Part Seven

There shall be many Warriors to face the End, but ten shall bind together and be all the stronger for it. The Slayers, Dark and Light, the Redeemed, the Witch, the Jester, the Queen, the Unwilling, the Prophet, the Watcher and the Silent. They shall last to the end, but despite all, they to will fall to the Dark.

‹The Codex, 719

Spike

Bloody bedamned Hell. They canıt do this to me!

I just wanted a little blood. You know, so I wouldnıt waste away. Itıs not so much to ask for Luciferıs sake. But no. No, the Slayer didnıt want any vampires getting "free" meals. No, we just have to screw Spike over do we?

After much debate, they decided they could let me go, since I canıt harm a frigging thing. Of course, that meant I had to get my own blood, which sounded fine. From overhearing their conversations I gathered I could get it at a local butchery. I even got the name. I went, of course, as soon as I got hungryŠand they turned me down! They bloody turned me down!

She got to them.

I hate that girl!

So I had to go back on my hands and knees, and sheıs got the whole Initiative thing going, so I didnıt even have anything to bargain with. I figured I better get something, or I wasnıt going to get so much as an ounce of blood off of her.

Luckily news of my downfall hadnıt hit the streets quite yet. They didnıt know I couldnıt feed myself. Couldnıt even hurt anything.

Bloody Hell I hate this!

Anyway, I went down to Willyıs. You donıt even have to beat that guy up to get information out of him. A growlıll do. And most nights you can find other vampires there too. I sauntered in, pretending to be my old self. It was nice pretending. I could almost make myself believe I was well again.

Goddamned meddling college students. If I could get my hands on themŠ

"S-Spike. What are you doing back?" Willy asked, stuttering and edging back from the bar. I grinned at him.

"A glass of Type O," I said. He got it for me, shaking slightly. I sipped it, trying not to seem to eager. I could get food here once in a while, but if I was in here all the time it would seem suspicious. No, I needed Buffy to tell the butchers to give me blood. "Willy, I need some information. Any interesting tidbits youıve picked up. Something about the end of the world, perhaps?" I suggested, leaning on the counter.

"I-I donıt know anything Spike," he swore. I rolled my eyes and turned to the vampire next to me.

"How long do you think it would take to kill him?" I asked. The vamp looked up from his drink and squinted.

"Thirty seconds maybe," he wagered. I eyed Willy.

"Maybe," I agreed. "Maybe less."

"O-okay. Th-thereıs been some talk about the Hellmouth opening. Before New Years."

"Before?" I asked, arching my eyebrows. I figured it would be the whole millenium gig.

"Yeah, everyone thinks itıs going to be the millenium, but, um, the calendarıs messed up or somethingŠAnyway, thereıs some big demons coming to town."

"What kinds?" I asked intently. Willy glanced around nervously.

"Mohras. Lots of Œem." He lowered his voice until I had to lean nearly all the way across the counter to hear him. "And the Lords." I swore under my breath. The Lords of Hell were coming? That was not good news for my wordly existence. But it might get me fed until the world was destroyed.

"Thanks Willy. I wonıt kill you this time," I told him. I drank the rest of the blood and walked out of the door. Time to go see Slayer. May she live in eternal torment in Hell.

Oh, right. She will.

Buffy

"*Before* the millenium?" I demanded, watching Spike with crossed arms. He lounged on Gilesı couch, sipping blood.

"Thatıs what I said," he said mildly. I rolled my eyes.

"Giles?"

"Itıs entirely possible. After all, what we regard as the millenium is only considering the Judeo-Christian calendar. And isnıt, for that matter, until next year. But Spikeıs claim that the Lords of Hell are coming isŠis quite serious, to say the least."

"Really? I wouldnıt have guessed. You know, I was already feeling all warm and fuzzy from Angelıs decriptions of that guyıs visions. Letıs see, he sees a blond girl fighting in Sunnydale. He sees her dying. Thatıs what I call reassuring," I said dryly.

"Angel was here?" Spike demanded, sitting up.

"You have a problem with that?" I asked, arching my eyebrows at him. He snorted and sat back.

"Yeah right. Just surprised. I thought you two had finally broken it off, but I guess I was being too optimistic. Actually, come to think of it, I should have known from his reaction when I told him all about your little fling before." I stiffened and considered kicking him, but he would spill blood all over Gilesı furniture, and Giles would be annoyed.

"So when is this gonna be?" I asked. Spike shrugged.

"How the bloody hell should I know. You said youıd give me access to the blood," he pointed out. I sighed, then thought of something. I smiled slightly.

"Spike, how would you like to make a deal? I know you donıt want the world to end."

"Maybe Iıve changed," he muttered.

"Sure. Well, I think we can help each other. I know something that could help you. And you, in return, can help me fight. Thereıs going to be demons around here, and you can help me."

"How? Iım useless," he replied sullenly.

"But I know the Initiative," I replied, a gleam in my eyes. "I can make them help you."

"Youıre going to give me back my strength?" he asked unbelieving. Giles came out of the study and gave me a questioning look. I ignored him.

"Not exactly. Iım not going to let you hurt humans. But I can give you the ability to hurt the undead. Then you can still have status, money, and so on. All youıll have to do is work for me."

"Iıll think about it," he said, eyeing me. I smiled at him and went over to Giles, pulling him into the next room.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" he asked softly.

"Thatıs the thingŠhe already can. Weıll just knock him out and when he wakes up tell him we Œfixedı him. Right now, he can do whatever he wants to the undead. Itıs only the living he canıt hurt."

A moment later, Giles started to smile.

"HmmŠSpike," a familiar voice said from the living room. We exchanged looks and dashed out. Oz was standing near the doorway. He looked over at us with a slight frown. "Somethingıs changed."

"Spike canıt hurt anything," I explained quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"Iım back," he said easily.

"YouıveŠsorted yourself out?" Giles asked.

"Pretty much," Oz replied. I grinned, imagining Willowıs reaction.

"Have you seen Will?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I saw something I thought you guys should know about," he said. Giles took off his glasses.

"What exactly?" Oz glanced at Spike and I nodded, motioning him to go on.

"There was a hole. In the sky."

"A hole?" I asked, wondering what he was talking about.

"Yeah. It was black. Kinda pulsed. It was getting bigger."

"A black hole in the sky?" Giles repeated. "It was justŠblack?"

"It was like the absence of light," Oz said thoughtfully.

"Where was this?" I asked, getting a little worried. It made me think of somethingŠsomething someone had said. There was too much being said though. Everything was going wrong.

"Yukon," he said. I raised my eyebrows, surprised. "I had to go a ways to be alone."

"Right. Giles, does this ring any bells? Like, perhaps suggest a time for the Apocalypse?" I asked, turning to my former Watcher. He looked deep in thought.

"Apocalypse?" Oz asked. I nodded.

"You missed some stuff. LikeŠeveryone having visions, and winged demonsŠoh, and those NATO guys? Theyıre called the Intiative."

"Sounds interesting. Could you fill me in later? I think I should go visit Willow."

"Good idea. Sheıll kill me if I keep you," I said with a smile. At least something was going right. "Have fun." He nodded.

"Will do. Bye Giles. Spike." Spike raised a hand in good bye.

"Talkative," he commented when the door closed behind Oz. I turned to Giles.

"Anything?"

"Angelıs descriptions of his prophetıs visions included something about the skyŠI believe he said that the entire sky was black, and he also used the words lack of anything." He raised his eyes to mine and I got that horrible sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. "I believe Oz has just confirmed the visions. And if so, that black hole is truly going to get a lot biggerŠuntil it covers the entire sky."

Willow

I was trying to research. It wasnıt working very well. If I wasnıt thinking about Oz, I was trying not to freak out about the End of Days. Giles thought my discovery was just another sign pointing to our ultimate destruction. Which was why I was trying to research, and find ways to stop it. But like I said, it wasn't working very well.

Last time we had a crises, OzŠWell, he certainly got my mind off it.

All I could think was, I donıt want to die without him here. If the worldıs going to end, I want him to hold me at the end.

And then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I called. The door opened, and there he was. "Oz?"

"Hi baby," he said softly. "Can I come in?" I nodded, unable to find words. I slid my books off my lap, onto the bed.

"Are you really back?" I asked, unable to muster anything above a whisper.

"For good," he assured me. And somehow I found enough strength to tumble off the bed and into his arms. He caught me and held me up and our eyes met.

"What did you find out?" I asked softly.

"That Iım me," he replied. "And I love you." A smile spread across my face despite myself. I knew I should be angry with him for leaving me butŠI couldnıt. I just couldnıt. I knew he had thing to work out, and I was just glad he was here, with me again. Everyone should know that feeling, to find something precious all over again.

"Oz, Iım scared," I said softly. "The Apocalypse‹"

"Shh," he said softly, putting a finger to my lips. "I know." And then he kissed me.

Sometimes, panic is definitely the answer.

Go to Part 8