Title: Resistance (4/7)
Author: Miz Thang
Characters/Pairing: Ensemble, Illyria/Spike, DS/Angel, WR/OFC, CG/HK, DS/Spike
Rating: FRM
Word Count: 1911
Warnings: Angst. Melodrama. Romance. Character death.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the little story's idea. Everything else belongs to who it belongs to.
SummaryLet's pretend, that, for a moment, Illyria's great army isn't dead at the end of Shells, and that she begins a great rise to power, and basically, war breaks out. There's only one group that dares intervene, known as the Resistance.

Notes: This is an ahead-of-time warning. This story only has five chapters, a prologue and an epilogue. This is supposed to tell the end of the struggle against Illyria. If not, it'd be some long drawn out story about the three hundred and fifty years I skipped. It's also quite possible that there could be a sequel. And oh, this story is Spike/Illyria, among other pairings.

Three

-2354-

Sandris sat on her living room couch, reading a love letter Willow had given her more than a century ago. An undercover mission had made sparks fly and the connection felt had been mutual. In retrospect, it seemed not too long ago that she was that seventeen year old witch that ran into Willow in a store and told her she wanted to join the Resistance. Ten minutes later, the worldwide spell hit and they were immortal.

Then she heard it, as it brought her out of her musings. It was a whisper at first. Sandy? And she'd instantly known it was Willow.

Willow? Oh, thank God. Well, not God, because of your whole, but-that doesn't matter. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What took you so long?

You sound concerned. It's cute. Willow replied cheerfully. I teleported. Took me three days to get back me energy. How's everyone?

Angel and Dawn are being weird. Connor really does need to just kiss Harmony. And Dawn threatened to kill Hope. Sandris answered.

Wait-soul! We-we put a soul in her!

She and Hope hate each other. A Soul isn't going to do away with that. Sandris said. When can you come back?

"I was kinda hoping now." Willow answered, and Sandris was amazed because she could hear her, not just in her head, but as if she was right-

Sandris turned and nearly cried. There was Willow, dirt smudges on her face, a few leaves here or there, red and blonde hair a tangled mess. Her Willow.

She jumped out of her seat and hugged the other witch tightly. "Oh, God, I'm so glad you're back!"

Willow smiled into the crook of her neck, knowing Sandris could feel her joy. "Me too."

-

"That was Sandris," Dawn said to Angel as she hung up the phone. "Willow's back."

He nodded in acknowledgement but didn't answer her. Yesterday, she felt guilty-because she knew she'd done something that was just on the verge of unforgivable considering everything, but right now, she felt as if he was just being a big fat poopy head.

"Stop it." She said. Her voice was low, desperate, and reminded him of when she first woke up as a vampire.

"Dawn?" Angel questioned hesitantly upon seeing the girl, not that he was a girl anymore really. She'd been missing for a few days and…he smelled Spike on her. She also didn't look so healthy. All his instincts were screaming that something was wrong with her.

She collapsed into is arms and he caught her quickly on instinct. "Blood." It was low, and filled with need and desperation.

That was when he understood exactly what Spike had done. He'd killed Dawn, turned her into a demon of his own creation. And he left her to learn alone. Angel also suspected Faith was dead; no one had found her body, or her for that matter.

He should have staked her. There was one in the inside pocket of his jacket. He could just pull it out and end it, save her good name.

"Help…me…" Dawn pleaded.

He couldn't. That was the moment when he realized that Dawn wasn't all that different as a vampire.

"What?" Angel turned to face her.

"Stop…stop pretending I did something wrong. It wasn't my idea and I didn't want to go in anyway."

"You were the only one they wouldn't kill on sight." Angel replied, standing up to meet her anger head-on.

"You could've chosen a different plan." Dawn stated. "I didn't have to play 'Phoenix.' You just wanted me to. Was it a test? Trying to decide if I'm trustworthy or not? If I'm over my sire?"

"That's a lie." Angel protested weakly. That was exactly what it had been. A test. After she said Spike's name wile sleeping, he'd needed to see if she was still in love with Spike.

"Really? Say it like you mean it." Dawn retorted. She saw the guilt in his eyes. "That's great. A test! A fucking test! What; you don't trust me anymore!"

"Dawn, it's not that. I just can't help thinking-"

"I'll be Phoenix again." Dawn smiled bitterly. "I think about it sometimes. I think that is was easier then. Didn't have to care. About anything. I didn't before then, but, suddenly, it was okay. And, I kinda felt like it got stolen away. Like…like heaven or something. A-and you were there for me when Spike left me…again…and again…and again-"

"Dawn-" Angel started, his face showing concern and he took a step forward.

"I-it was you when they shoved her in me and started calling me Dawn again. You cared a-and that meant something and you knew that I fell for Spike time and time again no matter how much my common sense told me it was a bad idea…you know that I still do even though I love you…and I do. Love you. But I keep doing it."

She looked up at him, blue eyes bright and on the verge of tears. "Why do I keep doing it?"

Dawn had never had the chance to grow up, have a healthy life, and she felt small and fragile and childlike. She didn't want to feel like she could break. She hated this weakness. She hated that she had no control over it. And she hated Spike for making her weak.

That was what had Angel surrounding her in his arms and holding her as she cried over what, in a few hours, would under the surface be nothing.

Angel held her until her tears died down and it hit him again how much he loved Dawn. In so many ways, she was nothing like Buffy, and he would never dream of comparing her to her older sister. Ever. Not now especially.

"You okay?" He asked when she was done.

"Never. But life goes on." She replied, her voice shaky. She took a step back from him, feeling a bit embarrassed as she raised her eyes to Angel's. She sniffed a bit as he wiped away a stray tear.

She leaned forward; she was a bit weary as to how he'd treat her. Only he accepted her intention, pulling her closer as their lips met. It was a vicious cycle though. Spike would sweep in, turn their lives over, she would break down, he would comfort her, and then, they would wait another decade or so for the pattern to repeat.

There was a knock on the door, breaking their kiss. Dawn smiled lightly at him, happy to be back in his arms, happy that they were okay. "I'll get it."

He returned her smile and she felt even lighter. She went to their door and pulled it open to reveal Yane leaning on the wall across the hallway.

"What's up?" Dawn asked.

"Sandris and Willow are here. Everyone's waiting for you and Angel."

"We'll be there. Give us a few." Dawn answered. She turned back around to face Angel, leaning on the door until it closed. "When I was…thirteen, I think…I had a crush on you." She admitted. She snapped open the button on her jeans.

Angel smirked just a bit, sitting at the foot of the bed. "Did you?"

"Yep. I thought you were…really cool…really sexy…I hated Buffy." She slid the zipper down and eased the pants over her hips.

"Oh." He watched her shirt fall to the floor.

She placed a knee on the bed, pushing him back. Their lips met and Dawn gave him all she had to offer. Damn the meeting. "Angel, I-"

There was a period of hard knocking on the door, followed by Yane yelling, "Save the make up sex for later!"

Dawn smiled down at Angel, never having felt this completeness before. She felt whole. And the last time she felt that was-

"Nib?" Spike called out as he entered her room.

Dawn looked up and could tell from the look in his eyes that something had happened with Illyria. They'd fallen out again, and it was Dawn's job to pick up the pieces.

She slid out of bed and took him in her arms. She hated this. What did that ice cold blue bitch do for his love? Why did Illyria deserve it? Certainly awn would treat him better."

"Tell me you love me." Spike whispered in her ear.

Dawn didn't think anything of it; she'd never heard those words before, didn't know the history behind them, or why Spike was saying them. "I love you, you know that."

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you. I always want you." Dawn was caught off guard when he pulled her into a harsh kiss.

"And you'll never leave me."

"I'll never leave you."

Within moments, she found herself caught up in the passion. Unbidden, a smile lit her face as Spike mumbled against her skin, hours later, that he loved her-a mantra, repeatedly.

-when she'd had her last time with Spike. It had been beautiful. Just sensual, and it made her feel loved. She'd been in his arms, feeling wonderful, when they shoved her back in. The soul. Dawn.

-

Willow stood when Dawn and Angel entered the room. She raised an eyebrow at their latched hands and came to the conclusion that Angel and Dawn had finally made up. Dawn grinned at her and it was official.

"We have a traitor." She announced after everyone quieted down.

"What?" Astin asked, confused-as was everyone else.

"My offices, my headquarters, in Australia, were hidden. Top level information. We had a front as a lucrative business. Illyria shouldn't have known how to get in, how to find where I was…"

"So, then you're accusing one of us of being Benedict Arnold?" Connor asked in an attempt to sum up Willow's minor speech.

"Exactly," Sandris answered.

-

"I believe this success is a cause for much celebration." Illyria said to Spike as they left the celebration of victory behind; Australia had celebrated this past week of finally having some peace.

"We were just at one." Spike replied.

"Yes, but I meant you and I, alone." Illyria countered.

Spike smirked. "Yeah? What are you going to do for it?"

"At this moment, anything."

Spike grinned at this answer. It was a devious grin. "Race? Catch me if you can."

Illyria watched for several moments as Spike raced down the hall and around the corner. Illyria then decided to humor her love and took off after him.

-

Her heels clicked against the tiled floor. In some ways, she felt kind of bad about this, but they helped her. If it hadn't been for them, she'd be dead. And this was where her loyalties lied.

Two guards waited for her and she followed them up to the second floor of the Fredica head quarters. Soldiers moved out of her way and she smiled a bit. This was what respect felt like. This was what she needed. Respect. Gunn gave it to her.

"Hey, babe," Gunn swept her into his arms as she entered his suite and they kissed, traveling to his bed.

"Hi…they…think…there's…a…traitor…" she said in between kisses.

"I missed you."

"Missed you too."

God, did she. It had been a whole month before she made it back into Fredica's territory for a little time together. She'd missed him so much."

"Yeah," has asked, undoing her clothes.

"Yes," she hissed, nodding. Harmony began to grin as she thought about it. They'd never know it was her.