Author's Note: thank you all so much for reviewing! But surprise surprise... that wasn't the end... no no, there were some loose ends that had to be tied up... this chapter went pretty fast and well, I combined a few that I had originally outlined to make it longer. I could have been evil and cut it up... I just have one more update to make... an epilogue that will tie EVERYTHING UP! YAY! Love you all!
Diclaimer: Don't own BtvS... Thank you.
Chapter 20
The world crumbled around their feet as Glory suddenly clutched at her head. "No! Damn you! Stay in there! I'm going home and you're gonna kiss your pathetic little existence goodbye Ben!"
"I will not be shoved into the dark closet of your life Glory!" Ben emerged from her, and looked at Dawn and Spike. Picking up the knife he went towards Dawn. "I'm sorry, but it has to end..."
A guttural, primitive roar escaped Spike as he lunged for the boy, his fangs bared. In an instant his fangs were clamped hard onto the boys jugular and windpipe. The blood poured down his throat, Glory's blood, Ben's blood. It wasn't human, but something sweeter, intoxicating, but at the same time, it tasted sour, bitter and disgusting. Ripping away, Spike tore most of the boy's throat out, the blood spraying across the area, as Ben fell to the ground. Glory was dead, dead from a mortal being's wound.
"SPIKE!" Dawn screamed as the shaking of the earth grew worse and worse, the tear literally turning the world into hell.
He spat on the corpse and walked over to Dawn, cutting her ropes with the knife, releasing her from the horror that Angelus and Glory had put her in. "Come on, we gotta get you home..."
"No, Spike. I have to die... You don't get it..." She looked him in the eyes and sighed, his blue teary eyes revealed his pain at the loss of Buffy. "If I don't die, there's going to be a lot of deaths tonight. It's going to be the end of the world... You have to drink from me... you have to drain me. I want you to. I want you to hold me as you do it... I don't want to feel alone when I die..."
"No... No Dawn, I can't! You don't know what you're asking of me! I can't drink you! I can't drain you! I just can't. You're the only other person on this earth that I care about that's alive! Buffy..."
"Buffy would understand. Buffy loved you, as do I. Spike, if you love me, you'll kill me, cause I can't live in this hell!" She wrapped her arms around him in a giant hug. "Please..." She pressed his head to her neck where the blood coursed through her veins. "Drink."
It was more of a command now than a plea, though the plea still held in her voice. Looking up at the sky, Spike watched the blood streaked night as demons entered into their universe. A single tear fell from his eyes as he looked at Dawn, then back down at her neck. "I'll always love you and your sister Dawn... always."
He let his fangs sink into her young neck, and as the blood flowed, so did the tears. She was everything, pure, innocent... his Little Bit... The Summers women roped him in and held him to them, forever touching a place in his heart. Even Joyce was like a mother to him. He could truly say that if given the time with her, he would grow to love her as well, and maybe now he could, he could grieve with Joyce over the loss of her two daughters.
Dawn's blood slowed in his mouth and he felt her heart begin to give out, but he had to drain her, all of it... for the portal to close...
The blood stopped and he released her to the ground, laying her down. "Goodnight Dawnie..."
He looked up and watched the portal close, shutting out the demons and the hell dimensions that threatened the earth.
Bending to pick Dawn up and take her down, to find Buffy's body as well, he met a blinding golden light that emanated from the girl's body. Glowing white, Dawn's body was slowly disappearing and the golden light grew stronger and stronger, an aura around the girl. Just when Spike thought he couldn't bear to look at the light anymore, it shot at him, driving straight into his heart, filling his body with warmth.
Dawn's body had vanished, not a trace of her left to be seen, or any memory of her. The monk's spell was broken. The key had played its role and no longer needed life. Once again Sunnydale returned to the world that held no Dawn. Joyce Summers had only given birth to one daughter, Spike never had one to call Little Bit, Buffy never got into fights with her sister, she never had a sister, all memory was gone.
Xander, in his hospital bed woke to find Anya sleeping with her head resting against the bed, and Giles, walking with Willow to his home, the wound on his forehead now stitched up, all found their attention drawn to the brilliant golden light that grew on the outskirts of Sunnydale.
Spike found himself on his knees now, the light still filling his body. Warming him, never had he felt something like this. It felt as though he would burn from the inside out, suddenly combust into flames, but he also felt peace... And then the pain spread throughout his body, searing pain that gagged him as he attempted to cry out from the harshness of it. It had to be the Power that Be... it had to be, they were punishing him for allowing Buffy, their champion to die... if only he'd been quicker... if only...
He was surrounded in the light now, it was all that he could see. Two beings stepped forward and smiled at him. "Spike... do not be afraid. Yes, we are the Powers that Be, but you should not fear us. The pain is necessary to complete your transformation... We will make you whole again. The key... she made sure of that. She held the power to let you become human, and become human you will. She knew not what she was doing, but it felt right to her. We agree with her choice Spike. You truly are a champion..."
The other, a female spoke softly. "You have loved, fought for truth and remained loyal. Your pain brings great sadness to us. But things work for a reason. We watch over all, and perhaps all is not lost, but perhaps, more is gained. We must go now... goodbye Spike, take care of our champion..."
The golden light vanished from around him, but another one began to bathe him... sunlight. He was in sunlight. The sun had risen and he was not in flames, but instead he felt a heart beat inside of his chest, blood pumping through his veins, hot blood... "Buffy..."
He ran, jumping down flights of stairs, faster and faster to reach his love's body. He noticed that he still held the strength and agility that he had had as a vampire... he was as Buffy used to be... a champion... a human champion...
Feet hitting the ground he ran to where he had seen her fall... and there she was, her hair splayed about her in all its golden glory as though it were a halo. He fell to his knees in front of her and wept. He had never wept so much before as he had that night.
Looking upon her, her face was bloodied and tear streaked. She hadn't died on impact, she'd suffered, alone, no one to comfort her and the thought broke him up inside. "Oh Buffy... how I wish I could have been with you... to let you know that you weren't alone... I failed you..."
He picked her up in his arms and kissed her eyelids. "God I love you..."
Carrying her away from the place, he didn't notice the faintest of heartbeats that beat in Buffy's chest...
Diclaimer: Don't own BtvS... Thank you.
Chapter 20
The world crumbled around their feet as Glory suddenly clutched at her head. "No! Damn you! Stay in there! I'm going home and you're gonna kiss your pathetic little existence goodbye Ben!"
"I will not be shoved into the dark closet of your life Glory!" Ben emerged from her, and looked at Dawn and Spike. Picking up the knife he went towards Dawn. "I'm sorry, but it has to end..."
A guttural, primitive roar escaped Spike as he lunged for the boy, his fangs bared. In an instant his fangs were clamped hard onto the boys jugular and windpipe. The blood poured down his throat, Glory's blood, Ben's blood. It wasn't human, but something sweeter, intoxicating, but at the same time, it tasted sour, bitter and disgusting. Ripping away, Spike tore most of the boy's throat out, the blood spraying across the area, as Ben fell to the ground. Glory was dead, dead from a mortal being's wound.
"SPIKE!" Dawn screamed as the shaking of the earth grew worse and worse, the tear literally turning the world into hell.
He spat on the corpse and walked over to Dawn, cutting her ropes with the knife, releasing her from the horror that Angelus and Glory had put her in. "Come on, we gotta get you home..."
"No, Spike. I have to die... You don't get it..." She looked him in the eyes and sighed, his blue teary eyes revealed his pain at the loss of Buffy. "If I don't die, there's going to be a lot of deaths tonight. It's going to be the end of the world... You have to drink from me... you have to drain me. I want you to. I want you to hold me as you do it... I don't want to feel alone when I die..."
"No... No Dawn, I can't! You don't know what you're asking of me! I can't drink you! I can't drain you! I just can't. You're the only other person on this earth that I care about that's alive! Buffy..."
"Buffy would understand. Buffy loved you, as do I. Spike, if you love me, you'll kill me, cause I can't live in this hell!" She wrapped her arms around him in a giant hug. "Please..." She pressed his head to her neck where the blood coursed through her veins. "Drink."
It was more of a command now than a plea, though the plea still held in her voice. Looking up at the sky, Spike watched the blood streaked night as demons entered into their universe. A single tear fell from his eyes as he looked at Dawn, then back down at her neck. "I'll always love you and your sister Dawn... always."
He let his fangs sink into her young neck, and as the blood flowed, so did the tears. She was everything, pure, innocent... his Little Bit... The Summers women roped him in and held him to them, forever touching a place in his heart. Even Joyce was like a mother to him. He could truly say that if given the time with her, he would grow to love her as well, and maybe now he could, he could grieve with Joyce over the loss of her two daughters.
Dawn's blood slowed in his mouth and he felt her heart begin to give out, but he had to drain her, all of it... for the portal to close...
The blood stopped and he released her to the ground, laying her down. "Goodnight Dawnie..."
He looked up and watched the portal close, shutting out the demons and the hell dimensions that threatened the earth.
Bending to pick Dawn up and take her down, to find Buffy's body as well, he met a blinding golden light that emanated from the girl's body. Glowing white, Dawn's body was slowly disappearing and the golden light grew stronger and stronger, an aura around the girl. Just when Spike thought he couldn't bear to look at the light anymore, it shot at him, driving straight into his heart, filling his body with warmth.
Dawn's body had vanished, not a trace of her left to be seen, or any memory of her. The monk's spell was broken. The key had played its role and no longer needed life. Once again Sunnydale returned to the world that held no Dawn. Joyce Summers had only given birth to one daughter, Spike never had one to call Little Bit, Buffy never got into fights with her sister, she never had a sister, all memory was gone.
Xander, in his hospital bed woke to find Anya sleeping with her head resting against the bed, and Giles, walking with Willow to his home, the wound on his forehead now stitched up, all found their attention drawn to the brilliant golden light that grew on the outskirts of Sunnydale.
Spike found himself on his knees now, the light still filling his body. Warming him, never had he felt something like this. It felt as though he would burn from the inside out, suddenly combust into flames, but he also felt peace... And then the pain spread throughout his body, searing pain that gagged him as he attempted to cry out from the harshness of it. It had to be the Power that Be... it had to be, they were punishing him for allowing Buffy, their champion to die... if only he'd been quicker... if only...
He was surrounded in the light now, it was all that he could see. Two beings stepped forward and smiled at him. "Spike... do not be afraid. Yes, we are the Powers that Be, but you should not fear us. The pain is necessary to complete your transformation... We will make you whole again. The key... she made sure of that. She held the power to let you become human, and become human you will. She knew not what she was doing, but it felt right to her. We agree with her choice Spike. You truly are a champion..."
The other, a female spoke softly. "You have loved, fought for truth and remained loyal. Your pain brings great sadness to us. But things work for a reason. We watch over all, and perhaps all is not lost, but perhaps, more is gained. We must go now... goodbye Spike, take care of our champion..."
The golden light vanished from around him, but another one began to bathe him... sunlight. He was in sunlight. The sun had risen and he was not in flames, but instead he felt a heart beat inside of his chest, blood pumping through his veins, hot blood... "Buffy..."
He ran, jumping down flights of stairs, faster and faster to reach his love's body. He noticed that he still held the strength and agility that he had had as a vampire... he was as Buffy used to be... a champion... a human champion...
Feet hitting the ground he ran to where he had seen her fall... and there she was, her hair splayed about her in all its golden glory as though it were a halo. He fell to his knees in front of her and wept. He had never wept so much before as he had that night.
Looking upon her, her face was bloodied and tear streaked. She hadn't died on impact, she'd suffered, alone, no one to comfort her and the thought broke him up inside. "Oh Buffy... how I wish I could have been with you... to let you know that you weren't alone... I failed you..."
He picked her up in his arms and kissed her eyelids. "God I love you..."
Carrying her away from the place, he didn't notice the faintest of heartbeats that beat in Buffy's chest...
