Author's Note: So, you've read Dawn's p.o.v, and you just finished Anya's. How about we read Spike's?
Crooked Thorns: Spike
They always remind him of a crooked thorns, stakes did. He knows it's not the best comparison he could use, but he's being awfully poetic. The key word there would have to be the "awfully" part.
He can spy that demon, Doc, climbing the tower, and he has no doubt that his attention is to cut Dawn and open the portal.
He throws the last minion away and sprints up the tower, his destination Dawn, because he promised, because he told Buffy he'd protect her. And he plans on it.
He reaches Doc and isn't in the mood for small talk, sending a hard punch to the demon's face, watching as he barely moves an inch.
Bloody hell, he thinks for a moment, moving on the defensive and ducking Doc's attacks.
He's shoved onto the floor and attempts to blink away the light spots that form in his sight. He's a strong demon, even if he looks like an old man, Doc. But that isn't going to make Spike give up. Now, he might even work harder.
"Please don't…" He can hear Dawn plead as Doc moves her way; raises the knife to cut her.
He'll be damned if she's used to end the world. He pushes himself to his feet, growling, and uses all his adrenaline to side tackle the demon. All his force serves to do as he intended, sending them both flying over the edge of the platform, the knife flipping in the air and landing with a clang as they fall through the sky.
"No!" Dawn's scream echoes behind them as they crash to the ground.
Doc immediately bucks him off. "You ruined everything, vampire. Why do you even care? I can't smell a soul anywhere on you." Doc says, brushing his clothes off, standing.
"Yeah, well, I don't think it actually matters. Do you?" he stumbles to his feet also, looking worse for wear.
There's a sizzling type of noise and they both look up as the portal opens. A light blue and purple fills the sky and white energy crackles around it.
"Dawn."
"Looks like she made a boo boo." Doc says with a smirk.
He immediately desires to wipe it off. He punches Doc. They're fighting, slamming each other into rubble. Just when he thinks he's won, he's watching as Dawn flies over the tower and plunges, shock and horror perfectly blending on his face. He's hit from behind.
I failed.
Everything seems to be in slow motion as Doc slams him into a pillar. Buffy's pausing as she beats up Glory to look him in the eyes. Spike-
Doc's makeshift stake is heading straight towards his heart.
I love you, he hopes his eyes say. I'm so sorry I failed-
Seconds later, he disintegrates. He was right a bit. Stakes do look like crooked thorns. Especially up close and personal.
