."
"Hold it."
"What?"
"Did you say Spike?"
"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Angel asked.
His father stood. "That's what I came to warn you about. Whose side are you on Liam?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm not anything evil, if that's what you think. I was sent to keep your family safe because you didn't do it for yours."
"Stop it!"
"I cannot. I must make you see. Your wife is just as much to blame for killing the family in the end to."
"Buffy? She would never.."
"She's not the same Buffy you once knew. She's no longer that innocent virgin you fell in love with. You both will turn against them all in the end."
"No."
"Yes. You will be together in hell. Where you go, so she goes too."
"I won't hear this. I can't."
"You must. For your own safety and for hers. When this evil comes, stay away from your darkness."
"Angelus?"
"Your darkness." With that, Angel's father disappeared.
Angel closed his eyes and then opened them up to find that he was running. Making his way to the Espresso Pump. He had to tell Buffy. He had to keep them all safe.
The lights were still out. The windows were busted in. Papers blew around. The room looked like a disaster area. Dawn stood up behind Conner and continued with the banishing spell. "I cast you out with every prayer from every god that walked the Earth and crawled beneath." Conner felt the presence again and he blocked Dawn only to be thrown across the room with her, both of them landing on their butts. Dawn continued. "I cast you out with the strength of those who love me. I cast your out with the strength I have inside me! I cast you out into the void. That's right! Die, you bastard!"
The noise and wind stopped. Blood spattered all the walls, but then faded and disappeared altogether. The house was still a complete wreck, but still now. Dawn whimpered and collapsed. Conner knelt by her side as a golden light filled the room. They both looked up and saw a vision of Joyce standing there in front of them, beautiful and glowing, wearing a long white gown. Dawn managed to push herself up on her arms and sit up with Conner's help.
"Mom?"
"What do you mean? How do you know Spike?" Buffy asked.
"What do you mean, how? He was the guy that, um.. oh, what's the word?" Holden said.
"Sired?"
"Yeah, he was the guy that sired me."
"Things are coming, Dawn. Listen, things are on their way. I love you. I love you Conner. And I love Buffy, but she won't be there for you." Joyce said.
"What? Why are you.." Dawn asked.
"When it's bad, Buffy won't choose you. She'll be against you."
"Grandma, please wait." Conner said.
"I'm happy I got to see you Conner. I'm proud of both of you." Joyce started to fade.
"No! No, don't go! Please, don't go!" Dawn said.
Joyce disappeared entirely. Dawn, still sitting in the middle of the living room floor, sobbed. Conner held her to him and felt tears slide down his face.
Buffy staked Holden and ran out of the crypt. Angel was probably waiting for her at the Espresso Pump. She had to tell him about Spike. They had to get to Faith and warn her. As she ran up, she saw Angel looking around frantically.
"Angel!" Buffy called, running up.
"Buffy!" Angel turned to her and pulled her to him tightly.
"We have to talk." They both said simultaneously.
"Listen, we need to get to Faith. Now." Buffy said.
"Why?"
"She's in danger."
"She's always in danger."
"She's in even more now."
Faith walked to the door to answer it. She had been sound asleep when the loud, incessant pounding had started. Grumbling, she yanked the door open. Spike stood on the other side.
"Spike? What he hell do you want? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Faith asked.
"We need to talk. Can I come in?" Spike asked.
Faith rolled her eyes and stepped out of the way to let Spike in. With a half grin, Spike stepped over the threshold and into the darkened apartment. Faith closed the door behind him.
