I would just like to say that i am sorry about the delay. I was going to update last weekend but my friend gave me a free ticket to a DMB concert so I had to attend!
Anyways enough excuses...i have a nice long chapter for you all and i hope that you enjoy! Things start out a little slow in chapter four, but it really starts to pick up at the end...and you get to see the challenge too! Will Angel or Spike die? dum dum dum!
Chapter 4
The night before the challenge:
Faith nervously walked up the path to Giles' house. Her slayer senses were going crazy. She knew that something big was going on and didn't really know what to do or whom she could trust. Should she tell Giles about the watchers that she saw in the library? They just looked like they were up to something. And why would they leave so soon if they really had flown all that way out here just to meet her. She knocked on the door. At least she could talk to Giles about one thing that was on her mind. Leaving Sunnydale.
Giles opened the door and smiled at Faith and quickly invited her.
"What a pleasant surprise." Giles frowned. "Or not. Did you run into something on patrol tonight?"
"No. Nothing like that." Faith fidgeted nervously for a second and Giles looked at her curiously. He had never seen Faith nervous before.
"Won't you sit down Faith?" She gave him a weary smile and sat on the edge of his couch. When Faith still didn't say anything Giles sat down across from her and his curiosity began to grow. "Was there anything in particular Faith?"
"I think I should leave Sunnydale." She blurted out. Giles leaned back and took off his glasses and began to clean them.
"I see. Why do you think this? You are an integral part to our team here." Faith stood up abruptly and began to pace the room.
"Am I? Am I really? Because I think that you already have a slayer here a souled vampire and a-a-a-Spike. There's a witch and a werewolf. I mean don't think I could do more good somewhere else?" Faith sighed and slumped into a chair.
"Faith, I didn't realize that you felt this way. But let me assure you of two things. We do consider you to be a valuable member of our…team as you say. And the second is that Angel is most definitely not part of our team anymore."
"Why? I mean…sure he and Spike hate each other, but he has done a lot of good."
"He is too untrustworthy. We can't take the chance that he will just turn on us all again. There is the soul, but consider his present actions concerning Spike and Buffy, his soul does not seem to make him anymore trustworthy." Faith paused her pacing and looked at Giles seriously.
"But who is trustworthy? I mean, can I trust all of you?" Giles looked at her surprised.
"I don't understand Faith. Have we made you uncomfortable in any way? I thought that you felt you could trust us by now. I had no idea you felt so isolated."
"Well, I mean look around. Spike and Buffy, Xander and Cordelia, Willow and Oz…even you and Joyce have something going on…don't try and deny it." Giles blushed and Faith couldn't help let a smile slip by.
"Well, I do see your point, but there is more to life than a romantic relationship."
"It's not just that. I mean everyone is Buffy's friend. No one here is really my friend. I just think that if I left and went to another town it would be better for everyone."
"We are your friends as well Faith. Just because we knew Buffy first doesn't mean that we don't also care for you."
"Oh c'mon Giles! I know that you wished it was me who died when Wesley called and told you that a new Slayer had been called."
"Faith. Stop. I never wished that you had died."
"But you do wish it was me instead of Buffy." Faith accused bitterly.
"I do love Buffy as a daughter. I have no wish to deny that. But, I do still care about you. You have overcome a lot of trouble in your life and I believe that you are very strong and very capable." Faith sat down again and looked at Giles sadly.
"It's not the same. It's not the same and you know it. That's why I think that I should leave." Giles was quiet for a moment and finally moved to sit next to Faith on the couch.
"Faith. It is true that I may not think of you as a daughter. We don't have the same type of relationship that I have with Buffy." Faith looked away. Even though she knew that they didn't really care about her it still hurt to hear it said out loud. "Maybe more like a niece."
Faith looked up at Giles in surprise and gives him a half smile. "Niece huh?"
"Yes." Giles answered her smiling. He pats Faith on the shoulder and stands up. "Now, I think that if you really do want to leave, we can find you a nice hell mouth of your own. There is one in Cleveland. But, I think that everyone would be sorry to see you go. Why don't you think about a while longer?"
"Sure Giles." Faith smiled feeling much better about her situation there. She could stay in Sunnydale for a bit longer and see what happened. And hey maybe she would get to have her own hell mouth. Even if it was in Cleveland.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"I can't believe I'm about to say this but I really hope that Spike kicks some ass tomorrow night." Xander said. He Cordelia, Oz, and Willow were all gathered in the library waiting for the full moon. Xander and Cordelia had planned on keeping Willow company for a little bit while she wolf-sat. Tomorrow would be the full moon.
"I know what you mean. When we first met Spike, you know parent-teacher night, I never thought that I would ever be rooting for him to kill Angel." Cordelia said. Willow looked up from the spell book that she was browsing through and Oz began to walk to the cage.
"Hey, do you guys think that it's cheating if I put a protection spell on Spike?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. I think that it is." Oz answered taking off his shirt and stepping behind the bookshelf. "I don't think he'll lose though. You guys know how crazy he gets when it comes to Buffy though."
"Yeah but Angel can be just as…crazy." Cordelia answered with a shudder. "Besides, even if it is cheating, who cares? The challenge is tomorrow night and Spike is still a little torn up from his torture…" She abruptly broke off at the memory of her part in the torture and Xander rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up at him thankfully.
"Well, Will…" he interrupted as oz-wolf growled at them all from the locked cage. "I think that I am going to get Cordy home. You ok here alone Willow?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Lots of French homework and a growlie boyfriend to keep me company. You guys should do something fun tonight. I mean tomorrow you're going to be with Buffy trying to keep her from going crazy during the challenge…" Willow trailed off. None of them really liked the idea of this challenge. Spike had already done a lot for all of them, not the least of which was making sure that Buffy didn't dust herself during her first night as a vampire. And he had saved most of their lives at one point or another.
"Yeah. We should." Cordy said and smiled at Willow. "You know even though you guys are losers and I almost got killed by Drusilla…wait where was I going with this?" Xander sighed and put his arm around smiling at Willow.
"You know that's her way of saying she likes us. C'mon Cordy. I'll take you to the Expresso Pump and you can tell me how everyone else's outfit sucks. Including mine." They laughed at each other and the brunette pair left the library to Willow and wolf-oz.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me Oz." Willow said. Oz growled and Willow picked up her French book.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quentin Travers looked at the transcripts from the various bugging devices he had planted in the Summers home and the library. A sinister smile stretched his face.
"We will attack tomorrow. On the night of the full moon. Only the humans will be with the Slayer and she will be at her most vulnerable."
"But sir…are you sure that this is all necessary? I mean we could study the Slayer in a different way…"
"I am beginning to doubt your loyalty Mr. Bradburry." Travers said coldly.
"He called Mr. Giles." Murdock put in smiling at the glare that Bradburry gave him. Travers gave Bradburry a calculating look.
"I thought that you and Rupert did not get along with each other." Bradburry didn't answer Travers' inquiry. He looked at the floor and Murdock looked between the pair with a sour smile on his face.
"They don't." Chamers put in from the shadows. Travers looked at his three agents.
"Well, we don't really have time for this small talk. We have to plan our assault on the Summers house. Chamers, tell Mr. Wyndam-Price that it is his duty to keep Faith away while our plan is in action." Chamers nodded and left the room. Travers looked at Bradburry intently. "That will be all from both of you. I'll call you when I need you again." Travers said and turned his back on Murdock and Bradburry as they left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~
The moon was full. Oz was a full wolf and Willow was reading to him from books while Wesley was puttering around in his office. Willow's thoughts soon wandered to the challenge. She wondered what the others were doing. She wished that there were something she could have done to help. Suddenly the door burst open and Faith sauntered into the library.
"Faith! I thought that you would be at Buffy's house." Willow said surprised. Oz-wolf growled at the interruption.
"Nah. Wesley over there wanted to take me on some sort of Slayer training thing." Faith shrugged and Wesley walked out of the office.
"Ah. F-f-f-aith. Good to see you again. Are you ready?" Wesley asked.
"Where are you guys going?" Willow asked.
"It is official Slayer business. I'm afraid I can't tell you." Wesley said snootily.
"Allllriiight." Faith said and made a face behind Wesley's back. Willow giggled and Wesley tried to look dignified.
"Yes. Well. Come Faith." And he walked out of the library.
"See you soon Faith. And you know. Try not to kill Wes." Willow called as Faith departed.
"Yeah yeah. It gets harder everyday." Faith yelled over her shoulder. And the two of them disappeared.
Meanwhile at the cemetery…
Spike paced around Giles waiting for Angel to come. Giles watched him for a while with some amusement. But soon the pacing began to grate on his nerves.
"Spike. Do calm down. You're giving me motion sickness with all your pacing." Spike paused and frowned at Giles.
"Just nervous is all. Been a while since I had an all out brawl with the poof. And it didn't really end in my favor." Spike frowned as he remembered Angelus pushing the stake to his chest in the mineshaft. He just had to win. He couldn't leave Buffy to Angelus.
"I'm sure that you will be fine Spike. I am here to insure a fair fight after all."
"Yeah. Thanks for that by the way." They lapsed into silence and after a bit Spike took off his duster and turned to Giles. "I just want to say watcher…I respect everything that you've done for the Slayer, Buffy I mean. And I wanted you to give her my coat and this ring if anything happens to me. I should have given her the ring before I left but…" He trailed off not wanting to think of the emotional good-bye they had shared earlier in the evening.
"I understand." Giles replied and set his duster down carefully. "I want to let you know that we are all behind you. I never thought it possible for a vampire to change the way you have Spike. I hope that this doesn't sound too fatherly, but I am proud of you."
Spike had his back to Giles and couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face. He groaned internally at what a pounce he was becoming. "Thanks Watcher." He answered and the two men lapsed again into silence, their own thoughts too loud for any serious conversation to continue.
Angel watched them silently from the bushes and his heart burned at the scene. He had never talked to Giles that way before. Why were they all so intent on accepting SPIKE? He thought angrily. Spike was an evil soulless monster. He felt a strong intense rage boil inside of him. He would kill Spike and take back his place in the Scoobies lives. All logic and remembrance of his own past deeds and ill actions flew out of his head and Angel approached Giles and Spike in front of their appointed meeting place.
"Well, William. Glad that you showed up." Angel smiled evilly. For a minute Giles thought he was looking at Angelus.
"Yeah. Took you long enough you great poof. What did you run out of hair gel?" Angel instinctively reached for his hair and Spike snorted. Angel growled in response.
"Let's skip the banter and get to the fight." Angel snarled and lashed out at Spike, socking him in the jaw. And with that the two began to fight in earnest as Giles watched on.
*~*~*~*~*~
"Wow. Who knew that the game of LIFE would be so un like my life?" Buffy said sarcastically as she put another plastic peg in her car. She had gotten twins. Cordelia snorted.
"I know. The vampire has the most kids!" Joyce chuckled a little bit and tried not to feel a pang of disappointment at never being a grandmother. She spun and moved eight spaces.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but this is definitely not taking my mind off of what is going on at the DuLac crypt." Xander said and Cordelia kicked him.
"Xander." She hissed and looked anxiously at Buffy.
"It's ok guys. I know. It's all that I can think of too." Buffy said and glanced at her red car full of children. "I hope that Spike is ok."
"Me too." Xander replied and everyone looked at him in surprise. "What? I can like Spike?" At their skeptical looks he sighed. "Ok well like is a little bit too strong of a term. But even I have to admit that he's way better than Angel. And he did save Cordy."
Before any of them could reply, the air around them began to feel heavy and thick and it seemed that shadows began to grow.
"What's going on?" Joyce asked.
"I don't know…" Buffy got up and peered out the window looking for something suspicious. No one noticed the shadows grow and group together until they formed a humanoid shape. It attacked Buffy from behind and she quickly turned to try to protect her mom and friends. Cordelia screamed and Xander leapt up to try to help but he passed right through the shadow. He jumped at it again and passed through it again. Suddenly, the shadow grabbed Buffy by the neck and lifted her up. Joyce screamed and there was a bright flash of light. The air seemed to return to normal and Joyce, Xander, and Cordelia all got up and looked around. Cordelia screamed again and pointed at the floor as she began to cry. Xander and Joyce looked at where she was pointing.
There on the carpet was a big pile of dust.
"Go get Spike. Joyce is going to need her." Cordelia says pulling herself together as Mrs. Summers begins to break down. Xander backs slowly towards the door his eyes never leaving the pile of dust that was once his best friend. "Hurry Xander before there is another pile of dust for us to cry over!"
Xander springs into action and all he can think of as he runs is that he has to get to Spike.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Angel's punch sends Spike flying, but the blonde is quickly on his feet and kicks Angel in his already broken ribs. Giles looks between the two vampires who are so evenly matched. They had been fighting for a long time now and it seemed like they were at a standstill. But it also did not look like either one was going to give up anytime soon.
"Well you great pounce. That all you got?" Spike said as he wiped some blood from his mouth. Before Angel could answer Xander raced into the cemetery.
"STOP! Stop! You have to stop!" He shouted. They ignored him and Angel took the opportunity to pounce on Spike. As he lifted the stake in his hand Spike struggles ineffectively and prepares for the end. Xander still running to the pair kicks the stake out of Angel's hand. They look at him in surprise.
"Listen, Xander" Angel began tersely.
"No! You listen for once dead boy. Buffy's gone."
"What?" Spike says and manages to push Angel off him as his grip loosens. "What are you talking about monkey boy? Gone?"
"She's…." Xander looks over at Giles who walks over to the group with a frown on his face. "She's dust."
"What?" Spike chokes. It feels as though the world is falling away. "No. You're mistaken. She was at home. SAFE AT BLOODY HOME!" Spike's demon comes forth and he lunges at Xander. Angel catches him before he can attack and Xander falls down.
"There was this shadow monster. It just appeared and Buffy fought it and it-it-it staked her. I saw her turn to dust." Xander said and he finally allowed himself to break down. Spike went limp in Angel's arms and Angel himself looked like he was about to faint. Giles was pale. They had lost her again. For a third and final time.
"Xander. You take Spike back to Joyce. I assume he is the reason you came here?" Giles began and Xander nodded an affirmative. "I am going to the library to inform Willow. Angel could you please come with me to the library…"
"Of course." Angel said quietly. Xander took Spike's duster and without a word began to lead the stricken vampire back to the Summers house.
Giles entered the library with a silent Angel behind him. Willow jumps up and drops her book. Oz-wolf growled at them and the interruption.
"Oh hey Giles, Angel…oh. Oh god. Does this mean? Is Spike gone?" She looked at them fearfully. She should have done the protection spell anyways-stupid rules. Stupid vampires and their fight to the death!
"No. Willow. Spike is fine." Giles reassured her.
"Oh. Good. Oh. I mean, I'm glad that you're alive too Angel. And er…"
"We cancelled the challenge." Angel said softly.
"Why?"
"Willow. Perhaps you should sit down." Giles told her and took off his glasses and began to polish them.
"Uh-oh. Glasses cleaning. It must be bad." She joked. Then she noticed their serious expressions and sucked in a breath. "Is it bad?"
"Buffy's been dusted." Giles said soberly.
"What?" Willow couldn't believe what they were saying. "It's not possible."
"Xander said he saw it. He ran and broke up the fight." Angel answered her unable to look her in the eye. If he hadn't insisted on that stupid challenge Buffy could still be alive…well undead.
"No." Willow whispered. "This can't be true."
"I'm afraid it is." Giles said choking on his own emotions. As Willow began to cry Oz-wolf began to howl. Giles and Angel couldn't think of anything to say to make it better.
*~*~*~*~*~
Quentin Travers entered the room with a superior smile on his face. Everything had gone according to his plan. It was all working out perfectly. He glanced at the figure bound and gagged in the corner of the room.
Buffy looked up at Quentin Travers with her feelings clearly etched on her face. She wanted to rip him to shreds. She couldn't wait until Spike came for her. It would be her first kill but it would be worth any torment on her soul to wipe that smug smile off his ugly face.
"I know what you're thinking Ms. Summers. They'll come for you. I bet you're thinking of William the Bloody coming to your rescue and then the two of you feeding off my lifeless body." He laughed and Buffy had to work to contain her laughter. "They won't come for you." Buffy starts to struggle again and Quentin smirks at her.
"No my dear. They won't come." He calmly walks over to speaker and flips the switch. The sound of Joyce's crying comes over the speaker. They hear a door open and close.
"Spike! Thank goodness you're alright." Joyce cries.
"Joyce. Tell me it isn't true. Where is she?"
"I'm sorry Spike. I-I- my baby!" Joyce says and begins to cry once more.
"No. Not Buffy! BUFFY!" Spike yells at the top of his lungs and then his tears can be heard mixing in with Joyce's already frantic sobs.
"Spike. We put her dust in this urn. We knew you would want to keep it." Cordelia said.
"I just can't believe she's gone." Spike said forlornly.
Travers flipped the switch back and looked at Buffy with mock-sympathy.
"So you see Ms. Summers. No one will be coming for you. Not when they think you're dust. They'll move on. Live their lives. Perhaps William the Bloody will even take a different mate. They'll forget you." Quentin smirks at her again and leaves the room, as Buffy can no longer hold back her tears.
Bradburry watched the scene carefully and sighs at Travers words. He can still hear the sob echoing of Buffy's friends and family as they begin to deal with what they think is her final death. Bradburry doubts that they will really move on as easily as Travers implied. As their agony repeats again and again in his mind, Bradbury begins to wonder where the line between good and evil exists anymore.
******
wahaha! Did you really think that I would kill off Buffy that early? Still got a ways to go!
Anyways enough excuses...i have a nice long chapter for you all and i hope that you enjoy! Things start out a little slow in chapter four, but it really starts to pick up at the end...and you get to see the challenge too! Will Angel or Spike die? dum dum dum!
Chapter 4
The night before the challenge:
Faith nervously walked up the path to Giles' house. Her slayer senses were going crazy. She knew that something big was going on and didn't really know what to do or whom she could trust. Should she tell Giles about the watchers that she saw in the library? They just looked like they were up to something. And why would they leave so soon if they really had flown all that way out here just to meet her. She knocked on the door. At least she could talk to Giles about one thing that was on her mind. Leaving Sunnydale.
Giles opened the door and smiled at Faith and quickly invited her.
"What a pleasant surprise." Giles frowned. "Or not. Did you run into something on patrol tonight?"
"No. Nothing like that." Faith fidgeted nervously for a second and Giles looked at her curiously. He had never seen Faith nervous before.
"Won't you sit down Faith?" She gave him a weary smile and sat on the edge of his couch. When Faith still didn't say anything Giles sat down across from her and his curiosity began to grow. "Was there anything in particular Faith?"
"I think I should leave Sunnydale." She blurted out. Giles leaned back and took off his glasses and began to clean them.
"I see. Why do you think this? You are an integral part to our team here." Faith stood up abruptly and began to pace the room.
"Am I? Am I really? Because I think that you already have a slayer here a souled vampire and a-a-a-Spike. There's a witch and a werewolf. I mean don't think I could do more good somewhere else?" Faith sighed and slumped into a chair.
"Faith, I didn't realize that you felt this way. But let me assure you of two things. We do consider you to be a valuable member of our…team as you say. And the second is that Angel is most definitely not part of our team anymore."
"Why? I mean…sure he and Spike hate each other, but he has done a lot of good."
"He is too untrustworthy. We can't take the chance that he will just turn on us all again. There is the soul, but consider his present actions concerning Spike and Buffy, his soul does not seem to make him anymore trustworthy." Faith paused her pacing and looked at Giles seriously.
"But who is trustworthy? I mean, can I trust all of you?" Giles looked at her surprised.
"I don't understand Faith. Have we made you uncomfortable in any way? I thought that you felt you could trust us by now. I had no idea you felt so isolated."
"Well, I mean look around. Spike and Buffy, Xander and Cordelia, Willow and Oz…even you and Joyce have something going on…don't try and deny it." Giles blushed and Faith couldn't help let a smile slip by.
"Well, I do see your point, but there is more to life than a romantic relationship."
"It's not just that. I mean everyone is Buffy's friend. No one here is really my friend. I just think that if I left and went to another town it would be better for everyone."
"We are your friends as well Faith. Just because we knew Buffy first doesn't mean that we don't also care for you."
"Oh c'mon Giles! I know that you wished it was me who died when Wesley called and told you that a new Slayer had been called."
"Faith. Stop. I never wished that you had died."
"But you do wish it was me instead of Buffy." Faith accused bitterly.
"I do love Buffy as a daughter. I have no wish to deny that. But, I do still care about you. You have overcome a lot of trouble in your life and I believe that you are very strong and very capable." Faith sat down again and looked at Giles sadly.
"It's not the same. It's not the same and you know it. That's why I think that I should leave." Giles was quiet for a moment and finally moved to sit next to Faith on the couch.
"Faith. It is true that I may not think of you as a daughter. We don't have the same type of relationship that I have with Buffy." Faith looked away. Even though she knew that they didn't really care about her it still hurt to hear it said out loud. "Maybe more like a niece."
Faith looked up at Giles in surprise and gives him a half smile. "Niece huh?"
"Yes." Giles answered her smiling. He pats Faith on the shoulder and stands up. "Now, I think that if you really do want to leave, we can find you a nice hell mouth of your own. There is one in Cleveland. But, I think that everyone would be sorry to see you go. Why don't you think about a while longer?"
"Sure Giles." Faith smiled feeling much better about her situation there. She could stay in Sunnydale for a bit longer and see what happened. And hey maybe she would get to have her own hell mouth. Even if it was in Cleveland.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"I can't believe I'm about to say this but I really hope that Spike kicks some ass tomorrow night." Xander said. He Cordelia, Oz, and Willow were all gathered in the library waiting for the full moon. Xander and Cordelia had planned on keeping Willow company for a little bit while she wolf-sat. Tomorrow would be the full moon.
"I know what you mean. When we first met Spike, you know parent-teacher night, I never thought that I would ever be rooting for him to kill Angel." Cordelia said. Willow looked up from the spell book that she was browsing through and Oz began to walk to the cage.
"Hey, do you guys think that it's cheating if I put a protection spell on Spike?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. I think that it is." Oz answered taking off his shirt and stepping behind the bookshelf. "I don't think he'll lose though. You guys know how crazy he gets when it comes to Buffy though."
"Yeah but Angel can be just as…crazy." Cordelia answered with a shudder. "Besides, even if it is cheating, who cares? The challenge is tomorrow night and Spike is still a little torn up from his torture…" She abruptly broke off at the memory of her part in the torture and Xander rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up at him thankfully.
"Well, Will…" he interrupted as oz-wolf growled at them all from the locked cage. "I think that I am going to get Cordy home. You ok here alone Willow?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine. Lots of French homework and a growlie boyfriend to keep me company. You guys should do something fun tonight. I mean tomorrow you're going to be with Buffy trying to keep her from going crazy during the challenge…" Willow trailed off. None of them really liked the idea of this challenge. Spike had already done a lot for all of them, not the least of which was making sure that Buffy didn't dust herself during her first night as a vampire. And he had saved most of their lives at one point or another.
"Yeah. We should." Cordy said and smiled at Willow. "You know even though you guys are losers and I almost got killed by Drusilla…wait where was I going with this?" Xander sighed and put his arm around smiling at Willow.
"You know that's her way of saying she likes us. C'mon Cordy. I'll take you to the Expresso Pump and you can tell me how everyone else's outfit sucks. Including mine." They laughed at each other and the brunette pair left the library to Willow and wolf-oz.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me Oz." Willow said. Oz growled and Willow picked up her French book.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quentin Travers looked at the transcripts from the various bugging devices he had planted in the Summers home and the library. A sinister smile stretched his face.
"We will attack tomorrow. On the night of the full moon. Only the humans will be with the Slayer and she will be at her most vulnerable."
"But sir…are you sure that this is all necessary? I mean we could study the Slayer in a different way…"
"I am beginning to doubt your loyalty Mr. Bradburry." Travers said coldly.
"He called Mr. Giles." Murdock put in smiling at the glare that Bradburry gave him. Travers gave Bradburry a calculating look.
"I thought that you and Rupert did not get along with each other." Bradburry didn't answer Travers' inquiry. He looked at the floor and Murdock looked between the pair with a sour smile on his face.
"They don't." Chamers put in from the shadows. Travers looked at his three agents.
"Well, we don't really have time for this small talk. We have to plan our assault on the Summers house. Chamers, tell Mr. Wyndam-Price that it is his duty to keep Faith away while our plan is in action." Chamers nodded and left the room. Travers looked at Bradburry intently. "That will be all from both of you. I'll call you when I need you again." Travers said and turned his back on Murdock and Bradburry as they left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~
The moon was full. Oz was a full wolf and Willow was reading to him from books while Wesley was puttering around in his office. Willow's thoughts soon wandered to the challenge. She wondered what the others were doing. She wished that there were something she could have done to help. Suddenly the door burst open and Faith sauntered into the library.
"Faith! I thought that you would be at Buffy's house." Willow said surprised. Oz-wolf growled at the interruption.
"Nah. Wesley over there wanted to take me on some sort of Slayer training thing." Faith shrugged and Wesley walked out of the office.
"Ah. F-f-f-aith. Good to see you again. Are you ready?" Wesley asked.
"Where are you guys going?" Willow asked.
"It is official Slayer business. I'm afraid I can't tell you." Wesley said snootily.
"Allllriiight." Faith said and made a face behind Wesley's back. Willow giggled and Wesley tried to look dignified.
"Yes. Well. Come Faith." And he walked out of the library.
"See you soon Faith. And you know. Try not to kill Wes." Willow called as Faith departed.
"Yeah yeah. It gets harder everyday." Faith yelled over her shoulder. And the two of them disappeared.
Meanwhile at the cemetery…
Spike paced around Giles waiting for Angel to come. Giles watched him for a while with some amusement. But soon the pacing began to grate on his nerves.
"Spike. Do calm down. You're giving me motion sickness with all your pacing." Spike paused and frowned at Giles.
"Just nervous is all. Been a while since I had an all out brawl with the poof. And it didn't really end in my favor." Spike frowned as he remembered Angelus pushing the stake to his chest in the mineshaft. He just had to win. He couldn't leave Buffy to Angelus.
"I'm sure that you will be fine Spike. I am here to insure a fair fight after all."
"Yeah. Thanks for that by the way." They lapsed into silence and after a bit Spike took off his duster and turned to Giles. "I just want to say watcher…I respect everything that you've done for the Slayer, Buffy I mean. And I wanted you to give her my coat and this ring if anything happens to me. I should have given her the ring before I left but…" He trailed off not wanting to think of the emotional good-bye they had shared earlier in the evening.
"I understand." Giles replied and set his duster down carefully. "I want to let you know that we are all behind you. I never thought it possible for a vampire to change the way you have Spike. I hope that this doesn't sound too fatherly, but I am proud of you."
Spike had his back to Giles and couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face. He groaned internally at what a pounce he was becoming. "Thanks Watcher." He answered and the two men lapsed again into silence, their own thoughts too loud for any serious conversation to continue.
Angel watched them silently from the bushes and his heart burned at the scene. He had never talked to Giles that way before. Why were they all so intent on accepting SPIKE? He thought angrily. Spike was an evil soulless monster. He felt a strong intense rage boil inside of him. He would kill Spike and take back his place in the Scoobies lives. All logic and remembrance of his own past deeds and ill actions flew out of his head and Angel approached Giles and Spike in front of their appointed meeting place.
"Well, William. Glad that you showed up." Angel smiled evilly. For a minute Giles thought he was looking at Angelus.
"Yeah. Took you long enough you great poof. What did you run out of hair gel?" Angel instinctively reached for his hair and Spike snorted. Angel growled in response.
"Let's skip the banter and get to the fight." Angel snarled and lashed out at Spike, socking him in the jaw. And with that the two began to fight in earnest as Giles watched on.
*~*~*~*~*~
"Wow. Who knew that the game of LIFE would be so un like my life?" Buffy said sarcastically as she put another plastic peg in her car. She had gotten twins. Cordelia snorted.
"I know. The vampire has the most kids!" Joyce chuckled a little bit and tried not to feel a pang of disappointment at never being a grandmother. She spun and moved eight spaces.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but this is definitely not taking my mind off of what is going on at the DuLac crypt." Xander said and Cordelia kicked him.
"Xander." She hissed and looked anxiously at Buffy.
"It's ok guys. I know. It's all that I can think of too." Buffy said and glanced at her red car full of children. "I hope that Spike is ok."
"Me too." Xander replied and everyone looked at him in surprise. "What? I can like Spike?" At their skeptical looks he sighed. "Ok well like is a little bit too strong of a term. But even I have to admit that he's way better than Angel. And he did save Cordy."
Before any of them could reply, the air around them began to feel heavy and thick and it seemed that shadows began to grow.
"What's going on?" Joyce asked.
"I don't know…" Buffy got up and peered out the window looking for something suspicious. No one noticed the shadows grow and group together until they formed a humanoid shape. It attacked Buffy from behind and she quickly turned to try to protect her mom and friends. Cordelia screamed and Xander leapt up to try to help but he passed right through the shadow. He jumped at it again and passed through it again. Suddenly, the shadow grabbed Buffy by the neck and lifted her up. Joyce screamed and there was a bright flash of light. The air seemed to return to normal and Joyce, Xander, and Cordelia all got up and looked around. Cordelia screamed again and pointed at the floor as she began to cry. Xander and Joyce looked at where she was pointing.
There on the carpet was a big pile of dust.
"Go get Spike. Joyce is going to need her." Cordelia says pulling herself together as Mrs. Summers begins to break down. Xander backs slowly towards the door his eyes never leaving the pile of dust that was once his best friend. "Hurry Xander before there is another pile of dust for us to cry over!"
Xander springs into action and all he can think of as he runs is that he has to get to Spike.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Angel's punch sends Spike flying, but the blonde is quickly on his feet and kicks Angel in his already broken ribs. Giles looks between the two vampires who are so evenly matched. They had been fighting for a long time now and it seemed like they were at a standstill. But it also did not look like either one was going to give up anytime soon.
"Well you great pounce. That all you got?" Spike said as he wiped some blood from his mouth. Before Angel could answer Xander raced into the cemetery.
"STOP! Stop! You have to stop!" He shouted. They ignored him and Angel took the opportunity to pounce on Spike. As he lifted the stake in his hand Spike struggles ineffectively and prepares for the end. Xander still running to the pair kicks the stake out of Angel's hand. They look at him in surprise.
"Listen, Xander" Angel began tersely.
"No! You listen for once dead boy. Buffy's gone."
"What?" Spike says and manages to push Angel off him as his grip loosens. "What are you talking about monkey boy? Gone?"
"She's…." Xander looks over at Giles who walks over to the group with a frown on his face. "She's dust."
"What?" Spike chokes. It feels as though the world is falling away. "No. You're mistaken. She was at home. SAFE AT BLOODY HOME!" Spike's demon comes forth and he lunges at Xander. Angel catches him before he can attack and Xander falls down.
"There was this shadow monster. It just appeared and Buffy fought it and it-it-it staked her. I saw her turn to dust." Xander said and he finally allowed himself to break down. Spike went limp in Angel's arms and Angel himself looked like he was about to faint. Giles was pale. They had lost her again. For a third and final time.
"Xander. You take Spike back to Joyce. I assume he is the reason you came here?" Giles began and Xander nodded an affirmative. "I am going to the library to inform Willow. Angel could you please come with me to the library…"
"Of course." Angel said quietly. Xander took Spike's duster and without a word began to lead the stricken vampire back to the Summers house.
Giles entered the library with a silent Angel behind him. Willow jumps up and drops her book. Oz-wolf growled at them and the interruption.
"Oh hey Giles, Angel…oh. Oh god. Does this mean? Is Spike gone?" She looked at them fearfully. She should have done the protection spell anyways-stupid rules. Stupid vampires and their fight to the death!
"No. Willow. Spike is fine." Giles reassured her.
"Oh. Good. Oh. I mean, I'm glad that you're alive too Angel. And er…"
"We cancelled the challenge." Angel said softly.
"Why?"
"Willow. Perhaps you should sit down." Giles told her and took off his glasses and began to polish them.
"Uh-oh. Glasses cleaning. It must be bad." She joked. Then she noticed their serious expressions and sucked in a breath. "Is it bad?"
"Buffy's been dusted." Giles said soberly.
"What?" Willow couldn't believe what they were saying. "It's not possible."
"Xander said he saw it. He ran and broke up the fight." Angel answered her unable to look her in the eye. If he hadn't insisted on that stupid challenge Buffy could still be alive…well undead.
"No." Willow whispered. "This can't be true."
"I'm afraid it is." Giles said choking on his own emotions. As Willow began to cry Oz-wolf began to howl. Giles and Angel couldn't think of anything to say to make it better.
*~*~*~*~*~
Quentin Travers entered the room with a superior smile on his face. Everything had gone according to his plan. It was all working out perfectly. He glanced at the figure bound and gagged in the corner of the room.
Buffy looked up at Quentin Travers with her feelings clearly etched on her face. She wanted to rip him to shreds. She couldn't wait until Spike came for her. It would be her first kill but it would be worth any torment on her soul to wipe that smug smile off his ugly face.
"I know what you're thinking Ms. Summers. They'll come for you. I bet you're thinking of William the Bloody coming to your rescue and then the two of you feeding off my lifeless body." He laughed and Buffy had to work to contain her laughter. "They won't come for you." Buffy starts to struggle again and Quentin smirks at her.
"No my dear. They won't come." He calmly walks over to speaker and flips the switch. The sound of Joyce's crying comes over the speaker. They hear a door open and close.
"Spike! Thank goodness you're alright." Joyce cries.
"Joyce. Tell me it isn't true. Where is she?"
"I'm sorry Spike. I-I- my baby!" Joyce says and begins to cry once more.
"No. Not Buffy! BUFFY!" Spike yells at the top of his lungs and then his tears can be heard mixing in with Joyce's already frantic sobs.
"Spike. We put her dust in this urn. We knew you would want to keep it." Cordelia said.
"I just can't believe she's gone." Spike said forlornly.
Travers flipped the switch back and looked at Buffy with mock-sympathy.
"So you see Ms. Summers. No one will be coming for you. Not when they think you're dust. They'll move on. Live their lives. Perhaps William the Bloody will even take a different mate. They'll forget you." Quentin smirks at her again and leaves the room, as Buffy can no longer hold back her tears.
Bradburry watched the scene carefully and sighs at Travers words. He can still hear the sob echoing of Buffy's friends and family as they begin to deal with what they think is her final death. Bradburry doubts that they will really move on as easily as Travers implied. As their agony repeats again and again in his mind, Bradbury begins to wonder where the line between good and evil exists anymore.
******
wahaha! Did you really think that I would kill off Buffy that early? Still got a ways to go!