Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, they belong entirely to Joss
Whedon. The actors belong to themselves of course.
Author's note: Spike is forced to choose: back to the past or Angelus in his life.
The choice
Spike was in his crypt, between sleeping and waking. He lay on the bed beneath the crypt where no one, except the Scoobies, could find him. He liked it that way. The last couple of months he had admitted it to himself. He had changed. Not in a bad way, mind you. The urge to kill had left him, and he liked to be alone as much as possible. Thinking, reading, watching telly. Yeah, he had turned into a younger version of Angel and he knew it.
Is that what loving Buffy did to you? Maybe, but he liked to think of it as evolution. If he had had a coven, he would be a master vampire. Silent, brooding, waiting to strike.
"Hey! Spike!"
He groaned, he didn't want to deal with this right now.
"In here, Slayer."
Buffy climbed down the ladder and looked at him questionly. He got her worried and she hated him for that.
"Where were you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You weren't there for patrol."
"I didn't feell like it."
"What? Spike, I swear." She sputtered.
For the first time that night, he sat up and looked Buffy straight in the eyes.
"You swear what, pet? I don't have to patrol if I don't want to. I'm no Slayer, I'm a vampire. I haven't got a soul or the bloody Powers that Be on my back. If I want to be left alone, too bad for you. Now I'd like you to go."
"Fine."
She left, angry because he didn't even gave her a chance to put down some witty remarks. Normally he loved their fighting. Something wasn't right.
Spike let himself fall back. Finally, some peace and quiet.
"That's wasn't too nice of you, talking to the Slayer like that."
He jumped up, growling at whomever disturbed his peace this time. A young woman stood in the middle of the room, looking at him.
"Bloody hell! Who are you? How did you get in here?" "I don't have a name. I was sent here by the Powers."
"Off course, it's because I said that They wouldn't bother me, isn't it? Me and my bloody big mouth."
"They noticed that you look a lot like your Grandfather."
"My Gra. I don't look like Angel!!!"
"You don't have the burden of a soul, that is true. But we want to give you a choice, William."
He wasn't in the least surprised that she knew his name.
"Good, tell me about your choice."
"How would you like to be human again?"
"I wouldn't. not one bit.I'am a happy vampire. You are talking to the wrong one, pet. It's Angels wish to be human, not mine."
"Sometimes the Powers have a strange sense of humour. Let me tell you about your second choice: staying a vampire."
"Hm."
"If you want to stay like you are, you will need a soul."
She ignored the huff Spike gave.
"That soul can't be established by a spell, since all records have been destroyed after Angelus' escapade. That means that you will have to take the soul of someone else."
"But."
"A soul that isn't anchored tightly, like for example Angels."
"What? So I have the choice betwee a human me and the return of Angelus? Just bloody well fantastic."
"You have 24 hours to decide. Be quick about it."
She disappeared and let a startled Spike behind. After a few minutes, he gathered his thoughts and knew what to do. He'd let Buffy decide.
Buffy woke up after repeated taps on the window. She saw Spike and reluctantly opned the window for him.
"What's wrong, Spike?"
"I have a question for you, luv. And the way I know you, you will answer truthfully on it."
"Don't be so mysterious. What is it?"
"If you had the choice. No, if you HAD to choose between angel and me, who would you pick?"
"Spike, that is the most childish."
"Answer me, Slayer! Stake in hand, who would you kill? Me or Angel?"
"You."
"Then I know what to do. Goodbye, Buffy."
"No! I want an explanation! Spike!"
But he was walking down the street already. She grabbed the phone and called Angel.
"We help the hopeless!"
"Hello Cordelia, can I talk to Angel?"
"Hi Buffy, here he is."
"Hello?"
"Angel, listen, did you talk to Spike lately?"
"The last time he threatened to kill me, why?"
"I just thought that you might have said something to him. I'm afraid he's going to do something stupid."
"Do'nt worry about it, Buffy. As I remember, Spike always lands back on his feet, no matter how big the trouble."
"Thanks."
"I help the hopeless."
They both smiled through the phone and put it down. Buffy went to sleep, reassured that everything was alright.
Author's note: Spike is forced to choose: back to the past or Angelus in his life.
The choice
Spike was in his crypt, between sleeping and waking. He lay on the bed beneath the crypt where no one, except the Scoobies, could find him. He liked it that way. The last couple of months he had admitted it to himself. He had changed. Not in a bad way, mind you. The urge to kill had left him, and he liked to be alone as much as possible. Thinking, reading, watching telly. Yeah, he had turned into a younger version of Angel and he knew it.
Is that what loving Buffy did to you? Maybe, but he liked to think of it as evolution. If he had had a coven, he would be a master vampire. Silent, brooding, waiting to strike.
"Hey! Spike!"
He groaned, he didn't want to deal with this right now.
"In here, Slayer."
Buffy climbed down the ladder and looked at him questionly. He got her worried and she hated him for that.
"Where were you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You weren't there for patrol."
"I didn't feell like it."
"What? Spike, I swear." She sputtered.
For the first time that night, he sat up and looked Buffy straight in the eyes.
"You swear what, pet? I don't have to patrol if I don't want to. I'm no Slayer, I'm a vampire. I haven't got a soul or the bloody Powers that Be on my back. If I want to be left alone, too bad for you. Now I'd like you to go."
"Fine."
She left, angry because he didn't even gave her a chance to put down some witty remarks. Normally he loved their fighting. Something wasn't right.
Spike let himself fall back. Finally, some peace and quiet.
"That's wasn't too nice of you, talking to the Slayer like that."
He jumped up, growling at whomever disturbed his peace this time. A young woman stood in the middle of the room, looking at him.
"Bloody hell! Who are you? How did you get in here?" "I don't have a name. I was sent here by the Powers."
"Off course, it's because I said that They wouldn't bother me, isn't it? Me and my bloody big mouth."
"They noticed that you look a lot like your Grandfather."
"My Gra. I don't look like Angel!!!"
"You don't have the burden of a soul, that is true. But we want to give you a choice, William."
He wasn't in the least surprised that she knew his name.
"Good, tell me about your choice."
"How would you like to be human again?"
"I wouldn't. not one bit.I'am a happy vampire. You are talking to the wrong one, pet. It's Angels wish to be human, not mine."
"Sometimes the Powers have a strange sense of humour. Let me tell you about your second choice: staying a vampire."
"Hm."
"If you want to stay like you are, you will need a soul."
She ignored the huff Spike gave.
"That soul can't be established by a spell, since all records have been destroyed after Angelus' escapade. That means that you will have to take the soul of someone else."
"But."
"A soul that isn't anchored tightly, like for example Angels."
"What? So I have the choice betwee a human me and the return of Angelus? Just bloody well fantastic."
"You have 24 hours to decide. Be quick about it."
She disappeared and let a startled Spike behind. After a few minutes, he gathered his thoughts and knew what to do. He'd let Buffy decide.
Buffy woke up after repeated taps on the window. She saw Spike and reluctantly opned the window for him.
"What's wrong, Spike?"
"I have a question for you, luv. And the way I know you, you will answer truthfully on it."
"Don't be so mysterious. What is it?"
"If you had the choice. No, if you HAD to choose between angel and me, who would you pick?"
"Spike, that is the most childish."
"Answer me, Slayer! Stake in hand, who would you kill? Me or Angel?"
"You."
"Then I know what to do. Goodbye, Buffy."
"No! I want an explanation! Spike!"
But he was walking down the street already. She grabbed the phone and called Angel.
"We help the hopeless!"
"Hello Cordelia, can I talk to Angel?"
"Hi Buffy, here he is."
"Hello?"
"Angel, listen, did you talk to Spike lately?"
"The last time he threatened to kill me, why?"
"I just thought that you might have said something to him. I'm afraid he's going to do something stupid."
"Do'nt worry about it, Buffy. As I remember, Spike always lands back on his feet, no matter how big the trouble."
"Thanks."
"I help the hopeless."
They both smiled through the phone and put it down. Buffy went to sleep, reassured that everything was alright.