Title: The Wrong Side of the Line
Chapter 18: Sunset
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for rating, disclaimers and summary
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Nightfall came all too soon for Buffy. She thought that they'd gotten everything figured out and arranged, but it was so risky. If even one thing went wrong---.
Spike was asleep, his head cradled in her lap. It had weakened him more than she'd expected, but it couldn't be helped. If he could just summon the strength to stand and walk, and if the guards didn't handle him enough to notice the difference, this had a good chance of working. Still, there were a lot of ifs, and that made her nervous.
She could see the guards moving around outside the cell, laughing and talking, and she knew just from the increase of activity that the time was getting closer. She'd seen executions before. She knew how much excitement they brought to the base. As a vampire, it hadn't bothered her too much, but now that she was human, the thought of anyone dying made her sick. She'd seen too much of it, which seemed to make things worse, rather than better.
She shook Spike gently. "Spike, come on." When he didn't respond, she shook him again. "You have to wake up now."
He stirred, moaning. Then, suddenly, he jerked up out of her lap with a shriek. "What---Where am I?"
His eyes searched wildly around him, and she stayed quiet, remembering the shock and disorientation that he would now be feeling. Finally, his eyes fell on her. "You OK?" she asked softly.
"I---I guess so." He glanced at the cell door and she saw his eyes widen. "What time is it?"
She had to swallow a lump in her throat. "It's almost time, I would guess."
He nodded nervously. "Everything ready?"
She shrugged. "I hope so. Wish I could say definitely, but I'd be lying."
He swallowed. "I know. W-Whatever happens, you did your best. I hope you remember that."
She gave him a weak smile. "It's going to be fine. I just have to keep telling myself that, and so do you. It's all going to be fine."
The door slid open and two guards came in. One grabbed Spike's shirt and hauled him to his feet. The other took hold of Buffy and turned her so he could put handcuffs on her.
"Time's up," the first grinned as he shoved Spike toward the door. "Hope you two enjoyed your day together."
Buffy gave a small sigh of relief as she noticed that the man only touched Spike's handcuffs and not his hands. They were led out of the cell block and into the yard, where Willow was already standing. She gave Buffy a look that said she was ready and Buffy felt even a little more relief.
Giles came over from his spot by the podium, a grin plastered on his face. "Well, here we are, eh?" He motioned to Spike with his head. "Take him to the platform. We'll get on with it in a minute."
Spike jerked out of the guards grasp and squared his shoulders. "I can bloody well walk, you stupid git." He looked at Giles, and then spit at his feet. "So long, Rupert."
Giles laughed. "Goodbye, Spike. 'S been nice knowing you."
Spike's step never faltered as he walked over to the platform and up the stairs, and without hesitation, he knelt down to put his head on the block. Buffy threw a cautious glance at Willow, who gave a brief nod.
Giles turned back to Buffy. "I'm going to give you and Willow a choice. We'll put you through rehab, and allow you to return to the populace with no consequences."
Buffy gave a harsh laugh. "Keep dreaming."
"Well, we'll see what you have to say when you see Spike's head come off." He walked up to the platform and stood with his hands behind his back. "William Donovan, you have been formally charged with treason, murder, aiding and abetting known fugitives and criminal conspiracy all of which are punishable by death. By pleading guilty to these crimes, you have foregone a trial and are to be executed immediately. Have you any last words before we carry out the sentence?"
The executioner had already fastened his head to the block, and he moved just slightly to meet eyes with Buffy. "Yeh, Rupert, I do."
He glanced at Willow, who was busily chanting away and wondered how much longer she would need to take care of things.
She was still chanting, but he could see her chest moving in heaves, and knew that something was working on her.
He glanced around as much as he could, looking for the council members that would surely be here to see him put to death. They were standing to his left, lined up behind a long table, each with a solemn look on their faces. He couldn't resist grinning at them. "You're all a sodding bunch of fools. I hope you know that. Ole' Rupert here is playing you like a violin, and you're letting him. He was all with me on killing Travers, and Watkins too for that matter. He set this up so he could get back in your good graces, but don't think that he won't put you right up here too, first chance he gets."
Giles laughed, walking around to stand in Spike's line of sight. "Do you honestly want to waste your last breath trying to convince them that I'm the traitor here? Say your good-byes, William. Get it over with."
Spike knew he had to buy a few more minutes. He didn't know how long it would take Willow to get the spell going, and he certainly didn't want his head rolling on the platform before she was ready. "I thought I had the right to say anything I pleased, Giles. I get to have my last word."
Giles sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "Yes, well, get on with it then. Drawing it out isn't helping anyone."
Spike glanced at Willow again, who caught his eye, and she nodded. "You're absolutely right. It's not." He looked to Buffy, who was biting her lip. "Love you, pet."
"Love you too," she said, although he couldn't actually hear her speak.
Willow's voice split the air. "Accendere!"
Spike had just enough time to shut his eyes and turn his head before a small glowing ball appeared in her hand. She tossed it into the air and yelled "Far Brillare!" The ball grew and brightened until the light flooded the area.
Spike could hear the screams as vampires all around him started to burn under the false sunlight. The smell was terrible, like spoiled meat burning on a grill, and he fought back a gag.
He could feel the warmth of the light against his closed eyelids, and he lost himself in it for a moment. He'd never felt anything like it. He wanted to open his eyes, to catch his first glimpse of the sunlight, but he knew better. He'd spent all his life in the dark, and he knew that his eyes wouldn't be able to handle that much light all at once. Buffy had warned him that his eyes would be sensitive to it for quite a while, and he didn't particularly want to blind himself permanently on his first day as a human.
The air had become thick with smoke and ash, and hot with fire, and he realized that his lungs were burning with each breath. It was getting harder and harder to take in any air at all. He tried harder, sucking in as much oxygen as he could, but he immediately choked. Panic swelled in his chest and he tried to push it back down. "No time to lose your head, mate," he muttered, fighting to calm his breathing.
"Boy, you aren't kidding. Not after everything we went through to keep your head attached."
He smiled at the voice. "What took you so long, pet? I was getting nervous."
Buffy worked at the restraints that held him to the chopping block. "You should have known I would get you as soon as I could."
He grinned. "Never been good at the shoulda's pet."
She pulled the last buckle loose and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, impatient, let's get you out of here."
He still didn't open his eyes, trusting her not to let him run into anything. "Is it over?" he asked, noticing for the first time that the courtyard was nearly silent.
She hesitated, and he felt his nerves start humming again. Finally, she said, "Sort of. Most of it, anyway."
"What do you mean most?"
He heard Willow's voice, coming from somewhere to his left. "Release." His cuffs loosened automatically and fell off. Spike reminded himself to ask her how she did that.
"You OK, Will?" Buffy asked.
"I---I think so. It worked, so---yeah, I'm good. It worked, right?"
Buffy laughed. "Look around, Will. I'd say it worked."
Willow took in the scene carefully. "I've been working on the ball of sunshine spell forever and never could get it right. Guess I just had to be half-scared out of my mind, huh?"
Spike followed Buffy to the left, his hand on her arm. He thought she was taking him through the gate toward the motor pool, but he couldn't be sure. "Whatever you did, you did it right, Red."
"How long will it last?" Buffy asked, watching the ground for obstacles so Spike wouldn't trip.
"Uh, half an hour? Maybe a little longer," Willow answered uncertainly.
"That gives us just about enough time to get back to camp." Buffy peeked into the large garage, scouting for any vamps that might have escaped the light. When she was sure it was safe, she went in. "Where do they keep the keys, Spike?"
"Wall cabinet, right behind the main desk. Get the ones for the big transport trucks. Bottom, right corner."
She snatched a set, then reconsidered and took them all. The remains of this army squadron would be coming after them, as soon as they could rally the forces. Better if they didn't have the vehicles to speed their mission. She knew it was only a brief stall, but anything that bought her camp a few minutes was worth it.
"Got 'em. Let's move."
The light was starting to dim just as they reached the camp. Buffy parked the truck and sighed, stretching. "You can open your eyes now, Spike," she chuckled.
He pushed them open, blinking against the remains of artificial daylight. "We made it."
She smiled. "Was there ever a doubt?"
Her mother was stepping out of their tent, and she smiled when she saw her daughter. Buffy climbed out of the truck and jogged over to her. "Buffy," Joyce muttered, shaking her head. "Thank God you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"
She stepped into her mother's embrace. "I'm fine, Mom. It all worked, just like we had hoped. Did Xander make it?"
Joyce nodded, stepping back and motioning to a second transport truck, nearly hidden behind a bank of trees. "I thought he was joking when he told me what you were up to. But you did it, didn't you?" She peeked over Buffy's shoulder toward the truck. "Is Spike OK? And Willow?"
"They're fine. We're all fine, I promise. No worse for wear. But we need to start packing. The rest of the army will be after us as soon as they get word."
Joyce sighed. "I know. We'll be ready to pull out within the hour. Xander has been going over the maps, planning out a route."
"Good. I didn't think about that part. Nice to know he did. Have you changed him yet?"
Joyce shook her head. "We're waiting to see what we run into. We'll have to travel by night for a while, but if we get caught, he's going to hope that they'll think he's just transporting prisoners. It's worth a try, don't you think?"
Buffy laughed. "Definitely." She scanned the horizon, her eyes shadowed by both night fall and worry. "We're heading east."
"The winters are tough out there."
She turned and glanced back at the truck, where Spike was already loading supplies onto the back. "Maybe, but I think we're tougher. Either way, we can't stay here."
"True," her mother conceded. "What, uh--- what happened to Giles?"
Buffy sighed. "I don't know for sure. I think he got away. He's probably hiding out on the base somewhere." She shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to hope that he choses to leave us be."
Joyce shuddered slightly. "Rupert Giles turns out to be a bad guy."
"Yeah, who'd a thunk it, huh?"
There was a moment of silence between them, as they came to terms with what had just happened, knowing that their dear friend was no longer a friend at all. Then, Joyce sighed. "Well, come on. Let's get to packing." They started back toward their tent. "And remember, there's not much room on the trucks, so take only what you really need."
"Does that mean we're leaving Dawn behind?"
Her mother smirked. "Very funny, Buffy."
THE END
OK, so it isn't completely the end. There's also an epilogue coming. And possibly, there may be sequels down the line somewhere. I'm working on a prequel to it, as well, that will explain how all this came to be and some of the backstory for this world. That'll be in the works for a while though. So, go read the Epilogue. And thanks to everyone! I appreciate the support and all the reviews!
Chapter 18: Sunset
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for rating, disclaimers and summary
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Nightfall came all too soon for Buffy. She thought that they'd gotten everything figured out and arranged, but it was so risky. If even one thing went wrong---.
Spike was asleep, his head cradled in her lap. It had weakened him more than she'd expected, but it couldn't be helped. If he could just summon the strength to stand and walk, and if the guards didn't handle him enough to notice the difference, this had a good chance of working. Still, there were a lot of ifs, and that made her nervous.
She could see the guards moving around outside the cell, laughing and talking, and she knew just from the increase of activity that the time was getting closer. She'd seen executions before. She knew how much excitement they brought to the base. As a vampire, it hadn't bothered her too much, but now that she was human, the thought of anyone dying made her sick. She'd seen too much of it, which seemed to make things worse, rather than better.
She shook Spike gently. "Spike, come on." When he didn't respond, she shook him again. "You have to wake up now."
He stirred, moaning. Then, suddenly, he jerked up out of her lap with a shriek. "What---Where am I?"
His eyes searched wildly around him, and she stayed quiet, remembering the shock and disorientation that he would now be feeling. Finally, his eyes fell on her. "You OK?" she asked softly.
"I---I guess so." He glanced at the cell door and she saw his eyes widen. "What time is it?"
She had to swallow a lump in her throat. "It's almost time, I would guess."
He nodded nervously. "Everything ready?"
She shrugged. "I hope so. Wish I could say definitely, but I'd be lying."
He swallowed. "I know. W-Whatever happens, you did your best. I hope you remember that."
She gave him a weak smile. "It's going to be fine. I just have to keep telling myself that, and so do you. It's all going to be fine."
The door slid open and two guards came in. One grabbed Spike's shirt and hauled him to his feet. The other took hold of Buffy and turned her so he could put handcuffs on her.
"Time's up," the first grinned as he shoved Spike toward the door. "Hope you two enjoyed your day together."
Buffy gave a small sigh of relief as she noticed that the man only touched Spike's handcuffs and not his hands. They were led out of the cell block and into the yard, where Willow was already standing. She gave Buffy a look that said she was ready and Buffy felt even a little more relief.
Giles came over from his spot by the podium, a grin plastered on his face. "Well, here we are, eh?" He motioned to Spike with his head. "Take him to the platform. We'll get on with it in a minute."
Spike jerked out of the guards grasp and squared his shoulders. "I can bloody well walk, you stupid git." He looked at Giles, and then spit at his feet. "So long, Rupert."
Giles laughed. "Goodbye, Spike. 'S been nice knowing you."
Spike's step never faltered as he walked over to the platform and up the stairs, and without hesitation, he knelt down to put his head on the block. Buffy threw a cautious glance at Willow, who gave a brief nod.
Giles turned back to Buffy. "I'm going to give you and Willow a choice. We'll put you through rehab, and allow you to return to the populace with no consequences."
Buffy gave a harsh laugh. "Keep dreaming."
"Well, we'll see what you have to say when you see Spike's head come off." He walked up to the platform and stood with his hands behind his back. "William Donovan, you have been formally charged with treason, murder, aiding and abetting known fugitives and criminal conspiracy all of which are punishable by death. By pleading guilty to these crimes, you have foregone a trial and are to be executed immediately. Have you any last words before we carry out the sentence?"
The executioner had already fastened his head to the block, and he moved just slightly to meet eyes with Buffy. "Yeh, Rupert, I do."
He glanced at Willow, who was busily chanting away and wondered how much longer she would need to take care of things.
She was still chanting, but he could see her chest moving in heaves, and knew that something was working on her.
He glanced around as much as he could, looking for the council members that would surely be here to see him put to death. They were standing to his left, lined up behind a long table, each with a solemn look on their faces. He couldn't resist grinning at them. "You're all a sodding bunch of fools. I hope you know that. Ole' Rupert here is playing you like a violin, and you're letting him. He was all with me on killing Travers, and Watkins too for that matter. He set this up so he could get back in your good graces, but don't think that he won't put you right up here too, first chance he gets."
Giles laughed, walking around to stand in Spike's line of sight. "Do you honestly want to waste your last breath trying to convince them that I'm the traitor here? Say your good-byes, William. Get it over with."
Spike knew he had to buy a few more minutes. He didn't know how long it would take Willow to get the spell going, and he certainly didn't want his head rolling on the platform before she was ready. "I thought I had the right to say anything I pleased, Giles. I get to have my last word."
Giles sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "Yes, well, get on with it then. Drawing it out isn't helping anyone."
Spike glanced at Willow again, who caught his eye, and she nodded. "You're absolutely right. It's not." He looked to Buffy, who was biting her lip. "Love you, pet."
"Love you too," she said, although he couldn't actually hear her speak.
Willow's voice split the air. "Accendere!"
Spike had just enough time to shut his eyes and turn his head before a small glowing ball appeared in her hand. She tossed it into the air and yelled "Far Brillare!" The ball grew and brightened until the light flooded the area.
Spike could hear the screams as vampires all around him started to burn under the false sunlight. The smell was terrible, like spoiled meat burning on a grill, and he fought back a gag.
He could feel the warmth of the light against his closed eyelids, and he lost himself in it for a moment. He'd never felt anything like it. He wanted to open his eyes, to catch his first glimpse of the sunlight, but he knew better. He'd spent all his life in the dark, and he knew that his eyes wouldn't be able to handle that much light all at once. Buffy had warned him that his eyes would be sensitive to it for quite a while, and he didn't particularly want to blind himself permanently on his first day as a human.
The air had become thick with smoke and ash, and hot with fire, and he realized that his lungs were burning with each breath. It was getting harder and harder to take in any air at all. He tried harder, sucking in as much oxygen as he could, but he immediately choked. Panic swelled in his chest and he tried to push it back down. "No time to lose your head, mate," he muttered, fighting to calm his breathing.
"Boy, you aren't kidding. Not after everything we went through to keep your head attached."
He smiled at the voice. "What took you so long, pet? I was getting nervous."
Buffy worked at the restraints that held him to the chopping block. "You should have known I would get you as soon as I could."
He grinned. "Never been good at the shoulda's pet."
She pulled the last buckle loose and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, impatient, let's get you out of here."
He still didn't open his eyes, trusting her not to let him run into anything. "Is it over?" he asked, noticing for the first time that the courtyard was nearly silent.
She hesitated, and he felt his nerves start humming again. Finally, she said, "Sort of. Most of it, anyway."
"What do you mean most?"
He heard Willow's voice, coming from somewhere to his left. "Release." His cuffs loosened automatically and fell off. Spike reminded himself to ask her how she did that.
"You OK, Will?" Buffy asked.
"I---I think so. It worked, so---yeah, I'm good. It worked, right?"
Buffy laughed. "Look around, Will. I'd say it worked."
Willow took in the scene carefully. "I've been working on the ball of sunshine spell forever and never could get it right. Guess I just had to be half-scared out of my mind, huh?"
Spike followed Buffy to the left, his hand on her arm. He thought she was taking him through the gate toward the motor pool, but he couldn't be sure. "Whatever you did, you did it right, Red."
"How long will it last?" Buffy asked, watching the ground for obstacles so Spike wouldn't trip.
"Uh, half an hour? Maybe a little longer," Willow answered uncertainly.
"That gives us just about enough time to get back to camp." Buffy peeked into the large garage, scouting for any vamps that might have escaped the light. When she was sure it was safe, she went in. "Where do they keep the keys, Spike?"
"Wall cabinet, right behind the main desk. Get the ones for the big transport trucks. Bottom, right corner."
She snatched a set, then reconsidered and took them all. The remains of this army squadron would be coming after them, as soon as they could rally the forces. Better if they didn't have the vehicles to speed their mission. She knew it was only a brief stall, but anything that bought her camp a few minutes was worth it.
"Got 'em. Let's move."
The light was starting to dim just as they reached the camp. Buffy parked the truck and sighed, stretching. "You can open your eyes now, Spike," she chuckled.
He pushed them open, blinking against the remains of artificial daylight. "We made it."
She smiled. "Was there ever a doubt?"
Her mother was stepping out of their tent, and she smiled when she saw her daughter. Buffy climbed out of the truck and jogged over to her. "Buffy," Joyce muttered, shaking her head. "Thank God you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"
She stepped into her mother's embrace. "I'm fine, Mom. It all worked, just like we had hoped. Did Xander make it?"
Joyce nodded, stepping back and motioning to a second transport truck, nearly hidden behind a bank of trees. "I thought he was joking when he told me what you were up to. But you did it, didn't you?" She peeked over Buffy's shoulder toward the truck. "Is Spike OK? And Willow?"
"They're fine. We're all fine, I promise. No worse for wear. But we need to start packing. The rest of the army will be after us as soon as they get word."
Joyce sighed. "I know. We'll be ready to pull out within the hour. Xander has been going over the maps, planning out a route."
"Good. I didn't think about that part. Nice to know he did. Have you changed him yet?"
Joyce shook her head. "We're waiting to see what we run into. We'll have to travel by night for a while, but if we get caught, he's going to hope that they'll think he's just transporting prisoners. It's worth a try, don't you think?"
Buffy laughed. "Definitely." She scanned the horizon, her eyes shadowed by both night fall and worry. "We're heading east."
"The winters are tough out there."
She turned and glanced back at the truck, where Spike was already loading supplies onto the back. "Maybe, but I think we're tougher. Either way, we can't stay here."
"True," her mother conceded. "What, uh--- what happened to Giles?"
Buffy sighed. "I don't know for sure. I think he got away. He's probably hiding out on the base somewhere." She shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to hope that he choses to leave us be."
Joyce shuddered slightly. "Rupert Giles turns out to be a bad guy."
"Yeah, who'd a thunk it, huh?"
There was a moment of silence between them, as they came to terms with what had just happened, knowing that their dear friend was no longer a friend at all. Then, Joyce sighed. "Well, come on. Let's get to packing." They started back toward their tent. "And remember, there's not much room on the trucks, so take only what you really need."
"Does that mean we're leaving Dawn behind?"
Her mother smirked. "Very funny, Buffy."
THE END
OK, so it isn't completely the end. There's also an epilogue coming. And possibly, there may be sequels down the line somewhere. I'm working on a prequel to it, as well, that will explain how all this came to be and some of the backstory for this world. That'll be in the works for a while though. So, go read the Epilogue. And thanks to everyone! I appreciate the support and all the reviews!