Disclaimer: Like I could create these guys.
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Distribution: OK, but let me know.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: An alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVs, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!!
---------------------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 2. Life Stands Suspended
Spike stepped through the doorway and reached forward, seizing Willow's outstretched hands and, still holding them, wrapping his arms around her body, holding her fast. "Sorry, Red," he said conversationally, "Can't let you do that." The portal disappeared behind him. The flashing blue glow of power surrounding Willow was suddenly snuffed out, leaving only an acrid smell.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Warren fell to the grass, unconscious. Anyanka began to back away, staring fearfully at Willow and Spike. Willow began to struggle and scream, but they could see her eyes were normal again.
"No! No! What did you do to me!" she howled, "what did you do!"
"Stopped this. It should never have begun," Spike said sternly. Something about his voice was odd, unsettling.
"My magic! Where's my magic?" Willow cried. Spike released her, not ungently, and she fell to the ground, weeping. "What did you do to me?"
"Here it is," he said calmly. "Look." She gaped up at him as he held out one hand, palm upwards; a ball of blue light danced on it. Then he closed his hand, and the light disappeared. He looked directly at Anyanka. "Now it's your turn," he said. "Make your choice."
She looked at him, obviously terrified. "I'll die," she whispered.
"You know what to do. Do it now."
Buffy stared at Spike, but his eyes never left the demon.
Giles and Xander struggled to their feet. Xander staggered towards Anyanka, but she held up a hand to stop him. With the other, she tore the amulet from her neck, and her face instantly metamorphosed back to human. Her eyes were frightened and filled with sorrow.
"Anya!" said Xander desperately, "Don't trust him! Whatever he wants you to do, fight it!"
She shook her head. Tears streamed down her face. "She promised she would never hurt you," she said to him. "I would never have helped her otherwise. Please believe I'll always love you." Then she threw the pendant down and smashed it with her heel; as it shattered she collapsed.
"No! What did you do to her!" Xander knelt down and gathered Anya up in his arms. "Oh, God, Ahn, please be alive! Please be alive!"
"Of course she's alive," Spike said. "She'll need to rest up, though."
Giles cautiously advanced towards Spike, who looked at him and smiled suddenly, causing him to stop short. He had never seen Spike smile like that, and he didn't like seeing it now. Spike held his hands out in a gesture of peace.
"Nothing to fear, Rupert. No tricks."
Giles felt a prickle at the back of his neck. He looked at the vampire standing before him very closely. "Who are you?" he said.
"Don't you know? Old brain's starting to go at last, is it?" That certainly sounded like Spike.
"We could do with some explanations," Giles said, striving for a tone of authority. "Why are you here? And, more importantly, where have you been?"
"Back to The Beginning, Rupert," Spike said seriously, once more with that odd quality to his voice. The timbre was the same, and the accent was the same, but they seemed to hear an echo, somehow, so faint it seemed almost illusory.
"That's not Spike," Buffy half-whispered. But he heard her, and turned his head to look into her eyes; she felt her heartbeat quicken, and she knew it was Spike.
"'Course it is, Slayer," he said, sounding just like himself once more. "With a few modifications, is all." He looked around, sharp-eyed. "Not much point in hanging 'round here all night, is there? What did you plan to do with him?" he said, nodding at Warren's unconscious form.
"We, ah, actually hadn't gotten that far," admitted Giles. This was odd. Something tugged at his consciousness, something he'd forgotten. He felt a powerful urge to clean his glasses.
"What with the apocalypse and all," Buffy said tartly, remembering the panic she'd felt finding Spike gone without a word. Right when she needed him! she thought resentfully (conveniently forgetting all the times she'd needed him and he had been there). And now here he stood as if nothing had happened.
Spike caught her eye and smiled, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.
TBC
"The continuity of being is lacerated; the settled course of sentiment and action is stopped; and life stands suspended and motionless."
Samuel Johnson
All characters belong to Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Distribution: OK, but let me know.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: An alternative ending (which you can bet will never happen) for Ep. 22 of this season, incorporating many (though not all) recent spoilers. The end of BtVs, and the beginning of The Spike Show.
DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT!!!
---------------------------------------------------------
RETURN
Part 2. Life Stands Suspended
Spike stepped through the doorway and reached forward, seizing Willow's outstretched hands and, still holding them, wrapping his arms around her body, holding her fast. "Sorry, Red," he said conversationally, "Can't let you do that." The portal disappeared behind him. The flashing blue glow of power surrounding Willow was suddenly snuffed out, leaving only an acrid smell.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Warren fell to the grass, unconscious. Anyanka began to back away, staring fearfully at Willow and Spike. Willow began to struggle and scream, but they could see her eyes were normal again.
"No! No! What did you do to me!" she howled, "what did you do!"
"Stopped this. It should never have begun," Spike said sternly. Something about his voice was odd, unsettling.
"My magic! Where's my magic?" Willow cried. Spike released her, not ungently, and she fell to the ground, weeping. "What did you do to me?"
"Here it is," he said calmly. "Look." She gaped up at him as he held out one hand, palm upwards; a ball of blue light danced on it. Then he closed his hand, and the light disappeared. He looked directly at Anyanka. "Now it's your turn," he said. "Make your choice."
She looked at him, obviously terrified. "I'll die," she whispered.
"You know what to do. Do it now."
Buffy stared at Spike, but his eyes never left the demon.
Giles and Xander struggled to their feet. Xander staggered towards Anyanka, but she held up a hand to stop him. With the other, she tore the amulet from her neck, and her face instantly metamorphosed back to human. Her eyes were frightened and filled with sorrow.
"Anya!" said Xander desperately, "Don't trust him! Whatever he wants you to do, fight it!"
She shook her head. Tears streamed down her face. "She promised she would never hurt you," she said to him. "I would never have helped her otherwise. Please believe I'll always love you." Then she threw the pendant down and smashed it with her heel; as it shattered she collapsed.
"No! What did you do to her!" Xander knelt down and gathered Anya up in his arms. "Oh, God, Ahn, please be alive! Please be alive!"
"Of course she's alive," Spike said. "She'll need to rest up, though."
Giles cautiously advanced towards Spike, who looked at him and smiled suddenly, causing him to stop short. He had never seen Spike smile like that, and he didn't like seeing it now. Spike held his hands out in a gesture of peace.
"Nothing to fear, Rupert. No tricks."
Giles felt a prickle at the back of his neck. He looked at the vampire standing before him very closely. "Who are you?" he said.
"Don't you know? Old brain's starting to go at last, is it?" That certainly sounded like Spike.
"We could do with some explanations," Giles said, striving for a tone of authority. "Why are you here? And, more importantly, where have you been?"
"Back to The Beginning, Rupert," Spike said seriously, once more with that odd quality to his voice. The timbre was the same, and the accent was the same, but they seemed to hear an echo, somehow, so faint it seemed almost illusory.
"That's not Spike," Buffy half-whispered. But he heard her, and turned his head to look into her eyes; she felt her heartbeat quicken, and she knew it was Spike.
"'Course it is, Slayer," he said, sounding just like himself once more. "With a few modifications, is all." He looked around, sharp-eyed. "Not much point in hanging 'round here all night, is there? What did you plan to do with him?" he said, nodding at Warren's unconscious form.
"We, ah, actually hadn't gotten that far," admitted Giles. This was odd. Something tugged at his consciousness, something he'd forgotten. He felt a powerful urge to clean his glasses.
"What with the apocalypse and all," Buffy said tartly, remembering the panic she'd felt finding Spike gone without a word. Right when she needed him! she thought resentfully (conveniently forgetting all the times she'd needed him and he had been there). And now here he stood as if nothing had happened.
Spike caught her eye and smiled, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.
TBC
"The continuity of being is lacerated; the settled course of sentiment and action is stopped; and life stands suspended and motionless."
Samuel Johnson