I Own none of these character, cept one. hes mine. the rest aren't. god bless you joss whedon. sorry it took a long time to get this chapter up, but i found it hard to write. couldn't get started, then i could't finnish. but its up now, and i'm gonna try and get the next one up in a couple of days, if not two more up. :) peace out.

Chapter Six: Life Is A Funny Thing...

Lindsey shuddered at that word.

Father.

He had hidden the fact that he was the son of Draven for years.

"Why are you here?" He asked, almost tearful.

"Because, Lindsey m'boy, I'm taking back the world, and I've got big plans for you," Draven replied.

"Is this because of you?" Lindsey asked, pointing towards his cracking flesh.

"Of course it is. You didn't think I'd let my son go out like that did you? No, no, no, no. You're destined for something greater. I'm giving you the chance to end you life properly. I need you to do me a favour. I need you to kill a vampire..."

"What makes you so sure it's him?" Spike had been shouting this question over and over, ever since he heard The Immortal say that Angel had to face three tasks.

"Because, William, your fate is separate from his. Trust me in this. I am as old as mankind, and I know the destinies to come," the Immortal explained.

"Balls," Spike retorted. "You didn't know this was coming, this apocalypse. Even you said that. You said you thought humanity was safe." Spike put on a bad version of the Immortals voice. it made Angel smile from across the room.

"The apocalypse is an event William, not a destiny. I don't know events to come. I find them out the same as every one else."

Spike smirked. "Yeah, well...your hair looks stupid!"

Everyone turned to Spike. "Oh cummon, it's the Apocalypse, I don't get a little credit?"

"Not with a comeback like that you don't," Xander piped in.

Spike scowled, and walked to the weapons cabinet.

Willow was on the phone. "What do you mean, Demon attacks?" she was saying.

"Uh, What do you think I mean?" the other voice replied. It was Kennedy. "I mean that there is a fair in town and it rules. There are demons attacking people in the street over here in Rome. And there's only me, and a hand full of slayers here to deal with it."

"O.K., I'll be there soon. Love you,"

"Love you too Willow," Kennedy paused. "Now get your ass here and sweep me off my feet like in Casablanca."

Willow smiled. "I'll try my best. See you soon." Willow hung up the phone.

"Buffy, Kennedy and the others need my help."

"O.K. Willow. Riley said the Italian operative for the Initiative was called Wilkins. When you get there, pick up a phone a just ask for him. They monitor all the phone lines," Buffy made sure to explain.

Willow nodded. She didn't know why Buffy was telling something she had already heard a million times, but she just nodded.

"I know Buff, you told me like a gazillion times," the witch looked at her friend. "I'll be there in a second. I'll use the spell that Giles taught me."

Giles had used the spell two years prior, when Willow was out of control. He had instantly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to confront her. Now a days Willow was far more in control of her powers, and Giles had taught her the spell while she was in England recuperating. She hadn't dared used it yet. Only when Buffy had asked her to use it to teleport all of the gang over to L.A. to help in the fight had Willow attempted it. It had worked with her teleporting herself, The Immortal and Buffy to meet Giles and Xander just outside the city, so performing the spell on her own would be easy.

The witch hugged her friend, waved to Xander, and with a quiet incantation was gone.

Xander was working on fixing the lobby when Willow transported.

With friends like Buffy it was obvious that he was going to be a carpenter. Someone had to fix the things that she destroyed.

Xander sighed. It was times like this he was glad that Anya wasn't around. He never said died. They hadn't found her body, and the thought of her still being around kept Xander going.

It was possible for her to have escaped, but not logical, but when your name is Alexander Harris logic isn't really part of what makes you who you are. If she wasn't here at least she couldn't experience what was coming. Xander may not have been the quickest of the group, but he did have a knack for feeling what was happening around him.

And he could feel this fight was different. He didn't know if it was the fact that the Immortal was visibly shaken by the last attack, or if it was the way it was an Apocalypse and he was wondering if they would survive.

Xander had never had any doubt in all the years before that they would survive. He had joked about death, but never taken it seriously. It was because he was so sure of survial that he joked. But this time there weren't any jokes.

No quick quips. Xander just did as he was told. He didn't want to make light of the fact people had died.

And that he knew more would. Xander sighed again, and turned his attention back to his work.

Connor had been in this shop for about a day.

He had been pinned down by a group of demons who were camped outside.

He didn't like demons.

He liked even less the fact that his dad had told him to go, to leave the fight to him. He didn't consider Angel his father, as such. Even with his old memories and the new ones doing the smooshing thing, he didn't think of the vampire as his father. While it was obvious to Connor that Angel loved him, he couldn't think of him in that way. He felt for him, but not the way a son should.

He wondered now if his parents were ok. His real ones. Well, his fake real ones. His life was just too confusing.

Conner peaked out the window to see if they were still out there. A bottle flying inches in front of his face let him know they were.

"I hate demons," Conner muttered under his breath.

He bent down and picked up a broken piece of glass. It was a piece of the bottle. Connor peaked out once more quickly, and threw the shard. A scream in the background let him know he had done his job. A smile came across the young mans face.

"Although, I do like killing them."

Spike picked up a sword. It had a strange blade. Instead of a straight razor edge, it was curved and indented. It looked like some kind of cutlass, but a screwed up one.

Spike liked it. It reminded him of the world.

The vampire sighed, and walked past Buffy. He caught her scent as he walked by. S

he might have been avoiding him, but Spike still went all light- hearted as he caught her smell. He was who he was now because of her. And she had chosen someone else.

He always knew she would, but he always pretended that she might pick him someday. When he heard of the Shanshu prophecy, it was like his dream had come true.

At first he wasn't going to tell Buffy he was back until he was solid again. Then he heard of the prophecy. He could be real again. But it seemed that Angel was the one the prophecy was about. Lindsey had set him up all along. And now Spike was what he always was; Spike.

A vampire who didn't fit in with either group. No one wanted him there anymore. Not one of them.

Spike sighed and carried on walking for the door.

"Where are you going Spike?" Angel asked without looking up from a book he was reading.

"I'm going out to kill things," the vampire replied, twitching his head like he was flicking back non-existent long hair.

"No you're not," Angel was now looking up, at Spikes back. "I'm going slightly out of town remember? And with Buffy coming with me, and Willow in Rome, I'm gonna need you here."

Spike turned. "Well, bollox. I'll be here later. You got a army of slayers, Faithy girl there, along with tall, dark and hates me," Spike was pointing at Wood. "Not to mention the amazing skills of carpentry boy here!"

Xander looked up. "Hey, what's that meant to mean?"

"It means I don't give a toss about the little group. It's the apocalypse mate. If I'm not here I'm sure it'll be able to find me. It's only the whole world that gets destroyed!" Spike was visibly angry now.

"Spike, this isn't the time to-" Buffy was cut off.

"Why? Its not the time cos you say? Oo, the big powerful slayer doesn't want me voicing my own opinion? Well you know what Buffy? You don't tell me what to do anymore. In fact I have kind of noticed that you don't tell me much of anything any more," Buffy's eyes rolled. "Fine. Role your eyes. Have the freaky sex with the Immortal ponce over there. I don't really care anymore. But don't cut me out of your life and expect me to follow orders!" Spike turned.

"I cut you out of my life?! No Spike, you cut me out of yours, and you can have your little angry fit on your own time, not during the apocalypse," Buffy's voice was breaking, almost wounded.

Spike turned back to her. He knew he was wrong. But he was also angry.

"Fine. I cut you out of my life," Spikes voice was calm. "And I'm doing it again. Don't come near me again. We fight the apocalypse together, and after that we don't see each other again. Cos you might have been able to move on pet, but I can't. I'm who I am cos of you. And I can't take it anymore. It's hard enough when you're not here. But this is killing me." Spike turned once more, and walked out into the streets of L.A.

Faith had been back for only a matter of hours, and she had seen Spike go crazy, heard stories of the ultimate evil and found out it was all due to Angel's son, who she apparently knew.

It wasn't that so much, which shocked her, but the fact she hadn't been attacked yet.

She looked over to Buffy, who was staring at the door Spike had left through seconds prior.

"Hey B, just ignore him. He's a crazy vamp with the jones for you. There's like a whole two of them," She popped a look at Angel as she said it.

Buffy smiled. "It's ok Faith, I just don't wanna deal with him right now. There's more important things going on," Buffy replied.

Faith looked back at Wood. She hadn't thought she could feel this way. She was in love.

She knew how Spike felt, but he had to get over it. This wasn't the time for being emotional retards. It was a time to fight.

Spike hated the streets of L.A., and now the apocalypse was in full swing, he was less enthralled. Some streets were bare; some had hundreds of people looting. Some had police running from hordes of demons. Some streets, the hordes were human.

And to top it all, the woman Spike loved was back in town. And she was with a man he hated almost as much, if not the same, as he disliked Angel. He couldn't get his head around that one.

And now Angel had a son.

That was just barmy.

The fact that a vampire had had a child aside, the fact that technically speaking he was Spike's uncle was really pissing him off. Spike remembered the kid from when he turned up at Wolfram and Hart. He hadn't looked all that powerful. But the end of the world was his doing.

So it seemed anyway. Spike didn't trust the Immortal as far as he could spit, so his explanation of events didn't exactly become the accepted truth for Spike.

He looked around.

Nothing around, but an empty series of shops.

He couldn't smell anything. The scent of Buffy was in his head, and no matter what he couldn't shake it.

A sharp noise reached Spike's ear. It sounded like footsteps on glass.

Spike looked to one shop in particular. The window was smashed. He couldn't smell anything, but Spike knew what he had heard. He walked over toward the window.

As he looked in he saw something move in the shadows. Everything was in the shadows. The apocalypse seemed to have knocked out the L.A. power grid.

"Come out, come out whatever you are..." Spike teased the creature.

In the corner of Spikes eye, he could see a body on the floor. The anger Spike had toward Buffy built up. If he couldn't take it out on her, he'd take it out on this fool.

The vampire jumped at the figure, which had tried to sneak round the vampire.

As Spike threw a punch he saw who it was. Connor.

"You?" he said quietly.

Before Connor could see who his attacker was, his stake had been drawn and had found its target.

"Connor..." Spike managed to mutter, as his hand took the stake. The extra flesh had blocked the stake from hitting his heart.

"Spike?!" Conner managed to blurt out. "Sorry, I thought you were a demon..."

"I am mate," Spike retorted, although the pain in his hand was easy enough to see.

Connor looked up. "Oh no..."

Spike cocked his head. He was now on top of the boy in a way which would have been much more awkward if he had realised how it looked.

Suddenly a ripping pain hit him. Square in the heart.

The final thing Spike could think of was how once he had died saving the world, and now he died in an accident.

He loved Buffy. But she would never know now. Not how much he really loved her. Not the truth. He muttered a final word as his flesh turned to ash.

"Balls."

And Spike was dust.

As Connor looked up he saw a man through the dust, or what was left of a man.

Lindsey.