Chapter 38
Winning
Buffy caught up to the others who were waiting for her patiently outside.
"Everything okay, luv?"
She took Spike's hand with a gentle squeeze. "Everything's good. So, does anyone have any questions before we do this?" Buffy asked, looking around at the faces of her friends. Her friends, who were once again risking their lives to help her save the world.
"It sounds pretty simple, Buffy. In fact, a little too easy," Willow answered.
"Well it won't be. It might sound like a walk in the park, but there's not gonna be anything even remotely simple about it. It's gonna be our strength against theirs. And Will, you're gonna need to work the spell as fast as you can. I'm thinking the sooner The First is gone, the better off we'll be."
"I'll get it done. You just hold those vamps back, okay?"
"That's the plan."
Giles spoke up. "We'd better hurry. We still need to find the right cave and it's going to be light soon."
They quickened their pace, racing toward the north side of town. Spike and Angel felt the beginnings of dawn approaching and charged uncomfortable ahead, ready to seek the shelter of the caves. Buffy tried to reassure her mate, feeling the anxiety building up inside the vampire. "Not too much further. Should be just around that bend."
"Hope so. Getting' kinda itchy out here."
"Plenty of time. Don't get all freaky on me, okay?"
"Sorry, slayer. Something just feels.off."
Angel stopped in front of them, causing everyone to halt. "He's right, Buffy. I feel it too. Something's not right."
" C'mon guys. It's just getting to you. Don't let it win." She glanced among them. "We can do this." She charged ahead, missing the weary look she received from the others. She finally slowed the pace when she saw them. Several caves, hidden by the underbrush of the forest. "There they are."
"But which one?" Angel asked.
"That one there," Buffy answered quickly.
"Can you sense the evil?" Willow asked.
"Nope. I think the guy with the no eyes kinda look heading toward us gave it away!" She ran forward, sword in hand, meeting the robed figure head on. "Giles! You're gonna have to fight these guys! The rest of us need to get into that cave!" she yelled, running the bringer through with the blade as two more approached.
"I've got it! You go on!" Giles answered, stepping up to take over.
Buffy gave a final nod toward her watcher and motioned for the others to follow. They approached the mouth of the cave wearily, cautious of their surroundings. Seeing no one blocking, they entered slowly.
"Spike and Angel stay with me. Will, you and Kennedy set up there," she ordered, pointing toward a clearing near the cave's wall.
"We'll probably have company soon," Angel offered.
Buffy glanced around. "I'm counting on it."
Willow and Kennedy made their way in the other direction and sat the bag of needed items down on the dirt floor. Immediately, the redhead began making preparations for the spell she intended to work.
"This is getting eerie, Buffy. Where is.?" Spike ended the question prematurely as a shadow began to approach along the wall. "Never mind."
Several others appeared, along with the sound of snarls and low growls, as they joined the one shadow to become many. The two vampires and the slayer got into position and readied themselves for the final fight against the ubervamps. Within moments, the battle was on, the three warriors matched against two- dozen opponents.
Along the other side of the cave, Willow and Kennedy were enclosed in a circle of blue sand, holding hands as the witch chanted the ritualistic words. Sparks began to fly as the energy began pouring off the small woman.
"You'll never beat me," came the sound of a voice in front of the two joined figures. "I have more power than you can possibly fathom little girl." A deep-seated laugh and the shape shifted, revealing itself in the form of Buffy.
Willow continued chanting, pushing down the fear she was feeling deep inside.
"Better be careful, Willow. Your history with the magic is shaky at best. Dark and veiny doesn't suit you. Didn't really work out too well last time either."
The redhead closed her eyes and tried to ignore the taunting from the imposter in front of her.
"The First! Over there! With Willow!" Buffy screamed, swinging a decapitating blow to the head of her opponent.
Spike looked up, eyeing the form on the other side of the room. "What do we do now?!" he yelled, occupied with his own part of the battle.
"We have to wait for the spell to work!" Buffy swung again, taking out another vampire and turning to face two more. "Can you feel it, Spike? Like a walk in the park."
"If you mean the power, luv, I'm right there with you. Seems you were right about the strength bit." An unknowing vamp stepped in toward Spike, meeting a dusty end when the blonde gripped with both hands and pulled its head from its body. "A fellow can get used to this," he added, a large predatory smile curling on his lips. He glanced at Angel who was holding his own against a couple more vampires.
"How ya doin' over there?!"
"Great," Angel answered as he strained to pierce the creature with a larger than normal stake. "Never better! Thanks for asking!" The vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust, leaving Angel panting for unneeded breath.
Just as he turned toward Buffy and Spike, a large wall of flowing light emerged in front of them.
"Shit!" Buffy screamed. "The portal!" She began running full force, trying to reach the two girls still face to face in the circle.
Angel and Spike gave a confusing look amongst themselves. "I thought the portal was a good thing," the dark haired vampire spoke.
Spike shrugged and took off after Buffy with Angel following on his heels.
They screeched to a halt when they saw the sight in front of them. The bright ball of light was shining brightly from the floor of the cave to the ceiling, floods of energy and power snapping and popping throughout.
Buffy was leaning over her friend, holding onto her free hand, giving another burst of borrowed power needed to keep the portal intact.
"Quite a light show you have going on there," The First taunted, standing within safe distance of the energy wall. She smiled evilly, crossing her arms in a victorious stance in front of her.
"Bloody hell!" Spike cursed, stepping forward. "The portal! Willow was supposed to open the portal where that evil bitch was standing!"
"Don't suppose she'd walk through by herself to a hell dimension if we say please?" Angel asked, assessing the situation at its worst.
"Fuck, Angel. Now what?!"
The power flowing from the witch was fading as she slowly began to loose the grip on the portal. "I can't hold it, Buffy! It's gonna close!"
The First in Buffy form began a hearty gut-wrenching laugh.
Angel turned toward Spike. "She's your mate now. Take care of her. Give her everything she deserves."
A frown appeared on the brow of the blonde vampire. "Angel, what are you.?"
His sire cut him off. "What I have to. I feel it. This is what I was meant to do."
"Angel."
"Take care of yourself, too. Okay?"
Without waiting for the other man to answer, Angel swirled around and began running in the direction of the fading portal. He grabbed the arm of the woman standing in front and pulled her with him into the harsh light.
"Angel!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Buffy screamed, seeing him jump through to a place she knew would bring unimaginable pain and torture. She let go of Willow's hand, trying to run after him. Strong, leather-covered arms caught her, pulling her back, cradling her to his chest as she began to sob wildly.
The wall of light exploded furiously in front of them, beginning a rumbling of the cave from the ceiling to the floor, until after a great show, disappeared into nothingness.
"C'mon, luv! We need to get out of here! An explosion such as that's bound to cause havoc in a cave like this!"
She pulled away, a steady stream of tears making their way down her cheeks. "But Angel!" she sobbed, trying to return to where the portal had been.
"He's gone, Buffy," he stated, grabbing her arm again, as Willow and Kennedy came up beside them. "Nothing you can do!"
"He saved us," the redhead spoke weakly, holding onto her girlfriend for support. "Just like a champion."
Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike, leaning into him as the four figures quickly made their way toward the front of the cave. Giles greeted them at the opening, looking worn and bloody from his own battle.
"My god, Buffy. What happened?!" he asked, seeing the look of turmoil on the girl's face. He glanced around, silently counting heads. A frown appeared on his lips. "Where's Angel?"
Willow gave him a look of warning, no words needing to be spoken.
"I see," he answered, nervously placing his hands in his pockets. "So it's over then?"
"Bloody right, watcher. The First is in hell where it belongs."
Buffy pulled away from Spike, her eyes widening, the tears slowly melting into drops rather than waterfalls.
"What is it?" he asked, confused by the utter look of amazement on her face.
She didn't answer, but reached up, tracing the outline of his cheekbone.
"Buffy, what's wrong?!" he repeated, a slight nervousness in his voice.
She glanced up, squinting, forcing a smile in his direction. "The sun's up."
"The sun." Spike stopped in mid-sentence as he realized what she had said. The first of the morning light was slowly making its way over the horizon, shining down upon the four people standing in front of the cave. More importantly, shining on the vampire now bathed in sunlight.
Spike closed his eyes, turning his face toward the sun, soaking up its warmth.
"Quite a story this will make," Giles announced, turning to make his way back toward the town. "You'll have to tell me the details of this mating ritual some day."
Willow smiled and grabbed Kennedy's hand, soon falling in step behind him. "I need a hot bath and a week's worth of sleep." She glanced back over her shoulder. You two coming?"
"In a minute," Buffy answered, turning toward her vampire.
"You're finally in the light. With me." She smiled, enjoying the look of joy radiating from the man in front of her.
He leaned in and latched onto her lips, pulling her close. "Never thought it would happen, luv. Been in the dark for so bloody long."
"Never say never, Spike. This is Sunnydale. Stranger things." She hushed as she watched his face transform into his demon's.
He sniffed the air around him. "Angel."
"Huh?" she asked, staring as Spike's head rose to glance around.
"Angel. I feel him." The vampire let go, turning back toward the cave.
"Spike, he's. gone," she reminded him, barely able to say the words herself.
"No. He's here. You asked about the bond, well here it is! C'mon!"
She followed as he quickened his pace, dodging his way back into the darkened cave. His nostrils flared, catching the familiar scent. In the corner, along the wall, pushed up against the rocks, lay the unconscious body of his sire.
"Oh my god!" Buffy screamed, ready to run to him.
"Wait!" Spike caught her wrist, holding her back.
"Spike! It's Angel! We have to."
"Listen!"
She quieted; frustrated that he wasn't rushing to the other man. "What am I.oh," she interrupted herself. "But why? How?" she asked with widened eyes, picking up the faint sound of the heart beat Spike had heard.
"He's alive, Buffy. Human."
The End
Winning
Buffy caught up to the others who were waiting for her patiently outside.
"Everything okay, luv?"
She took Spike's hand with a gentle squeeze. "Everything's good. So, does anyone have any questions before we do this?" Buffy asked, looking around at the faces of her friends. Her friends, who were once again risking their lives to help her save the world.
"It sounds pretty simple, Buffy. In fact, a little too easy," Willow answered.
"Well it won't be. It might sound like a walk in the park, but there's not gonna be anything even remotely simple about it. It's gonna be our strength against theirs. And Will, you're gonna need to work the spell as fast as you can. I'm thinking the sooner The First is gone, the better off we'll be."
"I'll get it done. You just hold those vamps back, okay?"
"That's the plan."
Giles spoke up. "We'd better hurry. We still need to find the right cave and it's going to be light soon."
They quickened their pace, racing toward the north side of town. Spike and Angel felt the beginnings of dawn approaching and charged uncomfortable ahead, ready to seek the shelter of the caves. Buffy tried to reassure her mate, feeling the anxiety building up inside the vampire. "Not too much further. Should be just around that bend."
"Hope so. Getting' kinda itchy out here."
"Plenty of time. Don't get all freaky on me, okay?"
"Sorry, slayer. Something just feels.off."
Angel stopped in front of them, causing everyone to halt. "He's right, Buffy. I feel it too. Something's not right."
" C'mon guys. It's just getting to you. Don't let it win." She glanced among them. "We can do this." She charged ahead, missing the weary look she received from the others. She finally slowed the pace when she saw them. Several caves, hidden by the underbrush of the forest. "There they are."
"But which one?" Angel asked.
"That one there," Buffy answered quickly.
"Can you sense the evil?" Willow asked.
"Nope. I think the guy with the no eyes kinda look heading toward us gave it away!" She ran forward, sword in hand, meeting the robed figure head on. "Giles! You're gonna have to fight these guys! The rest of us need to get into that cave!" she yelled, running the bringer through with the blade as two more approached.
"I've got it! You go on!" Giles answered, stepping up to take over.
Buffy gave a final nod toward her watcher and motioned for the others to follow. They approached the mouth of the cave wearily, cautious of their surroundings. Seeing no one blocking, they entered slowly.
"Spike and Angel stay with me. Will, you and Kennedy set up there," she ordered, pointing toward a clearing near the cave's wall.
"We'll probably have company soon," Angel offered.
Buffy glanced around. "I'm counting on it."
Willow and Kennedy made their way in the other direction and sat the bag of needed items down on the dirt floor. Immediately, the redhead began making preparations for the spell she intended to work.
"This is getting eerie, Buffy. Where is.?" Spike ended the question prematurely as a shadow began to approach along the wall. "Never mind."
Several others appeared, along with the sound of snarls and low growls, as they joined the one shadow to become many. The two vampires and the slayer got into position and readied themselves for the final fight against the ubervamps. Within moments, the battle was on, the three warriors matched against two- dozen opponents.
Along the other side of the cave, Willow and Kennedy were enclosed in a circle of blue sand, holding hands as the witch chanted the ritualistic words. Sparks began to fly as the energy began pouring off the small woman.
"You'll never beat me," came the sound of a voice in front of the two joined figures. "I have more power than you can possibly fathom little girl." A deep-seated laugh and the shape shifted, revealing itself in the form of Buffy.
Willow continued chanting, pushing down the fear she was feeling deep inside.
"Better be careful, Willow. Your history with the magic is shaky at best. Dark and veiny doesn't suit you. Didn't really work out too well last time either."
The redhead closed her eyes and tried to ignore the taunting from the imposter in front of her.
"The First! Over there! With Willow!" Buffy screamed, swinging a decapitating blow to the head of her opponent.
Spike looked up, eyeing the form on the other side of the room. "What do we do now?!" he yelled, occupied with his own part of the battle.
"We have to wait for the spell to work!" Buffy swung again, taking out another vampire and turning to face two more. "Can you feel it, Spike? Like a walk in the park."
"If you mean the power, luv, I'm right there with you. Seems you were right about the strength bit." An unknowing vamp stepped in toward Spike, meeting a dusty end when the blonde gripped with both hands and pulled its head from its body. "A fellow can get used to this," he added, a large predatory smile curling on his lips. He glanced at Angel who was holding his own against a couple more vampires.
"How ya doin' over there?!"
"Great," Angel answered as he strained to pierce the creature with a larger than normal stake. "Never better! Thanks for asking!" The vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust, leaving Angel panting for unneeded breath.
Just as he turned toward Buffy and Spike, a large wall of flowing light emerged in front of them.
"Shit!" Buffy screamed. "The portal!" She began running full force, trying to reach the two girls still face to face in the circle.
Angel and Spike gave a confusing look amongst themselves. "I thought the portal was a good thing," the dark haired vampire spoke.
Spike shrugged and took off after Buffy with Angel following on his heels.
They screeched to a halt when they saw the sight in front of them. The bright ball of light was shining brightly from the floor of the cave to the ceiling, floods of energy and power snapping and popping throughout.
Buffy was leaning over her friend, holding onto her free hand, giving another burst of borrowed power needed to keep the portal intact.
"Quite a light show you have going on there," The First taunted, standing within safe distance of the energy wall. She smiled evilly, crossing her arms in a victorious stance in front of her.
"Bloody hell!" Spike cursed, stepping forward. "The portal! Willow was supposed to open the portal where that evil bitch was standing!"
"Don't suppose she'd walk through by herself to a hell dimension if we say please?" Angel asked, assessing the situation at its worst.
"Fuck, Angel. Now what?!"
The power flowing from the witch was fading as she slowly began to loose the grip on the portal. "I can't hold it, Buffy! It's gonna close!"
The First in Buffy form began a hearty gut-wrenching laugh.
Angel turned toward Spike. "She's your mate now. Take care of her. Give her everything she deserves."
A frown appeared on the brow of the blonde vampire. "Angel, what are you.?"
His sire cut him off. "What I have to. I feel it. This is what I was meant to do."
"Angel."
"Take care of yourself, too. Okay?"
Without waiting for the other man to answer, Angel swirled around and began running in the direction of the fading portal. He grabbed the arm of the woman standing in front and pulled her with him into the harsh light.
"Angel!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Buffy screamed, seeing him jump through to a place she knew would bring unimaginable pain and torture. She let go of Willow's hand, trying to run after him. Strong, leather-covered arms caught her, pulling her back, cradling her to his chest as she began to sob wildly.
The wall of light exploded furiously in front of them, beginning a rumbling of the cave from the ceiling to the floor, until after a great show, disappeared into nothingness.
"C'mon, luv! We need to get out of here! An explosion such as that's bound to cause havoc in a cave like this!"
She pulled away, a steady stream of tears making their way down her cheeks. "But Angel!" she sobbed, trying to return to where the portal had been.
"He's gone, Buffy," he stated, grabbing her arm again, as Willow and Kennedy came up beside them. "Nothing you can do!"
"He saved us," the redhead spoke weakly, holding onto her girlfriend for support. "Just like a champion."
Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike, leaning into him as the four figures quickly made their way toward the front of the cave. Giles greeted them at the opening, looking worn and bloody from his own battle.
"My god, Buffy. What happened?!" he asked, seeing the look of turmoil on the girl's face. He glanced around, silently counting heads. A frown appeared on his lips. "Where's Angel?"
Willow gave him a look of warning, no words needing to be spoken.
"I see," he answered, nervously placing his hands in his pockets. "So it's over then?"
"Bloody right, watcher. The First is in hell where it belongs."
Buffy pulled away from Spike, her eyes widening, the tears slowly melting into drops rather than waterfalls.
"What is it?" he asked, confused by the utter look of amazement on her face.
She didn't answer, but reached up, tracing the outline of his cheekbone.
"Buffy, what's wrong?!" he repeated, a slight nervousness in his voice.
She glanced up, squinting, forcing a smile in his direction. "The sun's up."
"The sun." Spike stopped in mid-sentence as he realized what she had said. The first of the morning light was slowly making its way over the horizon, shining down upon the four people standing in front of the cave. More importantly, shining on the vampire now bathed in sunlight.
Spike closed his eyes, turning his face toward the sun, soaking up its warmth.
"Quite a story this will make," Giles announced, turning to make his way back toward the town. "You'll have to tell me the details of this mating ritual some day."
Willow smiled and grabbed Kennedy's hand, soon falling in step behind him. "I need a hot bath and a week's worth of sleep." She glanced back over her shoulder. You two coming?"
"In a minute," Buffy answered, turning toward her vampire.
"You're finally in the light. With me." She smiled, enjoying the look of joy radiating from the man in front of her.
He leaned in and latched onto her lips, pulling her close. "Never thought it would happen, luv. Been in the dark for so bloody long."
"Never say never, Spike. This is Sunnydale. Stranger things." She hushed as she watched his face transform into his demon's.
He sniffed the air around him. "Angel."
"Huh?" she asked, staring as Spike's head rose to glance around.
"Angel. I feel him." The vampire let go, turning back toward the cave.
"Spike, he's. gone," she reminded him, barely able to say the words herself.
"No. He's here. You asked about the bond, well here it is! C'mon!"
She followed as he quickened his pace, dodging his way back into the darkened cave. His nostrils flared, catching the familiar scent. In the corner, along the wall, pushed up against the rocks, lay the unconscious body of his sire.
"Oh my god!" Buffy screamed, ready to run to him.
"Wait!" Spike caught her wrist, holding her back.
"Spike! It's Angel! We have to."
"Listen!"
She quieted; frustrated that he wasn't rushing to the other man. "What am I.oh," she interrupted herself. "But why? How?" she asked with widened eyes, picking up the faint sound of the heart beat Spike had heard.
"He's alive, Buffy. Human."
The End