Chapter V: Game master revealed

A/N. (Well then. I think this could be the last chapter. I hope that it won't be too disappointing to you all. I would have preferred to keep going with this fic, and maybe I will in the future. But for now, this year is a bit too crazy for me to even hope to juggle three different fics.

I hope that you've enjoyed this journey. I certainly did. Straight-talk in the Jossverse was well nigh non-existent! I know that Joss owns all… but if I'd been the one holding the cards, happy endings would have come around a bit more! Thank you truly to all of the people who have reviewed this fic, because as I've said previously, you've honestly helped me keep writing when I planned it to be only a one shot. So thanks. This chapter, this fic, was all for you.)

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The hospital seemed a strange place to congregate, but then again, Giles was there. And they had always seemed to meet where Giles was. First it had been the Library, then his apartment, and then the Magic Box. It seemed that his very surroundings guided them, absorbed some of his calming, loving energy.

And then again, the hospital was also a place of beginnings and endings. Almost all of them had been in there at one point, often from Slayage-related injuries. And it was there that they had, in a circuitous way, lost Joyce.

But they hadn't lost anyone this time. It was… nothing short of incredible.

Buffy wiped a tired hand over her eyes, as she nestled in the haven of Spike's arms. Dawn was still sitting, silently for once, her eyes wide with turmoil and disbelief. They hadn't left anything out. Not even some of the nastier details. Buffy had hesitated before them, and then continued grimly anyway. Dawn needed to know it, for Spike. Because Spike needed Dawn to know it. It had wrenched her heart, seeing the gulf between them. Knowing that she was partly the cause. Actually, if she was honest with herself, she was mostly the cause. And it hadn't been fair on either of them, not with what had happened over the summer that she died.

"I, I don't understand…" Dawn said finally. "You told Xander he'd tried to rape you."

A bitter smile twisted Spike's lips. "But I did, Nibblet. Big Sis doesn't lie."

"Shut up, Spike," she replied absently, but it held none of the venom that it had before. "Buffy?"

The Slayer steeled herself and looked straight into her little sister's eyes. "It felt like that at the time," she answered quietly. "I'd been hurt by a vamp on patrol, and… and I was just feeling so exhausted. It wasn't the time for anything to go down between us, but it happened. In the heat of the moment, it felt like rape. I won't deny it. But now that I look back, Spike probably just thought we were still playing that sick game where I told him 'no' and meant 'yes'."

She paused, and then tilted her head at the vampire in question. His eyes were subdued and dark with shame as he looked away from her. She thinned her lips. "Right Spike?"

He looked up at her again. "S'no excuse, Slayer. I should have known better."

She squeezed the hands that linked loosely at her stomach, giving them warmth. "You couldn't have."

Dawn studied them again, before finally breaking out in a wan chuckle. "You know, I'd say that I can't believe the two of you were so stupid, but after all I've seen, it wouldn't be true."

Buffy felt the last shreds of defiance and pride rear up inside her at that before an inner voice silenced them. "Heh," she mumbled. "You know, all you need to screw anything up is toss a side of Buffy Summers into the mix."

Spike moved his slender fingers from around her waist to rub at her shoulders. "Now, pet. Don't go taking all of this onto yourself. I think I deserve a rather large portion of the blame m'self."

What could have become a long argument of blame-taking dissipated instantly. when a sudden influx of people arrived. Anya came first, teleporting straight into the room. "People! You wouldn't believe what I just realised, but…"

Her words were cut off when Xander and Willow, supporting Tara between them, limped through the door.

And then Giles woke.

It could have been pandemonium. As it was, Xander almost dropped Tara at the sight of Buffy nestled into Spike's chest, the platinum-blonde vampire gently massaging her shoulders with a lost look of awe on his sharply angled face. Willow and Giles' eyes met across the space and she winced. Anya grew silent at Xander's entrance. Dawn glared daggers at Xander. It was extraordinarily lucky, then, for all of them that the last two arrivals heralded their coming with such bright lights that they all instinctively cried out and shielded their eyes.

When the glare was replaced by a gentle glowing, Buffy sat up, blinking spots away from her retinas. And then she froze as her vision cleared, and felt Spike's hand on her arm tighten in shock.

"Mum? Mummy…?"

Joyce stood on air, resplendent in the golden shimmer around her as they stared at her in disbelief. She laughed gently, and gradually floated down until her feet touched the ground again. Moving closer, she touched Buffy's face and at that touch, the Slayer and the Key both moved. Flinging themselves at her, they sobbed in her celestial robes, clinging to her as tightly as they could. Buffy had been afraid for a moment that she'd pass right through her, but with that last touch she'd known it was safe. The Scoobies stood stunned, as Joyce Summers cradled her children and then looked up to all of them.

"I'm afraid I don't have much time."

It was Joyce's voice. Warm and rich and loving, and Spike felt himself melt under it. There had been so many nights he'd stopped by her grave and talked to her, mourning the loss of a great lady. She smiled at him, and he was about to sink his head down in shame before he saw the loving glint in her eye.

Buffy gave her mother one last hug before she stood back, tears gradually drying on her cheeks. "T-time? Did you… did you cause all of this, then?"

Joyce squeezed her fondly on the shoulder. "Another colleague of mine was sent to heal Tara, but I was given the privilege of addressing all of you. I'm sure that all of you know that today has not been a normal day."

"Indeed," Giles said tiredly, wishing he had his glasses to clean to keep his hands busy. "That might actually be the best understatement I've heard all year."

She chuckled, and looked at all of them. "Yes. But now I must speak quickly. There is a reason for this day, and the reason is that if things had gone on without the Powers taking a hand, grave things would have happened. Worse than what any of you have experienced."

All of them wanted to talk, but such was her presence now that they stayed silent. "The First Evil was triggered in the spell that brought Buffy back to life." She watched impassively as the red-headed witch shrunk back with a low cry. "It's not entirely your fault, Willow. Not entirely. But it is done, and such a huge event cannot be undone without catastrophic consequences. But were you to face the First Evil as you were… fractured and with two members lost to you, then it would ultimately lead the universe's demise."

Xander gulped. "Grand-scale apocalypse, then. But what makes it any different from the ones the Buffster and us have stopped before?"

Her eyes went straight through all of them. "Because there wouldn't have been an 'us'."

The finality of that statement made him shiver.

"In fact," Joyce continued calmly. "There hasn't been an 'us' with you for a long time. All of you here," she looked significantly at Xander and Giles. "And yes, including Spike, are working towards a similar goal. To save the world. And yet you have let miscommunication, doubt, and fear weave throughout you all. After I have gone, I expect my daughter and Spike have something to tell you. And all of you will listen. Because they are meant to be together, and Spike is meant to stay soulless. Because he already has a soul in Buffy."

Spike jerked once, but didn't say anything as the rest of the gang's eyes fell on them. He shifted uncomfortably. "And the others, Mum?" he asked quietly.

"Mr. Giles… I expect that you remember where your place is."

Her voice was as acidic as a heavenly voice could be, and the Watcher bowed his head. She looked sternly on him for a moment, before she softened. "That said, I do understand, Rupert, why you did as you did. But Buffy will live far longer with you by her side. I trust that is what you wish too."

He felt his breath catch. "With all of my heart."

"As for you…" she turned to Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara. "You have let doubts, fears, and prejudices cloud your minds towards each other." She nodded towards Willow and Tara. "I doubt you will have too much problems valuing each other after this… but the two of you will need to learn to meld your magics, far more than you have done previously. Then, Willow can utilise all of her power without turning to the wrong side, and Tara, I think you shall be surprised at how much untapped power lies within you."

The dazed blonde witch gave into her instincts and curtsied slightly. Joyce smiled again, before turning to Xander and Anya. A shadow crossed her face.

"I think the two of you know what you need to do."

"I wouldn't say that," Anya said sharply. "He left me at the altar. In front of everyone. I'd say that all I need to do is ignore him."

"But you still love him. And he loves you," Joyce touched her kindly. "You cannot rip yourselves up over this. He made a mistake. That is part of what it is to be human."

"I'm a demon now."

"But this one," she gestured towards Spike, "Has shown that that is no barrier."

Spike gulped, and Xander finally snapped at his presence. "Speaking of which. Why is he still here and not staked?"

Joyce looked at him inscrutably for a moment, and then swept the room with her glance. "Anyanka," she said softly. "How many people have you killed."

A bleak frown came over Anya's face. "I… I don't know. Thousands. Maybe even tens of thousands."

Joyce nodded, and turned back to the rest of them. "And yet Xander still loves her in her demon form."

Buffy saw Anya jolt at this, and Xander ducked his head. Then she turned her gaze to the two of them.

"Earlier tonight, Spike was on a path towards fighting for his life. To get his soul. For my daughter."

She let the news seep into the amazed Scoobies, before continuing. "I know that such a short visit cannot change years of enmity, but look how he has changed. He has gone against his very nature to help. To change. Into the man that you see before you. He and Buffy together will save the world, but they will need your full support behind them."

"I don't get it," Xander shook his head. "So what? We go around to every vamp now and ask them politely whether they want to be white hats?"

Joyce gave him a level gaze. "Spike is one of a kind. But it is true, we have all seen the world in too much black and white. It is time to remedy that. Then perhaps… perhaps you will defeat the First Evil."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then turned to Buffy and Spike themselves. "And you two… you have already taken a large step tonight. Remember this, Buffy. Love. Give. Forgive. They told me to tell you to not be run by fear. And Spike… it wouldn't hurt to hold yourself somewhat higher than you've been doing."

He opened his mouth to argue with that, but then shut it, as if thinking better.

Dawn had been still buried in her mother's robes before this, but now she stood back. "What about me?" she said softly. "You seem to have a message for everyone else here, Mummy. What about me?"

Joyce reached out tenderly to push a strand of Dawn's hair behind her ear. "You're growing up so quickly, pumpkin belly."

When the Key squirmed, she laughed. "There will be a long road ahead, Dawn. You are still the Key, and in the future, something will happen that will make you aware of the power that you hold, the power still in your blood. You will be able to access dimensions beyond counting. But it will be dangerous. So promise me that you'll take care of yourself."

"I will."

"Good," a faint shadow of regret passed over Joyce's face. "I'm sorry that I cannot stay longer. I only wish I could. But I begged the Powers enough to make me able to touch you… they cannot extend my time here. I… oh…"

Before, Joyce had been the self-assured messenger of the Powers above. Now, she seemed to be just a woman again. A Mother. She reached out to all of them as if to hug them, and Buffy and Dawn gladly burrowed themselves back into her embrace, tears streaming freely. "Oh good luck, all of you. Please, please take care of yourselves. The things that they showed me… don't ever doubt each other. Ever, you hear me?"

Before their eyes, she began to fade. Bit by bit, she became more insubstantial, until she had almost disappeared. And then, it was only her voice left.

"And Buffy? Your piece of Heaven is right there…"

The Slayer could no longer see her, especially not through the new, blinding curtain of tears. But she somehow knew that her mother had been looking at Spike, and she understood.

In some way, they all understood.

It would take them days. Weeks. Months, perhaps, to iron out the creases that had so marred their relationships together. There was a fragile, tenuous bond now, gifted to them from the woman who had been such a warmth to their lives. But the delicate bond could go stronger, and it would.

They would die, some of them. Some of the things that Joyce had seen could not be changed, lest the proper path ahead be rent asunder. But for now, they had been given life.

So they looked forwards, to a beginning, where Life was no longer the Big Bad.

The End