------------------------The Bad and The Hopeless Chapter 12- The Final Chapter!
Author's note: Well well well, this long story is finally at an end, I hope you've all enjoyed reading it!
Dedication: Thanks Toni for helping me decide on the ending. Psst! Liam love! ---------------------
"Liam?" Fred slipped herself into the guest suite. She'd been given the key a long time ago. "Liam? Are you here?"
She crept to the doorframe that seperated the living area from the rest of the suite. Liam was slouched in front of the television, eyes glazed over,
head rolling back onto the couch. An empty whiskey bottle dangled limply from his hand.
"Oh, Liam..." He'd promised to stay off the drink. He'd be doing so well. But since the Aserya incident he'd fallen back to his old ways and kept away from her.
Liam groaned. She pulled him up so he was in a sitting position on the couch, and touched his forehead tentatively. He opened his eyes and looked at her blurrily.
"Wanna... go back, Fred... don't wanna stay here... no more."
She drew back slightly, but nodded. It was what he wanted. She'd hated Pylea- it wasn't her world. And this wasn't his.
"And this'll work?" Angel said, uncertainly. They'd had plenty of experience with spells Lorne had done that hadn't.
"As sure as these are horns on my head, muffin. We just gotta... here." He produced a little bottle from his pocket.
Fred's eyes widened. She was standing in the middle of the room with Liam, holding his hand. He was dressed in the clothes he had come through the portal in.
"Oh no. Not bottles. You and spells and bottles don't mix, Lorne."
Lorne grinned, but it was a nervous one. "It's just incense, ur... I think. Now Fredikins, you'll be wanting to step out of the circle." he sprinkled the contents of the bottle around Liam's feet.
Fred hesitated, and Liam squeezed her hand. She looked beseechingly at him as she stepped out of the ring they'd painted on the floor.
Lorne recited the spell. Fred looked away. She didn't want this. She'd never lost anyone like she was losing him. When she looked back up he was gone. Gone.
Wesley touched her shoulder. "He's home now, Fred. It's what is best for him."
She nodded. She knew what it was to be in a place you didn't belong. She glanced up at Wesley, who's hand was still resting on her shoulder. She looked around at Angel, who was biting his lip,
head down, probably brooding already. She saw Lorne, who was grinning because his spell had worked. Gunn, who was mourning the loss of a friend.
And Spike, who was Liam's traitor, his traitor and his best friend. he smiled weakily at her. They were her friends. And to them, she mattered.
Epilogue
"I can show you things you've never seen..." The blonde woman in front of him was beautiful, mysterious, intoxicating.
Liam leaned forward to press into her as she bared her fangs towards his neck. Then he brought up his fist and smashed it into her chin. She reeled back, cursing.
He adjusted his collar. "I've been to the twenty-first century, love. I've seen it all."
And with that, he walked away from the alley.
x End x
Author's note: Well well well, this long story is finally at an end, I hope you've all enjoyed reading it!
Dedication: Thanks Toni for helping me decide on the ending. Psst! Liam love! ---------------------
"Liam?" Fred slipped herself into the guest suite. She'd been given the key a long time ago. "Liam? Are you here?"
She crept to the doorframe that seperated the living area from the rest of the suite. Liam was slouched in front of the television, eyes glazed over,
head rolling back onto the couch. An empty whiskey bottle dangled limply from his hand.
"Oh, Liam..." He'd promised to stay off the drink. He'd be doing so well. But since the Aserya incident he'd fallen back to his old ways and kept away from her.
Liam groaned. She pulled him up so he was in a sitting position on the couch, and touched his forehead tentatively. He opened his eyes and looked at her blurrily.
"Wanna... go back, Fred... don't wanna stay here... no more."
She drew back slightly, but nodded. It was what he wanted. She'd hated Pylea- it wasn't her world. And this wasn't his.
"And this'll work?" Angel said, uncertainly. They'd had plenty of experience with spells Lorne had done that hadn't.
"As sure as these are horns on my head, muffin. We just gotta... here." He produced a little bottle from his pocket.
Fred's eyes widened. She was standing in the middle of the room with Liam, holding his hand. He was dressed in the clothes he had come through the portal in.
"Oh no. Not bottles. You and spells and bottles don't mix, Lorne."
Lorne grinned, but it was a nervous one. "It's just incense, ur... I think. Now Fredikins, you'll be wanting to step out of the circle." he sprinkled the contents of the bottle around Liam's feet.
Fred hesitated, and Liam squeezed her hand. She looked beseechingly at him as she stepped out of the ring they'd painted on the floor.
Lorne recited the spell. Fred looked away. She didn't want this. She'd never lost anyone like she was losing him. When she looked back up he was gone. Gone.
Wesley touched her shoulder. "He's home now, Fred. It's what is best for him."
She nodded. She knew what it was to be in a place you didn't belong. She glanced up at Wesley, who's hand was still resting on her shoulder. She looked around at Angel, who was biting his lip,
head down, probably brooding already. She saw Lorne, who was grinning because his spell had worked. Gunn, who was mourning the loss of a friend.
And Spike, who was Liam's traitor, his traitor and his best friend. he smiled weakily at her. They were her friends. And to them, she mattered.
Epilogue
"I can show you things you've never seen..." The blonde woman in front of him was beautiful, mysterious, intoxicating.
Liam leaned forward to press into her as she bared her fangs towards his neck. Then he brought up his fist and smashed it into her chin. She reeled back, cursing.
He adjusted his collar. "I've been to the twenty-first century, love. I've seen it all."
And with that, he walked away from the alley.
x End x