Chapter 10
It was just before sunrise when Spike found himself standing in front of his childhood home. He still owned the place even though he'd not been back to it either. Over the years, many potential buyers had offered large amounts of money, but he’d never be inclined to take them up on the offer.
He glanced over to Elizabeth's home and noticed that her house remained untouched by time as well. The two houses were remnants of a time forgotten and stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the re-furbished houses around them.
As Spike started to enter the old house, he noticed a light on in the front window of Elizabeth's house. He closed his eyes and concentrated, but he didn't feel her near and then chided himself on the fact that she'd been near for the past hundred odd years and he hadn't felt her then either.
Glancing quickly at the slowly rising sun, Spike quickly hurried over to the front door and knocked loudly. There was a loud thud and then silence, but the noise was all Spike needed.
"Elizabeth, I know you're in there. Open the door, luv," he said as he pounded his fist on the door.
Silence.
"Look, sun's rising and there's gonna be a big ol' pile of dust by th'name of William on yer doorstep if you don' open this door 'cause 'm not leavin'."
The door opened slowly and Spike pushed his hand over the threshold. No barrier. He walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him. It appeared all the windows were conveniently covered already and there was a strange lack of dust that made him wonder how often Elizabeth had been back to visit.
The girl in question, however, was no where to be seen.
Spike wandered through out the first floor of the house. "I read yer journals, most of them anyway," he called out. "Had a nice conversation with Red as well, pounded a few home truths in my head," he chuckled.
The silence was stifling.
"Look, I know that you've changed and I've changed, but...I think that my Elizabeth is still buried somewhere inside Buffy because I sure as hell know that I got William buried somewhere in me, and...well, I would like to get to know Buffy as well, if'll give me a chance...Guess 'm asking if I can court you. Whaddya say, luv? Gonna give me a chance?" Spike stood in the middle of the sitting room, turning slowly as he felt a presence behind him.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth whispered softly.
Spike held up his mother's ring. "I think you forgot something, luv."
Elizabeth turned away from him and he crossed the room to stand in front of her.
"Look at me," he demanded, holding the ring up. "This belongs to you and you alone. No matter what." He grabbed her hand and slid the ring back on her finger. "See, made to fit you."
She turned back to face him, tears running down her cheek.
"Hey, now," he whispered, wiping her eyes. "None of that. We'll work through this."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Something bad is coming," she whispered.
"Nothing that we can't take," Spike reassured her.
Elizabeth let out a loud sob and threw her arms around his neck. Spike wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly to him.
"I've failed you again," she said.
"How's that?"
"The c-curse. Something bad is going to happen...we have twenty four hours...we weren't ever supposed to be together." Her knees gave out and Spike lowered them gently to the floor. "You were the carrot that they dangled in front of me...be-be good girl, 'Lizbeth and he'll come back, but only if you're good or we'll let him d..." she trailed off a moment. "I tried so hard to be good so that you would come back."
"You are good. See, I came back, luv. I found you," he reassured her.
"No," she moaned. "No, no, no. That's the problem. I wasn’t good enough. I’ve done bad things. I’ve killed people. I was who the Powers sent for the battles that Slayers couldn’t handle. I-if you hadn’t been in Sunnydale, then I would have been sent to deal with Glory and the First Evil. That’s what I deal with. And…you didn't find me. She-Faith sent you to me. You didn't find me. You didn't come back to me."
"Don't see what the big deal is, still found out that it's you. Still came back"
Elizabeth pulled back a little to look at him. "But it does matter. You were supposed to come looking for me and you didn't. The curse-it...I was supposed to fight for good alone without my one true love at my side for all eternity. The Chosen One, always alone...but they let me keep my one shred of hope that someday, I would find you again, but-but I couldn't look for you and I couldn't let you know that I was here or it would mean your death...your permanent death." She sobbed loudly. "I am cursed and now I've cursed you too because I-I think that you're going to die in twenty four hours!"
XXX
“This isn’t fair!” Cordelia Chase muttered. “Why are we being forced to play out a bet that we didn’t make?”
Tara shrugged. “W-We weren’t here for the curse either and we still have to honor it. I think it’s sort of like how children are sometimes forced to honor the contractual obligations of their parents.”
“I hate this job! I thought that being part of the First Good would mean that I actually got to do some good, you know?”
Tara nodded. “And I thought that being a part of the First Love wouldn’t include having to keep two people in love apart, but it seems that it’s sometimes the price we have to pay.”
Cordelia sighed loudly and stared off into space. Suddenly, an evil smile lit up her face. “I have an idea,” she announced.
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