***

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Spike paced his crypt, cursing the solid marble walls. His fists were bloodied from his occasional attempts to break them.

"Stupid git, Spike. Didn't make her suspicious at all. Stupid." Bash. "Sodding," Slam. "Pathetic." Crunch. "Wanker."

Spike considered his handiwork. Very little was left intact. That's how he felt inside too. Very little was left intact.

Spike sank down in one of his few unscathed possessions - his beat-up old chair. "Buffy."

Applause?

"Feel better, boy?"

Angelus. Angel.

***

Lydia spread her files over the Summers' kitchen table. Notes from the Watcher's diaries. Pictures. Incriminating pictures.

"As you can see, William the Bloody has been up to his old tricks. The chip is clearly not operational."

"Uh-huh." Buffy looked dispassionately at the evidence.

"It is your duty to slay him."

"No it isn't!" Dawn rushed into the kitchen, her face pale.

"Dawnie, it's late. Go back to bed." Buffy's words were calm, measured, reasonable.

"No! You can't do it, Buffy. He's said that he'll be good from now on. He felt horrible about it! I made him promise not to tell you. He wanted to. He wanted to tell you everything. Buffy, he wanted to die."

"I can grant that wish." Buffy's eyes glinted dangerously. "Dawn. Trust that I'll do the right thing. I know you think Spike is your friend, but you're wrong. Someday you'll understand."

"No, I'll never understand. Never. If you kill him, you'll be a murderer." Hysterical tears poured from Dawn's eyes. "Please, Buffy . . . "

"Dawn, we knew someday Spike would go back to his old ways. Today it might be the homeless guy. Tomorrow it could be one of your friends from school. How would that make you feel?"

"Spike wouldn't do that. He promised."

"Spike's a vampire, Dawn. It's his nature. It's what he does. He may want to keep his promise, but the temptation will always be there. And one day, he won't be able to resist."

"He told me that you were his soul, Buffy."

"Huh?"

"He said that when he fed on the guy - and he didn't kill him by the way - he saw himself through your eyes." Dawn swiped at her tears. "And what he saw made him sick."

"Fascinating." Dr. Higginbottom scribbled a note in her file.

Buffy turned, a hint of emotion crossing her face. "Are we just an interesting puzzle to you, Dr. Higginbottom? Are you enjoying this?"

Lydia shook her head. "No. On the contrary. I just find William - Spike's - behaviour intensely interesting. If what your sister says is true, then he was able to overcome his instincts. Of course, there's no proof, beyond the word of a vampire," she smiled ruefully, "and I know first hand that your William is an accomplished liar."

"OK, so we've established that Spike may or may not be able to control himself. But we can't take that chance." Buffy reached for Dawn's hand, her eyes empty and hollow. "I have to do it, Dawn."

Dawn ripped her hand away and ran out the front door.

"Dammit, Dawn!" Buffy watched as her pajama-clad sister ran down the street. She had to go after her.

"Dr. Higginbottom, you stay here. I have to go after my sister. But when I get back, I want to hear the rest. Every last detail."

***

"Gotta say, I love what you've done with the place. Trashed, but it still has that touch of elegance." Angel's yellow eyes glowed as he picked up a lit candelabra. "Like this little gothic gem." He paused, bringing the flame dangerously near Spike's face. The smell of burning hair filled the crypt. "You'd make an attractive torch, Spike."

"You really enjoy setting your kids on fire, don't you, Granddad?"

"I wouldn't say I enjoyed it really." Angel put the candelabra down. "But if my 'kids' get out of line, they need to be disciplined. And my children really have been very naughty." Angel drew back and smacked Spike hard. Blood ran in a small rivulet from the corner of his mouth.

"I mean, falling in love with Buffy. How sad is that, Spike?" Angel's mouth twisted cruelly as he hit the blonde vampire again. "Especially since you know she'll never love you back."

"I know." Spike met Angel's angry gaze. "It'll always be you."

"Damn right. I suffered for that girl. I went to hell. I left her. Do you know how hard that was? Leaving her, so she could have a normal life?"

"I can imagine."

"You don't know shit, Spike. You have no idea what it is to love like I love. The kind of love where you'd give everything up, sacrifice everything, just so the other person can be happy. You have no fucking idea."

"Maybe I do."

That earned Spike another pummeling. "Now I find out she's been making time with you. You're 'friends'. What the hell is that? She should have staked you a long time ago. But there's no excuse anymore, is there Spike?"

Spike's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"You've been feeding."

Spike began to laugh. "Been spying on me? Yeah, I took a little nip, what of it? Did you see the part where I threw it up? Did you see what a pathetic excuse for a vampire I've become?"

Spike reached inside his waistband, withdrew a stake, and tossed it to Angel. "Here, mate. Go ahead and do it. I wanted it to be Buffy, but I guess you'll do."

Angel felt the hard wood of the stake in the palm of his hand. With a growl he lunged at Spike, aiming for his heart.

Spike stared straight ahead, watching death come. He felt something like contentment. Funny that.

"Spike!!"

Dawn burst through the door of the crypt. What she saw sickened her.

Angel turned. "Dawn, you don't belong here."

Spike felt the stake drawing blood right above his heart. "Niblet, it's over. Go on home. Please?"

"Noooooo!" Dawn leapt at Angel, raining down punches on his back.

"What's going on?" Buffy appeared in the open doorway. "Angel? What are you doing here?"

"Taking care of your Spike problem." Angel grasped Dawn's wrists, but she wriggled free and ran to Spike.

"Are you OK?" Dawn took in his beaten face and the blood on his chest. Accusingly, she faced her sister's ex-boyfriend. "Did you do all this, Angelus?"

"He deserved it, Dawn. Do you know what he's been up to?"

"Yeah, he told me. He made a mistake." Dawn burned with defiant anger.

"It's OK, Little Bit." Spike tried to smile. "Glad you're defending me and all, but I think my time is up. And now your sis is here maybe she'll do the honours. What do you say, Slayer?"

Mechanically, Buffy raised a stake. Breathe. Just--

Kill him.

He wanted it. He wanted it to be her.

"He loves me." It came out as a whisper. "You love me."

"Yeah, pet. We covered that territory a while ago. Your ex here isn't too pleased, by the way."

"You love me."

"Again, yes. Stating the obvious, Slayer. Doesn't really matter."

Buffy moved forward, approaching his chair, stake in hand. She began to tremble.

Tenderly, she knelt before him. The trembling turned into shaking. Slowly, she brought the stake to his chest.

"You want me to do it."

She was so close now. Her golden hair. Her green eyes. Her mouth. Her smooth skin. Her scent.

"Yes."

Buffy brought the stake to his heart and began to press. A cry ripped through her. "Oh God. Oh God. Oh God."

The stake fell from her hand and her body convulsed with sobs. "I can't do it."

And then it came, very quiet, not even a whisper. "You love him."

End of Part Seventeen

Continue to Part 18 (Not yet posted)

Back to Authors S-Z