A Man's Worth
Chapter 12
A/N: It's been a while since I wrote something. This is an idea I had crawling in the back of my head. I know the show is over but I really despised the way season 6 ended and I can't conceive the idea of Spike having a soul in season 7. This story takes place around the chapter named "Seeing Red", but I refuse to acknowledge the fact that Spike tried to rape Buffy.
WARNING: This is not a happy fic. For those of you expecting something joyous, stay away from this story. You've been warned.
DISCLAIMER: You all know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing this show.
FEEDBACK: As you wish
A Soul and a DreamHe didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed.
It was beautiful, though.
Sparkles of electricity running through, the purple colored diamond stood frozen in the middle of the air.
Spike stared at it. His eyes fixed on the beautiful jewel suspended a few feet away from him.
He smirked and spat a mouthful of blood aside.
"It's on."
"I said I don't know!" Buffy almost shouted. Angel shook his head and held her arm.
"Please, Buffy, try to understand." He almost pleaded.
"Understand what?" She sighed exasperated.
"Oh, you'll have to forgive me, then." He said as sarcastically as he could. "Excuse me if I'm slightly upset because you're channeling your inner Spike."
"Huh!" She said.
"Don't tell me no one has noticed before." Angel said, trying his best to remain calm.
"Notice what?"
Angel sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
"How you express yourself lately?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, frowning.
"Listen to how you speak." Angel huffed.
"What!" Buffy almost screamed.
"You know what I mean."
"What do you want from me, Angel!"
"Just an explanation."
"I don't have one!"
"Yes, you do!"
"How could you know!"
"I know you, Buffy!"
"You don't know me at all." She coldly said, "I'm not the same girl you left years ago."
She turned around and left Angel's office. The vampire was stunned speechless and he didn't know what had happened to the girl he loved.
The slayer, however, had but only one thought in her mind.
Bloody stupid vampire.
The first attempt failed miserably.
Painfully.
Spike's hand smoked from the shock the orb had unleashed. The enchanted item didn't need any vampires guarding it. It could very well defend itself.
A very bad thing, since the orb was placed perfectly within anyone's reach. Wide open for the whole world to take and attain that which Spike was striving for.
The knowledge and the power.
He stretched a bit more and took out of his pocket the thing he had taken away from the slayer. The ring she wore on her left hand. He played with the silver band which had no inscriptions or fine jewelry in it, but beautiful still the same.
Just like her.
Spike looked up and saw it was already daylight. He sighed and smiled.
It was the last day he'd ever see.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked. She'd sensed Angel as soon as he stepped out of the hotel and approached the fountain. Lounging alone in the yard, the slayer had been debating what to do. She'd wanted to leave the hotel, leave town, or even better, leave the state and ignore that vampire's remarks.
Or what those words meant.
"We need to talk." Angel said, standing behind Buffy's back.
"There's nothing to talk about here, Angel." She said. Angel sighed and nodded.
"We do." Angel muttered. "More than you'll ever know."
It was then or never.
Spike cracked his knuckles and sighed one last time. The shocks that the diamond gave him were rattling his bones and had spiked his hair. However, he knew there was no other way.
Not one.
He looked once again to the light that filtered from the open door up the stairs.
Angel had been right.
She deserved so much more, and this time he could give it to her. Spike went for the diamond again. The moment his fingers touched the stone, the lightning crawled up his arms and shook his entire body. Spasms of pain and sudden contractions assaulted his body and he felt his knees go weak. His muscles began aching as he made one last push.
The energy field pulsed slightly and exploded in a blinding flash. As soon as the light receded, a smoked vampire stood, holding in his hands the prized diamond.
He smiled and a maniacal laughter erupted from his lips.
Then nothing.
Spike stared at the diamond and began shaking it. He frowned when time passed and the diamond had not reacted at all. Tense minutes went by and the vampire slowly began to lose his patience.
"Bloody hell." He whispered. Spike shook his head and was about to throw the diamond away when a second flash of light shone before his eyes.
"We thought you'd never speak." A thunderous voice boomed all through the basement.
"What the…?" Spike looked around, trying to find who had spoken.
"You came here seeking something." The voice spoke again, bouncing around the walls "A prize. Knowledge. A reward. A trade." Spike almost jumped but kept his cool.
"Uh, yeah, a prize." He answered. "Somethin' 'bout a wish."
"'Tis not a wish." The voice thundered, "'Tis a trade."
"Yeah." Spike said, "A trade, whatever, let's do it."
"The exchange was not meant for you, vampire." The voice noted. "We were waiting for the vampire with a soul."
Spike cursed under his breath.
"The vampire wit' a soul was busy. I'm all you've got."
A cold, harsh laugh boomed.
"You fail to understand. This task was not for you to fulfill."
Spike cursed again, this time loud and clear.
"So leave, vampire, you have nothing of our interest."
The light shone once again and Spike understood he was losing his one and only chance.
"There must be somethin' you can get from me!" He shouted. The light flickered, lingered for a moment, but vanished, leaving the vampire standing alone in the midst of the dust.
"Dammit." He whispered. He felt betrayed and for a strange reason, he felt the need to throw up. He paced around, finally realizing he'd thrown everything away. He had nothing left. He couldn't go back to Sunnydale. He knew if Buffy or Angel ever saw him again there'd be a dusty ending.
His mind raced a mile a minute, looking for any other chance or any way out of his predicament. He remembered the purple diamond and sought it. Maybe if he had the rock he could do something with it. He traced the floor until he found the diamond he had so carelessly discarded. He was about to pick it up when the voice returned.
"The diamond is not what you need." The voice said. Spike chuckled and picked it up.
"Somehow I'm not that convinced." Spike inspected the diamond, looking for inscriptions or something that could help him.
"The diamond is not what you need." The voice repeated, "It has no meaning whatsoever. We are what you seek."
"Who are those 'we' you keep referrin' to?" Spike asked.
"We are of no concern to you, vampire, as the diamond is of no concern to us." Spike sighed and shook his head.
"I knew you'd seek a soul." Spike began. "I 'ave none. I want none. But there must be somethin' else you may take from me."
"What could you have, vampire, that could be of interest to us?" The voice asked. Spike took a deep breath and lifted his eyes, staring at where the bright light had been.
"Somethin' worth what I want."
The voice once again laughed and the light shone, a different color.
"You presume too much, vampire, you seek an impossible wish."
Spike's eyes shone with deadly intent.
"You must 'ave read my mind, then. You know what I want. Can you do it?"
"Of course we can, vampire. We can do everything." The light pulsated as every word was enunciated.
"We can trade, then." Spike said. "Take whatever you may want from me."
It was then time for the booming voice to remain quiet. Spike counted the seconds it took the voice to answer.
"There may be something. In you."
A scream pierced the ambience of peace that covered the Hyperion.
Deafening sounds and blinding light embraced Angel as he walked towards Buffy. The souled vampire screamed but his voice was lost in the midst of the noise, which kept towering until everybody had to cover their ears inside the hotel.
As soon as the light and the noise died, Angel fell to his knees, panting. Buffy slowly opened her eyes, and noticed the vampire kneeling a few steps away from her. She took a step towards him when everybody rushed to them. Voices soon appeared asking what had happened and if everybody was all right.
Buffy heard none, for she was focused on the slightly dazed vampire on the floor. There was something strange upon Angel, no longer feeling him the way she could feel every vampire.
Angel was still panting, but then his eyes shot up, locking instantly with Buffy's. The slayer noticed the frightened look in Angel's eyes, a look that was reflected in her eyes.
"Angel?" She asked. The vampire kept his eyes on hers, and she noticed he was shaking.
"Something's wrong." He said. Buffy rushed to his side and kneeled before him. She placed her hands in his face but immediately removed them. The action shocked those who were around and they sought an explanation in the slayer's eyes.
"Oh God."
They all turned back to Angel when he uttered those words. Buffy turned her face away from him, not knowing what to think.
"Oh God." Angel repeated. "My heart's beating."
"The trade is done." The voice thundered around. "Now we'll take what we want."
Spike frowned.
"Tha's it?" He asked.
"We fulfilled our part." The voice repeated. " A trade. We gave you what you wanted. Now we will take what we want."
The voice did not give Spike a chance to react, for an invisible force got hold of the vampire's body. He was suddenly lifted off his feet and felt an increasing pressure crush him down.
"Could you at least tell me what 'appened?" Spike asked, his voice strained because of the pressure on his chest. "Jus' in case you got it wrong."
A thunder shook the basement.
"What you sought." The voice said. "We made him what you wanted him to be. What she deserves."
Spike smiled. He had gotten it right.
"He has become something more." The voice mentioned. "We gave him what you wanted. We made him whole, so he could be what she deserved."
The words made a cold shiver run all through Spike's body.
"To make him what she deserves?" He asked, the pain in his body forgotten.
"A partner." The voice said. "Someone who could fight with her. Someone who'll stand next to her."
An equal.
Spike closed his eyes and welcomed the pain. He silently thanked God for not completely forgetting a creature such as him.
"It's time." The voice said.
Spike sighed and opened his eyes. He stared at the only window in the old basement. The sun was high and it seemed it'd be a beautiful day.
With a fierce effort, he sought the silver ring in his pocket. He slowly placed it in his left hand.
Spike sighed again and felt tears welling in his eyes. He'd done it. He'd won.
He'd given her away, and she would never know.
The most bittersweet moment of his long life.
He felt the pressure increase dramatically. Pain tore through his body and he felt some ribs crack. He clenched his teeth, trying not to scream. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"We gave him life." The voice finally said. "So we will take yours in return."
Thunder cracked and light erupted from the diamond Spike still held in his hand. A burning sensation began at the tip of his fingers, traveling upward his arm. He knew what came next, there were not so many ways a vampire could be killed.
His head began to feel heavy, and he couldn't focus on anything at all, only the hope of her being happy. Of her regaining what she had lost so long ago. Hopes of her being with the love of her life.
"I love you." He whispered, pain lacing his body, an unseen fire burning him.
But it was ok. She was finally happy.
I love you, Buffy, I will miss you so much.
So, Spike, the soulless monster, the evil thing that couldn't love, the scourge of Europe, gave everything for a love that was not meant to be his.
A dream turned into dust.
And William the Bloody died the same way he lived his whole existence.
Alone.
End of Chapter.