Part 13 Road to Victory

"It's almost magic how a house full of people can vanish when the kitchen needs to be cleaned. If we put the dishes off until after we subdue the source of all evil and correct an age old fault in the Slayer line; the counter will be stained and we might as well toss out the pan." Anya said scrubbing at a spot clearly upset.

"You don't feel left; out do you, darling?" Giles asked knowing it wasn't the dishes that bothered her

"What, because I won't be drinking and getting all powered up with the rest of you?"

"You make it sound like an orgy." Giles complain.

Anya said "Oh, I know it won't be anything nearly as interesting, otherwise I would complain."

"But you are worried." Giles said putting his arms around her.

"Pre-apocalypse jitters that's all."

"I know you better than that, Anya. There's some specific worry mixed in with the general fear of death or dismemberment."

"I'm worried this won't work but I don't feel left out of the fight. I know I'm doing my part" What concerned Anya wasn't herself; she was worried that they might be forcing people into roles they weren't meant to have. Andrew a Watcher? The annoying boy had been kicked out of one room after the other last night. Anya wasn't sure if he wanted comfort, sex or both but he ended up playing scrabble with Xander and Clem. And Willow was a witch, not a Slayer, It couldn't be helped though, they were all doing what they had to and it did right an injustice. Rupert knew all this so she just said honestly. "As for power, there is plenty of power in who I am now and in what I'm becoming."

"You won't get any argument from me, dearest. I think you grow stronger and more beautiful every day. God don't cry." Giles held her tighter.

"Well it's not fair of you to say something like that. I've got hormones and besides, what am I going to say to you? Me too, lacks something and you'll just think I'm being polite."

"Is that it then?" Giles asked rubbing the bump of her belly.

"No, well, maybe." She tried to find the words to explain that she finally felt real to herself. She wasn't acting out a script written by some one else anymore and everyone deserved that. "We're not forcing them to be what they can't or shouldn't be - are we? What if we're just making it worse?"

"Ah, I've been thinking about this too." Giles knew exactly how it felt after all to be forced into a mold that didn't fit. It wasn't what he wanted for these children they were his as much as the one inside Anya's womb. "Everyone has made as informed a decision as possible. We just have trust. What else can we do?"

"I suppose I'm ready as I'll ever be." Anya said putting the last pan away.

"Anya, watch and promise me if things do go wrong. Go to the coven. They may be able to you both safe."

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Giles took vessel filled with herbed wine from Anya and was the first to drink. He handed to his Slayer. Buffy took swallow and made a face then handed it to Spike who took it with shaking hands. When the former Slayer of Slayers sent him a questioning look Giles simply nodded and the Vampire took his share.

It went on around the circle there was a change in each person as they drank. It wasn't a glow-y eyes or black vein-y changed. It was like they changed clothes or maybe put on amour. The Scoobies, Faith, Wes, Ahn Cho, Vi and Amanda, even Andrew looked more sure of themselves. It was more than confidence though; they were more themselves, more real. When Anya saw that she felt much better. The odds that they would all survive might just have improved.

"So we paint after, right? Has Anya picked out the paint for the nursery?" Spike asked Giles casually as he took a sword from Buffy.

"A pleasant shade light of green with yellow trim. You didn't think you could catch me this way did you? I know all about the baby pool I saw Andrew's chart."

"Worth a shot, I'm going with a girl. I think you're as doomed as I am. Speaking of, do you have that sparkler love?"

"Don't say that, you are not ... What you just said, Willow going to fix it." Buffy said smacking Spikes arm and looking like she wanted to cling to it at the same time.

"What's that supposed to mean? I think that a little girl would be would be wonderful, just like her mother." Giles protested at the same time Buffy spoke.

"The pair of us are doomed to be wrapped round tiny fingers. And you'll be twisted around the tiniest."

"Maybe but I'm still not telling you if it's a girl."

"Not even to add to our nest egg?" Buffy asked coyly.

"That's not fair!" Giles said.

"See what I mean mate?"

"Doomed." All three said at once.

"All right," Buffy said "time we split up"

Buffy and Spike would fight beside Violet and Ahn Cho on the front line. Vi had surprised everyone and became the best of the inexperienced Slayers. Ahn Cho was also a very good fighter but she was on the 'A' team because Spike had finally admitted he could speak Mandarin.

Faith, Wes, Xan and Amanda would have their backs. They were to make sure that no demon got past them. While Willow, Giles, Dawn and Andrew were the key to the battle they would work the spell needed to redirect and focus the amulet's power.

The objective was to keep the turok-han and whatever else the Hellmouth belches out contained while team C does their job. The fighters were greatly out numbered turok-han and 'bringers poured out of the Hellmouth.

Buffy and Spike had always fought well together. Now they were fought as one, there were no quips, no unnecessary movement. It was a study in economy and grace drawn in blood. They didn't even pause to make sure they made the kill. They did their best and trusted if that wasn't enough that Faith's team do the cleanup.

When Spike realized that the demons who could see the amulet were trying to avoid killing him he took off his shirt. This might have seemed like spoiling his own fun but considering the odds and what was at stake he took the advantage. He continued to give his all in the fight.

At one point in the battle things got turned around and Spike and Buffy were backing up Xander and Wes. Faith had gotten hurt. It was hard to tell how badly. Ahn Cho almost lost her head to a demon with an ax but Xan had at the last instant called out the word he had heard Spike use that he assumed was 'duck' or 'look out'. Whatever it was it worked.

Even Anya magically observing at home with Clem couldn't say for sure how long the intense battle was. Just when everyone was beginning to tire Spike started to feel warm. It started as only a small pinprick at the top of his head. The light seemed to seer into his very core and spread outward.

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Dawn was anxiously looking out the back of the school bus for her sister and she admitted to herself, Spike. Illogically she thought to herself that if the vampire dusted himself saving the world before she could forgive him she'd never forgive him for it. She tried to distract herself by taking stock of those present. She had some small already healing cuts from a skirmish with a bringer but was otherwise unharmed like the rest of her team. Willow's hair had gone completely white but it wasn't really that bad a look. Giles had changed in some way but Dawn couldn't put her finger on it. Did he just look less stressed? Faith was hurt but it didn't look too bad. Wesley was dressing the wound and it looked like some serious flirting was going on. "Do you think we should send somebody after them?" Dawn asked not able to keep quiet anymore.

"There's no sense in going back. If they aren't already..." Xander was interrupted twin thumps on the roof of the bus.

"Look dad, no blanket." Spike said to Giles as he burst thought the door holding Buffy's hand. "Seems like the preacher got it all wrong; I'm no Samson, this lad's Daniel."

"Daniel? Did I miss some lions?" Buffy asked in confusion.