Title: Millennium
Author: Kylia
Email: kylia_bug@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don’t know.
Rating: PG13 (for now, although that may change)
Spoilers: Nothing really. The 'past' Sunnydale scenes take place in Dec. 1999. And Spike was helping the Scooby gang.
Category: Willow/Spike
Summary: This is a future Fic.
Distribution: Fire & Ice , Wicth Fanfic , anyone else, ask, and you shall receive

Xander sat on the edge of the couch as he tried to absorb everything Buffy had told him. Giles had been kidnapped. They were using him as ransom for Willow. They wanted her to help them open some portal. They had planned on opening Hell’s Gate.

Xander was about to ask a question when he heard a thump outside of the door. He and Buffy ran over to see what it was. When Buffy opened the door, they found Giles sprawled across the floor, somewhat unconscious.

“Angel!” Buffy yelled into the other room. Both vampires came out, and after seeing Giles, they ran over to help. They laid him across the couch. He looked awful.

“Get him some water.” Buffy told Xander. After a moment, Xander returned with a glass of water. Angel helped him sit up. After he drank from the glass, he gasped, “Willow! They have Willow!”

Angel looked down, “We know.”

Giles was surprised. He didn’t think everyone would be sitting here calm, if they knew that Willow had been taken. “You know?” That’s when he noticed that Spike was pacing around the room, growling. “What happened?”

Angel sighed. “They want her to open Hell’s Gate.” Angel knew that no more need be said.

“Hell’s Gate?” Giles questioned, “but that’s only a myth.”

“No bloody myth!” Spike snapped, “it’s real, and it’s here.”

“And it’s now.” Giles whispered.

“Well what are we going to do?” He asked.

“We, aren’t going to do anything. You and Xander and Buffy should stay here.” Angel told them firmly.

No! There is no way I am going to sit around doing nothing while Willow is in danger!” Xander yelled. He was sick of being told what to do by his friends’ vampire lovers. Before anyone had a chance to respond, Spike walked over to Xander and lifted him off of the floor, and rammed him into the wall, still holding him up. “You listen here, You will do NOTHING to jeopardize Willow’s plan. If you do, the end of the world will be the least of your worries!” Spike growled.

“Spike!” Angel warned, “Put him down!”

Spike dropped the boy to the ground with a loud thud. He turned to Angel, “C’Mon, let’s go peaches, we have a world to save.” Spike ran out of the house, Willow’s book in his hands. Angel started to follow him out, buts topped just before he reached the door, and turned around, “He’s right. Don’t interfere.”

The Present


Willow picked up the telephone with a smile. “Hey. I thought I wouldn’t here from you until tomorrow?” She asked into the line.

The voice on the other end chuckled easily; “Well I wanted to see how things were going back in Sunnydale. How is my favorite Childe?”

“Full” She answered laughing.

“Anyone I know?” Angel asked.

“Not unless your taste as severely diminished, to include the incompetent.” He laughed a little, and then continued in a serious tone, “How are you doing? Has it been difficult?”

“No, but I haven’t had time to think about it.” Willow paused, “When will you be here?” She wanted to change the subject. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t solve any of there current problems.

“Tomorrow, before sunrise.” Angel knew that returning to Sunnydale would be difficult after all these years.

Julien returned to his master, alone. He dreaded telling the master that he was the only one to survive. He didn’t wish to face his wrath.

“m...Master?” He stumbled into the Master’s chamber.

“Have you brought them? Where are the others?” The Master barked. “No… no sir. She killed everyone. I was lucky to escape.

The Master growled, “What happened?”

“They were waiting for us. We were ambushed.” Julien explained.

“Then how is it, you survived?”

“I stayed behind. Travis wanted me to keep an eye out in case we missed them. He was hoping to catch them off guard.” Julien lied.

The master grumbled. “Very well, you may go.”

After Julien had left, he stomped out of his lair, in search of an innocent to kill. When he reached the park, he found two young girls walking around, alone. * Easy pickin's * he thought to himself, as he approached the girls. They didn’t even hear him until it was too late. After he had drained them, and let them fall to the ground, he continued on his way towards the cemetery.

The master had walked through a good portion of the cemetery when he saw a woman in the distance. She was standing in front of a large tomb. He walked over to her. She couldn’t see him because her back was to him. * Is she stupid? Who in their right mind would walk around a cemetery in Sunnydale alone, at night? *

When he had come within a few feet she spoke.

“You shouldn’t have come.”

Silence. Complete Silence.

Willow stood her ground as the master vampire glared at her. She knew she was lucky to still be breathing. She also knew that the master believed she was the key to opening Hell’s Gate.

When she had first learned of Giles’ disappearance, Willow had spent every waking moment researching, trying to find a way to help her mentor. Giles had been more of a father to her than her own father had been.

After several days of searching, Willow had stumbled upon a reference to Hell’s Gate, and she had immediately known that she had found the reason behind Giles’ disappearance.

Hell’s Gate was a portal. A doorway between this dimension and another. But not just any dimension. The doorway led to a world where a powerful evil was imprisoned. For the most part, Hell’s Gate was a myth. It told of a dimension no one had ever seen, of a great evil never witnessed.

However, if there was one thing Willow had learned in her time on the Hellmouth, it was that myths were real. Nothing was impossible.

The more she learned about Hell’s Gate, the less she liked it. The evil that was imprisoned there had amassed great power. If it was allowed to return to this dimension, certain destruction would surely fallow.

Fortunately, the power, which had imprisoned it, made it difficult to free. Difficult, but not impossible. There was a short window of opportunity once every one thousand years, when the portal could be opened. However, it required that a sorceress of great power open the portal. But once opened, only she could close it. But even more than that, the sorceress had to bestow her power onto the next dimension, thereby freeing the evil. Another requirement was that the sorceress be pure of heart and soul, and that she willing released the bonds, which held the dimension in place. It was very rare that once could find a witch with such power, who still was untouched by evil, and willing to release such a creature into the world.

Willow knew that she contained such power. She also knew that her heart and soul had been untouched by the evil she witnessed on a daily basis. She had recently accepted that her role in the world was far more than she had previously believed.

For a long time she thought of herself as someone who couldn’t possibly serve any useful purpose. Her job was to assist Buffy, in any way she could, usually involving research, but not much else. The previous year she had made the conscious decision to remain in Sunnydale and fight evil any way she could. And since that time, Willow had been practicing Wicca with an intensity, which had not gone unnoticed. Willow had sunk herself deeply into the religion. She had realized early on it wasn’t just about magic. She believed strongly in all of its practices. It had helped her to deal with her break up with Oz, as well as help her understand herself better.

She wasn’t the same person she had been when she first met Buffy. She wasn’t the same girl who had fallen in love with Xander Harris, nor was she the same person who had allowed her insecurities to thwart her growth. It taken her a long time to realize that she could be more than she was, and still retain the love and support of her friends. Once she had attained that realization, she felt comfortable in continuing to expand on her abilities.

It was this new Willow, which comprehended the serious nature of the opening of Hell’s Gate. She realized that it was up to her to stop this from happening. But she knew she couldn’t do it alone.

Willow found herself staring into the amber eyes of the Vampire who wanted her to open Hell’s Gate. She wondered if he knew the full extent of the ritual that would banish the evil for all time. She hoped not. Her plan would only work if they were unaware of her actions.

She heard the far door open and two vampires entered. They nodded to the master. Willow realized they were the same vampires who had taken Giles back to Spike’s place. She looked back into the eyes of the demon in front of her, understanding that it was almost time to do what she had promised.

Giles was slowly regaining his strength. He was trying to grasp what Buffy had told him. Willow had willingly let herself be taken, in an effort to free him. That in and of itself meant a great deal to him. However, that wasn’t the end of the witch’s plan. She had found out about Hell’s Gate, and realized that whatever else happened, the vampires could not succeed in releasing the evil trapped there.

A part of him was appalled at the idea that she was risking her life. That she could easily die; would easily die. But another part of him, the part that understood the evil, and had spent his life fighting against such things, that part of him knew she was right, that there was no other way. He just hoped it was enough.

Cymia’ was surprised when she saw the watcher returned to the vampires house. She had never expected the master vampire, Carlos, to let the watcher go. It was then that she realized that the witch had willingly gone to him. She had willingly put herself in a position to open the portal, and in doing so, she would be able to complete the ritual.

Cymia realized that her wait was over. She had spent Millennia waiting for the girl. The one who could banish the evil, permanently. She had never expected it to be this slight creature, but as she watched the witch willingly enter the lair, she new it was time.

She was tired. Her life had lasted far longer than it should have. She had searched the world for centuries, hoping to find the one who could banish the evil. The evil she had imprisoned almost ten thousand years ago. When the world was young and innocent, when evil roamed the earth freely. Before man, before demon, before life had covered the world with it’s plague.

She had lived far too long. Long enough to see the demon rule the Earth. Long enough to see the hybrids emerge. Long enough to see man destroy what it didn’t understand. Long enough to know that the end was near. She would have prayed for death, if she believed in such things.

Instead, she just watched, and waited. Her time was almost over, and another would take her place.

Present Day:


The master Vampire walked closer to the woman. There was something familiar about her. Her back was still to him, and he wondered for a moment if she had really spoken at all.

After a few moments, she spoke again, this time turning around. “You won’t win.” Her voice was soft, yet fierce. He took a moment to take in her beauty. She had fiery red hair, and deep green eyes, and it wasn’t until he looked closely, did he realize who she was, and the truth of her words sank in.

“I will” He told her, although he wasn’t sure. He had spent two hundred years preparing for this day, all the while knowing that it may never come to pass. This creature before him looked to be no more than twenty, but he knew she far older, and wiser than him.

She smiled at him. A smile that lit up the night sky with it’s beauty. And for a moment he allowed himself to believe that everything he had been told, everything he had feared, was wrong. Maybe this woman was not as powerful as he had thought. And then she spoke.

“You must realize that I will not allow you to succeed. You may try, but you will fail.” She turned back around; her back towards him, showing him that she did not fear him.

The demon in him raged at her arrogance. She should tremble at his feet. She should cower before him, and beg for her life. He took a step towards her, and reached out to grab her. In one swift, fluid motion she turned on him. She was only centimeters away, and used their proximity to her advantage. She reached one hand out, grabbing his neck, putting an extreme pressure on his collarbone. He looked into her green eyes, only to see them glowing brightly. At that moment, he realized he was going to die, and his dream would never be realized.

His cold flesh began to burn under her as she felt the power overtake her. The energy that drove her power seeping into his cold, dead flesh. She saw the fear in his eyes, and smiled wickedly. She reached out with her other arm and placed a hand on his chest. She could feel the heat leave her cold body as the power consumed her, sending his dead body into convulsions. After a moment, he sunk to the floor and then disappeared into a pile of dust.

She returned to the tombstone she had been speaking to before he had come. She smiled sadly as she looked down at the name engraved there.

* Buffy Anne Summers *

Present Day


Willow sat and stared at the tomb. It was dusty. No one had come to visit it in too many years. Did anyone even remember who her friend was? She didn’t think so. Almost a thousand years had past since the slayer had died. Since they’d all died. Willow turned slightly to see the graves surrounding that of her long dead friend.

There were four of them. Each a testament to someone who had died for the greater good. Someone who had died so that life could go on. Someone who she wept bloody tears for, even a thousand years later.

Xander Lavelle Harris. He had been her best friend her entire life. Even in death. He could always make her laugh, even if that wasn’t his attention.

Cordelia Chase. She had hated her for most of her life, but had learned to understand her in the end. She was so much more than she appeared.

Anya. She had been a vengeance demon for more than eleven hundred years, until she lost her powers and became mortal. She had fallen in love with Xander. They made an odd couple, but no more so than the rest. The Hellmouth could reek havoc on ones love life.

Rupert Giles. He was her mentor. A Watcher. A Father. A teacher. She missed him greatly.

Only Oz survived. And only because he was a coward. He had run away when things got too tough for him. He had left her, after shagging a she-wolf. He told her he didn’t want to hurt her. He had. But that pain had long since healed. She moved on. Into eternity.

She ran into him once, several years after the change. He had tried to tell her how sorry he was. He wanted to apologize to her. Wanted her to understand why he had left. Wanted her to forgive him. He didn’t even know about the others. He didn’t know that they were gone. He didn’t know she had changed. She killed him, although there was no pleasure in the kill. The nature of her beast made it so.

Would she have gone through with her plan that night if she had known what would happen? She didn’t know. But looking back, she realized that was the nature of destiny. With knowledge, things would have gone differently. But had they gone differently, the world would have changed. She would have changed it.

Willow took one last look at the names engraved in ancient stone and walked briskly through the cemetery, towards home.

Angel drove through the silent streets of Sunnydale, trying to take in all that he could. He was trying to memorize the town. Trying to remember the town as it had appeared when he had been their last.

So much had changed. The buildings were different, the people had changed. But the vibe, that was the same. Sunnydale radiated evil. The Hellmouth kept that part of history alive. He wondered briefly if there was a slayer here, now. And if so, did they know what was about to be unleashed? It had been a thousand years since the portal had been opened. A thousand years since the evil had almost escaped. A thousand years since he had watched his love die.

He remembered how she looked as if he had seen her yesterday. He remembered the single tear she shed as she breathed her last intake of breath. The calm acceptance as her heart beat for the last time. He closed her eyes then, and had been forever haunted with the knowledge that his eternity would be that much longer.

Angel took a deep unneeded breath as he forced his thoughts away from that moment. As he drove down the street, he found himself turning down the road which led to the mansion. He didn’t really expect it to be there after all these years, but he had a sudden desire to see something familiar. Something that would tell him he really had come home.

He parked his car and walked to the place where the mansion had stood. He looked up in wonderment at the building, which now stood before him.

“This is the epitome of irony, don’t you think?” Willow’s voice was soft behind him, as she too gazed at the building.

Angel turned around and smiled at his old friend. “Artificial sunlight? Is there actually a business in that?”

Willow laughed. It was full of humor, “not for our kind.”

Angel laughed as well, as the two friends walked back to Angel’s car.

Willow walked into the hotel, followed by Angel and smiled. “Spike will be pleased to see you.” She pushed the elevator button. “Why don’t you go catch up with him.”

The elevator door opened, and angel stepped in. When he realized Willow wasn’t joining him, he turned around. “Where are you going?”

Willow’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Out. Tell Spike to back his bags. We’re going home.”

Sunnydale December 1999


The room was completely silent. Giles and Buffy were searching through some ancient text for some reference to Hell’s Gate. Xander was trying to decide whether or not he should go after Willow, despite Angel’s warnings. He had just about made up his mind when Anya and Cordelia came walking into the large house. Anya was carrying a large book, which appeared to be older than she was, and Cordelia was holding some sort of weapon Xander didn’t recognize. It had a long handle with indentations on either side. A stone was placed on one end, secured by nothing as far as he could tell. The other end was curved and had an odd looking metal protruding from it.

“We got it!” Cordelia seemed pleased with herself.

Giles lifted himself off of the couch. “Is that it? Are you sure?”

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Yes, but according to the book, it’ll only work if the portal is never opened. Once opened only the sorceress can close it.”

“How’s it work?” Buffy asked, anxious to be able to have something to fight, or at least something to fight with.

Anya grabbed the weapon out of Cordelia’s hands, swinging it around like a baton. There were several near misses with the metallic end, before Anya lifted it over her head and twisted it so that the metallic end was behind her and the end with the large stone was facing the rest of the room.

“If you take this through the entrance to the portal, before it is opened, the stone will collect all the energies which are being displaced, giving someone enough time to perform the ritual.” She set the weapon down along the table with a thud. “However, if the portal has already been opened…”

“Only the sorceress can close it. We know.” Xander supplied. Anya rolled her eyes.

“Yes, but, even more than that, this weapon becomes a liability. It will help to draw the evil out. So if the portal has already been opened, you must destroy this.” Anya looked to each one of the people in turn to make sure they understood the gravity of the situation.

“I thought it couldn’t be destroyed?” Giles asked. He was dealing in an area, which he had believed to be myth, therefore he was unprepared.

“That’s partially true. It’s not the weapon itself that is protected. Just the stone. But, like the portal itself, there is a small window of opportunity once every one thousand years. The problem is that if you wait too long to destroy the stone, the portal is opened, and the evil released, but if you destroy it too soon, you risk not being able to use it to displace the energy.”

“So either way, we die.” Cordelia’s words were never truer.

“Shall we begin?” Willow turned to look at the vampire on her left. He grunted in response. She directed a handful the master’s minions to different areas of the room, hoping that they wouldn’t ask her too many questions about what she was doing.

She sat down in the middle of the floor, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, which she hoped wouldn’t be her last.

After several moments, she opened her eyes, to find five vampires staring at her expectantly. Each one at a specific point. She watched at they past a bowl around. As the bowl came before each demon, they dropped several drops of blood into the bowl. When they were finished, the master handed the bowl to her. She added a few items to the bowl, and watched a thin green-blue smoke rise. She then set the bowl down while she picked up a knife. She took the sharp blade of the knife and made an even slice across the inside of her hand. Once the blood started to flow, she held it over the bowl, watching at her blood mixed with the smoke.

After a few seconds, the smoke started to ripple. It seemed to be taking solid shape, and then, in an instant, it was gone. She was the only one close enough to see the transformation. She smiled.

“Done. Now we may proceed.”

Angel and Spike stood outside of the master’s lair, listening.

“Okay, she has started the ritual.” Angel told his childe.

“How much time to we have?”

“”I’m not really sure. Maybe an hour?”

Spike growled.




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