Karma
by Redwulf

The Beta work was painstakingly provided by Spikeslovebite.

Karma chapter 2a.
Pain Game

August 2005

Spike set the computer up in the living area of his one room apartment. Being a champion didn't have the best benefits, but he could sleep knowing he was doing the right thing.

Of course his girls would have put him up somewhere better, but love’s bitch refused to be a kept vamp, even if it was the Goddesses of Love that wanted to keep him . His guardian, Nikki Wood, lived in the apartment across the hall.

The hideously green couch was taken from an Eselen Demon's lair, it was ugly as homemade sin, but it was a place to sit. His TV was a small, thirteen inch black and white model that could barely pick up cable. The bed was an old army cot. It suit his purpose; wasn't like he had any offers to sleep over, anyway. The one he loved had made it perfectly clear where she stood, and her friends were even worse. Xander Harris had delighted in calling him a rapist. One weak moment while he was soulless and he was branded for life. He got that; he really did. Sex offenders were the worst kind of human trash and Spike knew he wasn't even human.

All in all, despite having spent fifty years in a hell dimension of his own choice defending humans, he hadn't earned forgiveness and he never would. He had exactly three friends—one a slayer he had killed, the second was that slayers son and the third was the son's wife. They were too good for him.

He plugged in the computer he had stolen from a vampire’s lair and attempted to do the one non-evil thing that he had always wanted to do. Write. Not poetry. He knew he would never be a great poet, but maybe, just maybe, he could write fiction; heartbreaking, angsty-hero type fiction. He knew how to do that, he hoped

Bloody hell. He had lived better when he was evil.

~*~*~

Sub-part
Through the Looking Glass

August 2034

Buffy Anne Summers floated. Her life- even when she was dead- sucked. It could be worse, though. Xander could be here ranting about the evil undead rapists.

It was almost funny. Xan was fifty-three now. He had a great job, two working legs, and no one ever dated him more than twice. Shouldn't that have given him a clue? But, no. Somehow, it was all Spike's fault. Really, he had preached the same sermon for so long that Buffy new each word verbatim. For some ungodly reason, he had this stupid idea that at some point she would come to her senses and suddenly look at him and say, ‘Oh my God, Xander! You are perfect! I need an overbearing, overweight, one-eyed, bald man as my fella. Whatever did I see in Spike all those years ago?’

The world around her moved strangely and smoke-like clouds filled the air. One half of the sky was bright blue with puffy white clouds, while the other side was the deep, velvety black of midnight, complete with stars. It was as if, for once in her life, she truly was the center of everything. She knew better, though. Thirty years in a wheelchair had taught her the painful fact that she revolved around the world, the world didn't revolve around her.

"Oh God, I get it! The sky represents Spike and I." She looked amazed at her own discovery. "The light is me, and it’s connected to the night that is Spike."

"Annnnnnnk! Wrong answer, but thanks for playing,” a male voice spoke out behind her.

"Oh, she doesn't get partial credit?" This was a woman's voice and as Buffy turned, she saw a voluptuous blonde about Buffy's own height. "I mean, it does represent her and Spike."

"True,” A second woman's voice spoke out of the darkness. “But why would she think our William was the darkness? Is it because he is a vampire? Our William has always been effulgent. Hasn't she figured out yet that it is 'WHO’ you are, not 'WHAT’ you are that matters most?”

"OUR William is perhaps the greatest warrior of all time." A tall, black haired man with a goatee and dressed in black leather stepped into the light.

"Wait, you're that guy that played on TV. Ares, right?" Buffy asked trying to work her brain around what she was hearing.

"Yeah, I’ll get you an autograph later." He flashed a smirk so arrogant, so self important, it made Spike's look humble.

"So Spike and I were made for each other?" Buffy noticed that there were two other women standing behind Ares and the tall blonde. From her years of study, she was pretty sure it was Aphrodite and Venus and they were arguing about… nail polish?

"Annnnnnnk! Wrong again. YOU were made for Spike. You were his reward for changing sides,” thundered Ares. Buffy had a few theories about her and Spike, but most, if not all, dealt with her being able to lure him to the light by showing her own purity.

"But fair Freya had help from dumb and dumber making you." Ares pointed with his thumb at the arguing air-head goddesses then shrugged his shoulders, his sarcasm like a knife.

"Hey! We didn't think she would buy Angel's shit,” Freya defended herself and her fellow love goddesses.

"Oh, yeah." Ares then turned towards Buffy and broke into fake tears. "Buffy, I'm so sowwy. I didn't mean to rape and torture my way across Europe. I didn't have a soul. Sob, sob."

"Okay, Angel was trying to find redemption." Buffy automatically defended him.

"Oh, yeah. Right. You wanna know the worst kept secret in history, Slayer?" Ares snorted. Buffy nodded at him. "You want ‘redemption’ all you have to do is ask. Change your ways and don't do it again. Throw in a little penance and serve up as needed.”

"Angel was trying to do the right thing,” Buffy said quietly.

"Angel was trying to make the easy thing seem right to everyone else!" he thundered.

"Enough!" Freya yelled. "We get it, Ares. You hate Angel for brooding."

"He doesn't brood, he whines,” Ares mumbled. "Whole diffrent vibe."

"I was made for Spike?" Buffy asked a note of whining in her voice.

"Yeah, and they added the dumb blonde gene in twice,” Ares groused.

~*~*~

September 2034

Betrayal. It ran so deep that Spike couldn't breathe. For thirty years he had trusted the former slayer and loved her like a sister. He had saved the life of her son, his wife, and the slayer’s grandson more times than he could count. The night that Robin, Faith, and Nicholas Wood had been killed, Spike himself he had been hospitalized for three months recovering from the injuries he’d received while trying to defend them. He had grieved with her over their deaths and hunted beside her to destroy the monsters that had killed them. For thirty years, she had been his best friend.

It took her thirty seconds to sell him out.

"You want me too what?" he asked her. His eyes echoed the pain in his heart.

"Spike, the slayer line is dead,” Nikki Wood answered him. "If someone doesn't go back and alter time, then human life on Earth is over. For good." Nikki prayed that he would understand that this was for the greater good and she was only asking because he was the only chance they had. Never did she want to hurt the souled vamp that had become her best friend.

"Great, luv, I get that." Spike ran his fingers through his pitch black hair. "But why does it have to be me? Haven't I bloody suffered enough being the Powers’ bitch?" He knew she was right but the pain in his chest was almost overwhelming and he nearly burst into unmanly tears.

"Spike." She asked the tears in her own eyes mirroring his. "We could save Robin and Faith." She played her trump card. “And little Nicholas, Spike. We could have him back.”

"But, I'd have ta see..." His voice trailed off. He couldn't even begin to finish it.

"You’d have to watch Buffy fall in love with Angel?" she asked sympathetically. "If you want, I could dust him."

"Might take you up on that, luv. Might take you up on that."

~*~*~

Three months prior to BtVS Season One
1997 Somewhere in Prague

Dru was dying and there wasn't a bloody thing he could do about it. The love of his unlife lay before him, her life draining from her. When she was gone he would walk into the sun.

"You have a choice, you know," a woman's voice said from an ever increasing light in front of him. It took him a while to place it.

"Bloody hell! Nikki Wood, as I don't live and breath." Spike moved into a fighting stance. At least if she killed him it would be an honorable death.

"I can heal her completely, but if I do, you must give me something." The woman's brown eyes bored into his.

"What do you want?" Spike asked knowing the deal was already done.

"Your life."

~*~*~

Three days later.
1997 A luxurious villa in Rome.

"Sir! Sir, we can't stop them!" The seven foot tall green demon screamed and fell across the table where a swarthy, beady eyed man ate his breakfast. The man, Antonious Lisgouini- better known as The Immortal- folded his morning paper and rose gracefully to his feet. He lit his cigar and moved to wait in the small garden in the blazing morning sun.

A second green demon flew through the fence, crashing into the table and destroying it. Antonious looked down at his second dead body guard and began chanting a protection spell.

"Hello, mate." Spike sauntered in, his duster flaring around him. "Long time no kill."

The Immortal began to relax, obviously considering this demon beneath him. They had a history, and he had always managed to triumph over the blonde vamp before. Why should now be any different? He oozed confidence.

“ 'He cannot die by poison, nor blow, nor metal from the Earth. Only that which he has already eaten may kill him',” Spike quoted. From his hand flew one tiny projectile that pierced The Immortal’s heart, killing him instantly. “You really should watch those drunken feasts, Morty." Spike smirked as he lit up a cigarette. "Swallowing a chop whole and then puking up the bone leaves a bloke with a killing weapon."

A second figure this one femine also dressed in Black on Black walked out to join Spike. "You enjoyed that entirely to much." She said as she looked around for more possible enemies.

"After more than thirty years, you should have known I would Nikki."

~*~*~

Two months and three weeks prior to BtVS Season One
1997 An Opulent castle in Transylvania.

"Ahhhh, Villiam." The bluish corpse called Dracula spoke in his nasally effeminate voice as he stared down his nose at our hero. "Vhere is your lovely Sire?"

"Got tired of the loony bint,” Spike said as he and a gorgeous, dark-skinned female walked into the decaying throne room. "Or hadn't you heard?" He lit a smoke and slipped his arm around the duster clad woman beside him. She looked up at Dracula in human face but with glowing feral yellow eyes. "Turned a slayer a decade or two ago. Took a lot of time to break my Childe in proper like."

“You turned a slayer?” It was easy to see the hunger and lust in the pale, translucent face of the count. He was impressed in spite of himself. "I vish to sample her. Or are you afraid of vonce again losing a voman to me?" The arrogance of his words far outweighed his complete lack of any attractive qualities.

Nikki Wood could barely suppress the shudder that threatened at the idea of this monstrosity touching her.

"Your funeral, mate." Spike took a long drag on his smoke and motioned the former slayer turned guardian angel forward. He stepped back among Drac's equally grotesque brides, smirking as they tried to avoid touching him. They made no attempt to hide their jealousy as they watched their dark master.

"YOU ARE MINE," Dracula droned staring into Nikki's eyes as he tried to work his thrall.

"No, nononononono," she said. Her eyes dropped to stare at the floor and her shoulders slumped.

"Bwahahahahahahahahaha!" Dracula laughed and slipped his arm around the woman, smiling triumphantly at William the Bloody. "And vonce again I have stolen your voman, Villiam!”

Unbeknownst to prancing, posturing legend in his own mind, Nikki Wood stepped up behind him and with a flick her Bic, set his dainty hair on fire. His speech ended in a scream as he went up in a fireball.

"It's the twentieth century, asshole!” Nikki said to the non-reforming dust of the former rotting corpse known as Count Dracula. “When a girl says no, it means no."

Before they can even blink, the brides are doused with lighter fluid and set alight with Spike’s treasured Zippo.

“All those bloody movies and no one got it,” he mused. “Behead the bastard or stake him and he just comes back, but set him on fire and he's as dusty as the next vamp.”

~*~*~

Two months prior to BtVS Season One
Back-assed corner of bum fucked Africa

"Okay, Lurky, get your bony, throw-back carcass out here. It’s past bloody time someone dusted your good for nothing, Turok-han arse." Spike stood alone in the same caves where he had fought for and won his soul. He knew now why he had received his soul, just as he knew now what had given it to him. He also understood that this demon would one day try to use Spike's soul to destroy the entire Slayer line. He had done it once with the help of the Immortal and Dracula, so in this new timeline, Spike would end him first.

"You, halfling?" The demon asked. "YOU think you are my equal?" The Turok-han had spent several thousand years away from the First Evil and both his intellect and his power had grown in its time on Earth. It was said that even the Powers That Be feared him.

"Equal?" Spike laughed, the sound deep and full bodied. "Let’s just say I am the bloody Lennox Lewis to your Evander 'the wanker' Holyfield, and you won't be getting a rematch, mate." Spike dove into battle with a howl of pure glee.

The fight lasted twelve days.

This is a Spike-centric story and only chapter two, do I really need to tell you who won??

~*~*~

One month, two weeks prior to BtVS Season One
1997 New York City, New York


Bernard Crowley, the closest thing that Robin Wood had to a father, sat counseling his dead Slayer's son on letting go of the need for revenge. He knew Nikki would have wanted her son as far from the vamps as she could get him, but nothing he said could convince the boy to stop hunting for the monster that killed his mom.

The sudden knocking on the door halted their argument before it could get very far. Joel went quickly to open the door. He nearly had a stroke as his long dead slayer dragged a bleach blonde across the threshold and demanded first-aid supplies. Only the obvious need of the man she dumped on his couch stopped his questions. Once they had stopped the bleeding, she laid her hands upon the man and began chanting. Almost immediately, a large portion of his injuries were miraculously healed.

"Mom?" Robin asked his voice catching in his throat. "Where have you, who is he...?"

"That?" Nikki answered with a grin, “That's my killer, William the Bloody. Slayer of Slayers."

Her son and Watcher both moved with stakes towards the unconscious vamp. To their chagrin, Nikki stayed between them and the nearly dead figure. "Uh uh." She said in a gentle sing song voice. She looked at her son, her love glowing in her eyes. "Baby, can mama bear tell you a story?"

Her son nodded.

"Thirty years ago, or nine years from now, the Powers That Be were looking for a guardian angel for a vampire that had sought his own soul to become the champion of the Slayer line. That guardian angel was me and the champion? Well, that was Spike here."

"You two are from the future?" Her former watcher asked.

"Yes, Bernard, and we might have already have saved the world." She smiled at her friend brightly. "Aren't you proud?"

~*~*~

The night prior to BtVS Season One

"So, instead of being dead, I still have things to do? Again?" Buffy was not pleased. "When can I rest?"

"You won't be really there,” Ares said trying to placate her. "The ‘past’ Buffy will be in control most of the time. She will think YOU are her slayer side when you come out to play, and your life will seem like a slayer dream to her. You have to guide her to do the right thing. When you get her firmly on the right track, you get to move on or stay, your choice.”

"So I’m just… what? A voice in her mind?” At Freya's nod, Buffy shuddered.

"Buffy, suicide is a grave sin. Usually an eternity in hell would be your punishment," Freya said sternly.

"And seeing Spike and not having him isn't??"

"Who said you can't have him?" A voice floated after her.

~*~*~


Chapter 2b
It Begins...again

Buffy woke after harrowing dreams, her body stiff and sore. At first she had no idea what was going on, then as she stretched she realized she was moving her legs.

Her freakin’ legs!

Without conscious thought, her fingers moved to her clit. For the first time in thirty years there was feeling there and it took her less than a minute to give herself the biggest orgasm she could remember that hadn't come from Spike.

As she came down from her high and looked around, she was surprised, but not as much as she should have been. She was in her bedroom in Sunnydale, in the bed that Spike should have, but never had shared with her. Hearing movement outside her closed door, she shot up and jerked on her clothes. She opened the door and there they were.

Tears flowed down her face as she dragged first her mom and then Dawn into a hug. Her family was alive again. When she noticed her mom's strange look, she forced out, "Nightmare. You and Dawn were dead and I was all alone."

Buffy blinked a few times wondering where all of that had come from. It felt odd. It felt slayer-y. Damn, she needed a watcher

Her mom just hugged her tighter. “Buffy, its all right. It’s just depression from having to start at a new school, but I am sure Sunnydale will be good for all of us."

Dawn looked over at her and mouthed ‘freak!’ and then ran into her room and shut the door. This was familiar ground for the young slayer. "Hey pumpkin belly, you want me to pick you up from scchool?" Teasing Dawn was old hat

Then Buffy went completely stiff. First day at Sunnydale High? Oh shit… she was in hell.

~*~*~

Principle's office later that morning

Principle Flutie sat behind his desk going over Buffy's record.

"It isn't that bad,” Buffy told him. She felt her slayer side coming up to take over and as nervous as she was, she let it.

"You burned down the gym, Buffy,” Flutie answered.

"No, I allegedly burned down the gym. If I weren't under age, or if my parents hadn't been afraid of the bad publicity, I would have sued them. Slander and libel. As a matter of fact, I’ve already been in touch with an attorney about it,” Buffy answered in a smooth voice. Inside, Buffy smirked. When did she get this cool? Damn, she liked it!

"Uhhhhmmmm, you’re going to sue them?" Flutie asked nervously.

"Thinking about it,” Buffy answered with a cheeky grin. "After all, this is America and I’m innocent until proven guilty."

"Of course you are, Ms. Summers." Mr Flutie then pulled the report from her folder and tore it up. "That is one of our fondest beliefs here at Sunnydale High." He got up and quickly escorted her to the door. "Please have a nice day."

Buffy's smile was pure malice as she left. She was soooo on a roll!

~*~*~

In the hallway

As Buffy walked out, she ran right into another student. The entire contents of her purse spilled out onto the floor. "Ever have one of those days?" she asked the other girl.

"Only every other day,” the girl replied before hurrying off.

‘Cue Xander,’ Buffy thought even as Xander rushed up to help her. Buffy had already decided that Xander made a great friend as long as she kept him in line.

"Can I have you?" he blurted out.

Buffy snorted at him. "Not hardly. I’m dating an older English guy named Spike, and he’s kinda possessive." Now where had the lusty thoughts for some bleached blonde guy come from, and why could she see herself having sex with him?

"I meant, can I help you." Xander was blushing now.

"No problem, most girls would be honored." She tried for the polite track. "And yes, you can help."

"You don't know me, do you?" Xander asked plaintively, almost whining.

"Nope. I'm Buffy and I'm new. You know, not all girls are straight up bitches," she answered. "My guy wouldn't exactly be popular here, too much leather and attitude, but hey I love him." More nasty sex images. Damn! What the hell? But she was liking them a lot, because the blonde? Totally drool worthy!

"Hi, I'm Xander," he told her.

"Nice to meet you, and thanks," Buffy said as she stood up. "See you later."

"Great."

~*~*~

Classroom

The teacher was droning on and on. “It's estimated that about twenty-five million people died in that one four-year span. But the fun part of the Black Plague is that it originated in Europe… how?”

Buffy wondered where the teacher got the idea that the plague was germ warfare when it was obviously an attack by a Pericoch demon on Rome for killing his entire species. The rest of Europe only suffered by accident.

“As an early form of germ warfare. If you'll look at the map on page sixty-three, you can trace the spread of the disease into Rome, and then north...”

Buffy didn’t have a book and looked around for help. Cordelia noticed and shared her book. No weird images here. No weird almost memories. Buffy felt annoyed by this. Up to now it was like her slayer side was growing, changing.

Buffy looked over at Cordelia. “Thanks."

The teacher continued. “And this popular plague led to what social changes? Steve?”

The bell rang and the students got up to leave.

"Hi!" Cordelia said and offered Buffy her hand. "I'm Cordelia."

"I'm Buffy. Guess I need to run to the library and get some text books." Without another word, Buffy turned and left Cordelia with her mouth hanging agape.

~*~*~

Library

"Giles." Buffy asked popping her gum. Giles! Are you here?" This was it; the test to see if her Slayer side really was all that.

"How do you know my name?" The librarian asked as he energed from under the desk.

"You’re Rupert Giles, former curator of a London museum, current watcher. My new watcher." She smiled at him. "Slayer dreams, who has them? Me, of course."

"I was in your slayer dreams?" he asked obviously impressed.

"Yep, they were pretty detailed." She looked at the book he was holding. "It isn't often that a slayer is moved to the top of a Hellmouth with seven years coming up of apocalypse after apocalypse. The Powers That Be decided to give me a break and got uber informative." She didn't intend to tell him about her slayer side and how it seemed to be intensifying yet.

"They what?" Giles took his glasses off and began to polish them.

Buffy stayed with the lie she had planned to tell. "I am supposed to tell you everything, but make sure Quentin Travers finds out as little as possible."

"But the Council always guides the slayer at the Powers behest." Giles was confused.

"BUT, some of the things they told me have very little to do with the council." She sat down. "Like… they’ve sent a souled vampire here to help us."

"Oh my." He put his glasses back on. "A vampire with a soul, you say? How is that possible?'

"A gypsy clan, the Kalderdash, cursed him with a soul around the turn of the century." Buffy looked over at her watcher. Catching the avid gleam of interest in his eyes, she prattled on. "Jenny Calendar- the new computer lab teacher? She’s here to make sure he doesn't lose said soul. And the vampire is Angelus, childe of Darla, childe of Nest. Or The Master, as he likes to be called."

Giles had begun taking notes, scribbling furiously. He had been expecting a brainless twit of a Valley girl, but this bubbly, bright-eyed blonde had more knowledge than him, it seemed.

"The Powers sent him here, but the idiot is convinced that he’s in love with me. So never gonna happen." She glanced over at the clock. "Sorry, Giles, can I get my books? I am very late for class.”

~*~*~

Lunchtime

Buffy entered the quad looking for something. She wasn't sure what; she was just letting her new slayer sense guide her. Then she saw the shy redhead from class. Her inward smile threw her off a bit. She had never met the girl before, but she felt as if she were looking at her oldest friend. She was beyond wigged, but she felt she needed the stability of the girl in front of her.

"Hi! Willow, right?" she asked the girl.

"Uhhhm, do you need me to move?" Willow asked. The fear in her eyes made Buffy visibly wince. Had she ever been that cruel? Yes. The answer was yes, but not to this girl. This person her new slayer side saw as family.

"No, was wondering if you would mind hanging out with me for a bit. I'm kind of new. And I always trust my instincts, and my instincts see you and scream friend." Buffy sat down next to her.

"But don't you hang out with Cordelia?" Willow asked.

"I can't do both?" Buffy asked her with a polite smile.

"I think it’s illegal in most states." Willow smiled, warming to her new friend.

"Look, I'm new here and Cordy has been really nice, but at my old high school when trouble started it was friends like Cordy that turned on me," Buffy said laying her cards on the table.

"Oh?' Willow answered quickly.

"We could go to the library later to study?" Buffy asked hoping to draw Willow to her.

"Library?" Willow asked excitedly. "We have the coolest new librarian."

"I know, don’t you love the accent?" Where had that come from, of course her new dream guy was British, but this was just squicky.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief when Xander and Jesse showed up. It almost seemed like an everyday occurrence. Jess dropped his bag, then caught Xander’s as he hopped up on the wall behind them, all the time ogling Buffy.

"Hey!" Jesse says to the two as he looked past them at the approaching figure of Cordelia Chase.

"Are you guys busy?" Xander asked. "Are we interrupting?"

"Guys, this is Buffy." Willow began. "Buffy, this is Xander and Jesse."

"Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved," Xander said nervously as he still ogles Buffy.

"Is it me, or are you turning into a babbling idiot?" Jesse asks his friend.

"No, its not you." Xander tried to curb his enthusiasm, but it was obvious that he was becoming obsessed with Buffy.

"Well, it’s nice to meet you guys,” Buffy told them, hoping Xander would back off a bit.

"We just want to make you feel at home,” Jesse answered with a smirk. “Unless you have a scary home."

"And I wanted to return this,” Xander told her holding up her stake. "All I can think of is that you are building a real small fence."

"Nope,” Buffy informed him, smiling sweetly. “I stake vampires with it."

"O...K?" That had thrown Xander for a loop. "So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it."

Right over the top of him, Jesse asked. "If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?"

"Well, no real dark secrets if you don't include in my blonde, blue-eyed, British bad boy, but since there has only been smoochies so far, no real dark secrets." Buffy answered watching the light in Xander's eyes fade before returning quickly. "That's about all there is to me, why all the interest?"

Buffy was glad when Cordy interrupted them. "Are these guys bothering you?"

Buffy looked to see Willow's pained face. "No, actually they were telling me all about the local nightlife." She smiled at the red head encouragingly.

"Shhesh, like these losers know." Cordy looked around like a queen in a stable. "I just wanted to tell you gym was cancelled because they found an extremely dead guy in the lockers."

"How did he die?" Buffy asked worriedly

"Morbid much?" Cordy asked looking down her nose at Buffy.

I got to go,” Buffy said then looked at Willow. "See you in sixth period. Library?"

Buffy left them and went looking for answers.

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