FOOLS FOR LIFE:
CHAPTER 44: LAST CALL
Spike sat on the hood of his car, still parked close to the rock formation.
He watched as the last embers of light had faded over the desert landscape. He had gotten out when the sun had just set behind the horizon. He took out a cigarette and lit it.
He looked over his right shoulder to check the door. Still there. He kept checking it, afraid it might close again. But it was open. Like it was still waiting for him to enter and finish his business there. Inside, the door to the room with the stone had closed, but that was alright, he knew how to open it now.
That door led to the stone, and the door on the other side of the room now led to the outside world again.....out of the rock so to speak. At least the 'eternal room' thing had been broken now. For all the good it did.
Then he looked over his left shoulder into the car. Buffy was lying on the backseat. Still getting worse. Slowly but surely. He thought back for a moment.
They'd hid out in the car during the day. He couldn't stay in the marble room with salvation so close, yet so far away. And he wanted her to be more comfortable, lying on something softer than marble floors. Before sunrise, he had hung his duster over the car, along with a blanket from the trunk, covering the windows that faced the sun.
He had sat in the backseat, Buffy's head on his lap, his hand softly stroking her hair.
Like a few days before, in the alley, he'd had some time to think while waiting for the sun to set. Thinking of a solution.
She had to be cured. And today. By this time tomorrow it'd probably be too late for her. And it had to be someone with an honest and selfless wish, who really wanted her to be well and was willing to spill his blood on the door over it.
And had a soul.
He had found a cell phone in the car they'd stolen. He wanted to call the Scoobies, to get their butts over here.
But D'Hoffryn had said that was also impossible. He could sense the temple's spells and read them like maps. Whoever put the stone here was really picky about who could get it. The Scoobies wouldn't even get into the front door. They were human. Their bodies wouldn't be able to stand the powers in the atmosphere there.
Spike was a vampire, Buffy was a Slayer and now HALF vampire. They hadn't even noticed it. But no human could handle the forces inside, and no demon could enter the room where the stone rested. Looked like the idea was that neither evil powerful demons, nor weak and easily corrupted mortal humans were supposed to have the trinket.
That left a small group. People who were more than human, supernaturally strong and good and selfless at heart.
He was supernaturally strong, and his wish was like his feelings for Buffy: Love. Selfless love. The fact that the door opened had proved that. He wish she could have seen it. Physical evidence of what he'd told her for so long. Of course she had known by now, having his memories.
But then what followed was less reason to be proud. What SHE had told HIM was now also physically evident. He had no soul. On the whole, he still wasn't good......enough. Not to pass this barrier.
Maybe he was even remarkably good for a vampire. A lot of people seemed to comment on his ability to love and willingness to make sacrifices for Buffy, or Dawn... From Rack to D'Hoffryn, from Halfrek to Clem. But it wasn't enough. Most of the rest of the world could go bugger off as far as he was concerned. He knew it. She'd known it. It was one of the main reasons she had broken off with him.
Yes, an exceptional vampire they called him
But still a vampire on a basic level. He couldn't get in. Not without a soul.
So that's when he'd called Willow.
He knew she'd answer the phone at Buffy's house. Or Tara. And he knew she had done this sort of thing once before...restore a soul to a vampire.
He had told her most of what had happened. She was equal parts angry, concerned and anxious, but she was smart enough not to waste time by chewing him out. Buffy was all that mattered, and while she was angry at him cutting them all out of it, she saw the validity of his deal with D'Hoffryn. She had listened to his story, heard him out on the situation and, in the end, she understood what he was asking.
That's when yet another bomb dropped.
There were no Orbs of Thesulah in the Magic Shop. They sold them as paper weights and Anya was fresh out. Ordering new ones could take days. Buffy didn't have days. Buffy wouldn't last the night.
He had felt his jaw clench as he knew there was only one viable option left. Other sources were not viable either. He knew of a few beings who were so powerful they could restore souls. There was a Warlock in Tibet, one in Australia, this legendary demon lord in Africa somewhere...But all too far away. Only one other option. The place needed to be entered by a soulled, supernaturally strong being that has an honest wish to see Buffy well.
He sighed and picked up the cell phone again. This would not have entered his mind all that quickly, exactly....but she was dying.
He dialed the number Willow had given him.
He put the phone to his ear. He heard it ring.
"Angel Investigations, how can I help you?"
"Hello luv , been a while. 's The bloody boss around? Like to have a word with him."
"......Are you who I think you are? Have to be, I don't know anyone else who says 'bloody' or 'luv' every other word. And I can practically smell the smoke. What do YOU want?"
"Like I said, just want a word with the brooder. You know he'll want to know what's up."
".......just a sec."
"Sure."
No music while he was on hold. About 10 seconds passed.
"Spike?"
"Hey peaches, how's it hanging? Still with the superhero bit?"
"What do you want, Spike? Are you around?"
"In LA? Nah, although I'm closer than I would be in Sunnydale, I guess. And can't I give my Grand Sire a call just to say 'hi'?"
"....just get to the point."
"Oh I see, you're still a little sour over the last time I was over there. Come on, since when do a few hot pokers bother the great Angelus?"
"They didn't bother him, they bothered me. And feel free to come over again so I can return the favor. Now what do you want? I'm busy."
"Oohh, that old bit. 'I'm not Angelus, I'm Angel'! Must be easy to just shove it all off you like that."
"I'm not shoving off anything, least of all my responsibility. That was always more your line of expertise wasn't it?"
"Pffff, you know, now that I think about it, maybe you're right. Maybe you and Angelus ARE different people. At least the old bastard wasn't such a bloody poofter. All the whining, all the moping. Squealing like a girl when that vampire I hired worked you over a little. I can't believe I didn't see it back in China in the beginning of the century. So squeamish and weak already. Bloody hell, how did you spend the next couple of decades again? Oh yeah, like a complete and utter waste."
"Yes and I'm sure you and Drusilla made the best of those years. Killing and torturing and...."
"Yes, yes we did. As you would have done had you not become mopey boy. Really is that what a soul does? Is that what you used to be before Darla snacked on you? Such a whiner? So you got your soul back, so what? Why did that turn you into such a sad excuse for a...well anything??"
"Shut your mouth! You don't have a clue! And for the last time, what do you..."
"Maybe not. Maybe I don't want to. But I really think it wouldn't bother me that much. Certainly wouldn't go lie in alleyways feeding off bloody rats for years! God, that was really pathetic. I'm amazed Buffy ever saw anything in you. Did you tell her about the rats??"
"Leave her OUT of it!! Don't even say her NAME, you hear me?"
"Hey just sayin' mate......you wouldn't see me turn into such a waste of space."
"Really? As I recall you weren't exactly Mr. Tough before Dru turned you! From what she told me, you were pretty much a little sap! Used to talk a bit differently too, didn't you? Yeah I'd love to see you go through what I went through when the gypsies cursed me. To see it BREAK your mind as it did mine! I wish you would have your soul back and you could feel what I felt!"
Spike closed his eyes and smiled. He let out a sigh as he softly said: "Thanks, peaches. I knew I could count on you."
"...what?" Angel's voice faltered as he realized something else was going on.
"Spike..what..what do you mean? What are you doing?"
"Can't talk now mate. Gotta run."
"SPIKE! Answer m.." *CLICK*
He put the phone down on the hood of the car and looked up into Anya's face. She had teleported over here about 10 minutes ago, after Spike had called her at the shop and asked her for help.
"Did you hear that, luv? Hating my guts, he wished a soul on me...based on feelings of revenge. Sounds workable to me right?"
She looked at him and nodded. "You could have asked him for help. To come here and get the stone himself."
Spike's face tensed a little. "Would've taken too long. By the time he'd believe I wasn't pulling some scam, she may have already been dead. And then he'd still have to make his way over here...."
"That, and you didn't want him to because you want to be the one to save Buffy. Right?"
He looked at Anya and smiled. He did love her straightforwardness. "Yeah...something like that too."
Have Angel storm in and save the day? He'd just as soon gnaw his own arms off. No, actually he'd do that a lot sooner. But it was true. This was the fastest option as well. And time had run out.
He looked at the horizon for a second while the desert air blew across his face, the land all dark now save for the stars above them. He wondered if he should be scared. In spite of his taunts to Angel, part of him didn't take the notion all that lightly. But he really couldn't imagine what it would be like. He knew that. And it didn't matter.
Only she mattered.
"Come on luv," he said to Anya. "No more time to waste. You heard the man. He made a bonafide vengeance wish."
Anya nodded again, in silence. She looked at him with something in her eyes. Maybe not admiration exactly, but at the very least a solemn acknowledgement of the moment.
He could swear he saw the air around her shimmer a little, as well as a soft glow rising in her pendant as her power built up. He closed his eyes.
"Done!" she whispered.
** **
TBC!
And R&R me. Anyone see that coming?
CHAPTER 44: LAST CALL
Spike sat on the hood of his car, still parked close to the rock formation.
He watched as the last embers of light had faded over the desert landscape. He had gotten out when the sun had just set behind the horizon. He took out a cigarette and lit it.
He looked over his right shoulder to check the door. Still there. He kept checking it, afraid it might close again. But it was open. Like it was still waiting for him to enter and finish his business there. Inside, the door to the room with the stone had closed, but that was alright, he knew how to open it now.
That door led to the stone, and the door on the other side of the room now led to the outside world again.....out of the rock so to speak. At least the 'eternal room' thing had been broken now. For all the good it did.
Then he looked over his left shoulder into the car. Buffy was lying on the backseat. Still getting worse. Slowly but surely. He thought back for a moment.
They'd hid out in the car during the day. He couldn't stay in the marble room with salvation so close, yet so far away. And he wanted her to be more comfortable, lying on something softer than marble floors. Before sunrise, he had hung his duster over the car, along with a blanket from the trunk, covering the windows that faced the sun.
He had sat in the backseat, Buffy's head on his lap, his hand softly stroking her hair.
Like a few days before, in the alley, he'd had some time to think while waiting for the sun to set. Thinking of a solution.
She had to be cured. And today. By this time tomorrow it'd probably be too late for her. And it had to be someone with an honest and selfless wish, who really wanted her to be well and was willing to spill his blood on the door over it.
And had a soul.
He had found a cell phone in the car they'd stolen. He wanted to call the Scoobies, to get their butts over here.
But D'Hoffryn had said that was also impossible. He could sense the temple's spells and read them like maps. Whoever put the stone here was really picky about who could get it. The Scoobies wouldn't even get into the front door. They were human. Their bodies wouldn't be able to stand the powers in the atmosphere there.
Spike was a vampire, Buffy was a Slayer and now HALF vampire. They hadn't even noticed it. But no human could handle the forces inside, and no demon could enter the room where the stone rested. Looked like the idea was that neither evil powerful demons, nor weak and easily corrupted mortal humans were supposed to have the trinket.
That left a small group. People who were more than human, supernaturally strong and good and selfless at heart.
He was supernaturally strong, and his wish was like his feelings for Buffy: Love. Selfless love. The fact that the door opened had proved that. He wish she could have seen it. Physical evidence of what he'd told her for so long. Of course she had known by now, having his memories.
But then what followed was less reason to be proud. What SHE had told HIM was now also physically evident. He had no soul. On the whole, he still wasn't good......enough. Not to pass this barrier.
Maybe he was even remarkably good for a vampire. A lot of people seemed to comment on his ability to love and willingness to make sacrifices for Buffy, or Dawn... From Rack to D'Hoffryn, from Halfrek to Clem. But it wasn't enough. Most of the rest of the world could go bugger off as far as he was concerned. He knew it. She'd known it. It was one of the main reasons she had broken off with him.
Yes, an exceptional vampire they called him
But still a vampire on a basic level. He couldn't get in. Not without a soul.
So that's when he'd called Willow.
He knew she'd answer the phone at Buffy's house. Or Tara. And he knew she had done this sort of thing once before...restore a soul to a vampire.
He had told her most of what had happened. She was equal parts angry, concerned and anxious, but she was smart enough not to waste time by chewing him out. Buffy was all that mattered, and while she was angry at him cutting them all out of it, she saw the validity of his deal with D'Hoffryn. She had listened to his story, heard him out on the situation and, in the end, she understood what he was asking.
That's when yet another bomb dropped.
There were no Orbs of Thesulah in the Magic Shop. They sold them as paper weights and Anya was fresh out. Ordering new ones could take days. Buffy didn't have days. Buffy wouldn't last the night.
He had felt his jaw clench as he knew there was only one viable option left. Other sources were not viable either. He knew of a few beings who were so powerful they could restore souls. There was a Warlock in Tibet, one in Australia, this legendary demon lord in Africa somewhere...But all too far away. Only one other option. The place needed to be entered by a soulled, supernaturally strong being that has an honest wish to see Buffy well.
He sighed and picked up the cell phone again. This would not have entered his mind all that quickly, exactly....but she was dying.
He dialed the number Willow had given him.
He put the phone to his ear. He heard it ring.
"Angel Investigations, how can I help you?"
"Hello luv , been a while. 's The bloody boss around? Like to have a word with him."
"......Are you who I think you are? Have to be, I don't know anyone else who says 'bloody' or 'luv' every other word. And I can practically smell the smoke. What do YOU want?"
"Like I said, just want a word with the brooder. You know he'll want to know what's up."
".......just a sec."
"Sure."
No music while he was on hold. About 10 seconds passed.
"Spike?"
"Hey peaches, how's it hanging? Still with the superhero bit?"
"What do you want, Spike? Are you around?"
"In LA? Nah, although I'm closer than I would be in Sunnydale, I guess. And can't I give my Grand Sire a call just to say 'hi'?"
"....just get to the point."
"Oh I see, you're still a little sour over the last time I was over there. Come on, since when do a few hot pokers bother the great Angelus?"
"They didn't bother him, they bothered me. And feel free to come over again so I can return the favor. Now what do you want? I'm busy."
"Oohh, that old bit. 'I'm not Angelus, I'm Angel'! Must be easy to just shove it all off you like that."
"I'm not shoving off anything, least of all my responsibility. That was always more your line of expertise wasn't it?"
"Pffff, you know, now that I think about it, maybe you're right. Maybe you and Angelus ARE different people. At least the old bastard wasn't such a bloody poofter. All the whining, all the moping. Squealing like a girl when that vampire I hired worked you over a little. I can't believe I didn't see it back in China in the beginning of the century. So squeamish and weak already. Bloody hell, how did you spend the next couple of decades again? Oh yeah, like a complete and utter waste."
"Yes and I'm sure you and Drusilla made the best of those years. Killing and torturing and...."
"Yes, yes we did. As you would have done had you not become mopey boy. Really is that what a soul does? Is that what you used to be before Darla snacked on you? Such a whiner? So you got your soul back, so what? Why did that turn you into such a sad excuse for a...well anything??"
"Shut your mouth! You don't have a clue! And for the last time, what do you..."
"Maybe not. Maybe I don't want to. But I really think it wouldn't bother me that much. Certainly wouldn't go lie in alleyways feeding off bloody rats for years! God, that was really pathetic. I'm amazed Buffy ever saw anything in you. Did you tell her about the rats??"
"Leave her OUT of it!! Don't even say her NAME, you hear me?"
"Hey just sayin' mate......you wouldn't see me turn into such a waste of space."
"Really? As I recall you weren't exactly Mr. Tough before Dru turned you! From what she told me, you were pretty much a little sap! Used to talk a bit differently too, didn't you? Yeah I'd love to see you go through what I went through when the gypsies cursed me. To see it BREAK your mind as it did mine! I wish you would have your soul back and you could feel what I felt!"
Spike closed his eyes and smiled. He let out a sigh as he softly said: "Thanks, peaches. I knew I could count on you."
"...what?" Angel's voice faltered as he realized something else was going on.
"Spike..what..what do you mean? What are you doing?"
"Can't talk now mate. Gotta run."
"SPIKE! Answer m.." *CLICK*
He put the phone down on the hood of the car and looked up into Anya's face. She had teleported over here about 10 minutes ago, after Spike had called her at the shop and asked her for help.
"Did you hear that, luv? Hating my guts, he wished a soul on me...based on feelings of revenge. Sounds workable to me right?"
She looked at him and nodded. "You could have asked him for help. To come here and get the stone himself."
Spike's face tensed a little. "Would've taken too long. By the time he'd believe I wasn't pulling some scam, she may have already been dead. And then he'd still have to make his way over here...."
"That, and you didn't want him to because you want to be the one to save Buffy. Right?"
He looked at Anya and smiled. He did love her straightforwardness. "Yeah...something like that too."
Have Angel storm in and save the day? He'd just as soon gnaw his own arms off. No, actually he'd do that a lot sooner. But it was true. This was the fastest option as well. And time had run out.
He looked at the horizon for a second while the desert air blew across his face, the land all dark now save for the stars above them. He wondered if he should be scared. In spite of his taunts to Angel, part of him didn't take the notion all that lightly. But he really couldn't imagine what it would be like. He knew that. And it didn't matter.
Only she mattered.
"Come on luv," he said to Anya. "No more time to waste. You heard the man. He made a bonafide vengeance wish."
Anya nodded again, in silence. She looked at him with something in her eyes. Maybe not admiration exactly, but at the very least a solemn acknowledgement of the moment.
He could swear he saw the air around her shimmer a little, as well as a soft glow rising in her pendant as her power built up. He closed his eyes.
"Done!" she whispered.
** **
TBC!
And R&R me. Anyone see that coming?
