The Show Down - March 2009
Chapter Forty-Nine
Buffy woke up in agony. She felt like her body was on fire. She looked down and saw her entire body was covered in small bites that itched like the devil. She used every last inch of self control she had not to start scratching and never stopping. She sat up, she almost felt hung over. She had wondered if she passed. She wasn't dead, but she had finally passed out from the pain on her last trial. She searched the cave, trying to see if the shaman was anywhere to be found. She could finally feel him standing next to her.
"So, did I pass?" Was all Buffy could think of to say.
"Indeed. You're still alive. I'm very impressed, all the rest the humans have lost on the first challenge. It was a joy to watch you fight Slayer."
"Thanks" Buffy said for a lack of anything better to say.
Bob then reached down and helped the Slayer onto her feet. She looked around the room dizzily. She hoped that she wouldn't have to walk anywhere that was further than a foot away because she wasn't sure if her body could handle it.
"So, I get what I came here for then?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"Yes." Was all Bob said.
"Cool, so how do I get home then?"
"I can transport you tomorrow night."
"What?" Buffy whined.
"I could make your skinny ass walk home." Bob said jokingly.
"Good point Mr. Shaman guy, so you got any grub around here?"
"Got some beer and sandwiches in the fridge. Just go down the hall and take a left."
Buffy thanked him. She figured the gang would be OK without her for a couple days. Besides in a matter of moments Spike would cease to be a threat to any of them anymore. She just wanted to go home and make things right with her and Spike. She didn't care anymore. Whatever he was going to be now, she was in love with him, and she had been for quite some time.
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"Duck Faith." Willow cried as Spike was about to bash the Slayer's head in with a two-by-four.
Faith ducked just in time and then kicked Spike in the gut. He went reeling back, but was up again before Faith could get her footing. He then socked her in the jaw and blood went flying across the room. Faith looked at him with hate filled eyes, trying to keep in mind that she wasn't allowed to kill B's boyfriend. She quickly went back into fighting position waiting for Spike's next attack. Spike then backed off a little and looked at Angel.
"Come on you ponce, let's make this fight a little more fair. How about you let my boy's in and make this a real party." Spike said.
"Yeah, like we're going to say 'Spike's minions, please come in a kill us all' - like that would happen." Fred said sarcastically.
At first she didn't understand the anger in everyone's eyes until the room was filled with vampires.
"Sorry." She said meekly
Dawn rested her hand on Fred's shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Don't worry, I did it myself once." Dawn said smiling at the woman.
Soon, it wasn't just Spike and Faith fighting. Stakes and fangs were flying all over the war zone. Angel, Gunn, Wesley, Dawn, and Cordelia were fairing OK, but the rest of the gang was having a little trouble. Giles was still laying unconscious in the middle of the rubble, Angel noticed and pulled the watcher to the corner of the room, so he could protect him better.
Dawn and Gunn were fighting back to back with heavy swords, while Anya and Fred were firing arrows from their crossbows. Xander and Willow were successfully taking one vampire on the far side of the room while Connor was attempting to protect them. After Cordelia incinerated two vampires with her bare hands, the rest chose to stay away from her. Wesley was making a good job of one vampire while assessing the situation. He figured they might be able to hold on for another twenty minutes, if that. There were just too many of them.
Just as Wesley was beginning to lose hope a deafening boom filled the hotel. Both the gang and the vampires stopped fighting and looked at Spike in awe. He was covered with a bright red light, it consumed his eyes and his mouth. Suddenly a red object projected from his mouth, screaming like a banshee. It seemed to have filled the entire room with a red smoke and then a portal opened and the non-object was sucked into it. The portal then closed and everyone stared and Spike's seemingly unconscious body.
Spike laid there like he hadn't slept in days. His entire body felt sore. He didn't have any clue where he was or how he got there. It seemed as if he couldn't really remember much of anything. The last thing her remembered was being chased by a group of vampires, he had tried to fight them off, but lost. Then the memories came flooding back to him, he then looked around the ruined room. He saw all his friends looking at him and then he saw Faith and then he saw Giles and shame flooded over his entire body. He jumped up and picked up a sword laying next to him. He growled loudly and began to plow through the vamps. He looked like he was half crazed with rage.
Angel and the gang looked on with awe as Spike ripped through the vampires. After he had lost his sword he merely started ripping their heads off as he went along. Willow was thankful that vampires turned to dust, because she really didn't want to think about the mess that Spike was making. It was disturbing. Finally when the last vampire was either dead or had been run off by Spike's crazed attitude, he simply stared at the people that were his friends. He then dropped to his knees and began to sob.
Dawn walked over to him and kneeled in front of him, she grabbed him as he wept, she just comforted him, she had no idea what he was now, but she knew he had realized what he had done. He finally shoved her away from him.
"What is it Spike?" Dawn asked.
"You. Need. To. Stay. Away. From. Me." Spike said in a threatening tone.
"Why?" She asked innocently.
"I hurt you, I hurt Faith, I hurt Rupert. I hurt all of you, please luv, just stake me. Don't make me go through this again." Spike pleaded with Dawn.
"Spike, we know you didn't mean to. It was the demon that made you." Dawn replied.
"No, s'my fault. Please, I can't do this. Go get your sister, she'll do it." Spike said, still kneeling in front of Dawn, still crying.
"But she's not here." Dawn said.
"Why not? Figure she'd be here to finally put me out of her misery." Spike said.
"She went to Africa, she went to save you." Dawn said.
Spike then stood up and glared at all of them in contempt. He then growled. At that moment he hated all of them.
"You let her go to Africa you fucking spineless wanker." Spike screamed at Angel.
"We tried to talk her out of it, she said that she owed you." Angel said.
"She owes me nothing. The only thing she owed me was a stake through my heart." Spike said sadly.
Before anyone could say anything, Spike disappeared. Dawn was about to go after him, but Angel stopped her.
"We have to make sure he's OK. We don't know what happened to him. What if he does something stupid?" Dawn said, looking at Angel.
"He just needs time, whatever happened to him, it's clear he regrets what he had done. Maybe the shaman gave him back his soul. He just needs to figure some stuff out. I'm sure Buffy will be able to get through to him when she returns." Angel said, attempting to be helpful.
Clem finally came out of his room with Julia in tow. The small girl looked thoroughly confused.
"Where are Mommy and Daddy?" Julia asked sadly.
"They had some things to take care of sweetie. Why don't we get some ice cream?" Dawn said to her niece.
The group watched Dawn maneuver the small girl through the rubble and into the kitchen. They hoped that both Spike and Buffy were both safe, for the girl's sake if nothing else.
The gang left Spike to be alone while they tried to clean up the rubble in the hotel. Angel and Gunn took Giles up to his room and let Dawn bandage him up.
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Spike stormed the streets of LA, he couldn't figure out what had happened. One moment he was about to kill the dark haired Slayer and the next he was bawling like an infant. He went over and over everything he had done. There was no way they would forgive him, and nor should they. He had almost raped Dawn, beaten Faith, and tortured Giles. He had killed that poor hooker, that poor girl that was probably only seventeen or eighteen years old. The look in the girl's eyes haunted him, the look she had, right before he had ruthlessly killed her. He had killed at least six homeless men in the last few days. He hated himself, even if his friends forgave him; there was no way that he could forgive himself.
He then wondered where his beautiful Buffy was. He fingered her letter that was still in his pocket. Part of him was furious with her for going there and risking her life for him. But he knew she was alive. He knew what the trials were like and he was worried that they had done more than physical damage to the little blonde woman. Spike then thought of his daughter. How was he ever going to look her in the eyes again? He was a killer once again, and he didn't think he could get through it again.
He knew they would all be better off without him. They already had Angel, they didn't need another vampire sitting around. His vampire senses could feel the sunrise coming on. He carefully found a secluded cliff and sat there waiting for the sun to rise. He closed his eyes and waited for the sun, he wanted to feel it one last time. He said a silent prayer for his friends and family. He closed his eyes and waited. He then waited some more. And then some more. He then opened his eyes and saw the sun beating brightly down on him.
"What the fuck?" Was the only thing that Spike could think of to say.
Buffy woke up in agony. She felt like her body was on fire. She looked down and saw her entire body was covered in small bites that itched like the devil. She used every last inch of self control she had not to start scratching and never stopping. She sat up, she almost felt hung over. She had wondered if she passed. She wasn't dead, but she had finally passed out from the pain on her last trial. She searched the cave, trying to see if the shaman was anywhere to be found. She could finally feel him standing next to her.
"So, did I pass?" Was all Buffy could think of to say.
"Indeed. You're still alive. I'm very impressed, all the rest the humans have lost on the first challenge. It was a joy to watch you fight Slayer."
"Thanks" Buffy said for a lack of anything better to say.
Bob then reached down and helped the Slayer onto her feet. She looked around the room dizzily. She hoped that she wouldn't have to walk anywhere that was further than a foot away because she wasn't sure if her body could handle it.
"So, I get what I came here for then?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"Yes." Was all Bob said.
"Cool, so how do I get home then?"
"I can transport you tomorrow night."
"What?" Buffy whined.
"I could make your skinny ass walk home." Bob said jokingly.
"Good point Mr. Shaman guy, so you got any grub around here?"
"Got some beer and sandwiches in the fridge. Just go down the hall and take a left."
Buffy thanked him. She figured the gang would be OK without her for a couple days. Besides in a matter of moments Spike would cease to be a threat to any of them anymore. She just wanted to go home and make things right with her and Spike. She didn't care anymore. Whatever he was going to be now, she was in love with him, and she had been for quite some time.
********************
"Duck Faith." Willow cried as Spike was about to bash the Slayer's head in with a two-by-four.
Faith ducked just in time and then kicked Spike in the gut. He went reeling back, but was up again before Faith could get her footing. He then socked her in the jaw and blood went flying across the room. Faith looked at him with hate filled eyes, trying to keep in mind that she wasn't allowed to kill B's boyfriend. She quickly went back into fighting position waiting for Spike's next attack. Spike then backed off a little and looked at Angel.
"Come on you ponce, let's make this fight a little more fair. How about you let my boy's in and make this a real party." Spike said.
"Yeah, like we're going to say 'Spike's minions, please come in a kill us all' - like that would happen." Fred said sarcastically.
At first she didn't understand the anger in everyone's eyes until the room was filled with vampires.
"Sorry." She said meekly
Dawn rested her hand on Fred's shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Don't worry, I did it myself once." Dawn said smiling at the woman.
Soon, it wasn't just Spike and Faith fighting. Stakes and fangs were flying all over the war zone. Angel, Gunn, Wesley, Dawn, and Cordelia were fairing OK, but the rest of the gang was having a little trouble. Giles was still laying unconscious in the middle of the rubble, Angel noticed and pulled the watcher to the corner of the room, so he could protect him better.
Dawn and Gunn were fighting back to back with heavy swords, while Anya and Fred were firing arrows from their crossbows. Xander and Willow were successfully taking one vampire on the far side of the room while Connor was attempting to protect them. After Cordelia incinerated two vampires with her bare hands, the rest chose to stay away from her. Wesley was making a good job of one vampire while assessing the situation. He figured they might be able to hold on for another twenty minutes, if that. There were just too many of them.
Just as Wesley was beginning to lose hope a deafening boom filled the hotel. Both the gang and the vampires stopped fighting and looked at Spike in awe. He was covered with a bright red light, it consumed his eyes and his mouth. Suddenly a red object projected from his mouth, screaming like a banshee. It seemed to have filled the entire room with a red smoke and then a portal opened and the non-object was sucked into it. The portal then closed and everyone stared and Spike's seemingly unconscious body.
Spike laid there like he hadn't slept in days. His entire body felt sore. He didn't have any clue where he was or how he got there. It seemed as if he couldn't really remember much of anything. The last thing her remembered was being chased by a group of vampires, he had tried to fight them off, but lost. Then the memories came flooding back to him, he then looked around the ruined room. He saw all his friends looking at him and then he saw Faith and then he saw Giles and shame flooded over his entire body. He jumped up and picked up a sword laying next to him. He growled loudly and began to plow through the vamps. He looked like he was half crazed with rage.
Angel and the gang looked on with awe as Spike ripped through the vampires. After he had lost his sword he merely started ripping their heads off as he went along. Willow was thankful that vampires turned to dust, because she really didn't want to think about the mess that Spike was making. It was disturbing. Finally when the last vampire was either dead or had been run off by Spike's crazed attitude, he simply stared at the people that were his friends. He then dropped to his knees and began to sob.
Dawn walked over to him and kneeled in front of him, she grabbed him as he wept, she just comforted him, she had no idea what he was now, but she knew he had realized what he had done. He finally shoved her away from him.
"What is it Spike?" Dawn asked.
"You. Need. To. Stay. Away. From. Me." Spike said in a threatening tone.
"Why?" She asked innocently.
"I hurt you, I hurt Faith, I hurt Rupert. I hurt all of you, please luv, just stake me. Don't make me go through this again." Spike pleaded with Dawn.
"Spike, we know you didn't mean to. It was the demon that made you." Dawn replied.
"No, s'my fault. Please, I can't do this. Go get your sister, she'll do it." Spike said, still kneeling in front of Dawn, still crying.
"But she's not here." Dawn said.
"Why not? Figure she'd be here to finally put me out of her misery." Spike said.
"She went to Africa, she went to save you." Dawn said.
Spike then stood up and glared at all of them in contempt. He then growled. At that moment he hated all of them.
"You let her go to Africa you fucking spineless wanker." Spike screamed at Angel.
"We tried to talk her out of it, she said that she owed you." Angel said.
"She owes me nothing. The only thing she owed me was a stake through my heart." Spike said sadly.
Before anyone could say anything, Spike disappeared. Dawn was about to go after him, but Angel stopped her.
"We have to make sure he's OK. We don't know what happened to him. What if he does something stupid?" Dawn said, looking at Angel.
"He just needs time, whatever happened to him, it's clear he regrets what he had done. Maybe the shaman gave him back his soul. He just needs to figure some stuff out. I'm sure Buffy will be able to get through to him when she returns." Angel said, attempting to be helpful.
Clem finally came out of his room with Julia in tow. The small girl looked thoroughly confused.
"Where are Mommy and Daddy?" Julia asked sadly.
"They had some things to take care of sweetie. Why don't we get some ice cream?" Dawn said to her niece.
The group watched Dawn maneuver the small girl through the rubble and into the kitchen. They hoped that both Spike and Buffy were both safe, for the girl's sake if nothing else.
The gang left Spike to be alone while they tried to clean up the rubble in the hotel. Angel and Gunn took Giles up to his room and let Dawn bandage him up.
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Spike stormed the streets of LA, he couldn't figure out what had happened. One moment he was about to kill the dark haired Slayer and the next he was bawling like an infant. He went over and over everything he had done. There was no way they would forgive him, and nor should they. He had almost raped Dawn, beaten Faith, and tortured Giles. He had killed that poor hooker, that poor girl that was probably only seventeen or eighteen years old. The look in the girl's eyes haunted him, the look she had, right before he had ruthlessly killed her. He had killed at least six homeless men in the last few days. He hated himself, even if his friends forgave him; there was no way that he could forgive himself.
He then wondered where his beautiful Buffy was. He fingered her letter that was still in his pocket. Part of him was furious with her for going there and risking her life for him. But he knew she was alive. He knew what the trials were like and he was worried that they had done more than physical damage to the little blonde woman. Spike then thought of his daughter. How was he ever going to look her in the eyes again? He was a killer once again, and he didn't think he could get through it again.
He knew they would all be better off without him. They already had Angel, they didn't need another vampire sitting around. His vampire senses could feel the sunrise coming on. He carefully found a secluded cliff and sat there waiting for the sun to rise. He closed his eyes and waited for the sun, he wanted to feel it one last time. He said a silent prayer for his friends and family. He closed his eyes and waited. He then waited some more. And then some more. He then opened his eyes and saw the sun beating brightly down on him.
"What the fuck?" Was the only thing that Spike could think of to say.