Chapter Seven
"Don't let them take me, Spike." she suddenly whispered to her lap. If he was anything close to human he would have never heard it.
"What?"
"The Senior Partners. You can't let Angel turn me over to—"
"He's not going to, pet. He already promised he wouldn't." he reassured her, watching helplessly as tears began to form in her eyes.
"It's not safe here. They know I'm here. They already knew Angel would try to hide me. They've been after me since they found out." she continued, making the words a mantra; like she'd said them a hundred times before.
"Found out what?"
"That I can control people. It's a terrible gift and they want it...badly."
"Look, love, maybe Angel could--"
"She told you she loved you. You didn't believe her though." she said suddenly as if the thought had just come to her and she had to get it out. Her eyes locked into Spike's gaze like bolts of steel. Despite the tears that threatened her cheeks, her voice was calm and even as she spoke. Spike leaned back slightly, shocked at the change in conversation.
"Your hands were warm. She remembers thinking that it was like touching something that had been sitting out in the sun too long." she explained, eyes digging into Spike's and refusing to let go.
"Why are you—?"
"She remembers crying for you, dreaming about your death for weeks," Angela's gaze drifted to the floor for a moment. It was a thoughtful gesture. "She still does."
Spike stood up suddenly, backing away as best he could. The limp made him stumble, but he managed to grip a near bye chair to stay upright. His eyes snapped closed on their own, as if trying to shut out her words. But Angela just continued,
"She remembers thinking of the word "hero" that night after you died. She never got a chance to call you that, though. It made her angry."
"Stop." he begged.
"You make yourself think you aren't a hero. Vampires aren't heroes."
"Please, stop." he begged a little louder.
"I'm going to ask you a favor, Spike," she said smoothly and without emotion.
"No." he pleaded, feeling his own tears try and push their way past his eyes.
"I'm going to ask you a favor and I want you to be the hero you were for her."
"Oh, god…" he felt himself losing his hold on the emotions that were bombarding him. Why was she telling him this? What the hell did she want from him? He wanted to scream in her face; make her go away. He wanted to make her run screaming from him. No one was supposed to call him a hero. No one was—
"I want you to kill me, Spike."
His head suddenly snapped up to meet her gaze. For the first time in a few years, fear actually clouded his eyes.
"What?" he breathed, so sure he had heard her wrong.
"I'm a weapon. I should think that you of all people would understand that," she explained, reaching into her lap and picking at the hem of her shirt. "I know what's going to happen and I have to change it."
"No."
"Yes." she insisted, standing up forcefully and taking a step forward.
"Stop pretending you aren't a hero. Stop thinking you can make everything go away by ignoring it. I'm here, Spike, but I wont be for long. They'll find me and use me." she said a little louder, her voice taking on a charge that Spike had never noticed before. She took another step forward and reached a hand out to his face. He flinched away, eyes wide.
"They'll use me to hurt the ones Angel loves. That's their way." she said softly, her hand reaching out again and brushing against his cheek. He didn't move away from her this time. "And I'll kill you first,"
At that Spike moved back a step.
"One of us is going to die. I want you to live as the hero; not die as the coward."
Continued...
