Defeat

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Summary: AU after Chosen. Spike gets a chance at something he thought he could never have.

Drusilla stood alone, blood dripping down her hands. "Darkness." She said. "It's all darkness these days."

Her victim gaped at her as she circled him. "It wasn't always." She told him. "The hills used to be filled with a black light."

He began to quiver, weeping like a baby. She ignored him.

"Now it's all darkness. Not holy light sweeping down the hills. Just darkness. A lack of light, both holy and evil. And daddy's gone for good. He told me so." She grabbed her victim by the neck, the blood of previous victims smearing across his neck. "And where's our dark prince? He's gone and become one of them."

"I-I'm sorry." Offered the man she held.

"You are nothing. A happy meal on legs." Said a dark, low voice from behind him. "She doesn't want your sorrow. Does she, now?"

"No, she doesn't." Said Drusilla unhappily. "She wants all the old ways back."

"The old ways back? You ended the old ways. You said goodbye to us, Dru, remember?" Asked another voice in a slow drawl from behind Drusilla. The man flinched, staring at the ghostly pale hair that floated above a dark leather coat.

Drusilla spun, throwing the man to the ground. "You were gone before I ever said goodbye! All wreathed up in Slayer!" Her usual slow whispered voice gave way to an angry shout.

William approached the man. "Just run." He advised him. "Things are about to get ugly."

"Oh, they aren't already?" Asked the man, scrambling to his feet to run.

Drusilla reached behind, grabbed him the throat, and tore it out with a growl. Spike's eyes flashed a feral yellow as hunger rose in his throat. William winced.

"My dark prince is here again, only now he's brought his new toy." Said Drusilla. "Introduce us, Spike."

"Drusilla, soul. Soul, Dru." Said Spike shortly.

"You've come back at last, at the bidding of your bright light." Said Drusilla. "You've come back to put an end to me? Make me a twisted monster like you?"

"Something like that." Spike agreed.

"The darkness reigns." Said Drusilla. "You always thought the light did, running to mommy, but the darkness reigns."

"Enough prattle!" Snapped William. He charged Drusilla from behind. "Too much talk-!"

She half turned, slamming a hand into him. He flew backwards, tumbling across the ground. "Weak and frail of body, you're just a meal." She said contemptuously.

Spike advanced. "Dru, this has to end. The line of Aurelius is ended."

"An end in blood and glory?" Asked Drusilla. "No!" Her eyes glittered, and she stepped closer to Spike. "You want an end of glorious light. You want daddy's pretty soul. You don't even know what you are any more, but you want an end of light. Why? Wasn't the darkness good for you? Wasn't the darkness all the cloak you needed?" She touched his leather coat. "Didn't it shield you? Didn't it protect you? Make you strong?"

"It did." Acknowledged Spike. "But it was a protection that made me less than a man. A monster. A thing. I was never beneath her till I was a monster."

"I made you." Hissed Drusilla.

"I made you." Responded Spike. "Remade you, rather. Angelus made you first. I remade you. Now, now its time for us both to be remade."

"In daddy's image?" She asked.

He smiled brittlely. "Yes, in daddy's image. Daddy's new image."

"No!" Drusilla said. "Can't you hear the call of the night? Happy meals with legs? You loved the caress of the darkness, the subtle glow of death! You. . ."

She trailed off, aware that William had approached from behind. He spoke. "We loved it, but we longed for the light. We aren't here for redemption or to atone. That's not our gig."

"We're here because we owe you a debt." Said Spike. "One we intend to pay."

"In full." Said William.

"Pay your own debts!" Hissed Drusilla. "You owe me life, and unlife! Not this toy of yours!" She turned, facing William. "He bleeds, doesn't he? A toy of your unlife! A life to your unlife! What are you, pretty boy who isn't my knight? You are a joke, a laugh in our hearts!"

He smiled. "I'm everything you wanted from your dark prince, everything he wouldn't give." He lifted a hand, palm towards her. "I'm everything you wanted and hated. Everything you couldn't have. Everything you never appreciated."

"No." She said. "You're what he wanted, the flaw he had. The crack in my knight's armor that let the light shine through him." She punched William in the face, sending him flying through the air. "You're the reason I left him." She finished with a giggle.

Spike grabbed her hands from behind. "Don't touch him." He growled.

"What's he to you?" She asked. "One of your Laughing Meals on legs, that's all. Can't you hear it sing to you?"

"What, Dru?" He asked. "Your stars?"

"No, silly boy. His blood." Said Dru.

Spike pushed her forward, spinning her around to face him. "All I hear is a long-ago promise being broken." He said.

He punched at her. She took the blow, leaning back, and kicked him in the shin. He let out a yelp, and she leaned in, slamming a fist into his face.

"Naughty, naughty boy!" She howled. "You hurt me so bad!"

"Dru!" He protested as she attacked him.

"Pay this debt!" She said, slamming another fist into his chest. This time the impact took him off his feet, and he stumbled to the ground, landing hard on his butt.

William jumped into the air, slamming a foot into her back, sending her stumbling forward. With an acrobatic flip he managed to land on his feet. "You couldn't take one of us. What makes you think you can take both of us?" He asked.

Drusilla grabbed Spike by the neck, shifting into gameface. "Don't let your toy speak to me that way!" She grumbled, punching him with her free hand. "Ever, ever again!" She rose to her feet, pushing Spike back down with her foot. She stomped hard on his chest, driving him into the ground, then charged William.

William went flying again, tumbling through the air to hit the ground with a sharp crack, lying limp in the wet grass.

Drusilla licked her lips. "There's no turning back. This is the endgame, for my knights and me. The universe is slipping all around me." Her whispered voice dropped down even lower. "Now we'll all see the color of blood once and for all."

She turned and stalked out of the clearing.

Spike tried to rise, coughing. "Broke every last one of my ribs!" He snapped, falling back to the ground. "William!"

"Here." Said a faint voice. "Still alive. Bit beaten, but all in one piece."

"What was that?" Demanded Spike. "I don't remember her being so strong."

"I do." Wheezed William.

"But I can take a Slayer!" Snarked Spike.

"Well, maybe you should have considered that. Did you fight her like a Slayer?"

Spike considered. "Well, come to think of it, no."

"Of course." Said William. "Your heart wasn't in the fight. You didn't need the win."

"Since when are you so good at seeing things like that!" Snarled Spike, raising himself onto his elbows.

"Goes with the job description. Laser-eyes on other people, but can't hold a mirror to myself to save my life."

"That's me. Not you. You've never been insightful!" Snarled Spike.

"Do we have to go over this again? I am you!" Said William.

"No. I had to get a spell done to get you back. Incredible power. You were dead! Gone! Not a part of me any more!" He lay back down on the wet grass, sighing. "And they gave you a copy of my coat."

"Yeah. Actually, I think it's in better shape than yours."

"Well, so's the one they threw on me."

The two lay on the ground in silence for a minute. "I'm bored." Complained Spike. "Can we try again, yet?"

"Helicopter." Replied William.

"What?"

"There's a helicopter landing."

A bright white light lanced across Spike. William watched as Spike sucked in his breath, squinting. "What are they doing?" He asked, not bothering to exhale.

William sat up. "Looks like they've been looking for us." He glanced across the clearing at the platinum head, so far away from him now.

"Oh?"

"You've got the sniffer. Give it a shot." Advised William.

Spike sniffed. "No good. Diesel fumes." He said, rubbing his nose. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Wait. Who would come to see what came back from the dead?"

"Eh?" Spoke propped himself back up.

"Seriously, who would come? Not a black hat. Only a white hat."

"Eh. You mean. . .?"

"Could be, couldn't it?" Asked William. He stood up. "You okay to stand?"

Spike tried, slipped, and fell back down. He gave a loud growl, slipping into his demon face. "No!" He snarled.

Buffy jogged into sight, her hair falling over her shoulders. She stared at Spike. "Spike!" She said uncertainly.

"Oh, great!" He muttered.

Angel appeared behind her. "Careful!" He said, moving closer. He leaned over Spike, sniffing. He backed up quickly. "He's no longer got a soul." He confirmed.

"Just as I thought!" Said Willow, approaching behind Buffy. "I mean, the spell wasn't conclusive. . ."

"I can explain." Said Spike.

"Look at this." Angel pointed at the corpse near Spike. "He must have - Spike?!"

William approached out of the shadows. "He didn't do that." He noted.

Buffy did a double take. "He's not a vampire; I didn't sense him before."

Angel sniffed. "He's human. What is this, your long-lost descendant?"

"I'm William." Said the soul, smirking at them. "Now, just back away from Spike. It wouldn't do for you to dust him. Not now, anyway. Maybe later."

// Ooh, what a cliff-hanger! And, yes, I am going somewhere with this. It'll all be apparent in my exciting conclusion! Tune in next week. Same bat-time! Same bat-station!