A/N : Thanx to; Onion Petal, kori hime, Slayergirl1212, Spuffyfan4eva, spikeswife1, Freezyboncoolipants, La Diosa, theoneandonlygurl, Screeching Dragon, Steph, wicked-angel3, kargrif, B/S Rox, Lady Savage, Cady Monroe, Shania Maxwell, pixiecorn, Arisluv, libraflyter, Bridge, ProphecyGirl-vv, Brittany, Lucky-112, Maria, rubi-elektra, MaidenRo, MikiBaby, Moluvsnumber17, Spikes Bint, for all the awesome reviews. I love all the ideas you have, I hope my own do not disappoint. Yes, the likelihood is there will be a sequel, partially because I'm having good ideas for a second fic and also because I think you fans deserve it. For now though, here's the new chapter of this...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 28
"We have just two days before Adam's plan takes effect and we still have no idea how to defeat him" Giles sighed, cleaning his glasses for the umpteenth time.
"Don't sweat it, man" Faith told him, absently flicking the pages of a book she really didn't understand, "You guys always deliver in the end, we can handle, right?"
"Of course we can" Willow surprised herself by agreeing with the brunette, but she knew they would figure this out eventually, they just had to.
Anya and Tara had long since gone home to rest, but the core Scoobies and the Rogue Slayer worked through the night and day, knowing they could not let the Initiative's hybrid beast wreak the havoc he intended. It was bad enough that the soldiers of the government-run organisation would mostly perish, or be re-built as semi monsters, but it was worse when one imagined the terror and destruction a whole army of Adam-like creatures could inflict upon the town, the country, or even the world.
"This is ridiculous" Giles suddenly slammed shut the book he was reading, "There is no end to the resources we have, and yet we still have no clue how to defeat Adam with them!" he complained, removing his glasses and polishing the lenses furiously yet again.
"It's going to have to be magic, I guess" Willow said nervously, "I mean, if his power core is so far inside him, there's no way to get it out or destroy it without a spell, right?" she tried, "Maybe there's a power-core extracting spell somewhere?"
The gang gave the witch looks of disbelief and she sighed, admitting she was being stupid but really not knowing what else to suggest.
"Perhaps a paralysing spell" Giles said suddenly a thought springing to mind as he re-opened the book he'd previously been reading and found the correct page, "Oh, the problem is that I can't perform the incantation for this" he admitted with annoyance. He passed the book over to Willow and Xander and the boy frowned.
"What is this language?" he asked, looking over at the unfamiliar characters.
"Sumerian, I think" his friend told him, looking to Giles who nodded she was correct. "That's not the problem though" he told them "Only an experienced witch can incant it, and you'd have to be within striking distance of this object"
"So no problem" Faith finally spoke up after a long bout of uncharacteristic silence "All we need is a combo Slayer - my strength, Giles' multi-lingual know how, and Willow's witchy power" she joked.
Giles looked at her strangely and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I know" she sighed "don't tell me, jokes not wanted right now, huh?"
"No, that's not what I was going to say at all" he shook his head, "Faith, I do believe you may have just had a splendid idea"
An hour later...
"Even if we could pull this off, we still have to get into the Initiative?" Willow pointed out, when Giles had finished explaining his plan "I mean, they have security and stuff right?"
"I don't think we'll be getting in the conventional way" the Watcher shook his head, "but at least we know the location of an entrance from when Buffy visited"
"Seems a little breaking and entering is called for" Faith smiled, "and that I can definitely help you with"
- - - - - - -
Buffy was half asleep in the bedroom when the sound of music hit her. It wasn't very loud but enough that she could make out it was something in the realms of rock. She smiled as she pulled herself up to sitting position, preparing to get off the bed. At the equivalent of eight and a half months pregnant now, a feat she'd managed in five and a bit, it was far less easy to get up and down from chairs or the bed. Still, it'd all be over soon, and that worried Buffy more than she would've liked.
Being pregnant had it's upsides, Spike was so attentive and helpful and she had an excuse to let him be closer to her, which she was finding she more than just liked. Once the baby came they'd have to go back to Sunnydale, they couldn't hide out forever, and things would be different then.
With a sigh the Slayer pulled herself to her feet and headed for the door, the pounding rhythm of Queen's Another One Bites The Dust getting a little louder as she entered the living room. Kinda ironic for a vampire to like that particular song, she thought.
Spike was in the kitchen with his back to her, seemingly preparing lunch and bobbing along to the music at the same time, occasionally stopping to play air guitar. Buffy stood there for a couple of minutes just watching him and trying not to laugh. The supposed Big Bad of Sunnydale had changed so much over the last few months, and it really had been months that she and Spike had been in Santa Monica. Truth was in a lot of ways it didn't seem half that long, and Buffy found she wished they had more time together like this, but when her pregnancy was finally over in less than two weeks time she would have no real excuse to stay away from the Hellmouth.
As the song on the radio came to a huge crescendo of an end, Buffy could no longer keep quiet and started to applaud the vampire's performance. Spike turned round so suddenly he almost knocked himself over. He'd really had no idea she was standing there, it was hard to tell when they lived in such close quarters anyway. To be able to tell whether she was in the bedroom, the bathroom, or the living room by vamp sense alone was impossible.
As was Spike's way, he attempted to cover his embarrassment with bravado and petty insults.
"Enjoy the show did we, luv?" he asked with a smirk, as she walked over to him "I mean, if you're such a fan of watching blokes shake their asses there are clubs you can go to y'know"
"Eew, Spike" the Slayer swatted him across the arm as she reached his side, "Do you have to make everything sound so gross" she complained, "and what was that music, if you can even call it that"
"That, little girl, was a classic" he told her pointing a finger at her sternly, "You want to talk about rubbish music you look in todays charts, all that so-called bloody pop music, it's a load of kids making a lot of noise"
"Y'know most of the time" Buffy told him, stealing a piece of the tomato he was slicing, "I forget that you're not just one of us ordinary people, and then you say this kind of stuff and I remember you're majorly old"
"Cheeky cow" he shot back, though he smiled when he said it, flicking her across the backside with the tea towel as he walked past to the stereo and turned the dials "This more to your taste then, perhaps?" he asked her, referring to the melody flowing from the speakers. Buffy knew it was familiar and a song she liked but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was.
"Yeah" she nodded, "I like this better" she absently swayed to the music and Spike walked back over to her and reached for her hand, lifting her arm over her head and turning her around. She giggled as she came to face him again and he awkwardly got them into the correct position to waltz her into the living room. It was times like this when she wondered why she couldn't just admit how she really felt about him, and also how they could be the same people that wanted each other dead just a few months ago.
- - - - - - -
"This is it" Giles told Faith, as they plus Willow and Xander arrived in the room in Lowell House. Before them was a glass door to what seemed to be a closet but was in fact the entrance to the elevator shaft leading down to the Initiative.
The Slayer nodded once and signalled for the gang to get back as she delivered a spinning kick to the glass.
"Great, seven years of bad luck" Xander mumbled as they started to rig up the ropes and pulleys to get themselves down to Commando Central below.
"S'not like I have the best luck right now anyway" the Slayer told him as she clipped the line to the harness she wore and prepared to go over the edge of the drop and climb down the elevator shaft.
Soon they were all abseiling down the wall together and Xander looked across at Willow.
"You okay, Will?" he checked and she smiled nervously.
"Sure, no problem" she lied, "I mean, hey, why did I bother with stairs all this time" she laughed slightly, before making the mistake of glancing down and swallowing hard.
"Kinda scary, huh?" he agreed, not daring to look in a southern direction.
"Not as bad as it's gonna be when we get down there" Willow shook her head, "I know it's awful" she whispered, "and I know Faith has been helping and doing good stuff but...I just keep wishing Buffy was here"
"I know" her friend nodded as they came to the bottom of the shaft and joined Faith in unhooking their ropes, Giles was still just a few feet up, "but y'know if she was here, I don't think the whole abseily, demon-fighty adventure would be too easy for her, what with the whole pregnant thing and all"
"I hear from Giles us Slayers pop the kids out faster than the average" Faith commented, "I guess it can't be long now right? Then she can come home, play Head Slayer again?"
Xander and Willow shared a look and were both glad that Giles arrival at ground level prevented them from having to answer. When Buffy came back they wouldn't have much need for the extra Slayer, and then where would she go? As crazy as it was, as much as they used to hate her and rightly so, it seemed so cruel to tell her to get lost after all that had happened.
"Now" Giles called their attention to him, "If those plans we found are correct, it is likely that Adam is somewhere in or around Room 314" he reminded them, "Once we're there it's a case of doing the spell and hoping all goes to plan"
"What are we waiting for?" Faith shrugged, picking up the crowbar and straining until the doors opened. Thankfully no-one had realised they were breaking and entering but then that wasn't much of a surprise when they all climbed out of the elevator into the Initiative building.
"What's going on?" Xander wanted to know as red lights flashed in the dark.
"Some sort of emergency, an alert" Giles assumed as Willow ran for the nearest computer and checked the screens.
"It must be Adam" she called to the gang who rushed over to see, "All the locks of the containment cells have been disengaged...he's started his war Giles" she said, more than a little panicked.
"And we're gonna finish it" Faith said confidently as she made for the door, "Let's go!"
Demons and soldiers fought at every turn and the gang were forced to fend off various attacks on their journey through the winding corridors towards Professor Walsh's old secret lab. Once there it wasn't hard to notice the door that led into Adam's own hide-away.
"Once I'm in, barricade the door behind me" Faith told the gang, reaching to open the door, "This place okay to be Mojo Central?" she checked before she went it.
"As long as we don't get blowed up or nothin'" Willow nodded, a nervous smile stuck to her face.
"How long before the ritual kicks in?" Faith needed to know as Giles began unpacking herbs, candles and cards, whilst Xander and Willow moved a heavy shelving unit in front of the entrance they'd come in through.
"Five minutes, give or take" the Watcher called over the noise beyond the door and the Slayer nodded as she opened up the door.
"Looks like this is it!"
As Faith disappeared into the room, Xander and Willow pushed the door closed and moved the other shelving unit in front of it.
"You think she'll be okay in there alone?" Xander asked, surprising himself by being a little worried about the Rogue Slayer.
"She won't be alone" Giles pointed out as he gestured for the pair to come and sit on the ground with him, around the ingredients and candles he'd set up. He handed the spell book to Willow and lit the candles as they all sat there cross legged preparing themselves for what was about to happen.
"You guys ready?" the witch checked and when she received twin nods she began to chant "The power of the Slayer and all who yield it. Last to ancient first, we invoke thee. Grant us thy domain and primal strength. Accept us in the power we possess. Make us mind and heart and spirit joined. Let the hand encompass us. Do thy will"
Beyond the door Faith advanced on Adam who currently had his back to her, still he knew she was there.
"I was sure you would come" he grinned in a frightening manner as he turned around.
"Then you're not disappointed" the Slayer said nonchalantly, taking up a battle stance, "Come on, guys" she whispered to herself as it looked as though Adam was about to attack.
The gang had almost completed their spell and Willow held four cards in her hands.
"Spiritus...Spirit" she said, placing a tarot-like card down in front of herself. She handed a card to Xander who did the same thing.
"Animus...Heart"
Giles followed suit with another card that the witch passed to him.
"Sophus...Mind" he said, laying it down.
Taking a deep breath Willow laid the final card and she uttered the words;
"And Manus...the hand"
- - - - - - -
"I think I could stay here forever" Buffy sighed, her head resting on Spike's chest as they continued to sway to the music that came from the stereo. Two songs had come and gone and still they hadn't moved from each others arms. Spike didn't care so much, he loved any opportunity to be close to her and the fact she seemed so perfectly comfortable made him feel even better.
"Forever's a long time" he smiled, "but I know what you mean, pet"
The song ended and a third one came on, clearly Spike had inadvertently picked a whole station of non-stop love songs as Elvis' voice filled the room singing I Can't Help Falling In Love With You.
Buffy couldn't take much more of this. She'd known for a while now that her feelings for Spike ran deeper than maybe they should. These past two weeks, being so comfortable around him only proved to her how great things could be between them, if she would only dare to take a chance. The song was right, she'd tried to play it sensibly, but she really was falling hard for him and it wasn't fair to hide anymore.
"Spike" her voice came out much more quietly than she meant it to as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She should have down this sooner and not been so worried, what exactly was she afraid of anyway?
"Somethin' wrong?" he asked her when he saw the look on her face and she shook her head slightly.
"Not wrong" she promised him, "I just...tell me again, how you feel about me" she asked him and though he wasn't sure why she wanted to be told when she was usually so weird about it, he told her precisely what she meant to him.
"I love you" he declared, "you know that, I love everything about you, everything you are and everything I know you can be" he explained, "I want to fight the good fight at your side, I want us to raise this child together and be happy...I just want to be allowed to love you" he ended even more softly than he'd begun and Buffy swallowed hard.
"Why did you ask?" he said uncertainly, trying to search her face for an answer but she glanced away. When she finally looked back up at him she was smiling.
"Because I'm starting to think that..." she frowned, "that I..." she couldn't say anymore as a pain shot through her body, from her head to her feet and she staggered back.
Vaguely she heard Spike call her name as the room faded out and her surroundings spun. Pictures flashed madly behind her eyes that she shut tight. Pictures, images; the First Slayer, herself, Faith, her friends...and a monster that wanted to kill them all.
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : I think I should admit that some of this was stolen straight out of the episode Primeval! Still, I hope you liked the chapter :-)