Disclaimers: While I do have Spike tied up in my basement, I don't think I
have permission to make a profit off him or any of the other Scoobs. And he
keeps saying his name is James, for some reason. Tricky vamp!
Ok, a little explanation of this alternate universe. If anything isn't clear and you're curious, feel free to let me know. Also, my apologies if Buffy seems out of character. To get her to be remotely nice to Spike, I kind of have to take liberties. Anyway, the synopsis:
In this semi-alternate season 5(and later 6) world ....Dawn doesn't exist. The monks put the key ' in' Buffy around the same time they created Dawn in Buffyworld. She's a powerful, successful slayer, good host for the key. She finds out the same way she did with Dawn in Buffyworld-the monk. Spike realizes the gang is keeping a big secret from him, so he breaks into the Magic Box and reads Giles' journal-finds out that way about Buffy being the key. Crush, Intervention, all the Buffy/Spike stuff happens, except he's trying to protect her and not Dawn. Glory finds out about Buffy same way- poor, crazy Tara. They all take off in the RV, have the standoff with the Crusade rejects, Buffy gives herself to Glory when Ben changes, so the rest of her friends won't be harmed anymore. Buffy is determined to kill herself before Glory gets to use her, but Glory is smart and has a binding power placed over her so she can't move of her own will. At the top of the tower, she is chained up. ( Oh yeah, the 'Doc' guy doesn't play into this scenario) Spike manages to make it up to the top of the tower as the Scoobies remain below holding the minions and lunatics at bay. And this is where we join them.
***
"BUFFY!" Spike calls to her as he closes the distance between himself and Glory, who stands in front of Buffy. Glory turns and waves her hand at him, in an almost dismissive manner. He runs into an invisible barrier about 3 yards from the women. Well, woman and hell-god. His face strains as he kicks and punches at the barrier.
"Oh lookie," Glory laughs. "There's my precious. You were a naughty vampire, running away from me. But I'll forgive you just this once, seeing as I got what I want now. You can run along home. Unless you want to stay for the show. Yeah... I bet you do. Suit yourself!" Glory turned to Buffy. "Won't be long now. Almost time."
"BUFFY!" Spike yells again. He looks at her, not hiding his anguish. She meets his look, but hers is one of resignation. She gives him a weak smile and then looks away. It is all she can do. Her arms and legs are useless to her. Spike wonders why she isn't fighting, but he can guess.
"Now look at this. This is just sweet," Glory mocks as she looks from Buffy to an enraged, thrashing, Spike, and back to Buffy. She walks right up to the barrier, only inches from Spike. "You're not gonna save her, Precious. She's going to open my front door, and I'm going home. I've spent too damned long in this ridiculous realm, and I don't intend to let a skinny vampire stop me." She turns from him, but then her eyes narrow and she turns back. "Oh yeah ... my ass is NOT lopsided!" With that, Glory waves her hand again and Spike feels himself being pushed back further from Buffy. He goes back another yard before the pushing stops.
"Buffy! Luv, can you move? I can't get to you. I can't ... " Spike sees she's given up and tears stream down his face. "NO! Luv ... fight. You have to fight."
"Spike ... it's ok," is all Buffy can manage, and that at a barely perceptible whisper. But Spike hears her, and he crumbles.
"Oh yea! It's time!" Glory says gleefully. She approaches Buffy with a small, jewel encrusted knife.
Spike sees this and flies into a new rage. "HEY! You BITCH! You too scared to handle me once and for all? Musta really twisted your knickers knowing that I escaped from a skank like yourself, huh? You gotta put up a barrier because you know what I could do to you, isn't that right?" Spike repeatedly bangs on the barrier for emphasis.
Glory giggles and looks at Buffy. "Ya know ... if you weren't going to die, I'd say he's a keeper." She turns back to Spike, "Sorry sweetie, can't play now. I'm a little busy." With that, Glory turns back to Buffy and with a quick, deft swipe makes a small cut just below her collar bone. Then one to her stomach. Buffy winces in pain as Spike practically howls as if he were being cut himself. Glory frowns a bit. "This is going to take too long. Blood trickling from all the way up here ... " She kneels down and cuts Buffy on the foot and calf. "Now we're talking. Sooner that door opens, the sooner I'm outta here." She smiles with satisfaction.
Buffy closes her eyes as she feels the wounds stinging. She can feel the cool wind, as high as they are. She can hear Spike ... he has fallen to his knees and is now weeping softly, but she can hear him. He is whispering her name and the word 'no' over and over. Then she senses a great energy from below her. She opens her eyes and looks down. The portal is open.
"Ah! Finally ... It's been real, kiddies. But momma's got some house cleaning to do," at that, Glory takes a small step off the platform and falls into the portal.
Buffy watches her fall and when Glory is no longer visible, Buffy feels her strength returning. Spike senses a change too and advances to her, the barrier gone.
"Buffy. Are you alright? Here, let's get you out of this." With two swift yanks, Spike breaks the chains that hold her. She almost collapses in his arms. She looks down at the portal below them. Then she looks around as other portals seem to open up. Lightning tears through the sky. Fissures open in the earth, spewing fire and steam. From some distant portal, a dragon-like creature flies overhead. Buffy closes her eyes and lowers her head, laying it on Spike's chest.
"Come on, luv. Let's get you off this tower before it crumbles. Doesn't feel all that sturdy to me."
Buffy doesn't react, she simply nuzzles her head against him, smelling the leather of his coat. She wraps her arms around him. He does the same.
In a softer voice, Spike says, "Luv ... we really can't stay up here. Plenty of time for a cuddle down on solid ground, ok?"
Buffy looks up at him and smiles sweetly. She releases him and backs away a bit. "Spike, tell my friends I love them all. Tell them I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused them lately. And thank them, for me. For trying to help me. And ... tell Giles ... tell him he was the best father a girl could ever hope for." She lets out a little sigh as a tear falls.
Spike looks confused, "How about you tell them once we get down from here? I mean, you got a few cuts, but I think you'll make it, pet.
Buffy looks at Spike, then down at the portal below them. The realization hits Spike, hard.
"NO! Bloody hell, NO!" He grabs her arms, trying to shake some sense into her.
Buffy smiles again, a sad smile now. "Spike ... it's the only way. Look, around. All this... I can stop it."
Spike is red with rage, "NO! Whatever gets loose, we can fight it! We've always fought it. Demons, vamps, whatever came, we always fought! YOU always fought. You're the bleedin' Slayer!"
"I know ... and this is how I have to fight this. It's the only way to beat it, Spike. The only way." With this, Buffy reaches up and puts her arms around Spike's shoulders, pulling him down for an embrace. He is shaking his head 'no.' She turns her head, so her lips are very near his ear. "Thank you, Spike. Thank you for everything you've done for me. And ... thank you for loving me."
Spike pulls away from the embrace and grabs her arms again. "No, I won't let you do this, Slayer. You can't just-" His words are cut off by a swift uppercut that sends him sprawling back several feet.
Buffy looks down at him, as he looks up at her in shock. "Take care of them for me, Spike. You're the only one who can now. And take care of yourself." Buffy turns and takes a small step off the platform, much like Glory did. Spike lunges for her, nearly falling off himself. He feels only the slightest tickle of her hair through his fingers before she is gone. Gone.
Spike stares blankly at the ground. He is lying on his stomach, on the platform, where just seconds ago Buffy left him. His arms are still outstretched, downward, as if he might get her if he reaches far enough. The portal is closed. All the portals are closed, but he doesn't notice. The tears fall from his still blank face. They fall a long way down.
As if in a daze, Spike works his way down the platform, to where the rest of the gang are. The minions and others who were working there have all scattered now. Only the Scoobies remain. Willow and Tara are leaning on each other, in equal measure. Xander is carrying Anya. Giles stands looking where the portal had been. They are all in shock. They all start a bit when they hear Spike, his voice low and raw.
"Where is she?"
They each look at him with confusion, then pity. They think he doesn't know what happened. Spike walks past them and stands directly underneath the high platform. He looks up and then down at the ground around him. Then he looks at Giles.
"Where is she? Where is her b ... Where is Buffy?" Spike's face is desperate.
Giles looks down and takes a deep breath. Calmly, he says, "The portal opened and closed. That means she's ... " He can't finish.
"She's what? Dead? I know that, you sodding git. Where is her body?"
Giles looks puzzled. He takes a questioning glance up toward the platform and then back to Spike. "She's not ... up there?"
Spike's face goes cold. "You think I would leave her up there? She jumped. Into the portal. Now where is her bleedin' ... " Spike sighs and searches frantically around the area they are all standing, as if perhaps they just missed seeing her body.
Giles rubs his eyes and shakes his head. "She didn't . she's not down here." Then a flash of realization hits him. "Oh ... dear Lord ... she must have ... she didn't jump through it . she jumped into the portal."
"But it's closed, all the same." Xander walks up beside Giles and steadies Anya on her feet. "It's closed, so that means she's ... dead."
Anya looks thoughtfully at Giles and then says, "But maybe she didn't go into the portal. Maybe the energy from it just ... you know ... her body ... maybe it just ... "
Willow suddenly bursts with rage. "Just what? Just ... just ... vaporized? Maybe Buffy is a million pieces in the air around us? Is that what you're saying?" Willow breaks down in Tara's arms, as her lover caresses her red hair and tries to calm her.
The silence the group holds lasts only a moment. It is broken by the sound of an I-beam crashing through a brick wall and the screaming of the man who threw it. They all look at Spike, vamp-faced and furious. His yellow, glowing eyes cause the group to tense up. He gives them all a guttural growl as he turns and stalks away.
*** TBC-if feedback warrants it! If nobody likes it, I'll give it up. AU fics can be tricky!
Ok, a little explanation of this alternate universe. If anything isn't clear and you're curious, feel free to let me know. Also, my apologies if Buffy seems out of character. To get her to be remotely nice to Spike, I kind of have to take liberties. Anyway, the synopsis:
In this semi-alternate season 5(and later 6) world ....Dawn doesn't exist. The monks put the key ' in' Buffy around the same time they created Dawn in Buffyworld. She's a powerful, successful slayer, good host for the key. She finds out the same way she did with Dawn in Buffyworld-the monk. Spike realizes the gang is keeping a big secret from him, so he breaks into the Magic Box and reads Giles' journal-finds out that way about Buffy being the key. Crush, Intervention, all the Buffy/Spike stuff happens, except he's trying to protect her and not Dawn. Glory finds out about Buffy same way- poor, crazy Tara. They all take off in the RV, have the standoff with the Crusade rejects, Buffy gives herself to Glory when Ben changes, so the rest of her friends won't be harmed anymore. Buffy is determined to kill herself before Glory gets to use her, but Glory is smart and has a binding power placed over her so she can't move of her own will. At the top of the tower, she is chained up. ( Oh yeah, the 'Doc' guy doesn't play into this scenario) Spike manages to make it up to the top of the tower as the Scoobies remain below holding the minions and lunatics at bay. And this is where we join them.
***
"BUFFY!" Spike calls to her as he closes the distance between himself and Glory, who stands in front of Buffy. Glory turns and waves her hand at him, in an almost dismissive manner. He runs into an invisible barrier about 3 yards from the women. Well, woman and hell-god. His face strains as he kicks and punches at the barrier.
"Oh lookie," Glory laughs. "There's my precious. You were a naughty vampire, running away from me. But I'll forgive you just this once, seeing as I got what I want now. You can run along home. Unless you want to stay for the show. Yeah... I bet you do. Suit yourself!" Glory turned to Buffy. "Won't be long now. Almost time."
"BUFFY!" Spike yells again. He looks at her, not hiding his anguish. She meets his look, but hers is one of resignation. She gives him a weak smile and then looks away. It is all she can do. Her arms and legs are useless to her. Spike wonders why she isn't fighting, but he can guess.
"Now look at this. This is just sweet," Glory mocks as she looks from Buffy to an enraged, thrashing, Spike, and back to Buffy. She walks right up to the barrier, only inches from Spike. "You're not gonna save her, Precious. She's going to open my front door, and I'm going home. I've spent too damned long in this ridiculous realm, and I don't intend to let a skinny vampire stop me." She turns from him, but then her eyes narrow and she turns back. "Oh yeah ... my ass is NOT lopsided!" With that, Glory waves her hand again and Spike feels himself being pushed back further from Buffy. He goes back another yard before the pushing stops.
"Buffy! Luv, can you move? I can't get to you. I can't ... " Spike sees she's given up and tears stream down his face. "NO! Luv ... fight. You have to fight."
"Spike ... it's ok," is all Buffy can manage, and that at a barely perceptible whisper. But Spike hears her, and he crumbles.
"Oh yea! It's time!" Glory says gleefully. She approaches Buffy with a small, jewel encrusted knife.
Spike sees this and flies into a new rage. "HEY! You BITCH! You too scared to handle me once and for all? Musta really twisted your knickers knowing that I escaped from a skank like yourself, huh? You gotta put up a barrier because you know what I could do to you, isn't that right?" Spike repeatedly bangs on the barrier for emphasis.
Glory giggles and looks at Buffy. "Ya know ... if you weren't going to die, I'd say he's a keeper." She turns back to Spike, "Sorry sweetie, can't play now. I'm a little busy." With that, Glory turns back to Buffy and with a quick, deft swipe makes a small cut just below her collar bone. Then one to her stomach. Buffy winces in pain as Spike practically howls as if he were being cut himself. Glory frowns a bit. "This is going to take too long. Blood trickling from all the way up here ... " She kneels down and cuts Buffy on the foot and calf. "Now we're talking. Sooner that door opens, the sooner I'm outta here." She smiles with satisfaction.
Buffy closes her eyes as she feels the wounds stinging. She can feel the cool wind, as high as they are. She can hear Spike ... he has fallen to his knees and is now weeping softly, but she can hear him. He is whispering her name and the word 'no' over and over. Then she senses a great energy from below her. She opens her eyes and looks down. The portal is open.
"Ah! Finally ... It's been real, kiddies. But momma's got some house cleaning to do," at that, Glory takes a small step off the platform and falls into the portal.
Buffy watches her fall and when Glory is no longer visible, Buffy feels her strength returning. Spike senses a change too and advances to her, the barrier gone.
"Buffy. Are you alright? Here, let's get you out of this." With two swift yanks, Spike breaks the chains that hold her. She almost collapses in his arms. She looks down at the portal below them. Then she looks around as other portals seem to open up. Lightning tears through the sky. Fissures open in the earth, spewing fire and steam. From some distant portal, a dragon-like creature flies overhead. Buffy closes her eyes and lowers her head, laying it on Spike's chest.
"Come on, luv. Let's get you off this tower before it crumbles. Doesn't feel all that sturdy to me."
Buffy doesn't react, she simply nuzzles her head against him, smelling the leather of his coat. She wraps her arms around him. He does the same.
In a softer voice, Spike says, "Luv ... we really can't stay up here. Plenty of time for a cuddle down on solid ground, ok?"
Buffy looks up at him and smiles sweetly. She releases him and backs away a bit. "Spike, tell my friends I love them all. Tell them I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused them lately. And thank them, for me. For trying to help me. And ... tell Giles ... tell him he was the best father a girl could ever hope for." She lets out a little sigh as a tear falls.
Spike looks confused, "How about you tell them once we get down from here? I mean, you got a few cuts, but I think you'll make it, pet.
Buffy looks at Spike, then down at the portal below them. The realization hits Spike, hard.
"NO! Bloody hell, NO!" He grabs her arms, trying to shake some sense into her.
Buffy smiles again, a sad smile now. "Spike ... it's the only way. Look, around. All this... I can stop it."
Spike is red with rage, "NO! Whatever gets loose, we can fight it! We've always fought it. Demons, vamps, whatever came, we always fought! YOU always fought. You're the bleedin' Slayer!"
"I know ... and this is how I have to fight this. It's the only way to beat it, Spike. The only way." With this, Buffy reaches up and puts her arms around Spike's shoulders, pulling him down for an embrace. He is shaking his head 'no.' She turns her head, so her lips are very near his ear. "Thank you, Spike. Thank you for everything you've done for me. And ... thank you for loving me."
Spike pulls away from the embrace and grabs her arms again. "No, I won't let you do this, Slayer. You can't just-" His words are cut off by a swift uppercut that sends him sprawling back several feet.
Buffy looks down at him, as he looks up at her in shock. "Take care of them for me, Spike. You're the only one who can now. And take care of yourself." Buffy turns and takes a small step off the platform, much like Glory did. Spike lunges for her, nearly falling off himself. He feels only the slightest tickle of her hair through his fingers before she is gone. Gone.
Spike stares blankly at the ground. He is lying on his stomach, on the platform, where just seconds ago Buffy left him. His arms are still outstretched, downward, as if he might get her if he reaches far enough. The portal is closed. All the portals are closed, but he doesn't notice. The tears fall from his still blank face. They fall a long way down.
As if in a daze, Spike works his way down the platform, to where the rest of the gang are. The minions and others who were working there have all scattered now. Only the Scoobies remain. Willow and Tara are leaning on each other, in equal measure. Xander is carrying Anya. Giles stands looking where the portal had been. They are all in shock. They all start a bit when they hear Spike, his voice low and raw.
"Where is she?"
They each look at him with confusion, then pity. They think he doesn't know what happened. Spike walks past them and stands directly underneath the high platform. He looks up and then down at the ground around him. Then he looks at Giles.
"Where is she? Where is her b ... Where is Buffy?" Spike's face is desperate.
Giles looks down and takes a deep breath. Calmly, he says, "The portal opened and closed. That means she's ... " He can't finish.
"She's what? Dead? I know that, you sodding git. Where is her body?"
Giles looks puzzled. He takes a questioning glance up toward the platform and then back to Spike. "She's not ... up there?"
Spike's face goes cold. "You think I would leave her up there? She jumped. Into the portal. Now where is her bleedin' ... " Spike sighs and searches frantically around the area they are all standing, as if perhaps they just missed seeing her body.
Giles rubs his eyes and shakes his head. "She didn't . she's not down here." Then a flash of realization hits him. "Oh ... dear Lord ... she must have ... she didn't jump through it . she jumped into the portal."
"But it's closed, all the same." Xander walks up beside Giles and steadies Anya on her feet. "It's closed, so that means she's ... dead."
Anya looks thoughtfully at Giles and then says, "But maybe she didn't go into the portal. Maybe the energy from it just ... you know ... her body ... maybe it just ... "
Willow suddenly bursts with rage. "Just what? Just ... just ... vaporized? Maybe Buffy is a million pieces in the air around us? Is that what you're saying?" Willow breaks down in Tara's arms, as her lover caresses her red hair and tries to calm her.
The silence the group holds lasts only a moment. It is broken by the sound of an I-beam crashing through a brick wall and the screaming of the man who threw it. They all look at Spike, vamp-faced and furious. His yellow, glowing eyes cause the group to tense up. He gives them all a guttural growl as he turns and stalks away.
*** TBC-if feedback warrants it! If nobody likes it, I'll give it up. AU fics can be tricky!
