Chapter Nine – So Much Truth
Spike stood back in shock, his mouth hanging agape. Had he just heard her right? His real mother? God she must be off her rocker. But as he gazed into the eyes of the woman that he had once thought was his mother, cold blue eyes told him that she was saying nothing but the truth.
"What...? You can't be serious"
Ann turned away from him, not wanting to face the reality of the secret she had just given away.
"It's true, every word. She was like a daughter to me, your mother. The kindest soul you could ever meet and even her destiny didn't sway that in her like most of the others"
"What was her name?"
"Alaura Danin. Seventeen, educated and with the bleakest future anyone should ever have to curse one so young. It wasn't till she could no longer hide it, that I found out she was with child. When I did find out however, I forced her to give up her slaying until her child was born. The duty of the slayer would rest in my hands until she was ready – no sense risking the life of an innocent"
"So my mother really was a slayer" Spike sighed and forced himself to sit back down. "What about my father?"
"I never found out" Ann admitted and then took his hands in hers once again. "Alaura always looked so ashamed whenever I would ask her. She didn't know too many young men and I had no way of finding out"
"Must have been a vampire then"
Ann stared at him incredulously.
"Vampires are infertile. They are dead – you should know that"
"But then how were the slayer and I able to conceive? That was three months before I become human again mum. Also they say that once a slayer is chosen that she becomes infertile herself. But then one didn't think that vampire would solve that problem. They are sworn enemies"
He watched his mother...yes she was still his mother in all ways that mattered. She seemed to be contemplating the very idea. Ann then stood and marched off to the study. Moments later she returned with two leather-bound books and one so small delicate, it looked as though it might brake.
"These are your mother journals – the ones that I had written during the time she was my slayer"
She handed him the two leather-bound chronicles and then held the smaller one in her hands, though they trembled.
"This one however is her diary, one that I had bought for her long ago. One she could open it and when you are ready to learn what your real mother was truly like, then it will open for you"
"Thank you...I sorry"
They embraced then, knowing that it would be their last. Ann didn't bother to wipe the tears away, she just let them fall.
"You're forgiven. I could never hold anything against you forever. You are my son in all ways that matter.
"I have to go...Roho will be having a field day"
"Yes, go before I'll be forced to make you stay. I love you"
Ann kissed him on the cheek and smiled at him. Spike could help but let the first tears begin to drop from his eyes.
"And I love you too. I'm going to end the curse. No more vampires"
"Then you'd better hurry. Goodbye William"
"Goodbye mum"
With a bright flash of shimmering light, Spike vanished from his old childhood home. Books in hand, he returned back to the darkness of the real world.
"Buffy, we have been going in circles for about an hour" Dawn whinnied, and then took to making shadow puppets on the cave walls in her boredom.
"We are not" the slayer snapped. "I know that Spike went this way"
"That what you said five tunnels back" Connor groaned.
The boy lingered back away from the two sisters. He had almost become distant once they had entered the mountain tunnels – never vary eager to help with direction either.
"Then that means we are on the right path"
"But..."
"You heard me!"
Dawn stopped so that she could walk side by side with Connor, shaking her head all the while.
"Never get a pregnant woman angry, especially not one that's a slayer too boot – that's like signing your own death warrant"
"I'll try to keep that in mind"
Then suddenly she stopped and turned to face him.
"Why have you become so...nice all of a sudden?"
"Because I've found a worthy equal" he replied, no emotion showing on his hard-set face. "You have had your problems and survived, like I was forced to survive. You were also able to get the better of me in a fight – few people have ever accomplished that"
"Well I'll take that as a complement"
She turned back to ask Buffy something, but found that her sister had vanished.
"Buffy!" Dawn called out into the tunnels, but all her voice did was echo back to her uselessly.
"Oh great, now you've gone and gotten us lost" Connor chastised.
"Me? This is your fault"
"Very mature"
Dawn growled at him and then stomped off in the direction she hopped that her sister had taken. Connor followed along not to far behind, not saying a word, but simply smiling a hidden smile behind his everyday mask.
They weaved in and out of so many tunnels it was like they were going on forever. But in the end it was Connor that stopped. The sound of his footsteps stopping abruptly made Dawn come to a halt and she saw that he was staring absently off into one of the many caves.
"What do you see?"
He didn't answer; he just continued to stare into the depths of the darkness.
"Connor, you're scaring me"
Then he snapped out of his paralysis and looked at her.
"Something's calling me. It's not in words, but in feeling. I have to find out what it is"
"Then I'm coming with you"
Together the two teens advanced on the cave entrance and then stepped into the darkness and the fleck of light shimmering at its center.
------
"So they finally made it"
"I told you they would"
Dawn and Connor whirled around to find themselves face two women. Dawn let out a shriek and ran forward, throwing herself into the arms of the woman that was her mother. Connor on the other hand stood gaping at the other woman. He knew from only a mere primal instinct that she was his mother. Darla – she was the vampire that he sired his father and had sacrificed her own immortality to bring him into the world.
He stepped closer and she smiled.
"Hello Connor"
"Why are you here? What is this place?" he stammered, suddenly not wanting to face the truth.
"This is a nexus. When you and Dawn entered this cave, it was giving you what you wanted – what you needed. They were all the answers to questions, comfort and maybe even a reason to carry on. It's different for almost everyone. Dawn has gone off to be with Joyce and Spike was just recently sent to the past to have questions answered by his mother Ann. Though because you and the girl entered together made us come to us in this fashion. Do you have anything to ask me?"
"I you would have had another choice... would you have stayed"
Darla smiled and took her son by the arm, leading him off in the opposite direction that Joyce Summers had taken Dawn.
"I would have stayed and raised you. I know that I was a vampire and I know of the atrocities that I committed, but you were my baby. I had been given a gift to should never have come to me in the first place. As a vampire, it was so against the laws of natural balance. At first I was frightened – your soul forced me to see what I had done, but it also showed me love. There were things that I could and could not live with"
"So there was no other way that you could have save yourself?" Connor asked fleetingly.
"No, there wasn't. If there had been, I most likely would have killed you – having no soul allows you to do things like that without feeling pain or grief. But I knew that Angel would love you... I'm just sorry the two of you never got the time together that I would have hoped for"
"But..."
"You'll see" Darla grinned. "You have a bright future before you; don't let that go to waste. Your father maybe a vampire, but he does love you. Will you try for me?"
"I...I'll try"
"Good boy"
Darla kissed him on the cheek and chocked her head to one side.
"Well I think the Summers's women are finished their happy little get together. I wish this could have been longer, but the both of you are needed. Go now and do good things where I couldn't"
"Bye"
"Whoa" Dawn gasped as she and Connor materialized right outside the cavern.
"I agree... so what was your mother like?"
"She was the same as before. Gentle, graceful, loving... I'm glad I got to see her – this one last time"
"I just got to meet my mother"
"What was she like?"
"Well," Connor started. "We didn't get very long with them, but I could sense grace and charisma. Also an undying sadness – she feels pain now for what she had done. All for the best when it was horror you did with your time upon the Earth. But I am also glad that I got to meet her too"
Dawn smirked and playfully punched his arm.
"You know what? You're a fun guy to be around when you show a bit of emotion"
"Emotion? It gets in the way. I like to show what I feel. Thank you"
And then he leaned forward and kissed her.
"So this is it?" Spike asked as they stood before a gigantic entrance carved out of stone.
"Yes" Roho sighed. "It is the door from my dreams"
"Are you going to come with me?"
"I cannot. This is your destiny... I'll only say one thing more. Be careful my friend and make the right choice when you have to"
"I will"
Spike handed the teen the books he had received from his mother and then pulled the boy into a tight hug. He hadn't known Roho very long, but the boy had become his friend, even if he just might have been leading Spike to his own demise.
Without waiting for a reply, Spike entered the cavern. It wasn't like when he had gone to see his mother. No, it was just a normal cave and then at the same time, so much more then that. The cave sprang to life with a thousand torches decorating the room. At it center on a stone dais sat the Stone of Blood. It was one awfully large ruby that would have made the greediest man's mouth water, but it was this stone that kept him from the woman he loved.
Walking forward he followed the path up to the dais and stood gazing down at the glimmering jewel. Within its heart held the lives of ever vampire, the key that the Shadow Men had used to curse the Vapiris and to make the Slayers from the strength and spirit of a demon.
End it – break the curse
Free us
Their voices seemed to drift up and out of the ruby – they were calling to him.
Pick up the jewel
Smash it
End the curse
Free us
Spike reached forward and grasped the jewel in one hand. Suddenly he was hit from all direction in a throws of pain that caused him to cry out in agony. There were flashes of light dancing before his eyes. There voices grew loader, more intense.
Make the right choice
Choose the right path
Follow your heart
Be one with us – be one with the Vapiris
See the future!
So how was that? I defiantly hope you liked it. It chose to let Connor and Dawn see their mothers too in order the release some motive. I also answered the wishes of hopefuls that wanted those two to get together – so don't be disappointed. The next chapter will be broken down into four different possible futures and Spike must choose one. So now I ask you all one question: Should I try and do all the possible futures into one long chapter or into four individual shorter chapters to keep you hanging on for more? R&R. Well Anyway. Later!