Title: Of Two Evils 3/?
Series: Leave it Behind
Author: Autumn
Email: autumnleaves@autumnpenguins.com
Disclaimer: None of the characters are my property. They are the rightful property of 20th Century Fox/UPN/Joss Whedon
Category: Drama/Angst for this part
Story: Summary: The resurrection.
Series Summary: An AU of Season 6. What if Buffy hadn't been the one to die?
Story Order: Equilibrium, The Lesser, Of Two Evils
Author's Notes: Picks the evening where 'The Lesser' left off
This is a Buffy-fic so 'terror and bloodshed' are part and parcel, but still, there is grave-robbing here so don't blame me if you're squicked afterwards. Well you can blame me cause I wrote it, but nevertheless.
It's moving into a darker direction that I had originally intended, but that's not to say there won't be some lighter moments.
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Six figures were gathered around a headstone. The soft bite of shovels dipping into the earth was the only sound to break the stillness of the night. A seventh being skulked around the grave, chain smoking and trying to convince himself that what he was about to do was right. Part of the Watcher's Council had arrived in Sunnydale earlier that night, and had met up with Quentin Travers and Giles in the Magic Box.
Apart from the woman who had written her thesis on William the Bloody, Spike didn't recognize any of the other Watchers by name and their lack of personalities hadn't made of them stand out since the round of introductions. Gilles had filled Spike in about his role in resurrecting Dawn with reasonable aplomb. He was to be used as the vessel that would funnel Dawn's energy back into her body. This he had understood, though the specifics of the spell had still not been explained.
Giles had been less than forthright about what would be coming up throughout the past two days and Spike really didn't expect to be clued in this late in the game. The Watcher-wannabes hadn't said jack about what was to transpire, but Spike figured if he could get thesis lady off by herself she'd spill the beans.
"You could lend a hand here Spike, instead of just standing around."
"No thanks Jeeves. Gotta preserve my energy for the little magic trick, don't wanna get tuckered our halfway through it and find out I can't perform."
"Just as well, we're nearly finished Giles." Quentin Travers said softly.
Two of the Council members wound heavy chains through the handles of the coffin and tossing the ends out of the grave before being helped out by their fellows.
"Why didn't you just get Red here to levitate the coffin?"
"Willow's not to be involved in this matter Spike. It's too dark of a place for her to go and come back from safely again." Giles finally explained the reason he had maneuvered the Council to Sunnydale in secret.
"So, what you're really saying is I'm expendable."
"Spike, now is not the time to go into fuzzy-feelings."
"Keep your jockeys on, I'm just trying to get a clear picture of what you're up to is all." Spike said evenly, wondering if the Watcher would actually give voice to his real intentions.
"You're about to find out." The blonde Watcher announced as the six grave robbers set the pearl white coffin on the lip of the grave.
*********************
Anya and Xander's apartment:
"Did Giles seem, I dunno extra-British yesterday or have I been eating Crazy-O's again?" Xander tossed out.
"He was a little off." Anya conceded.
"I don't know he seemed perfectly normal at the Magic Box earlier, and he's venturing out of Buffy's house again so that's good right?"
"You're right Will, but its too bad Buffy's not venturing from Buffy's house yet."
"More like from Dawn's room since yesterday."
"We've gotta snap her out of this. I mean I know that none of us can know what Buffy's been going through, but it can't be good for her to do what she's been doing. She hasn't said a word since Giles brought her home this morning; she just went up to Dawn's room and went back into that-" Willow trailed off.
"Stupor."
"She's not drunk Anya."
"Buffy is in a stupor though. A solitary state that one can't be easily pulled out of."
"Otherwise known as grief." Willow supplied.
"Maybe Tara will get through to her. Maybe she doesn't wanna talk to us because we're too close. Like when the Master killed her and she left LA and came back all bad-moody." Xander added.
"I say we move on. We'll just carry on with normal life and not obsess over this anymore."
"What?" Anya added at Willow and Xander's incredulous looks.
"Anya, I'm saying this as a semi-friend. Sometimes you just need to not talk."
*****************
"Farris, get back over here. Now is no time to be squeamish." Travers commanded his underling.
The youngest Council member had found it difficult to hold his lunch once the seal of the coffin had been opened and the lid lifted. The young body of Dawn Summers was in the first stage of decomposition. The air war rank with the stench, and the sight was truly appalling. Even the more seasoned of the crew found it hard to look at, freshly killed daemon bodies were one thing, but human bodies were quite another.
"Severson, start the ritual Spike, remove your shirt." Giles commanded, eager to be rid of the pain he felt looking at the sight before him.
"Never knew you swung that way, Ripper."
The blonde woman retrieved a small flask and walked towards Spike with it. As Severson chanted, she stepped towards Spike and brushed a purple powder over his unbeating heart. When she was finished with him she moved towards the open coffin to anoint the body. "I'll do it." Spike broke in.
He didn't want anybody else to touch Dawn. "Over the heart, yeah?"
"Yes." Giles spoke softly.
Spike carefully unbuttoned the first few buttons of Dawn's top, and pulled the fabric away from her cold, unnaturally hard flesh. He recoiled at the feel of her, but recovered his composure quickly and applied the fragrant powder to her skin. He moved to fasten the buttons when Quentin told him the skin needed to remain exposed. Spike unexpectedly vamped out at that pronouncement. "Then turn your backs, you've no right to look."
To his surprise, the six Watchers did as he asked. "Spike, you cannot perform the ritual. The body has to be stripped, bathed and reburied in soil from consecrated ground." Travers spoke.
"And?"
"You're a vampire. Also, you were the one going on about preserving your strength." Giles supplied.
"Nobody is going to touch her. You didn't tell me about wanting to give niblet a sponge bath."
"Listen you sorry sod. None of this is to hurt Dawn. Now you will shut up and do as I say from now on. Severson, and Farris will assist you Spike. Dwyer will attend to Dawn."
Spike, was led off by the two men to be given his ritual sponge bath. He heard what sounded suspiciously like an electric drill from the site of the grave, but he ignored it for the time being. His clothing was collected by the Watchers, and they washed his body, save where he had been anointed by Dwyer. When Spike, in the buff was allowed back to the gravesite, he noticed eight holes had been drilled through the lid of the coffin. The body was lying in the coffin, and covered in dirt, there was no pile of clothing around, and Spike didn't feel up to asking where they were.
Giles nudged Spike towards the open casket, instructing him to lie down. Four Watchers took up rope and bound the vampire's arms and legs to the lid. "Bondage fun is it? Aren't you blokes missing masks and neat leather outfits?"
The six watchers, closed in on the casket. Four held candles, Giles held the spell book and Travers alone was empty handed. "The vessel has been anointed. We entrust him to your services. We invoke your power through him, that life may flow through the Key once more."
The purple patch on Spike's chest began to glow, and spread throughout the circle so that the band of Watchers was connected through to Spike. The vampire alone seemed to feel the effects of what was happening and he grimaced in pain. The circle grew brighter until it appeared to be reaching to the heavens. Spike bit his lip until he drew blood but he didn't dare cry out, it would break the spell.
In the casket, the purple ring above Dawn's heart began to glow with the same intensity as the one on Spike. Second ring rose into the air, until it joined with the one emanating from Spike. The two mystical circles hovered within one another before finally merging. The purple turned a deep shade of black, and grew smaller until it was no longer touching the outer circle. Spike's face was distorted with pain, but it was beyond sound. A thousand screams wouldn't have come close to the pain he felt as the energy coursed through him.
Suddenly, the black light exploded. The casket flew shut and was sucked back into the hole in the earth it had occupied. Spike's bindings held and he remained a few inches above Dawn's body. Pure green light was flowing into Spike's body, and lighting up the closed casket. A concentrated stream of light connected the two glowing circles, and in a final burst of energy Spike felt all the energy stored inside of himself rush out of his body and into the one it belonged too.
In the dark Dawn opened her eyes.
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