Chapter 12
A Game of Chance
Warning: Character Death
As Spike entered the Summers home he saw Giles and pulled the Watcher aside. "Rupert, I need a favor."
"What do you need Spike?" Despite the recent changes, the Watcher remained wary of the soulless vampire.
"Need some help, don't I," Spike said nervously. "Have no bloody idea where to find this lurky demon." Spike nearly sputtered with nervousness
"Why would you need this demon?" Giles asked.
"Why to get a bloody soul!" Spike looked at the Watcher as if he were insane.
"My dear... uhhhm... vamp, I have several spells in my library alone that a vamp can use to regain his soul. The problem never has been the getting a soul; it's always been finding a vamp that would want one," Giles said. He fought the need to take off his glasses and polish them.
"But..." Spike stuttered.
"Let me guess. The trial and mortal combat for a soul more appeal to your warrior demon?"
"Well yeah, but if I can get one without leaving her." Spike smiled, realizing that he and the other Englishman were on the way to becoming if not friends then at least firm allies.
Xander was out like a light in the other room as Spike patched William's injuries in the kitchen.
Young William was retelling his tale for the third time. His youthful enthusiasm was almost more than Spike could take. Of course, a large part of the vampire's annoyance stemmed from the fact that this he had managed to miss the fight, but still. The women in the room were another matter.
Spike had learned long ago that women loved to wait until you thought you were on top of the world before ripping the rug out from under you. Judging by the looks the two Buffys were sending the boy and how Nana Joyce was being a tad bit rough in bandaging the boy, Spike knew the poor sod was unknowingly heading to be well buggered.
"Then Uncle Spike, I gutted the wanker and yanked out his uranium core. It was bloody cool!" If the boy's enthusiasm was a bit much for him, Spike KNEW the lad was in trouble. Best let the boy figure it out for himself.
The boy's mum stepped out of the living room her arms across her chest, her eyes a frosty shade of pale.
"Soooo," Older Buffy started, as she drank a cup of coffee. "You knowingly sneaked out, away from any possible backup, into a top secret government lab, and attacked a creature that had defeated both of your parents before?"
"Oh yeah," William said gleefully not catching the glint in his mom's eyes.
"You snuck out without even telling anyone where you were going?" Joyce asked the next question.
William's head jerked up suddenly, understanding finally dawning in his blue eyes. "Uhhhmmm, about that...." Looking toward the young version of his mother first, William sought a silver of hope, but he saw she was obviously waiting for her turn. He then glanced to his Uncle Spike, eyes pleading.
"No chance mate. You're a great son, but you're bloody hell on your own," Spike answered, as he moved towards the door cigarettes in hand.
"Ahhhh Bloody hell. Joy's right, you're a sellout," William whined.
Spike stopped for a second turning to look back at the boy while slowly putting a cigarette in his mouth. His smirk which alit on his face was truly evil. Snorting, he quipped, "Mate, I'll give you some advice my dad gave me. The more women in a room, the quieter a sane man is." Dropping the kernal of wisdom, Spike stepped out into the night.
Spike's mate sat down at the table with the defendant in this mockery of a trial, her smile pasted on. "So," Younger Buffy started. "What weapons did you use?" Her eyes mockingly polite.
"The Magic devices Aunty Wills prepared for us."
"The ones Erin had?" Elder Buffy's quiet voice would have deceived many, but William KNEW then he was in deep shit.
"Yeah, I... uhhm... picked her pockets?"
"So if your younger, smaller, baby sister had needed them, she would have what? Died in battle?" Joyce asked arms on her hips.
William visibly shrank into himself. "I only wanted to help?"
"YOU stole. Not just stole just anything, you stole something from your sister?" Younger Buffy asked.
"Did you think to make sure they still worked?" Elder Buffy asked. "After all we have no idea how Time Travel effects magic devices."
"Mum, you know I can't do magic... only Erin can." Mere seconds after he said it, William looked up into the eyes of his Inquisition and knew he had just gotten himself in deeper. 'Bugger,'he thought. 'Might as well tell the whole truth.'
"They shot Joy." The boy's eyes flooded. "I saw them, but I was chained up and couldn't help her."
"Oh my baby." Elder Buffy had her son in her arms trying to comfort him.
(On the Back Porch, Spike and Erin)
""Awww man Will is stupid." His younger sister giggled as she sat down next to her 'Uncle' Spike.
"And how would you do it pidge?" Spike asked her.
"But mum...." The bit's face suddenly teared up. "I was so scared I would never get out." Spike watched with amazement as honest to goodness tears ran down Erin's face before she suddenly smiled up at him.
"Awww soddin hell pidge, that's cheatin," he said, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
Overhearing the conversation in the kitchen, Erin jumped up and was through the door in a flash.
(Back in the kitchen)
"I'll kill him!" the youngest Summers swore with tears in her eyes. Erin stood trembling just inside the doorway, her long, black trench coat seemed strangely out of place on the crying child. "I'll kill 'em and eat his heart!" She then found herself in her mother's and brother's arms the next second. The small, Dawn-look-alike sobbed uncontrollably.
"She isn't dead sweet bit," William began. "She's hurt bad, but I can still feel her. Can't get to her, but I can feel her."
"He's a bloody dead man walkin'," Spike said as he pulled his Buffy to him. While his voice was as cold as ice and his face was devoid of emotion, Spike's anger ran nuclear. The idea of someone hurting a daughter of HIS, even if she were some future version had his demon screaming to be let out. His mind began working at break neck speed.
Younger Buffy pulled away from Spike. "We don't kill humans," she stated, her voice strong with conviction.
"Oi, I'll leave off hunting and feeding, and I'll bloody will play the white hat. But bloody hell you hurt one of mine and I kill you, human or not," Spike proclaimed, looking her in the eyes.
"I guess that is one reason that this won't work. Angel wouldn't kill him," Younger Buffy said as she moved further from him.
Before Spike could react Xander was in the doorway still bald and bruised. "So him torturing me is what? Alright? Him holding a woman as a sex slave should be forgotten? Damn Buffy, the guy has to die."
"He tortured my son and shot my oldest daughter..." Older Buffy began. "He tortured Angel and Connor, whose Angel's son, for months before we found them. He killed Faith. Should we what?? Turn him into the authorities that he WORKS for?"
"He plans on raping Joy the next time he sees her," Xander added in a small voice blaming himself. The responding growl from William was truly scary.
"Kill him." The surprising words came from Joyce Summers mouth, her voice laden with emotions. "You have to."
"MOM?" Buffy nearly screamed.
"Buffy, either he dies or all of us do. He has already tortured William and Xander and killed Faith. What else can we do?"
"There has to be another way," Younger Buffy said still with the same conviction.
"This is the way of the world Slayer." Spike twisted her title with uncontrolled anger before stepping close and whispering in her ear. "And the next time I see Peaches, he's bloody dust." He stormed out of the house, duster flaring.
"William?" Elder Buffy said, pointing to the fading form of his uncle. The young man took the hint and followed Spike into the night.
"You know Buffy, I hate the evil dead. But the strangest thing happened when I found out that bastard was hunting YOUR kids. I was damn relived to know that Spike was the daddy. I knew he'd be dust and Riley would be dead before these military guys got to you or the kids." Xander stated before walking back into the living room.
"What?" Younger Buffy nearly screamed in frustration. "I'm not on trial here."
Her mother shook her head then headed upstairs.
(Around 5:30 AM, Summer's home)
Spike and William reentered the house quietly, bypassing the younger slayer on the couch, to wake up the elder Slayer and Erin upstairs, As the two females came down, Spike only debated with himself for a moment before shaking Xander awake and dragging the boy out with him.
Younger Buffy waited a few moments before she rose to follow them. Part of her was furious that they hadn't woken her, but a part of her was relieved. She knew intellectually that this Finn guy had to die, but everything in her was revolted by the idea. It was strange; she knew Angel was here and that there was a good chance that Spike would dust him, but she had no feelings of revulsion for that. Actually her Slayer side gloried in it. The darker side to her soul wanted blood and retribution from the arrogant asshole. Then why did she feel the need to protect this Riley Finn?
As Buffy followed the group, she felt Spike's anger at her through their link. She tried sending loving vibes to soothe his demon, but Spike retaliated by sending her an image of him repeatedly staking Angel then ripping off his head. *Snort* Buffy waited till he had finished the thought again then sent him an image of her naked, jumping him and yelling "My hero!" For some reason Spike saw this as neither funny nor arousing.
"Bloody evil bint," Spike said suddenly seemingly from out of nowhere.
"What?" Xander asked
"She's sending me bloody annoying images," Spike replied as Xander stood with his mouth hanging open.
"You started it," Elder Buffy answered him.
"You can see them?" Spike asked sheepishly.
"No, but I can feel you doing it," she said.
"What were you sending her?" Xander asked, beginning to get angry that Spike of all people could do that with Buffy.
"Was sending her images of me killing the poofter. Had a bloody good one ready to go, too. Me cutting off the poofter's head with an axe then staking him with the handle." Spike sighed dreamily.
"Can you send me that one it sounds fun?" Xander asked also smiling.
"Then, THEN the bloody bint sends me one of her naked, tackling me to the ground, kissing me and yelling 'My hero.' Was soddin' disturbing."
Xander retreated behind William. "Are they always like this?"
"Mate, just stay away from them right after the battle." William sighed. "Something a bloke really doesn't need to know. Like the fact that his parents still have sex." Erin nodded sagely.
Young Buffy was beginning to become scared of herself as she trailed along behind the group containing her Mate. What the hell was happening to her? She hated Spike, always had, always would. Her Slayer side began to growl at her. She loved Angel, only Angel. True, he had betrayed her, but he had had her best interest at heart, right? Her Slayer side was in a rage now demanding Angel's slow death. But Buffy was stronger than the demon within. She had a soul, like Angel, not like her soulless evil demon of a mate.
Buffy felt actual pain as her Slayer side defended its mate even from herself.
Buffy went to her knees denying even as her slayer side attacked. The Master hadn't beaten her, the Mayor hadn't beaten her, even her one true soul mate, her beloved Angelus, hadn't been able to defeat her. There was no way in hell that Spike and her own over active imagination would be able to best her. Buffy wiped her eyes and saw to her horror that her hands came back bloody from her own blood tears.
(In the Cavern's beneath the old High School)
Angel raised his head and smiled evilly. Spike may have claimed her, but his precious Buffy hadn't truly shut him out. Even under this blindingly, amateurish attempt at torture, Angel had been able to sneak in his thoughts to the love of his life's mind and remind her of the truth. It wasn't something he liked to do, but he WAS the one true champion and sometimes the ends justified the means. Spike was dust. There was no way in hell his unruly grandchilde would survive the night. By morning Angel's mark would be firmly in place back on his one true soul mate's neck even if he had to rip her mind apart to do it.
Riley stared at the grin on Angel's face and shuddered. Why was the only thing he and Spike had in common was the fact that both saw the evil lurking in Angel? Everyone else saw him as some kind of damn champion. Oh, Riley hated Spike alright, but if he was honest with himself, Riley knew he wasn't some pure innocent lamb himself. He had sacrificed his own morality and humanity in his mission. He understood the depths of his own insanity. However, Angel rationalized everything he did; if he slaughtered an entire country, he would then explain it all away by saying it was for the greater good. The worst part was that everyone would pat Angel on the back afterwards and thank him for his acts of villainy.
"They're coming," one of Riley's cyber minions announced.
"Set up our getaway. We aren't strong enough to beat them," Riley told them. If this worked as he hoped it would, Angel would be stupid enough to kill Spike and then Buffy would kill Angel. His grin was malicious.
Young Buffy didn't catch up with the others. She stayed just out of sight as they neared the school. However, she did get close enough to see her hated "Mate" put a ring on. Why was that important? What was she forgetting? Or, rather, what was her slayer side hiding from her memories?
Spike felt his mate just on the edge of his vision. He felt her fear and her pain, and he knew exactly what she was going through. Angelus had played the same mind games with him before. Only giving in completely to the demon would break the thrall, but Buffy wasn't likely to do that. Spike understood that his own demon wouldn't be happy till either the poofter was dead or he was.
William felt the tension between his "Uncle Spike" and his mate. He had no idea what was going on, as he took his sister's and his Uncle Xander's hands. Then with them in tow, Shadow slid them into their attack position.
Elder Buffy realized what was happening, and vowed that if she got there first, Angel would be dust in the wind.
Spike knew what he had to do, so he prepared himself his own vision to send to his mate.
Standing closely to his soldiers, Riley watched as the group entered. His ace in the hole resided behind the door of all places.
"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, did you really think I would fight fair?" Riley said to a fuming Elder Buffy as she entered with Spike at her side. "Goodbye my love parting is such sweet bullshit." And withh those parting sentiments, Riley and his soldiers faded from view.
She felt him moving before he got to Spike but not soon enough to help. Too late, she saw Angel driving a stake into Spike's back. William's responding growl would have been enough to cause the Master to cower in fear. But, the sound from farther up the corridor made the Elder Buffy cringe. Turning, she saw that her younger self had entered the cavern.
The very first thing Young Buffy witnessed upon entering the cavern was her mate turning to dust. She felt herself letting go as the pain overcome her. For the first time since Sinyea's times, the Slayer went into full demon mode. Her anger so great that all there understood true fear.
Spike was dead, and there would be hell to pay.
THE END
Well there is an epilogue and then book two :P