Someone to Watch Over Me: Part 4
by Swa
Disclaimer: I'm a poor college student. All I own is a pack of Ramen Noodles. I don't own Buffy, Roswell, Dawson's Creek, McDonalds, Wheaties, or any other trademark used in this story.
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Part Four
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“I was six years old when I met William. His family built an estate next to ours in London. We met one day while I was on one of my usual runs through the poppy field. I loved playing there. The first time I saw him, I walked right up to him and punched him in the stomach. I wasn’t going to let a boy take over my field. He didn’t fight back. He just took it and tried to tell me his name. Well, that only made me angrier, so I punched him again. His only response was to push me to the ground and tickle me. He made me laugh like no one could. He finally stopped and told me that his name was William and that he wanted to be my friend. I replied by telling him my name and letting him know that we could be friends, but the field was mine. He agreed.
The years passed and we were inseparable. Wherever William went, I followed. We grew up with each other. Once we were older, our feelings changed from friendship to love. We were to be married…”
She could feel the tears coming, but she held them back. She cleared her throat and continued.
“…We were to be married two weeks before he met Angelus. He left to go into town on an errand for his mother. But, he never returned. What returned was his body, but it wasn’t his soul. He and Angelus killed everyone at his family’s estate. Then he came for me. He wouldn’t give me the pleasure of dying. No, he wanted me to feel pain. He tied me to a chair and made me watch as he and Angelus murdered everyone in my family. One by one, he would kill them. Some he was merciful to. Others were made to suffer. Then he just left. He left me with no family and no love, a fate he knew to be worse than death. I knew what I saw wasn’t human and I wanted to know more. I buried the desecrated bodies of my family and left. I had always heard rumors about the demons that walked only at night and that drank the blood of the living, but I had always put them off as stories parents told their children to keep them in at night. I went to the only person who I thought could offer me an explanation. The Bishop in our town wasn’t well educated on the myths of the vampyr, but he knew someone who was. He sent me to a parish of monks in Oxford. It was there that I studied all there was to know about these creatures. I learned what William had become. One of the monks came to me late one night and told me that I had been summoned by the Oracles. They are the powers that oversee everything…right and wrong…good and evil…They were to tell me of my place in the world. I went to one of the passage ways that allows access to the Oracles. They told me not to worry about William. They said that they had a great plan for him in the future. They told me that one-day he would not be what he is now. He would be made human again. They talked about a great battle between good and evil and that he would be on the side of virtue and valor. They said that if he succeeded in aiding the forces of good, they would grant him his humanity again. At that moment, I didn’t think about what he had done to me or anyone else…all I knew was what my family had reared me to believe. Every part of me knew what had to be done. I had to ensure the future of good. The Oracles said that this was all conditional. This would only happen if William survived to see the day of the battle. If he lived that long, then they would proceed with what they had promised. I wanted William to be as he once was. I cared not for myself, but for the hundreds of people that would be saved by this great battle of which the Oracles spoke. The Oracles knew this and offered me an opportunity. They would allow me immortality so that I could watch over William. I would protect him from others, but more importantly, from himself. Their condition was this: If for any reason William were to see my face or to learn about the promise of his regaining his humanity, I would no longer be immortal. So, my quest began. I trained with the monks at the parish, and with many other scholars in the areas of fighting and sorcery. I prepared myself for any battle I would have to face while protecting William. For over a hundred years now I’ve been doing just that…saving his life time and again…all for the sake of good and evil. So, did I leave anything out?”
Giles was astonished at the story he had just heard. “No, I’d say that should do it for the night.”
* * *
Buffy was having her now familiar fight with Spike. She would try to stake him, but she never could get it to connect. Finally, she gained the advantage and was making ready her approach when she remembered what had happened on the previous attempts. She turned around to see a masked woman behind her with a shovel. It would be her turn for the witty line.
“I don’t think so.” Buffy remarked. She kicked the shovel out of the girl’s hand and punched her in the face. While the girl was stunned, she pulled the mask off.
“Michaela?” Buffy turned to see that it was Spike who had said it.
Michaela fell to the ground screaming. “Nnnnnnnooooooo!!!”
Buffy jolted awake.
Willow was at her desk working on a project for Monday. “Good morning,” she greeted.
“Call Xander and Anya…tell them to meet us at Giles’”
* * *
:Knock, knock, knock.
Giles walked to the door. He was surprised they were all there so early, and on a Saturday no less.
Xander could smell breakfast from outside. “Well, the early bird does get the worm…whatcha cookin’?”
He welcomed them all inside. “Good morning all, and don’t even think about it Xander, that’s for Michaela whenever she gets up.”
“Well, it’s time for her to get up. Who is she Giles?” Buffy wanted to know the deal now.
“There’s no need, I know who she is…she told me everything last night.”
Buffy was ready. “Ok, spill the beans.”
* * *
“26, 27, 28, 29…30. Ready or not, here I come.” She began to look around the field, but couldn’t find him. She turned her head to see a leg dangling from a near by tree. She ran over to it. “William, that’s no fair. I can’t reach you up there, “ she started pouting as she walked away. He climbed down the tree and ran up behind her.
“Well, it’s not my fault you’re too short to climb up there. Besides, even if you could have gotten up there, I could still out run you to the base rock.”
“You could not,” she spouted back.
“Let’s find out…race ya.” She started running before he could finish the words. “Michaela, you cheater.” He followed her and finally caught up enough to pull her to the ground and inflict his now infamous tickle upon her.
She laughed loudly. “Quit it…” They laid back to look up at the sky.
“What do you think it’s like to die?” she asked.
“I don’t know, maybe like when you can’t catch your breath when you’ve been running.”
“I don’t want to die,” she shouted.
“Ok, then we won’t,” he answered.
“How are we going to do that?” She wasn’t sure how it was possible, but she’d believe anything William would tell her.
“We make a pact…right here. We’re not going to die. We’re going to stay best friends forever and never let the other die. Agreed?” He spit in his hand and held it out for her to shake.
“Agreed!” She shook it and made the pact with him.
She woke up with tears running down her face. She thought to herself, She could hear voices down stairs. She recognized them and got up to join the conversation going on downstairs.
* * *
They all sat in silence after hearing the story Giles had just told him. Buffy was angry and everyone could tell before she even said a word.
“So, she helps a murderous fiend for over a hundred years and if he lives, he gets a big prize? Hmm, anyone else having a problem with this?”
“Buffy, it’s not her fault. You can’t take this out on her.” Willow couldn’t believe the words had come out of her mouth.
Buffy was ready to tell them all how she felt. “Not her fault? She stood by and allowed hundreds of innocent people to die. She’s even aided in the death of two slayers that we know of, and you’re telling me that it’s not her fault?”
Willow had to say what she was feeling. “She was doing it because it was her destiny to do it. The Oracles called her…they chose her. You, above anyone, should know how unfair that responsibility is.” “They could have found someone else…it didn’t have to be her.” Buffy shouted back.
“She’s right…” They all turned around to see Michaela walking down the stairs.
Willow inquired, “She is?”
She continued, “They could have chosen anyone, but I volunteered. I knew what William was capable of…what he could do, but I agreed anyway. I didn’t do it for the good of my mankind or humanity…I did it because…” she stopped when she felt the tears coming.
“You love him.” Willow finished for her.
All Michaela could do was nod.
Buffy snapped back, “and that justifies the killing of people?”
Michaela couldn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Xander would take it from here. “Who are you to talk?”
Buffy wasn’t expecting that. “Excuse me?”
Michaela finally found the strength to pick up where she left off.
“Since when did we become so cavalier about taking out our boyfriend? As I recall, Angelus killed quite a few people before you got the nerve to do the deed. Shall I name a few for posterity sake? Does the name Jenny Calendar ring a bell? Oh yes, didn’t think I would know about that did you? Let me tell you little girl…what Angelus did to her was a walk in the park next to the damage he did with Spike. I knew him before his soul was returned to him the first time, and I knew him when he lost it too. Yes, we aren’t so vindictive when the tables are turned are we? You think you can label me, you think you know me…well, you do. I’m just like you…I love a man who I can never be with. Who is evil through and through. The knowledge that he will be human again is what I used to drive me for all these years. You may think I’m heartless, but I’m not. I wish that he didn’t kill. I wish that I hated him. I wish that I wished him dead.”
That hit Buffy right where she was. She herself had said those words to Angel when he tried to kill himself. She finally was realizing what it was like to be Michaela.
“Do you think I enjoyed it? Every person who I saw pleading and begging for their life, every child who cried for their mother, I saw it all with a blind eye. I just tried to believe that it was for his future good…for the future good of every man, woman, and child that would benefit from this battle. Now, I don’t know what my future is. I believe this prophecy has to do with the fact that Spike can no longer harm humans. This may be the shift in the balance. When I took him before, I was trying to get to the Mochbor passage way to speak to the Oracles. I wasn’t sure if his recent change had been part of his retreat to the good side or not. He may be able to help you fight for good and in that event, you would be the ones protecting him.”
The wheels in Giles’ head were beginning to turn. “Which would make you…” he didn’t realize he had said that out loud.
Michaela simply looked up at him. She knew what he was going to say.
Xander sure didn’t. “Make her what?”
Michaela finally realized her place in the prophecy. “My death will bring the completion of ‘The Balance.’” Now that she realized it, she hung her head. She couldn’t believe that it was true. She had been there all this time and now, her duty was done…it wasn’t fair.
Buffy knew what she had to do. “That’s not going to happen. I’ve thwarted plenty of prophecies, this one is going to be no different. We’ve got to move quickly. I want all of us to concentrate on everything that has to do with this prophecy while the sun is still up. We need to find a way around it. At sundown, I’ll get Spike and bring him back here. Michaela will stay out of sight while he’s here. We’ll keep him so we can protect him against anything out there that may want to take him out.”
Anya finally had a question to ask. “Who’d want to take him out?”
Giles decided to field this one. “More than likely, the forces of evil know about ‘The Balance’ as well. If they can take him out, then they will have the upper hand in this “battle” we’re supposed to engage in sometime in the future.”
Buffy wanted to take back control.
“Everyone got it?”
She got a nod from everyone.
She continued.
“Alright, let’s get to work.”
* * *
Night was approaching and Spike was getting restless in the sewer. he thought to himself. When he wasn’t asleep, he thought about who it was that had captured him earlier in the day and why. He had no clue, but he was prepared to find out as soon as he got the chance.
* * *
As the gang worked into the night hours, Buffy suited up for the hunt. She headed toward the back of the coffee shop. Michaela informed her that this was a favorite hiding place for Spike.
As she got closer, she became more stealth like in her approach. She was about to round the corner when she saw him head up top. She followed him quietly.
Once she stuck her head out of the hole, Spike grabbed her hair. “Why do you insist on following me so you can chain me up like an animal at the zoo?” Buffy held back hitting him off. She knew she had bigger priorities here.
“Spike, listen, I’ve got to take you back…you are in serious danger?”
Spike found that amusing. “Yeah, in danger from you.”
Buffy answered, “No, your in danger of being taken out by who knows what…demons, other vamps…you name it, there’s a price on your head right now.”
Spike was actually pleased to hear that there was a price on his head. “Really? And why exactly would a demon want me dead?”
“Listen, we can discuss all of this back at Giles’apart….”
“Ah, ah, ah, not so fast. We discuss everything right here, right now slayer. Now, I let go of your hair, and you don’t try to kill me. Agreed?”
Buffy thought to herself. “Agreed.”
“So, what’s the deal with my head being on the undead auction block?”
“You’re part of a prophecy that’s about to take place. Your recent inability to perform has more of a meaning than we thought. It seems that you’re not going to be a bad puppy anymore…you’re actually going to be helping us fight in this really big Armageddon like battle sometime in the future. The prophecy is called ‘The Balance.’”
“So, there’s an entire prophecy all about me?” Spike’s head was already growing by that statement.
“No, there’s another player…someone you know. Someone from your past who’s been following you your entire life.”
That threw spike off guard. “Someone from my past, following me?”
“Yes, she’s been protecting you from anyone you ever fought. Every time you beat someone, for the most part, it was because of her.” Buffy felt good informing Spike of this.
“That’s crap…now I know you’re lying. I’ve beaten every human and every slayer all by myself. I don’t need this. You made that up. There isn’t anyone following me.” Spike started to walk away.
“She told me to give you this…she said you would know what it meant.” Buffy pulled a small poppy flower out of her pocket and stretched it out toward Spike. He took it and looked at it.
The only thing he said was a shallow, “Michaela.” He started to become enraged. “How did you get this? How do you know about her? This is really funny Slayer. Nice try. I didn’t think you were heartless enough to stoop to this just to get me chained back up in a bathtub.”
“It’s not a joke. When you turned, she made a deal with The Powers That Be. She allowed herself to become immortal to watch over you. She gave up everything to protect you everyday and every night. She knew that if she protected you, you would some day help us fight an otherwise losing battle.”
Spike still couldn’t grasp it. “Why didn’t I ever see her? If she was there all the time…why didn’t she tell me?”
“She couldn’t. If you ever saw her face, the deal would be broken. She would become mortal again. She’s the other part of the prophecy. If she dies, then ‘The Balance’ is complete.”
Spike wondered what exactly Buffy meant. “If she dies?”
Buffy explained, “We’re doing all we can to prevent that from happening.”
“Why? How is this balance thing supposed to happen if she’s still alive. You can’t be serious? It’s a prophecy…let it happen.”
Buffy was angered by what he had just said. “I should have expected that from you. A cold-hearted demon doesn’t even realize that a woman he used to love has spent the last hundred years saving him. I should have known you’d be ruthless.”
Spike wasn’t going to let her tell him who he was. “You don’t know anything about me slayer. I don’t want her to die. I may be ruthless, but I know what loyalty means.” Buffy was shocked…she was going to speak, but couldn’t find the words.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Alright then, we don’t have much time so let’s hurry.”
They left the alley behind the coffee shop and proceeded to cut through the cemetery to get to Giles’ apartment. As they made their way through the center, they were immediately ambushed by three Lavina demons. Buffy began fighting off two of them by alternating punches and kicks. Spike worked on the third, but he was weak from not having eaten anything for two days. It was after his third hit that Spike realized he wasn’t in pain. He was trying to think of why this was happening. He was done thinking and continued to fight.
* * *
Michaela jolted in her chair.
Xander looked over at her. “Are you ok?”
“He’s in trouble!” she shouted.
She jumped up from her chair and headed for the door. Giles and Xander both tried to stop her, but they each got to see how her early training had paid off by receiving painful blows. She managed to grab her car keys before she reached the door. She ran as fast as she could to her car…she could feel Spike as he fought, and she knew he would lose if she didn’t intervene.
* * *
Buffy was doing fine until the two demons pulled out knives to help aid in their defense. The one Spike was fighting was taking his punches in stride. They weren’t doing much damage to the demon. One of the demons that Buffy was fighting heard screeching tires as a stranger arrived on the scene. He was distracted and this gave Buffy the upperhand as she maneuvered around behind him to snap his neck. she thought to herself.
The demon that Spike was fighting was holding him up in the air by the throat. If Spike depended on air to breathe, he would have been knocked unconscious.
Michaela ran from the car to aid Spike. She kicked the demon from behind. Spike fell to the ground and looked to see this girl deliver a punch to the demon who had just had him in the air. The demon was down. The girl turned around and saw him on the ground. He looked up at her…he saw her face.
Buffy managed to get the knife of the demon she had already killed and was about to impale the second of the three when she saw the third getting up off the ground behind Michaela. She screamed to alert Michaela of what was about to happen. “Nnnnnnnooooooo!!”
Michaela turned around to see the demon now back on his feet.
Buffy killed the second demon with a stab to the heart.
Michaela didn’t feel it go in, but she saw the look on the demons face. She looked down and saw the knife sticking out of her stomach. She turned around to face Spike. He looked at the knife and then grabbed it from where it lay in her gut, and headed straight for the demon. With one quick thrust, he decapitated it. Michaela fell to the ground. Buffy ran over to her, but Spike pushed her out of the way. Spike looked her right in the eye.
“Run for help. You’ve got to get her to a hospital.”
Buffy had never felt as though she could trust Spike until that moment. Something in his eyes reassured her that he would cause Michaela no harm. Buffy took off for the nearest phone to call for help.
Spike knelt over Michaela as she began to cough up blood. He layed down next to her on the ground. He took her hand and looked up at the stars.
“I don’t want to die,” she whispered.
“Ok, then we won’t. We make a pact…right here.”
“How are we going to do that?” She knew it wasn’t possible, but she’d believe anything William would tell her.
“We’re not going to die. We’re going to stay best friends forever and never let the other die. Agreed?”
He spit in his hand and held it out for her to shake.
“Agreed!” She took her now bloodstained hand and shook his to make the pact again.
“Do you love me?” She asked.
“Always and forever my sweet.” He answered. She closed her eyes…
She had been there from the beginning. She was there when he had been changed. She had been there when he had roamed. She had been there all along. Every fight. Every battle. Every bought with a slayer. She was there. Never letting him see her…that was forbidden…but she was there nonetheless, watching over him. She never pictured it ending this way…she never thought she would die in his arms, but that’s what it came to…
* * *
It had been almost a week since that night… Spike had been allowed to stay with Giles, and Giles had allowed him to be there chain free. Spike didn’t talk with anyone about what happened after Buffy left. He would never reveal that he let his human side take control for a fleeting moment. When the ambulance got there, they gave them the story of how someone had tried to rob them but the girl tried to fight them off…she got a knife in the gut for her trouble.
Buffy walked over to Giles who was in the kitchen. “So, has he said anything…talked at all?”
“Nothing…he just keeps playing that record over and over again. He’ll get over it in time. He has a lot to take in right now. Losing Michaela has given him a sense of worthlessness. He also has to deal with making an alliance with us for the future. Just give him time...he'll be back to being Spike in no time.” They stood there and watched him start the record over again. All that was heard that afternoon were the songs haunting lyrics…
“There’s a somebody I’m longing to see…I hope that she… turns out to be…someone to watch over me. I’m a little lamb who’s lost in a wood…I know I could…always be good…to one who’ll watch over me…Won’t you tell her please to put on some speed…follow my lead…oh how I need…someone to watch over me…someone to watch over me.”
The End
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