Banner by Selene2

This fic is written for megan_peta for her tireless work betaing this fic and so many more for me! Also for her encouragement to write more of what was intended to be a short series, her excitement over each chapter has been the reason I carried on with it! Megan I hope you enjoys *g*

 

Epilogue
 

Giles looked up at the sound of the library doors swinging open. “Ah, there you are. Oh dear lord, what happened?” He stared in horror at the blood-soaked Spike. “Good god, you look like someone vomited blood all over you.”  

Buffy wrinkled her nose and stared down at her once pristine sneakers, which were now a suspicious shade of red. “Actually, that would be me. Spike was hit over the head by a fl…”  

“A fleet of rabid vampires, tons of the evil bastards all howling for her blood and my untimely demise. I had to protect her right?” Spike interrupted with a pointed look.  

“Uh, yeah, there were like ten of them.” Buffy rolled her eyes and held up four fingers then shook her head at Spike with a giggle. 

“Well, err, maybe you should have a shower and get changed, Spike. That amount of blood will draw all kinds of predators tonight and we don’t have time to fight them and deal with The Master.” Giles pointed towards the door with his glasses. “Perhaps Xander could be persuaded to lend you something to wear?”  

Spike recoiled in horror, mental images of him wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt filling him with a dread unequalled by any horror he’d experienced in his past. “No, got what I need here.” He held up the duffle bag that he’d left in Buffy’s locker for such emergencies. “Will be back in two shakes.” He scarpered out of the library, making a mental note to take the boy shopping and find him some better threads.  

“That was plain mean, Giles,” Buffy giggled and sat down next to a quiet Willow. She gave the redhead a smile and then looked over at the spell they had been working on. “Ohh, is this it?”  

“Yes, indeed. Willow has been of invaluable assistance.” Giles took the sheet and began to re-read it, checking for errors. 

“Awesome work, Will. Go you with the spell goodness.” Buffy congratulated the quiet pensive girl who was still dwelling on Giles’s admonishments on her slackness over the research and then turned to scan the library. “What happened to Xander and Cordy? Did she do something to him?”  

“No, Giles sent them to load up the cars,” Willow reassured Buffy. “They were fine. Cordy complained a bit about having to work with him but didn’t kick him you know where.” The shy redhead blushed purple at the mention of her crush’s private parts and began to fiddle obsessively with a pencil.  

“Cool, so we’re nearly set to go?” Buffy bounced to her feet and headed to the cage and began to search for more stakes and a nice shiny sword to carry. She lifted the covers on the boxes filled with weaponry and began to search through everything trying to find the right armaments she may need. All her actions and smiles covered the building nerves that were threatening to choke her and make her cry. She so didn’t want to blubber in front of Giles. She couldn’t face the throat clearing and awkward attempts to pat her on the shoulder, and from the look of Willow’s face, she was upset enough about something. The tension in the room when they had come in had been so thick she was positive Spike was going to comment and make a mess of everything. “Giles, we need some blood, did you bring any? And a first aid kit.”  

Giles vanished into his office and rummaged through the cool box he’d lugged there incase Spike needed anything restorative after the fight. He bypassed the cans of beer and pulled out three packets of blood. Tucking them into his jacket to warm against his body, Giles reached for the ever present first aid kit and returned to the quiet library. School had ended about an hour ago and the building was silent. He had also checked that Flutie and the other members of staff were long gone. But somehow he doubted that the headmaster would complain much, not after Spike and Buffy rescuing him from being cannibalised by his own students. He shivered at the memory of Cordelia kicking the stuffing out of Hyena Xander after he’d tried to get a bit too fresh with her.  

“Slayer, you got the goods?” Spike burst into the library, redressed and clean. His hair was damp and curling as he gingerly swiped at the damaged area with a towel. He face darkened, and he shot over to the cage and stepped in, using his body as a shield so that the others couldn’t see his girl shaking. “It’ll be okay, I promise,” he whispered as his hands gentled her. Soothingly he ran his fingers through her hair as he rocked her back and forth. He whispered words of comfort and nonsense, calming her fears as best he could.  

“Thanks.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. Buffy wiped her face on his fresh clean shirt and then looked up at him. “I mean it.” 

“Know you do, love. Now take some deep breaths and as a treat, you can play doctor on my head.”  

“’Kay.” She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve and gave him a luminescent yet watery smile. 

Before either of them could say another word to each other, Cordelia and Xander reappeared with a noisy clatter and mid-snipefest.  

“Do you even have any muscles, floppy boy?” Cordelia teased, for once humour dancing in her eyes.

Ever since the news that Angelus was gone she had slowly begun to loosen up. She was still disappointed about being robbed of vengeance, but instead she focused on getting Buffy safely through the next few weeks; she was her friend. Probably one of a few true ones that she could count on one hand and there was no way she was letting the small blonde die. Not if she had her say, and one thing Cordy was good at was making herself heard. Angelus was unfinished business, but she was constantly telling herself revenge was a dish best served cold. So when the time was right, Angelus would get what was coming to him. Until then, life went on, and there was still Xander to tease and torment.  

Xander rolled his eyes at her, picking up on the light tone in her voice. He lifted both arms and hammed up to her, striking over-the-top body builder poses. “Look, I do, see. Right here. It’s only the size of an egg, but go Xanman with the incredible muscles.” 

“Ahh, good, all loaded?” Giles nodded in approval, pointedly ignoring the antics of the boy as he handed the first bag of blood to Spike.  

“Yeah, all done. My car, yours and Spike’s are all good to go.” Cordelia sauntered over to where Spike was seated opposite Willow and watched him vamp out and drain the first bag. “Bet that tastes like week old bread with mould on it?”  

“Mmph,” Spike nodded around the second bag as he sucked it down with an expression that resembled Angel’s when he discovered he had run out of gel.  

“Ouch, will your hair grow back?” Cordelia teased.  

“Oh, ha bloody ha. You and the slayer are a right pair of sodding comedians, aren’t you.” Spike reached for the third bag and smiled over at the still mute Willow. “Careful, Slayer, I still have working nerve endings – owww!” 

“Man, that is just nasty. I think I can see your skull from here.” Xander peered over Buffy’s shoulder as she cleaned the deep gash on Spike’s scalp. “Wonder if it needs stitches?”  

“Well, possibly. Maybe I should take over, Buffy?” To Spike’s immense relief, the Watcher gently seated Buffy and took over the doctoring. The others left Spike to Giles’s tender mercies and cross-stitching. They began to fill a couple of duffle bags with weapons, all of them flinching with each curse that erupted from Spike’s lips at the pass of the needle that Giles wielded with a startling efficiency. Buffy sat next to Spike, her hands holding his in a firm but gentle grip as she offered silent support, wincing in sympathy with each pass of the needle through his scalp. 

“There, all done, now something to clean the area.” Giles reached into his jacket and pulled out an ornate silver drinking flask. 

“Don’t pour that on my head, you heathen. Give it here, I need a drink.” Spike reached for the flask of whisky that Giles was about to use to clean the area and took a restorative pull, followed by several others draining it dry. “Much better, now slap a plaster on it and we better get going, Rupes.” 

“Honestly, you ingrate.” Giles took the empty flask back and stared at it mournfully. It was the one thing that kept him sane while dealing with his charge and her friends. Tucking it away in a pocket, he then carefully taped some gauze over the line of neat bright purple stitches he’d sewn into Spike’s battered scalp. 

“Thanks mate, did a right good job of it.”  

“You’re welcome, you whiny plonker.” Giles couldn’t wait for the vampire to discover the colour of the threads used. He could hear the howls and curses already.  

“Saddle up, kiddies. It’s time to shake the foundations of the Hellmouth and burst a puss-filled Master-shaped boil!” Spike called over one shoulder and he sauntered out of the library, trailed by Buffy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~  

And so they stood there waiting.  

It was nearly time, all their plans were about to come to fruition.  

The barrels of Icenthgious water had been poured into the sewer system surrounding the Master’s lair; Nest was below their feet, oblivious of the dangerous liquid that was slowly seeping into his prison. Spike rolled the last of the containers away from the open manhole and slid the heavy metal circle back into place and stood over it like a sentinel. Beside him Buffy stood armed and ready, Giles and Willow at her side ready to start the two spells. Xander and Cordelia stood about a hundred yards down from them, near the sewer access that Buffy and Xander had escaped from all those weeks ago. The industrial area was otherwise deserted.

“Come on, love. We need to move down and cover the other manhole.” Spike nodded at Giles and pulled Buffy away.  

“How long till we need to start with the chanting?” Willow asked, her hands shaking as she clutched the rolled up piece of paper that bore her copy of the spell.  

Giles checked his watch. “We need to give the water a few minutes to soak into the area before we begin the first spell to make it turn into gas and then we move onto the second incantation.”  

“Okay.” Willow unrolled the crumpled papers and checked the spells. She opened her mouth and before she could ask, Giles interrupted her. 

“It’s all perfectly correct. I have rechecked and there are no mistakes. Patience, dear girl. Patience.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then turned to check on the others. Making sure they were in position—in case a few strays escaped Spike’s devilish plan. “Right, we should begin.” 

Giles and Willow began to read; their words were whispered and low, the wind stealing them away before anything could be overheard. Below their feet the Icenthgious water began to vaporise into a colourless mist, their words rendering the holy water inactive for the time being. It rose and swirled through the tunnels, whispering around the oblivious vampires while saturating their clothes, skin and hair with its power. Nest sat disconsolately on his throne, a deep melancholia filling him. All his favourites were dead or banished—he was alone. He shifted in his seat, ignoring the hunger pangs that rumbled through him; since Darla had been dusted he had been barely able to eat. He sighed, unaware of the fine mist that coated his leather coat and his bald scalp waiting to work it’s awful power on his defenceless form.  

The words of the spell doubled the vapour, and then trebled it. It oozed into the surrounding tunnels and covered everything in its path. Its insidious presence was made known only with a faint passing rush of cool air, something the vampire’s didn’t notice. The vapour moved onwards and outwards until the two spell casters stopped their incantation, then it halted as if an invisible hand had pressed pause.  

“Good work, Willow. Well done.” Giles nodded in approval, amazed at the complete novice’s innate magical abilities. With time and training she would be an asset to them all.  

“Wow, I like felt it go through me. I feel all tingly and weird,” Willow gasped, her pale cheeks flushing a soft pink at his gentle accolades. Her innocence shielded her from the reality of her sexual thrill from the power that had infused her being. 

“Well, yes.” Giles blinked at her owlishly from behind his glasses and peered over them at her. “Ready for the next bit?”  

“Uh huh,” she nodded.  

“Now you must focus. This is essential, we need to contain it or there will be an appalling mess,” Giles instructed as he switched over to the longer spell. She nodded determinedly and began to chant in unison with the older man. Her soft contralto voice melded with his deeper tones as they began to slowly seal the entire area. It took several long painstaking moments, until they were sure all the escape routes were sealed in. It had taken a good few minutes going over the schematics with Spike and Buffy, showing them what their earlier reconnaissance had found. The information gave them the time parameters needed for the spell to be chanted in order to block all escape routes. It had been a necessary danger, the two blonds accessing the tunnels, but now it was paying off.  

“God! How much longer?” Cordelia groused under her breath. She felt exposed and worried for Buffy. Every moment could lead to discovery and then disaster.  

“They’re doing their best.” Xander fidgeted and stared over his shoulder at Willow and Giles, his hands twitching at his sides. He was itching to see Giles’s signal, adrenalin pumping through him as he stood shivering in the wind. “We have to get this right, otherwise…” 

“Yeah, otherwise Buffy could die. I know, but the waiting—” Cordelia sighed and tapped one of her feet impatiently. 

“Sucks, I know.” Xander gave her a lopsided grin and then shifted around so he could see Buffy and squinted into the dark. All he could see was Spike’s blond head that was looking downwards as he talked intently to the small slayer.  

Protectiveness screamed in every line of his body. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Somewhere in Mexico 

“Oh poor toasty daddy, all covered in crackling and singed to bits. The imps called and implored, telling me to come here to greet you. I didn’t want to come as you have been a very naughty boy, but here I am.” A pale slender hand reached over and pulled the unconscious vampire off the manure-coated floor. Her mouth formed a moue of disgust at the stench of decay and dung. All around them were the drained bodies of cattle; some who had escaped the fangs of the slumped form mooed anxiously at her from the far corner. “Tut, tut, what a sight you are, but we will make you all better and then I can play. I cannot wait to hear your screams as I make pretty pictures of your skin. You’ll take your punishment for leaving me all alone like a good daddy, won’t you?” The mad vampiress cackled in glee at the weeks, no months of fun and pain she would have. 

“For shame, those naughty boys throwing you in the mess… it’s a lucky evening that my prince will be turning them into fairy lights tonight. I wonder if they will burn as brightly as the stars?” The skinny brunette vampiress gathered her burned sire into her arms and hefted him over her shoulder. “Come, my darling daddy, time for your baby girl to tend you wounds.” Drusilla lapped at the seeping cracked skin on Angelus’s throat and then giggled.  

“Ohhh, you taste of promised parties and pain.” Tiptoeing around the steaming piles of excrement, one of the last scions of Aurelius carried her comatose sire out into the Mexican night. 

“Don’t worry, Daddy. Nasty granddad is all gone melted away in the fires of hell and destruction, he won’t hurt you again. You’re all mine now – no naughty pixies to distract you and make you want them. All mine.” She cackled and disappeared into the darkness, carrying her charred burden with ease. 

“No more dirty Queen of Cups to keep you from me ever, ever again.”  

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Getting kinda freaked here, Spike. It’s like the middle of nowhereville and here we are, serving up a free for all at a come and eat as much as you want vamp buffet!” Buffy rambled on nervously, her eyes darting around checking their perimeters, on alert for anything remotely demon-shaped that she could puree.  

“I know, pet, but only a few more secs…ah, there you go. Rupes gave us the all clear.” He hefted the homemade Molotov cocktail he’d fashioned out of cheap gin and lit the soaked rag. He loved these things, good for inciting riots or disposing of irritating old farts who thought they were the be all and end all of creation.  

“Ohhh, lemme hold up the manhole!” Buffy bounced excitedly and knelt over, pulling the cover off easily. In the distance she could see Cordelia holding another bottle with a lit rag and gesturing to the sewer access and ordering Xander about.  

“Three,” Spike called out. 

“Two,” Giles responded as he lit his own bottle. Willow continued the chant as she watched the older man kneel and raise his arm in readiness.  

“One!” Xander shouted.  

In unison the three bottles were thrown into the sewer and the manholes slammed shut with a resounding echo through Nest’s lair, alerting the vampires below to the intrusion. But by then it was too late, the damage was already done – they were all sitting undead ducks about to go out in a blaze of glory. 

The highly volatile vapour that saturated the entire area ignited with a whoosh, in an instant sucking all the oxygen into its flames and causing them to burn brighter and harder. The heat of the fire triggered the holy water back into action, with the much anticipated result of undead skin burning and smoking. The tunnels were filled with screams of anguish and pain as the vampire’s skins first burned from the contact of holy water on their persons, and then the Icenthgious vapour ignited.  

“What? NO!” Nest roared and staggered to his feet, his face a ball of flames as his clothes ignited and began to burn with an intensity that rivalled the sun. His skin charred and peeled back, exposing his fangs in a rictus like grin as the rest of his bones melted and fused. He raised his arms and howled his anger as he crumpled jerkily into ashes. With a whisper of falling motes, the feared head of the Aurelius clan vanished into the soil, forgotten and unlamented. Around him his followers burned brighter than the strongest stars and then vanished in a puff of dust and flames.  

The flames curled up against the containment barriers, burning and roiling futilely against its invisible magical prison. The burning vapours had worked their will, destroying all the vampires of the clan gathered in the abandoned church and now it was seeking more victims for its powerful conflagration before it burned out and faded away.. 

Then Willow sneezed, her words of containment but a mere murmur in the breeze as she sneezed again. Then she looked down at Giles with a horror filled gaze. “Oops.”  

“Oh god, move!” Giles stared up at the appalled redhead and threw himself at her, pushing her out of the way. Cordelia spotted the sudden movement and reached for Xander and threw him away from the access. They fell and rolled over and over, putting them at a safe distance from the explosion. 

Without the spell containing it, the Icenthgious vapour surged through the surrounding tunnels, burning everything in its path. Balls of fire and destruction rolled through and upwards, blowing out manholes in a three mile radius. The spinning circles of metal flew upwards and shot about a hundred feet into the night air, destructive flames licking the air and sampling freedom before burning out. The fiery plumes lit up the darkness and for a brief moment as if it were midday. The Sunnydale residents paused for a moment and then continued on as if nothing were out of the norm.  

Underground, anything that had been undead or lived and breathed was a mere afterthought in the destruction that rained down on the tunnels. For once the good guys won, the balance shifted in their favour. Demons and vampires, the denizens of the underworld who had been drawn to the power of the Hellmouth and the Master of the Aurelian clan were destroyed in one a flash of fire and brimstone. 

With a simple flick of a lighter, a prophecy had been thwarted and a Slayer saved by the one being that was meant to hunt her into extinction. The same being that was spinning her in the air and laughing with relief. Spike let Buffy slide down his body and he kissed her long and hard. It was over. Nest was dead and Buffy was alive. They were safe, for now, until the next apocalypse or prophecy raised its ugly head.  

But they would be ready. 

Finis

A/N well there we go all done.  

I really loved writing this fic and all the amazing feedback from so many of you has been wonderful and so appreciated!  

I have to admit Cordy was a surprise to me in this fic - I had not planned for her to evolve as she did, she was basically going to be a victim de jour but then the whole angry Joan of Arc vibe appeared and she snuck into the center of the action for a good while!  

I have got plans to revist this fic in a sequel but it has join the back of the line *g* I have a promise to fulfil to shady76 or she will prod me black and blue!

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