Continued...

"Why? You have the nerve to ask me why!" Cordelia shrieked. She was mad, no really pissed off was more like it, and Groo was about to find out just how much. She felt some old-school Sunnydale High Cordelia coming on and embraced it.

"You used me, you dazzled me with your charm and love, and for what? So you could come to my world…. my world, and try to end it! Well mister, you have no idea who you’re dealing with." she continued to scream at him.

Everyone’s attention was now on Cordelia. Of all the people to suddenly take action and start throwing punches, Cordelia was the least likely. Yet there she was, haranguing the cowering Groo, verbally ripping him in a way that would have killed one of her targets back in high school. Buffy was totally mesmerized by the scene in front of her. No one seemed to notice when Spike seized this opportunity, and grabbed the Slayer, who was standing all too close to him. His hand over her mouth and the other grasping her arm tightly, he dragged her into another room.

"Let go of me!" she spat at him as he spun her around, his face inches from hers.

"Now, now Slayer, we don’t want this party to end already do we?" he said coyly as he cocked his head to the side.

Buffy was disgusted. How could she have ever believed that he was really different, that what she was doing was ‘okay’? She was ready to end this once and for all,

"I told you that I never wanted to see you again. That this…… this thing was over! Now you better leave while you have the chance, or…"

"Or what missy? You’ll talk me to death with more of your annoying whining? I really don’t think so. You, my love, are no longer dealing with William the Bloodless." Spike paused for a moment to reap the pleasure of seeing Buffy’s mouth drop completely to the floor.

"That’s right pet, the real Spike is back, and I’m gonna end this. Right here, right now!" Spike continued as he circled around the Slayer, daring her with his eyes to make a move.

Buffy knew that Spike had been up to something, and with his attack on Cordelia she had pretty much figured out what. She still didn’t want to believe that he’d actually done it and as much as she didn’t want to, she knew what she had to do. She was the Slayer, after all.

She moved quickly, a swift leg sweep and suddenly Spike found himself on his back once again. The first move was made, and the fight was now on. Spike hurried to his feet. He knew that she wasn’t playing this time. He dodged the first two punches she threw at him, but caught the third straight on the right jaw. Stunned, he stepped back and Buffy moved in, pummeling him, knowing that if she stopped, things could easily turn in his favor. She soon discovered that regardless of what she threw at him, tide was beginning to turn anyway.

Spike caught Buffy’s leg on an attempted roundhouse kick, trapping her. Now she was at his mercy. Trying hard to escape his grasp, the Slayer could do nothing but fall to the floor. In a flash he was on top of her, pinning her with his weight as he held her arms, preventing her from striking him. Gasping, Buffy struggled to free herself from his strong hands that held her down. She’d never had this much trouble fighting Spike before, but this time was different, the demon’s rage inside of him was stronger than ever and she could do nothing.

"What’s wrong Slayer? Finally seein’ your end is near?" Spike taunted.

Cordelia looked back at Wesley and Willow, "Find that damn cup!" she demanded. The two hurried off, ransacking the house to find the gold treasure. Cordelia’s eyes began to turn a fire red and she looked down to see that her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Fear gripped her as she felt an even stronger sensation starting to overwhelm her. She felt as if something else was taking over her body.

Groo was now enraged. He couldn't believe he had just been hit and by a girl, his girl at that. This was just unacceptable. There was something wrong with this place, with these people. All of them. His plan was falling apart, and he had let a human, a human girl, no less, hit him. He lunged at Cordelia, grabbing her around the neck.

"Cordy!" Angel shouted. He grabbed Groo’s arms, trying to pull him off of her, but he was stronger than Angel was, and the attempt at saving Cordelia’s life was for naught. He looked around the room, desperately searching for a weapon large enough to do some damage.

"Angel!" Gunn shouted, motioning with his head towards the other side of the room. He had noticed a large sword that had been hanging over the mantle piece. He tore it down with little regard to the damage he was doing to the wall, whistling sharply as he tossed it across the room. Angel turned and caught the giant sword his associate had thrown at him. He drew it back over his head, trying to gain some force behind the impact he hoped he’d be making.

"Wow! That was cool!" said Dawn as she inched out of her hiding place brushing dirt off of her new pants. She started moving away from Xander, Anya and Fred. Xander reacted instantly,

"Dawn, wait!" Xander pleaded, trying to grab her arm as she moved past him. Dawn slid to her left so she could avoid Xander’s parental hand. Shrugging his shoulders at the others, he decided there was no use in trying to stop her.

"Is ev…… ev….. everyone alright?" Tara asked, looking at her bewildered friends. They had seen a lot during their time on the Hellmouth, but the show that Tara and Liz had just put on pretty much took the cake. They all silently stood there, looking at the huge pit that was now where the remains of the school had been. Even Anya seemed impressed with the damage but still had some concerns about the success of the whole endeavor.

"What about the Hellmouth? Isn’t it still open? There is a huge hole and everything…" Anya asked. The obvious questions were always hers to ask. She knew that was what everyone else was thinking, but too afraid to ask. Stupid humans.

"Kauntine!" Liz proclaimed as she moved her arms across each other. Xander smiled, at the gesture she made. To him it looked as if she were a baseball umpire calling a runner safe at home, but he certainly wasn’t going to share his amusement. Especially since he wasn’t sure if Liz would find his observation as funny as he did. The smile quickly left his face as he watched the earth move together, and the giant pit that had only moments before been directly in front of them, now become a beautiful lawn of green grass and flowers. There wasn’t even a hint that their old high school had even been there.

"Wow! Now that was cool!" Xander exclaimed. He was astonished at what had just taken place before him.

"Shall we join the others?" Liz asked. Blankly Xander looked back at her. As the comprehension of what she meant sunk in, his eyes grew large and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Others…. Oh, yeah, right, Buffy…" Xander replied, still in dismay.

"Well, I can’t transport all of us there. Just too many people for me." Liz said with a shy smile. "I’ll go ahead to help. The rest of you just get there when you can. Okay?" she asked.

"O….. okay." Tara replied. Liz looked at the others just to make sure there was a consensus among them. After she was satisfied that there were no objections, she stepped away from the group, closed here eyes and was gone.

The terror in Buffy’s eyes was evident. Spike could even smell the fear racing through her blood. He was enjoying every second of this. It had been quite some time since his last good kill, and even longer since he’d done a Slayer in. The fact that it was Buffy made it even sweeter. He shifted his weight, relishing the fear in her as he held her arms tighter. She could hear the racket going on in the next room. Screams of terror and rage. She knew that if she screamed for help, her cries would only be masked by the terrible things that were already taking place.

Her mind started to wonder as she looked deep into Spike’s eyes. Those bottomless pits that had nothing in them, no feelings at all. Whatever she had thought might be buried deep inside of him somewhere was gone now. She couldn’t stand it any longer. She was leaving, going back to the same place she had been before. She was feeling as helpless now as she had the day that Glory had found them and taken her sister from her. It had been so easy that day, she had just lost everything and with no hope of getting it back. Today was different though, Dawn was safe, and this was Spike, not Glory. But Buffy’s thoughts were beginning to fade anyway, in and out of reality. Pictures of her, Dawn and their mother, all happy and laughing. Scenes of her and her friends, laughing. And then there was Angel. The two of them, together. ‘Oh God, Angel!’ she cried to herself.

It was like a dream to her. Her fantasies mixed with reality. Then in an instant all she could see was Spike drawing down towards her. ‘This is it’ she thought to herself and she closed her tear-ridden eyes. The tears came streaming from the corners of both eyes.

This hadn’t been how she had envisioned it over the years. There had always been a grand fight. She had always done some major damage to her opponent before they got the best of her. That was the way she had always thought it would go down. That it was Spike made it eve worse.

She grimaced as she felt the first pinch of Spike’s fangs enter her body. The pain was worsening as he began to drain the life from her body. But the relief she was feeling was out weighing the pain. She wanted death……. again. It had been so peaceful the last time. Those thoughts were running ramped through her mind. Suddenly everything stopped, the relief, the pain, everything.

The first blow that Angel delivered didn’t even seem to phase the Groosalugg in the least. He continued his strong choking hold around Cordelia’s neck, oblivious or indifferent to the changes happening to her. The shaking that had started in her hands was beginning to travel through her arms and down her legs. The fire red in her eyes began to darken and shine. Angel tried once again to break Groo’s hold on his friend. The vampire side in him finally won out, and as let his demon take over he grabbed the large sword for another shot at the Groosalugg. With more strength within him now, he drew the giant sword over his head once more and brought it down with a monstrous swing. To no avail.

Gunn had finally found a weapon of his own. A wonderfully hand crafted steel lamp. They made things to last back in the day. Certainly it had been a prize possession of someone in the past. A lovely decoration, to be sure. But without its shade, it made a pretty handy weapon, too. He swung as hard as he could, trying anything to get the Groosalugg to release his friend. Gunn was on Cordelia’s left and Angel on her right, both of them swinging away. But it was as if he had turned into something else, something more than just the Groosalugg. Nothing they did effected him. There were no injuries from the sword, no bumps, bruises or cuts from the lamp. He was invulnerable.

Gunn took a step back with is weapon still drawn, "What the hell?" he questioned.

* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 17 –

"Slayer! Slayer! Get the bloody hell up!" Buffy slowly came back to reality. Eyes shut tight, she didn’t think she’d ever open them again. But…. she wasn’t dead. Spike was calling her name, trying to help her up off the floor. He sounded worried. Worried? He’d been gnawing on her vein moments ago, an now he was worried? He hadn’t killed her. Her eyes opened. She looked up at him. All she could see was incredible sadness staring back at her. The empty eyes of a few minutes ago, the soulless pits were gone now. Despair and shame had replaced them.

"Wha….." she didn’t finish.

"I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t kill you." he said turning his back to her, his head hung low. "And not because of that blessed chip either." he added quietly, anticipating what he knew she’d say.

Buffy stood up, her hand cupped over her neck where Spike had pierced a vein. All the contempt and disgust Buffy had felt for Spike, and there was plenty of it, vanished as she looked at the trembling figure before her. Now all she could feel was pity. Spike was crushed; she could see it in the way he stood before her, in the look of his eyes and the tears that welled in his suddenly soulful blue eyes. William had shown through. Spike the killer, the demon of legend who had defeated two slayers, had been milliseconds away from the greatest triumph he’d ever dreamed of. But he stopped. Not because of the hard wiring he’d been subjected to before but because of the man he’d once been. It was his love for Buffy that kept him from killing her. William would have never hurt a soul, and it was apparent now to Buffy, that Spike was more William than he was anything else.

"I’m sorry luv. I didn’t mean….. I just saw you with….. and I just couldn’t stand……" Whispering words that all felt to empty, he stopped. What could he say to make up for it? For all of it? The guilt overpowered him. There was nothing else now. In all the years he’d walked this earth as a vampire, he’d never felt this low before. He leaned back against the wall and then sank to the floor, the reality of what he had just tried to do was too much. Buffy stared at the fallen figure before her, unable to speak. He’d just tried to kill her. He’d come damn close. But he’d stopped. That fact, and seeing his reaction to the shattering realization that everything he’d wanted to be, strong, cold and unfeeling, unable to hurt was not who he was, and that no matter how many he’d killed and maimed before, inside he was the same as he’d been that night all those years ago when Dru had made him into the monster he tried to be, a veritable little boy lost. Buffy felt herself soften a bit. She wasn’t ready to forgive him, no way, but she didn’t know how to feel. A shudder passed through Spike, and his eyes met hers, pleading for something. What? She sighed. Why couldn’t things ever be simple?

The Groosalugg was thrown back against the wall, crashing with an impact that sent chunks of the wall flying. Angel and Gunn stood in total disbelief. As papery pieces of the decrepit ceiling floated down, the two of them looked at the plaster dust covering the Groosalugg, who moaned quietly and then to their friend. Their beautiful, bossy, ever fashion conscious Cordelia was……. part Castonov demon?

"Princess?" Groo whispered the word, unwilling to risk further angering the demon that was now standing in front of him. Angel and Gunn had been aware of Cordelia’s sacrifice to keep her visions, but neither had any idea that what was now standing in front of them was the ramification of such sacrifice. For a fleeting moment, both men wondered if Cordelia would approve of her demon’s chosen appearance, it seemed sort of….. so no Cordy style. The quivering voice of the demon that had only moments ago weathered countless blows by them with no effect drew them out of the brief musings.

"Princess, it is I your Groo!" The Groosalugg pleaded.

With a deep, but still very Cordelia-esqe sounding voice the demon, replied,

"Yes Groo, it is I. Your princess. But your princess has had a change of heart." The Demon paused, as if contemplating. It’s nostrils flared, and in a higher, and to Gunn and Angel, more the ‘Cordelia Chase they know and love voice’, continued. "Your princess is pissed off. I gave you everything, and you….. YOU betrayed me! And now……. you’re gonna pay for it mister!" Seething, eyes narrowing, the demon appeared to stick it’s lower lip out in a pout.

Gunn and Angel just stood there enjoying the look of fear on the Groosalugg’s face. Cordy was a force to be reckoned with when she was mad as a human, they could only guess what she’d be like as a half-Castonov demon. They were suitably impressed.

"Can I help?" Liz asked as she appeared out of nowhere, half-frightening poor Wesley and Willow to death. Liz had found her way upstairs to the same room that Wesley and Willow were now tearing to shambles, with finesse akin to that of a professional burglar, as they desperately tried to find the Cup of Reverence.

"Jeez. Give us some warning next time will ya?" Willow complained, making a face at Liz. At this, Wesley cleared his throat in the traditional ‘about to speak’ way he favored.

"We’re having quite a difficult time finding this cup. We have obviously made quite the mess of these rooms, but haven’t had any luck finding it." Wesley explained as he stepped back to observe the room, scrunching up his face and peering around as if to see if he’d somehow missed something. ‘He certainly looked exasperated by this treasure hunt’ Liz thought to herself as she thought she heard him mutter something under his breath with a big sigh.

"Yeah. What he said." Willow smiled and pointed to Wesley.

Liz closed her eyes. Centralizing her powers, she became almost weightless, floating a few inches above the floor. Her right arm stretched out in front of her. She continued to concentrate, trying to hone in on where the cup was. She knew it was here, she could feel it.

She moved from left to right, like a weather vein giving the direction of the wind. Liz finally stopped. Wesley and Willow focused their eyes on the exact spot where Liz was pointing. To their amazement it was there. A tiny gold cup, encrusted with jewels of all kinds.

"My word. How did you do that?" asked Wesley, awestruck by what he’d just witnessed.

"Who cares how she did it!" screeched Willow. "She did it!!" An impromptu rendition of Xander’s renowned Snoopy dance followed. Despite himself, Wesley couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Liz just smiled at them as she slowly lowered herself onto the floor.

"Now how do we destroy this thing?" Willow asked as she picked the marvelous piece of artwork up off the shelf, studying it carefully.

Liz reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny sachet. She then instructed Wesley to get the porcelain washbowl that was sitting on the dresser behind him. As Wesley held the bowl in his hands, Willow placed the small cup inside, briefly thinking how lovely the hand painted designs on the bowl were. Liz then recited from memory a series of Latin and Gaelic phrases and then carefully dumped the contents of her sachet onto the Cup. The contents within the bowl began to sizzle. A single flame shot into the air, so suddenly that Wesley barely had time to turn away to avoid being singed by the flame. Willow looked on in delight. It had seemed like ages to her since she had been able to participate in an actual spell. Within seconds the sizzling stopped, and they all gazed into the bowl. Nothing but ashes remained. The cup was destroyed. Liz carefully scooped the ashes out and poured them carefully inside of the sachet, tying it tight and putting it back in her pocket.

"I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I tried…… I bloody well did…… but then, I couldn’t." Spike wailed, his face in his hands. Buffy stood over him, not having a single clue what to say. He had almost been her demise, and she had permitted it. She’d just laid down to die. The fact that he’d stopped still seemed unreal to her. The possible implications of that simple act were baffling to her. She somehow felt she should try to comfort him. Or something. She had to say something, this moment had to end, it was just too brutal.

"Maybe….. somehow….." Buffy started to speak, trying to say something encouraging, but the words just weren’t there. She hadn’t any idea what she should say. ‘Thanks for the not killing me?’ or ‘Sorry your entire self-concept has been irreversibly destroyed?’ She really didn’t think so.

Hearing noises from behind her, Buffy turned around, sighing in relief at what she saw. Words suddenly weren’t necessary, because coming down the stairs was Liz, in all her Super Vampire Witch glory, followed by Willow and Wesley. All three had proud smiles plastered across their faces.

"The cup is history!" Willow beamed. Buffy felt a little guilty for her latest mental dig at Angel’s ex when Liz smiled and looked shyly towards her.

Utterly forgotten in the revelation of the destruction of the cup, Spike’s little drama was suddenly outweighed by the deafening noise that was now coming out of the adjoining room. Anxious to help, or at least interested in finding out what was going on, they all raced into the other room. To everyone’s shock there was a very large, fairly standard, ‘non-beautiful’, yet very Cordy sounding demon holding the Groosalugg by the neck.

"What the hell is that?" asked Xander as he and the others had finally made their way to the house. Although exhausted from the long walk back to the house, the bizarre sight that greeted them was new and unique enough, even for Sunnydale, to make them forget their exertion.

Angel turned around and as though pointing out something painfully obvious, he announced "It’s Cordy." The ‘duh’ look he gave was left open to personal interpretation.

"Huh?" Xander replied, chiming in with everyone else in the room. It had been awhile since they’d been together, yeah, but…. he’d have remembered this.


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