Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Joss and ME
Chapter 33
Spike, Xander and Spike rushed back to the house. Willow was more determined than ever to find out if Angelus had that other fragment. The good thing was that Angelus had no idea Elizabeth was no longer in the chapel.
They walked into the house and found Elizabeth and Andrew talking in the library.
"Willow are you all right?" she looked at Xander and Spike, "What happened."
"Willow and Spike ran into Angelus." Said Xander.
"Oh my God! Did he hurt you Willow? What did he do?" Elizabeth looked at Willow and Spike chuckled.
"What did he do? Tell 'em Red, tell 'em what you did." Spike was smiling from ear to ear. With the enthusiasm of a child, Willow began to tell her tale.
"I don't really know myself. Angelus was coming toward me, saying how he wanted me to visit him again and then Spike stepped between us, and he said, the lady didn't find you or your accommodations to her liking and she's with me, and he told Angelus that he didn't think," Willow had done her best imitation of Spike as she recounted his words to Angelus, " and then Angelus was all, Oh its none of yore business, and he grabbed Spike and then I felt this rage inside of me and this power, and I kept thinking about what he did to me, and to you Buffy and I was so angry, and then I put my hand up and said Release and Angelus went flying back against the wall." She had barely breathed while she was telling her tale.
"Willow that's extraordinary! Your powers are obviously more advanced than we ever thought." Said Giles.
"Oh I almost forgot. Angelus still thinks Buffy is in that Chapel." Added Willow.
"Thank God for that. We still have that advantage over him." Said Giles.
They huddled around the table as Willow placed the small map of the village and the surrounding lands on top of it.
Spike spotted a marker off near the ocean. He remembered seeing a large Manor home coming back from Angelus' house.
"What's this?" he asked pointing at the spot.
"That's Summer's Manor. It's my home." Said Elizabeth. She looked into Spikes eyes and he froze. There was a sudden knowledge that came over him at that moment and he felt as though the ground beneath him would open up and swallow him. He began to tremble as he backed away from her slowly. He lowered his head and took out the locket. He studied the cover. What he had believed to be a random pattern of swirls made by diamonds and rubies was in fact small S's.
Elizabeth approached him. He opened the locket and looked at the picture of the little girl, then looked at Elizabeth, only to see the same eyes staring back at him. His hand began to shake. She looked at the object in his hand.
"Where did you get that?" she asked nervously. He swallowed hard.
"Ethan..took it from Ethan." He said in what was barely a whisper, his eyes were closed and he thought, how cruel the fates were, and how he truly hated them at this moment. "Buffy." he looked at her with pleading eyes, and lost his voice. The walls were closing in on him, he couldn't' breath, he needed to get out, he needed to get away. He couldn't bare the thought of hearing the inevitable words of hate that would come form her. He knew now who that woman had been that day in France, and who her little girl was. He dropped the locket and ran out the door. Elizabeth bent down and picked up the locket.
"Buffy?" asked Willow as she put her hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth was silent as she stared at the locket.
"It belonged to her mother." Said Faith, "It was an anniversary present from Buffy's father."
Andrew sat in silence. What could he say or do? He buried his face in his hands. This was a nightmare he thought, and he was in hell. Giles, Xander and Wesley looked at each other perplexed, not knowing if they should ask what was happening.
Elizabeth turned and walked to the table and sat down next to Andrew.
"I need to know what happened, " she asked in a whisper, "I need to know all of it Andrew."
FLASHBACK 2 MONTHS AGO
They had taken their positions near the road. Olaf spotted the carriage first and rode to the others to alert them.
"When they get closer, Olaf you run out in front of the carriage and stop it. Travers, you'll hold the man back and I'll get the woman's jewels then.." Ethan was stopped before he could finish.
"Then we tie them up and leave them here." Spike said. Ethan smiled as Spike glared at him.
"Of course, of course. It wouldn't be prudent to kill them. After all we don't need to leave a trail of bodies behind us." Ethan patted Spike on the back and readied the horses. "Spike when the carriage is stopped I want you to ride to the main road up there and make sure no one comes this way."
Spike rode his horse back away from the others and waited for the carriage to approach. As he saw it come closer he began to ride out onto the main road.
Olaf had ridden his horse out from behind the trees and stopped in front of the carriage. He took hold of the reins of the other horses and produced a crossbow form behind him. He aimed at the driver and shot into the middle of his forehead.
Ethan and Travers ran out from the trees and opened the doors of the carriage. Travers took hold of Earl Summers and dragged him out onto the ground. Before the man could utter a single word he stuck him in the heart with a knife. Inside the carriage Ethan put his hand to Joyce's mouth.
"Good evening, my lady." Joyce struggled underneath Ethan's grasp and her eyes open wide with fear. "Hold still and I'll think about making this quick." He took his hand from her mouth and hit her so hard her lip began to bleed profusely. She was crying and gasping for air.
"Please, don't kill me. Please I have a daughter, my little girl, please." She grabbed her locket and cried, bowing her head down.
Spike had ridden up the road and saw that no one was coming. He decided to ride back to keep an eye on Ethan and the others and make sure he did not hurt the occupants of the carriage. As he rode closer he heard the woman scream. She was pleading for her life, she was begging him not to kill her, for her little girl, she needed to get back to her little girl. He rode faster, yet as he drew closer to the scene they pleading stopped. He reached the carriage and jumped off his horse and ran. Ethan stepped out of the carriage and got on his horse. There was blood on his hands. Spike looked inside to see a woman slumped over, blood pouring down from her throat. He turned to Ethan.
"You Son-of-a-bitch! You didn't have to kill them! You fucking bastard!" he growled and rushed towards Ethan. Ethan smiled and rode away before Spike could reach him. Travers and Olaf followed behind.
Spike fell to the ground. This was the last straw. He was done. He could no longer bare the torment of his life. He didn't want this anymore, he couldn't do this one moment longer. Turning a blind eye was just as bad as if he had killed all those people himself. He road back to the cottage they had been staying in, and from a distance could see a light through the window. As he drew nearer he saw that the other horses were gone. He dismounted and walked into the cottage. Andrew was sitting at the table, organizing the money and jewelry that had been stolen. He looked at Spike and noticed him looking ragged and tired.
"Where are they." Spike asked quietly.
"They left a while ago. No doubt drunk by now." Sighed Andrew. He was disgusted by the whole situation. Ethan and the others loved to boast; he already knew what had transpired earlier in the evening.
Spike walked to the table and sat down. He saw a locket and picked it up. When he opened it he saw the face of the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. He began to cry uncontrollably. Andrew sat across from him and remained silent. He had never seen another man cry, and it troubled him seeing Spike this way. Spike had been teetering on the edge for months, yet this night he had gone over. He cried for several minutes more, then wiped the tears from his face and looked at Andrew.
"Get your things. We're leaving." He got up and walked to his room. Andrew followed.
"Spike I.I can't." Andrew was afraid. He was afraid to leave and afraid to stay. Spike turned to him.
"I'm not leaving you here with him. I can't stay here a minute longer and I can't protect you if I'm not here." He walked over to Andrew and took him by the shoulders, "Andrew I get that you're scared, but he'll hurt you." He saw the fear in Andrew's eyes, but he knew the young man could not protect himself.
"Where will we go? You know he'll come looking for us." Said Andrew.
"We can go to England. There's a ship sailin' tomorrow, and I know a bloke, owes me a favor. Ethan and the others won't be home for hours, and when they get back they'll be so piss drunk they won't know up from down. Now c'mon mate, get your things."
END FLASHBACK
Elizabeth placed the locket on the table.
"So neither of you had anything to do with my parents death." She looked at Andrew with tears in her eyes.
"No. I, we never knew who hired Ethan for that job. Spike would have killed Ethan himself if he had known about anyone being killed. Ethan never shared details with us." Andrew now took the locket, "The night we left he took this with him. He said he needed to look at her picture. It gave him some kind of peace. He called her." he looked at Elizabeth, "you his angel, his saving grace."
Elizabeth stood and walked out. Everyone in the room followed her.
"Where are you going?" asked Xander.
""I need to find him. I need to bring him back."
Chapter 33
Spike, Xander and Spike rushed back to the house. Willow was more determined than ever to find out if Angelus had that other fragment. The good thing was that Angelus had no idea Elizabeth was no longer in the chapel.
They walked into the house and found Elizabeth and Andrew talking in the library.
"Willow are you all right?" she looked at Xander and Spike, "What happened."
"Willow and Spike ran into Angelus." Said Xander.
"Oh my God! Did he hurt you Willow? What did he do?" Elizabeth looked at Willow and Spike chuckled.
"What did he do? Tell 'em Red, tell 'em what you did." Spike was smiling from ear to ear. With the enthusiasm of a child, Willow began to tell her tale.
"I don't really know myself. Angelus was coming toward me, saying how he wanted me to visit him again and then Spike stepped between us, and he said, the lady didn't find you or your accommodations to her liking and she's with me, and he told Angelus that he didn't think," Willow had done her best imitation of Spike as she recounted his words to Angelus, " and then Angelus was all, Oh its none of yore business, and he grabbed Spike and then I felt this rage inside of me and this power, and I kept thinking about what he did to me, and to you Buffy and I was so angry, and then I put my hand up and said Release and Angelus went flying back against the wall." She had barely breathed while she was telling her tale.
"Willow that's extraordinary! Your powers are obviously more advanced than we ever thought." Said Giles.
"Oh I almost forgot. Angelus still thinks Buffy is in that Chapel." Added Willow.
"Thank God for that. We still have that advantage over him." Said Giles.
They huddled around the table as Willow placed the small map of the village and the surrounding lands on top of it.
Spike spotted a marker off near the ocean. He remembered seeing a large Manor home coming back from Angelus' house.
"What's this?" he asked pointing at the spot.
"That's Summer's Manor. It's my home." Said Elizabeth. She looked into Spikes eyes and he froze. There was a sudden knowledge that came over him at that moment and he felt as though the ground beneath him would open up and swallow him. He began to tremble as he backed away from her slowly. He lowered his head and took out the locket. He studied the cover. What he had believed to be a random pattern of swirls made by diamonds and rubies was in fact small S's.
Elizabeth approached him. He opened the locket and looked at the picture of the little girl, then looked at Elizabeth, only to see the same eyes staring back at him. His hand began to shake. She looked at the object in his hand.
"Where did you get that?" she asked nervously. He swallowed hard.
"Ethan..took it from Ethan." He said in what was barely a whisper, his eyes were closed and he thought, how cruel the fates were, and how he truly hated them at this moment. "Buffy." he looked at her with pleading eyes, and lost his voice. The walls were closing in on him, he couldn't' breath, he needed to get out, he needed to get away. He couldn't bare the thought of hearing the inevitable words of hate that would come form her. He knew now who that woman had been that day in France, and who her little girl was. He dropped the locket and ran out the door. Elizabeth bent down and picked up the locket.
"Buffy?" asked Willow as she put her hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth was silent as she stared at the locket.
"It belonged to her mother." Said Faith, "It was an anniversary present from Buffy's father."
Andrew sat in silence. What could he say or do? He buried his face in his hands. This was a nightmare he thought, and he was in hell. Giles, Xander and Wesley looked at each other perplexed, not knowing if they should ask what was happening.
Elizabeth turned and walked to the table and sat down next to Andrew.
"I need to know what happened, " she asked in a whisper, "I need to know all of it Andrew."
FLASHBACK 2 MONTHS AGO
They had taken their positions near the road. Olaf spotted the carriage first and rode to the others to alert them.
"When they get closer, Olaf you run out in front of the carriage and stop it. Travers, you'll hold the man back and I'll get the woman's jewels then.." Ethan was stopped before he could finish.
"Then we tie them up and leave them here." Spike said. Ethan smiled as Spike glared at him.
"Of course, of course. It wouldn't be prudent to kill them. After all we don't need to leave a trail of bodies behind us." Ethan patted Spike on the back and readied the horses. "Spike when the carriage is stopped I want you to ride to the main road up there and make sure no one comes this way."
Spike rode his horse back away from the others and waited for the carriage to approach. As he saw it come closer he began to ride out onto the main road.
Olaf had ridden his horse out from behind the trees and stopped in front of the carriage. He took hold of the reins of the other horses and produced a crossbow form behind him. He aimed at the driver and shot into the middle of his forehead.
Ethan and Travers ran out from the trees and opened the doors of the carriage. Travers took hold of Earl Summers and dragged him out onto the ground. Before the man could utter a single word he stuck him in the heart with a knife. Inside the carriage Ethan put his hand to Joyce's mouth.
"Good evening, my lady." Joyce struggled underneath Ethan's grasp and her eyes open wide with fear. "Hold still and I'll think about making this quick." He took his hand from her mouth and hit her so hard her lip began to bleed profusely. She was crying and gasping for air.
"Please, don't kill me. Please I have a daughter, my little girl, please." She grabbed her locket and cried, bowing her head down.
Spike had ridden up the road and saw that no one was coming. He decided to ride back to keep an eye on Ethan and the others and make sure he did not hurt the occupants of the carriage. As he rode closer he heard the woman scream. She was pleading for her life, she was begging him not to kill her, for her little girl, she needed to get back to her little girl. He rode faster, yet as he drew closer to the scene they pleading stopped. He reached the carriage and jumped off his horse and ran. Ethan stepped out of the carriage and got on his horse. There was blood on his hands. Spike looked inside to see a woman slumped over, blood pouring down from her throat. He turned to Ethan.
"You Son-of-a-bitch! You didn't have to kill them! You fucking bastard!" he growled and rushed towards Ethan. Ethan smiled and rode away before Spike could reach him. Travers and Olaf followed behind.
Spike fell to the ground. This was the last straw. He was done. He could no longer bare the torment of his life. He didn't want this anymore, he couldn't do this one moment longer. Turning a blind eye was just as bad as if he had killed all those people himself. He road back to the cottage they had been staying in, and from a distance could see a light through the window. As he drew nearer he saw that the other horses were gone. He dismounted and walked into the cottage. Andrew was sitting at the table, organizing the money and jewelry that had been stolen. He looked at Spike and noticed him looking ragged and tired.
"Where are they." Spike asked quietly.
"They left a while ago. No doubt drunk by now." Sighed Andrew. He was disgusted by the whole situation. Ethan and the others loved to boast; he already knew what had transpired earlier in the evening.
Spike walked to the table and sat down. He saw a locket and picked it up. When he opened it he saw the face of the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. He began to cry uncontrollably. Andrew sat across from him and remained silent. He had never seen another man cry, and it troubled him seeing Spike this way. Spike had been teetering on the edge for months, yet this night he had gone over. He cried for several minutes more, then wiped the tears from his face and looked at Andrew.
"Get your things. We're leaving." He got up and walked to his room. Andrew followed.
"Spike I.I can't." Andrew was afraid. He was afraid to leave and afraid to stay. Spike turned to him.
"I'm not leaving you here with him. I can't stay here a minute longer and I can't protect you if I'm not here." He walked over to Andrew and took him by the shoulders, "Andrew I get that you're scared, but he'll hurt you." He saw the fear in Andrew's eyes, but he knew the young man could not protect himself.
"Where will we go? You know he'll come looking for us." Said Andrew.
"We can go to England. There's a ship sailin' tomorrow, and I know a bloke, owes me a favor. Ethan and the others won't be home for hours, and when they get back they'll be so piss drunk they won't know up from down. Now c'mon mate, get your things."
END FLASHBACK
Elizabeth placed the locket on the table.
"So neither of you had anything to do with my parents death." She looked at Andrew with tears in her eyes.
"No. I, we never knew who hired Ethan for that job. Spike would have killed Ethan himself if he had known about anyone being killed. Ethan never shared details with us." Andrew now took the locket, "The night we left he took this with him. He said he needed to look at her picture. It gave him some kind of peace. He called her." he looked at Elizabeth, "you his angel, his saving grace."
Elizabeth stood and walked out. Everyone in the room followed her.
"Where are you going?" asked Xander.
""I need to find him. I need to bring him back."