The Truth Within

Parts 7-9
 


Written by: Trish
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Summary: Up through the Body...  See Author's Notes for more details, that also contain spoilers.
Distribution: If you want it, let me know.  :)
Disclaimer: The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of it's characters belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, & Fox Prod.
Author's Notes: This takes place after Crush, but before I Was Made To Love You.  I've changed the order of events around, so The Body happened long before Crush.  Did I confuse you yet?  Good.  <g>  To make a long story short, Joyce is already dead, but Spike just confessed that he loves Buffy recently.
Dedications:  Jessa, thank you so much for everything that you've done!  That award means the world to me, and I have it printed out and hanging up everywhere.  <g>  Big ol' hugs!  Special thanks to Pandora, Meredith, Tracy, Isabelle, Raven, Barb, Queenie, Vera, Maggie, Julia, Faith, Cazy, Dru, Ryan, all the sinners, and everybody else that has been so great!  (Those are in no particular order, incase you were wondering!)
Feedback: I save it, treasure it, savor it, decorate my house with it... skittlez143m@aol.com


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 ~ ~ Chapter 7 ~ ~

"Ooh, feisty, are we?"

The King laughed as Buffy squirmed against him, trying her best to get away from him and his raging hard on.  He roughly grabbed her by her hair, and brought her eyes up to meet his.  He wanted her to watch every little thing that was to happen.

"Please, King Angelus...  Let...  Let me go.  I'm begging you.  It won't happen again, I promise!  Please just have mercy, and let me go!  Please!"  Buffy pleaded with him as best as she could, but it was to no avail.  His grip on her was just as strong, and he was now rubbing himself against her in a shameless manner.  

"Now you see, M'lady, there will be no 'mercy.'   There will be no 'letting you go.'  There will be nothing in favor of the likes of you.  You have committed treason against me, and against the crown.  For that you will pay, my sweet Buffy.  You will pay dearly.  Choose to behave as a whore, and that is what you will be treated as.  And since I now know that you are not as pure as I once thought, I will have no mercy in my punishment for you."

Buffy's eyes watered as he spoke.  Her mind raced to think of something to defend herself, to protect herself.  To protect Spike.  As much as she thought though, she still kept coming up with the same answer.  There was nothing that could be done.  She was helpless.

The King stepped closer to her, and gently brushed his hand down her cheek.  Strangely, the calming gesture caused her to panic even more than she had been.  She preferred to see him for the terrible person that he was.  It made it all the easier to hate him.

His hand continued to caress her face, and finally it came to Buffy's lips.  It lingered there for a moment, savoring the softness of them, and she did what she could.  She bit him.  Hard.  

She took out all the anger and frustration that was building up inside of her, and took the route of a human vampire to lash out on the one who caused her so much pain.  A howl escaped his lips, and he dug his hand into her shoulder, but the more he protested, the harder her teeth sank into him.  It was starting to hurt her as much as it was him, but that didn't matter.  She could feel the coppery taste of blood trickling over her tongue, but the fact that she was causing him pain in the process made it all worth it.  The consequences meant nothing.  Either way she would be punished, so what was the point in acquiescing him?  Her face turned up in a smile as she bit, grinding her teeth into his flesh with all the strength she could muster.

Her smile faded once she felt the rope.

While Buffy's mind had been racing with the pleasure of causing King Angelus pain, one of the knight's had gotten rope to bound her wrists together.  Slowly, she pulled her teeth away, and gaped at the mess she had made of the King's hand.  It was covered in blood, with pieces of flesh actually missing.  If she didn't know any better, she would swear that she saw bone sticking out, but she did know better, and in the long run, her damage would be a lot worse than his.  

Angelus stuck his hand in her face and slapped her roughly.  Her head lolled back from the force of it, but she forced her determined look to stay with her, to act as her guide.  He was going to do as he pleased with her, but he couldn't take her dignity.  That was the one thing she would always have.

"You will pay for that, M'lady."  Angelus gave her a crude smile as he spoke.  "You will indeed pay."  With that, he lunged forward, and tore her dress with his good hand, exposing her breasts for the room to see.  She let out a cry and tried to cover herself, but the rope prevented her from doing anything about it.  So she did what she could, and returned what she had taken from him, partially in hopes that he would give her back the fabric that he had stolen from her.  She spit in his face, letting his own blood splash all over him.

Big mistake.

King Angelus summoned for one of his servants to join them, and the male hurriedly ran over, eyeing his future Queen's pert breasts with undisguised lust.  The King motioned to her, and asked, "Lady Buffy over here...  Do you want her?"  The oaf of a stableboy was practically salivating at this question, and looked back and forth between the ripe breasts in front of his face and the serious look the King was giving him.  When he determined how serious Angelus was, the servant nodded his head quickly, with his tongue darting out to lick his roughened lips.  

Buffy's eyes jutted out, and she starting yelling her protests, begging for somebody to help her.  The King stared at her pensively for a moment, before flicking his wrist in her direction.  "Then she's yours.  But if you enter her, I will have your head on a platter.  Understood?"  The boy eagerly nodded, thrilled to have an offer such as this.  He hurriedly started to undo his pants, fumbling at the vent of fabric that covered him.  Buffy turned her head in disgust, but the King found a pressure point in her shoulder and pushed on it until she sank to her knees in pain.  He roughly grabbed her by her already painful jaw, and turned her face to meet the towering phallus that stood before her.  Pursing her lips together, and murmuring fervent protests in her throat, Buffy tried to deny the stableboy of what the King had granted him.  

From the back of the room a sob could be heard, and an anguished voice begged to the King.  "Please, your majesty, I beg of you.  Please don't do this to my lady.  Please, your highness."  Angelus slowly turned around to find Dawn with tears streaming down her face, silently pleading to him with her eyes.  She had her doubts about what she had been told of Buffy, but she now knew that the stories were all false.  The King was sick, and she had caused the predicament that the future Queen was in.  Judging by the look the King was giving her, she would probably pay with her life.

"You dare beg me for her mercy?  You, of all people?"  Dawn started to shake her head in hopes that he would not reveal that it was her who told him of Buffy's lover.  She felt terrible as it was, but to have everybody know who had caused this situation would be unbearable.

Angelus gave the petite servant a look of disdain, and ordered her to leave the room.  Her tearful eyes met Buffy's, and a look of understanding passed between them both.  To her surprise, Buffy smiled.  It wasn't a happy smile, but it showed that she would be okay.  She just hoped that her lady was right.

Staring at her sister from her world, Buffy suddenly found her determination again.  She would suffer, there was no doubt about that, but things would get better.  They had to.  

When the King turned her head so that the stableboy's waiting shaft was brushing against her lips, Buffy didn't fight it.  She slowly licked the tip of it, and accepted her fate, knowing that things would get better soon.  Or at least that's what she told herself.

*****************

"Bloody do something, Watcher!"

Spike's voice rapidly went from calm to frantic as the three of them stood over Buffy's seemingly sleeping form.  Things had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds, and he was beginning to seriously panic.  The look of peace that had covered Buffy's face was gone, and was replaced by an unmistakable look of anguish.  Tears streamed down her face, and her mouth had faint traces of blood in it.  Her body was wracked with tears, and every once in a while she would shudder.  All in all it was not a pretty sight.

And there was nothing they could do about it.

"Willow, bring the books over here, and Spike, go get a wet towel."  Giles was the only one who wasn't shouting at that point.  His voice was low, worried.  His concern for Buffy far outweighed his urge to panic, so he stayed strong.  When Willow and Spike rushed off to get what he had asked for, Giles lowered his lips to Buffy's forehead, and prayed for the daughter that he always wanted to come out of it.

For a second, Buffy's face seemed to relax, and a look of confidence passed through her.  Relief flooded Giles, and he decided that maybe their actions had an effect on how Buffy felt in whatever realm she was in.  He stood up to take the towel from Spike, and felt himself pale when he heard the faintest whimper escape the Slayer's lips.  

Throughout the entire time that Buffy had been in her catonic state, she had never made a peep.  Thinking back on how horrible she had looked a few moments ago, Giles couldn't even bare to turn to see what had made her whimper.

Spike, on the other hand, did look, and immediately wished he hadn't.


*****************

"Drink deeply, Buffy."

The King smirked at her as he watched the stableboy grasp her head tightly and spurt his seed into her mouth.  It splashed across her tongue, and she fought to keep her resolve as she swallowed the bitter liquid.  

She pulled herself to her feet and gave Angelus a defiant look as he slowly clapped his hands together, making her hate him even more.  Still though, she refused to show her distress, and kept her gaze steady and unwavering.

"My work here is done.  I'm leaving now."  Buffy started to walk away, and only stopped when a hand gently reached out to touch her shoulder.  She did her best not to shudder at the contact.

"Now you see, Lady Buffy.  I don't think you understand.  While I am happy to see that you are no longer kicking and screaming, your work here is far from done.  I believe there are fifteen more men in this room, not including myself, of course.  Your beloved Spike must be somewhere in here, and I want nothing more than to see your discomfort at him knowing that you're a whore.  Well, that, and the death that will await him once I discover his identity."  

Buffy glared at the King as she fought the tears that were trying to come forth.  She wouldn't let him see what he was doing to her.  She simply couldn't.  Eventually he would have to grow bored by seeing her with all of these men if it didn't affect her, and at that point, it was the best that she could hope for.  

She should have known better.

"Now we're going to do this a little bit differently, Lady Buffy.  You see, I realize that you will not reveal who your lover is, so I will have to find him on my own.  If I see you so much as look at one of these men with a hint of something other than hatred, he will be killed immediately."

The King turned to address the remaining men in the room.  "I will not be made a fool!  In this room, I have the men who spend the most time at the castle.  There are some of you who I have already dismissed, and they will not be with us today.  The rest of you, however, will abide my wishes, and do as I say.  Now, you.  Come up here and reveal your face."

One of the ten knights that stood in the room slowly approached Buffy and the King.  When he took off his helmet, Buffy was relieved to see that it was a face she had never before seen.  Angelus sat back on his throne and motioned for one of his servants to come closer.  The young man nodded and disappeared from the room, only to return moments later with Faith in tow.  

The King did not say a word to her as he watched Buffy's head lower to the knight's cock.  He just pointed to his own erection, and Faith grasped it in her hand, keeping her strokes in time with Buffy's.  At that moment, both girls felt equal hatred for King Angelus.

*Spike, Spike, Spike...  I have to stay strong for him.  Please have him be one of the people that the bastard of a King trusted enough to keep him away from this.  Someone, anyone, just give me a sign that he's not here...*

Buffy's mouth once again filled with semen.

*Not fucking funny.*

Letting out an audible sigh, the knight nodded to the King and took his position back against the wall with the others.  The next man in line walked up to Buffy, and stood still until Faith was done with Angelus.  When the King stood up and walked over to them, the man took off his helmet and let his gaze meet Buffy's.

Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the face of the man in front of her.  A feeling of dread pierced his heart when he saw the look she gave him, and a look of panic crossed his face.  The King saw the look that the two exchanged, and grabbed his sword from his side.

"You!  It was you!?"  Angelus stalked towards the knight menacingly with his sword raised in the air.  "I swear, your highness!  It was not me!  I have never touched this woman!"  Fear was embedded into his features as he tried to back away from the sword  that was quickly approaching him.  

For the first time since the situation had started, Buffy let her tears fall.  A scream of anguish escaped her lips as she saw the sword move towards the knight that she knew all too well's head.  Sharp metal met with skin, causing a shower of blood to spray from the man's throat.  

Buffy fell to her knees and let her tears mix with the pool of crimson blood on the floor.  A mutilated face stared back at her, causing a flood of memories to flow into her mind.  The good, the bad, and the terrible flowed back to her, sending her mind into turmoil.  With a menacing look, the King lowered the sword in front of her, and that's when she knew fear.


*****************

"Buffy, luv.  Come back to us.  We need you.  I need you.  Please Buffy!"

Spike sat by her side, brushing her hair off her face and holding a cold towel to her forehead.  She was growing hot, and her skin had turned a ghastly shade of gray.  Every once in a while a shudder would wrack her body, and another whimper would surface.  The crying never stopped, and with every tear that made it's way down her cheek, Spike had one to meet it.  

He couldn't even imagine the hell that she must be going through in whatever world she was in.  His eyes traveled back and forth between Giles and Willow's research and Buffy's face.  He just hoped that Giles was right when he said that their actions might make a difference in how Buffy felt in the time that she had been sent back to.  

"I know you can get through this, Buffy.  I promise that we'll get you back.  Please just hold on for me, pet.  And remember that I love you.  Always have.  You know, I remember the first time I saw you, dancing at the Bronze.  Cor, you were beautiful.  That dance is what started it all.  I knew right then you were different.  You were strong, graceful, and God, that dance!  Well, I know that you're still strong, luv, and I promise you that our dance is far from over."

Spike ran his hand over her arm, gently rubbing tiny, soothing circles over her flesh.  He bent down and lightly kissed her forehead before he got up to rewet the cloth.  As he walked by the others, Willow suddenly grabbed his arm, realization evident on her face.

"Oh, Goddess!  I think I know where she is!"

Giles and Spike looked back and forth from each other, Willow, and Buffy's more relaxed body.  Things were suddenly looking much better.




*~*~*~*~*~*



~ ~ Chapter 8 ~ ~

"I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier!  I mean, it was right there in front of me!"

Spike and Giles stared at Willow, waiting for her to get to the point of her story.  From the way her eyes were twinkling, it looked like things were about to get much better, and they were really eager to find out what had her so excited.

"Right there, on the floor.  All over the floor, actually.  How did I not notice before?"  Willow continued to talk to herself as the two men in the room tried to refrain from shaking the information out of her.  At the sound of Spike clearing his throat, the Witch finally realized that they had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ooh, um, sorry.  There was a crest on the floor in the room.  It was partly hidden from the clothes, so I didn't think of it before, but I do remember what it looked like.  I would give you details, but-"

Willow stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the annoyed looks that Spike and Giles were sending to her.  The vampire tapped his foot impatiently and the Watcher cleared his throat in that intimidatingly British way of his.  Neither looked impressed with her story.

"Okay, before you guys interrupted me with your loud, well, silence, I was gonna say that I would describe it, but I don't have to.  I saw a picture of it in one of the books."

At hearing that, Giles and Spike looked at each other for a moment, their faces void of all emotions.  They continued to stare in silence, and finally turned their heads back to Willow.  Upon seeing her excited face, they looked at each other one more time, and then over to the stack of books on the floor.

They dove over the couch in unison.

*****************

"Come now, Buffy.  Your lover is dead.  You are soon to be wed.  Deal with it."

The King stood above her, still clutching his sword in his hand.  Buffy looked at the floor, taking in the sight of the dead body and the pool of blood that she was kneeling in.  Her gaze traveled back up to Angelus, hatred burning fire behind her eyes.  Slowly, she brought herself to her feet, paying no mind to the crimson liquid that covered her hands and her dress.  Glaring daggers at King Angelus, the future Queen turned her back and walked away.  Away from the mess in the room, away from the mess of her life.

The King said nothing.

People had lined the hallways, hoping to catch a word, a whisper, of what went on in the dining hall.  When the grand doors were pulled open, and Buffy stepped out from the room, their speculative gazes roved her body, and their whispers ceased to exist.  All stood back, giving slight bows and curtseys, no longer wanting to know of the horrors that the room had seen.  The lifeless expression on Buffy's face, and the blood that marred her features spoke louder than any words could.

The walk down the hallway and into her room seemed to last an eternity for Buffy.  Finally she got there though, and let a tear stream down her cheek at the emptiness of Spike's room.  Sniffling, she walked into her own bedroom and curled up on her bed, shedding tears for all she had lost.

A moment later, another figure entered her room, and Buffy barely looked up.  "Get out," was the only thing she could force from her lips, as she wiped at her tears and let the blood embed itself onto her face.  Still though, the other person didn't move.  "Get the fuck out of my room!"  Silence.

Millenniums could have gone by in the time that the two sat there without speaking a word.  There was really nothing that could have been said.  Well, there was one thing...

"It was not him, was it, Lady Buffy?"  Dawn's bright eyes stared up at her in wonder.  She had prayed and hoped that it wouldn't be Spike that the King had killed, but the future Queen was being very difficult to read.  More silence passed.

"It never was him."  Buffy looked at Dawn while the younger girl gave her a sympathetic smile.  A small hand reached out to wipe some of the blood of off Buffy's face, and her eyes shut in pain.  "Thank you."  Saying those words seemed to release any left over tension in the room as the girls smiled tentatively at one another.

"Did you know him, Lady Buffy?"  The younger girl spoke softly, afraid to deepen Buffy's sorrow.  

"You could say that.  I guess you could call him an old friend."  Buffy nearly chuckled at that comparison.  That was the most accurate thing that she could have said though.

"Forgive me for being so bold, but is it true that the two of you were...  intimate?"  A deep red covered Dawn's cheeks as she asked the question, and granted a small giggle from Buffy.

"Not for another few centuries."  That caused Buffy's giggles to grow into a fit of laughter as she thought of how ridiculous that sounded.  Dawn blushed, thinking back on the bits of conversation that she had heard from Buffy and Sir William one day, and trying not to show that she had heard Buffy's secret.

"Well, Sir Riley was a fine knight, and he will be missed.  What the King said was true though.  He is dead now."  Buffy opened her mouth to protest to Dawn's bluntness, but the younger girl continued talking.  "But Sir William is not.  For that, be thankful."

Buffy's eyes widened in confusion as she let Dawn's words sink in.  She wanted to deny that Sir William was indeed her Spike.  She wanted to throw her arms around the girl that would one day be her sister.  She wanted to go laugh in the King's face for the mistake that he made.  She wanted to go make Riley look more comfortable than the King had made him.

She wanted to hug the man that now stood in her doorway, and never let him go.

*****************


"You know, it might be easier to find the soddin' thing if the pictures in this book weren't the size of my bleedin' fingernail!"

Spike continued to flip through his book, trying to find a picture that matched Willow's description of the crest.  So far, the three of them had found nothing.  They knew it was somewhere though, and despite the size of the pictures, they had more hope than they had up to that point.

Letting out a loud sigh, Willow put the book she was looking at down, and stretched her arms over her head.  When she caught the two men giving her a look of incredulity, she flashed them a sheepish grin and continued looking.

"So, we find the picture, and then what?"  Spike spoke without moving his eyes off the page he was looking at.  "That's the part I'm not too sure on."  On to the next page.  "Do we just zap ourselves back to a time over there that we know is safe?  Like when we were shagging?"  

Giles stared at Spike as if he had grown a set of fangs out of his forehead.  "I still can't imagine why Buffy was with you in that land, but if I hear about it one more time, I'll have to kill you.  For good this time."  

"C'mon Giles, give him a break.  He's just hanging on to the hope that he has a chance.  Ooky way to do it, but that's not the point."  Willow shyly flipped through her book as she spoke.

"Watcher?"  Spike went unnoticed.

"Willow, don't tell me that you're taking his side!  He's a vampire, and we all know how the last one of those she dated worked out!"  Giles stood up, waving his arms like a mad man.

"Witch?"  Ignored, once again.

"No, no sides!  Neutral, here.  I'm just saying that maybe he really does really care.  I mean, he has been here since this all started.  Plus, he's not Angel.  He never had a soul, and he chose to stay here.  He might get annoying sometimes, but still..."  

"Are you all bleedin' deaf?!?"  Spike's voice boomed out this time, completely overriding the other two voices in the room.  "Red, I think the recently threatened and sometimes annoying vampire just found what we've been lookin' for."

Giles and Willow slowly rose to their feet and stepped closer to Spike.  When Giles saw the emblem, his eyes widened considerably.  When Willow saw it, she beamed happily.  She leaned over and squeezed Spike's hand in a thankful gesture.

"I think we have a winner."

*****************

"The King will be here to check on you soon, My lady.  Time is not a luxury tonight."

Buffy attempted to flash Dawn a grateful smile, but her eyes were riveted to her knight's face.  Her eyes shone with love, and her lips curled into a small smile as she stared at him.  It was at that moment that she realized how lost she was without him.

"God Spike, I'm so happy to see you!  I was so scared...  I thought he was going to kill you!  Oh God, I need you in my life!"  Buffy's voice became muffled as she began to sob  on his shoulder.  His arms encircled her, and he tried to calm her and soothe her tears.

"My lady, I beg of you.  Tell me what happened.  The King sent me into battle with some of the other knights today, but there was no army to be fought.  I did not realize that he meant to be rid of us until it was too late, and I got back as fast as I could.  What has he done?"

Buffy stared up at Spike with tears still streaming down her cheeks as she took in the sincerity of his voice.  "Spike, he knows.  About us.  But he doesn't know who 'Spike' is.  And he made me...  He made me do things with the other knights.  Horrible things.  And he thought he found the one he was looking for, and now he's dead.  Angelus killed an innocent man, Spike, and I didn't do anything to stop him!"

Spike's face hardened as she told her story, but the anger was at the King, and not at her silence.  His lips briefly fluttered across hers, and he stepped away from her.  "Excuse me, M'lady."  Buffy's eyes widened as he turned his back and began to walk away.  "Spike!  Where are you going?!"  Her lower lip began to tremble once again.  "I will not let the King get away with this.  I must confront him."  A grim look of resolve covered his features.  "No!  You can't!  Please, Spike!  Promise me you won't say anything to him!  He thinks my lo- He thinks Spike is dead!"  

Realization dawned on the knight.  "Buffy, that man he killed tonight.  He thought him to be your lover?"  She nodded her head in affirmation, and ran to his side.  "Please, Spike.  Don't do this.  Let him think that he's won.  Please."  His eyes roamed over her face and met her eyes.  "Spike, I need you.  I, I love you."

Once those words were out of her mouth, Buffy felt relief wash over her, thrilled to finally express her feelings.  Spike pulled her into his arms and covered her in kisses.  "My heart belongs to you, sweet Buffy.  And for that reason, I will honor your wishes.  Let my love be expressed through silence, and you will see how deep my feelings flow.  I.  Love.  You."

Buffy's eyes closed for a moment, reflecting on what he told her.  Her lips plundered into his, showing her gratitude for his silence.  She went to pull him closer, but he surprised her by breaking their kiss.  When she stared up at him in confusion, he placed a finger to her lips and kissed her forehead.

"I do love you, M'lady.  For that reason, I cannot let this continue.  This.  Us.  It can never be.  We can never be."  A painful gasp escaped her lips, but he hushed her with his words.  "I want nothing more than your happiness, Buffy.  To come home every night and be able to hold you in my arms would be my fantasy.  But that is the problem.  It is a fantasy, a dream never meant to come true.  

"In one week hence, you shall be married to the King.  It is my duty to remain loyal to him, but my heart loathes him.  And soon you shall be his.  You will always be in my heart, and I shall never love another.  We are just destined to be apart.  You, the future Queen, and me a knight sworn to remain loyal to the King.  I know it is not fair, for two people with such passion to be forced apart by the laws of nature, but this is the way it must be.  

"I love you, My lady.  You are my heart, my soul.  I beg that you never forget how I feel, and that you always remember what we've had.  My heart belongs to you, and it always shall.  I.  Love.  You."

Spike pressed a kiss to Buffy's brow, allowing her tears to mix freely with his own.  That was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but he knew it was necessary.  If he allowed their relationship to continue, there was no telling what the King would do to her.  For that reason, he followed his mind instead of his heart.  When the knight looked down at his love, he knew that his heart would win in the end.

Buffy stared up at the man she loved, perplexed by what was happening.  Deep down inside, she knew that what he said was right.  Just like her world, Spike was forbidden to her due to technicalities.  For the first time, she knew how the real Spike must feel, and her heart broke even more.  

"Fuck the laws of nature!  Don't you understand that I love you?"

Before Spike could respond, the dreaded sound of footsteps filled the air, and the two were forced to part.  When a servant entered the room, he was oblivious to the look of longing that the two shared, and he assumed that their distress was over the dead knight.  

"Excuse me, My lady.  The King asks for your presence at his table.  Sir William, you are wanted there too.  All knights are requested to join."

The servant gave a brief bow before exiting the room.  Spike went to speak to Buffy, but her eyes had grown cold, void of all emotions.  He touched her arm, pleading to her with his eyes, but she shrugged him off.

"My future husband wants me now, and you've made it clear that you don't."  With that, Buffy gave him one last look and walked down the hall, sniffling back her tears.




*~*~*~*~*~*



~ ~ Chapter 9 ~ ~

"Aaah, Lady Buffy.  Good of you to join us.  I've been waiting for you!"

The King's face was covered with a large smile that made him even more hateful.  Buffy chose to ignore that fact as she walked further into the room and approached the King.  

*Why Spike, why?*

It was obvious that Angelus was pleased with Buffy's behavior, as his smile grew and he  signaled for her to sit next to him.  Faith looked down from her position on his other side, doing her best to avoid Buffy's eyes.

"I have been informed by one of my knights that my behavior towards your beloved Spike was harsh.  That man over there told me."  Buffy followed his gaze to the beaten body on the floor.  "Now I wouldn't want anybody to think me unfair, would I, Lady Buffy?    Just think of your previous punishment as a test for how you will serve me in the future."  Once again his smile grew, and Buffy's eyes traveled to the floor, unwilling to look at him.

The King reached his hand up and cupped Buffy's chin, forcing her gaze to meet his.  "Do you disagree, Lady Buffy?"  His grip on her face tightened a bit.  "Or do you refuse to look at me in fear that you will think of Spike?"  Her gaze hardened that time, but she still wouldn't speak.  Angelus' grip tightened even more, granting a small whimper to escape her lips.  Spike did all he could to keep his mouth shut.

"Ow!  I just can't look at you right now, okay?"  Buffy tried once again to lower her gaze, but the King struck out against her.  "You will look at me when I speak to you, and you will tell me why you wish not to!"  Slowly, she raised her head to look at him, and kept her face steady as she spoke.  "Fine, but wanna get the food out of your teeth first?  I was trying not to stare."

The other people in the room held their breath while they waited for the King's reaction to Buffy's insult.  They let out sighs of relief when he said nothing, but let out a low chuckle.  "Why thank you, Buffy.  Now as I was saying, I've been told that I was harsh in my punishment, so I have a new idea.  From here hence forth, your punishments on this matter shall be decided by the person who reported your indiscretions to begin with."

At those words, Buffy's head jolted up as she stared around the room, searching for whoever had betrayed her.  The only thing out of the ordinary that she found was Dawn with tears streaming down her cheeks.  Buffy's eyes widened and her face paled considerably.  

*It couldn't be her...*

Dawn shook her head in fear, and pleaded for Buffy to understand with her eyes.  The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before the King spoke again.  "Dawn, why don't you come up here and tell your lady that what she did was wrong, hmm?"  

Tears started to stream down Buffy's cheeks at hearing that, and she made an attempt to flee the room.  The King gently set her back on her seat and motioned for Dawn to come closer.  "Come now, your lady is waiting!"

A sob emanated from the back of her throat as she made her way to the front of the room, and she did her best to show Buffy how sorry she was.  It was useless.

"It was you?!  How could you do this to me?!  To your own sis- friend!  How the fuck could you do this?"  Buffy's voice went from painful to shrill in a matter of syllables.  

"Please, My Lady, try to understand!  I only meant for the best!  Never did I know-"  Dawn was cut off by Buffy's hand slapping her across the face.

"No, I don't want to hear this.  You betrayed me.  You, of all people.  Get away from me.  Just stay the hell away from me!"  Tears streamed down Buffy's cheeks as she shouted, and Dawn cried just as loudly.

For the first time, the King spoke up, shooting amused looks between the girls.  "Ladies, ladies...  Don't fight!  Dawn, you did the right thing in telling me.  Buffy was in the wrong.  Now do you see, My Lady?  There is no use in sneaking about and doing these things.  I will find out.  I will always find out.  Nobody here is on your side.  Nobody here will defend you.  Nobody here will speak in your name."

Angelus glanced around the room, absolutely giddy with the solemn looks that everyone wore.  The sound of a throat clearing forced him to turn, disbelieving that anybody would contradict him.

When he fully turned, the King found himself face to face with his most prized knight.  Spike raised his head, and bore holes through the King with his eyes.  

"I will speak for the lady."

*****************

"Well inn't that just neat?  We spend hours searching for this, and when we finally find what we need, the soddin' book tells us to look somewhere else!"

Spike tried to control his temper, but a low growl slipped past his lips, and his game face came forth.  Willow put a comforting hand on his shoulder, not even phased by the change in his face.  After all he had done to help them, it was hard not to see more man than monster.

"Spike, it's alright.  We'll get her out.  You just have to stop being Mr. Grumpy, and help us look some more.  See this?  Determined face.  We're gonna find her."  Spike sighed at her words and let his more attractive features slip into place.  He didn't speak a word, but nodded in agreement.

Giles briefly looked up at the two, and tried to push aside the small shred of sympathy he felt for the vampire.  *He doesn't really love her.  No, that's just not possible.  He's only here, nearly in tears over her because...  Because...  Because I'm in denial that a vampire can love, and it's easier to hate him than to accept him.*

Willow looked at Giles, and saw the inner turmoil that he was experiencing.  She then looked at Spike, and saw the despair written across his face.  A sudden feeling of calm determination came over her, and she knew that she was going to have to be strong enough for all of them.  

"Giles.  Spike.  We need to get to the Magic Shop.  We have to go upstairs in the book department, cuz that's probably where we would find our book.  The Book of Eyghon.  The sooner we go, the faster we find out how to get Buffy back.  Now I don't know about you, but I'm thinking the sooner the better.  Are you two with me, or are you just gonna stay here and mope about how much it sucks to be us?"

The two men looked at Willow in awe, disbelieving that she contained such an authoritative role.  She gave them both a look that said, 'believe it,' and turned to open the door.  A ray of light entered the house, causing Buffy to whimper, and Spike to jump to the floor.  When he looked up at the Slayer, he knew where his place was.  

"Go on, you two.  I'll stay here with the Slayer, make sure no more nasties get ahold of 'er."

When the Witch and the Watcher closed the door behind them, Spike rose to sit next to Buffy.  He took her small hand in his, and let a single tear fall to her cheek.  His eyes closed in pain, and that solitary tear made it's way down to her lips.  Down to where it was met with her own tear.  Down to where the tears merged, and disappeared with a barely visible blue shock.


*****************

"You will what?"

The King spoke to Spike with venom in his voice, positive that he was imagining the words that the knight had spoken.  Afterall, why would anybody go against the King?  Especially his most valued knight?

Sir William took a step closer to the King, and fully removed his helmet.  "I said that I will speak for Lady Buffy...  The woman I love more than anything else on this God- forsaken planet.  The woman who means much more to me than the crown of England.  The woman who means more to me than anybody else, including you, your highness."

Buffy raised her tear filled eyes to stare at Spike while he spoke.  She was in shock, to put it mildly.  Could that really be the same man who told her not 10 minutes ago, that they couldn't be together?  Looking from the King, to the man she loved, to everyone else in the room, Buffy knew that what she heard was right.  She just wasn't sure if she should be dancing or running for her life.

"Sir William...  Maybe you do not understand the penalty of your words.  Perhaps you are ill, and do not comprehend..."  The King spoke slowly, not willing to believe that the one man he trusted would go against him.  That is, until he saw the look that was exchanged between his most prized knight, and his future Queen.

"I see...  Sir William, you were a brave knight, and a fine companion.  I am sorry to see it end like this."  Angelus stared into his eyes while he spoke, and there was honestly pain on his own face.  Not the pain of a man who genuinely cares, but the pain of a man who has been betrayed.  

Turning away from Spike, the King turned to face Buffy.  He stared at her with obvious disgust and revulsion.  "You, My lady, have not surprised me.  But to think that you let another man die for his mistake.  Such a pity, Lady Buffy.  Such.  A.  Pity."

Buffy gave him an equally revolted look, and bit her tongue back from retorting.  Instead she took a deep breath, and looked around the room.  Her gaze settled on Faith, who definitely didn't seem as happy as one would think she would.  

Finally, the one with the not so angelic face turned to face the rest of the knights in the room.  "Let this be an example of what not to do under my reign.  Sir William was a fine knight indeed, but his time has come."  Turning to look into Spike's eyes, the King continued in a somewhat lower voice.  "Kill him."

*****************

"Giles, found it!"

Willow yelled out to the Watcher in an excited voice, holding up the book proudly.  "Now let's get back to Buffy's so we can read it!  C'mon!  Let's go!"  Willow was practically running out the door at that point, with Giles not far behind her.

The two defied the laws of physics with the speed theyused to drive back to their destination, but neither of them cared.  Something told them that the Sunnydale police had more to worry about than a former-librarian speeding to get home and read a book.

When they got back to the house, they pushed the door open and ran inside excitedly.  "Spike, look!  We've got it!"  Willow screamed out, her voice bubbling with excitement.  "C'mon Spike!"  Her voice lowered a bit as she walked further into the living room.  "Spike?"  That time, her voice was barely above a whisper.  

Giles stepped over to the two figures on the couch, all the color draining from his face.  "Oh, dear Lord!  Willow, I think we have a very large problem."  The girl standing beside him could only numbly nod, while she stared at the couch.

Together, Giles and Willow gaped at the sight before them.  Buffy and Spike didn't notice a thing.  The blue light that covered them both, and the relaxed appearance of being in a dream world would make that quite difficult...



Continued...




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