Pairing: Multiple
Rating: Up to NC-17
Summary: A virtual season 6 of Angel. They thought they faced the worse but the worst is yet to come with friends becoming enemies and past enemies become more...
Spoilers: All of the Seasons ever aired.
Disclaimer: All characters and excerpts belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, Mutant Enemy, WB, and UPN. We make no profit from these stories and only write for pleasure. Please don’t sue! We have nothing!
Author(s) Note(s): This can also be found at Spikes Red Queen’s site http://www.dazzled.com/spikesqueen/season6.html
Distribution: Redssoulmates, WillowsLilSecret, NearHerAlways, ShadesOfGrey, TheBatPack2, FanFiction.net, Poetry-in-Motion, and SpikesRedFanFic.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
About 8:00a.m., in Verona, Italy…
Willow was sitting on her bed meditating in a white tank top and green
shorts. She did this every single morning ever since the destruction
of Sunnydale. She was learning to control all of her magic by becoming
one with herself and the earth. It was all she could do since the
closing of the Hellmouth and the activation of the Potentials.
“Blessed be.” Willow said before finally opening her eyes.
Stretching out her legs slowly, Willow swung her legs over the bed and
stood up. She was half way to the door when she felt an immense pain
run through her entire body before collapsing.
About 11:00p.m., in Los Angeles, California, in the alley behind the Hyperion.
“In terms of a plan?” Spike asked as he stood off to Angel’s right side.
“We fight.” Angel responded as a horde of demons began to file into the alley as a dragon flew over them.
“A bit more specific.” Spike said looking over at Angel as Illyria and Gunn fell into place with them.
“Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon.” Angel removed the sword he had tucked away in his coat. “Let’s go to work.” Angel said swinging his sword.
Back in Verona, Italy…
Willow was lying on her back in a lush green field and sat up with a start looking around.
“Baby, don’t worry. You’re safe here.” A familiar voice said coming up behind her. Willow turned around and saw no one other than…
“Tara?” Willow whispered as her dead lover sat down beside her.
“Willow you need to go.” Tara said as she touched her lovers face softly. Willow leaned into the touch closing her eyes, preserving the memory.
“But, I just got here. I have so many things to tell you.” Willow said opening her eyes and grabbing onto Tara’s hands. Tara smiled at her.
“Willow you’re needed somewhere else. There’s a great danger and your friends need your help…” Tara said pulling a hand away and brushing a red strand of hair away from Willow’s face.
“But, Tara. My friends are fine.” Willow said cutting her off. Tara began to shake her head no and pulled back from Willow.
“I know you can feel the danger. This is it Willow. Stopping this is just the beginning. The Hellmouth has nothing on what you’ll be facing. They need you. He needs you.” Tara responded as she gathered her skirt and stood up. Willow stood up quickly with Tara.
“Who needs me? Tara. Please stay here with me. I love you baby. I miss you so much.” Willow said grabbing her hand as tears began to run down her cheeks.
“Please don’t cry Willow. I’m happy for you. Go to them. Go to him. Take the one you trust. Don’t be afraid.” Tara said raising her hand to Willow’s face and wiping away her tears.
“Tara, please don’t leave me again! I need you!” Willow yelled as Tara began to disappear slowly, slipping between her fingertips. Before disappearing Tara pointed up to the blue sky. Willow followed her hand signal and looked up with tears in her eyes.
“Look, Willow. Angels.” Tara said before fading away.
Willow opened her eyes and still felt the pain running through her still. She tried to block it from her mind as she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Sitting up she finally remembered the last of what Tara said. Launching herself towards her door despite the pain, she opened it and ran down the hall. The door she was trying to reach seemed so far away as she ran towards it. Upon reaching it, she swung the door open with a splintering crack with her arm over her stomach clutching it like a lifeline.
“Christ, Red! You scared the shit out of me.” The brunette slayer said as she jumped up in a fighting stance.
“Faith.” Willow said between deep breaths. “Do you trust me?” she asked removing her arm from around her stomach and extended it with an open hand.
“Red, you know I trust you. Why? What’s the deal?” Faith asked reaching for her crossbow knowing that she may need it. She placed her hand into Willow’s waiting hand.
“Good.” Willow said closing her hand over Faith’s. Both girls closed their eyes and disappeared.
Back in Los Angeles…
“Bloody hell Peaches! These bastards just won’t die!” Spike yelled over to Angel in his game face.
“No shit Spike! Just keep fighting them off!” Angel yelled back as his demon growled at the dragon who just breathed out fire.
“Another has fallen.” Illyria said as Gunn slumped down behind her. “And I am angry.” Illyria began to glow a bright blue as she began to release her energy with a piercing scream. Spike and Angel covered their sensitive ears as Illyria let out the horrific scream. Some of the demons fell to the ground but not nearly enough to stop the battle before them.
“We must fight to the death.” Illyria said as she stopped screaming and began to walk forward. Angel and Spike nodded and resumed their fighting.
Willow and Faith finally reappeared in an open and empty room.
“Whoa, Red. That was just…wicked.” Faith said with a smile as Willow released her hand. Willow chuckled.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the ride Faith.” She said looking around. Faith also began to take in her surroundings as the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise.
“Hey, Red?” Faith asked.
“Hmmm.” Willow answered looking around.
“You wanna tell me why you poofed us into La Casa de Fang? Oh and why my spidey senses are on over drive?” Faith finished. Willow began to walk around as she felt another pain run through her once again causing her to clutch her mid-section.
“Aaahhh.” Willow responded bending over at the waist.
“Willow?!” Faith yelled as she ran over to Willow to hold her up.
“Faith. We need to find Angel. He needs our help.” Willow said through clenched teeth as Faith helped her stay upright.
“Screw that! You’re about to pass out. We’ll find Fang later.” Faith said as she tried to take Willow over to a couch. Willow began to pull away from her.
“Please, Faith. We need to find him. I can feel the evil here and its close. I know you can feel it too. We have to keep looking.” Willow said as Faith released her. Willow turned back around and saw a door that was slightly ajar. Faith nodded.
“Fine. But when this is over we are going on a definite vacation. Deal?” Faith asked. Willow smiled and nodded.
“Look, Faith. That door…” Willow said as she began to walk over to the door.
“…Is open.” Faith said finishing Willow’s sentence. Together the two girls went to the door. Faith kicked it open and the two both winced as metal slammed against concrete. Willow went out first and Faith stepped out behind her.
“Oh my goddess.” Willow said quietly as she took in the horde of demons.
Faith nodded absentmindedly with her mouth agape. Willow took a deep breath and looked around. They definitely had their work cut out for them. There were dragons, trolls, big giants and things that looked like a cross between a werewolf and a dinosaur but no Angel or his crew. Faith as calmly as ever sighed.
"Shall we?" Faith said.
Willow gave the alley way a once over and smiled almost innocently.
"If you insist." Willow responded.
The witch and slayer stepped out of the hotel into the alley. The demons seem to be ignoring them, just flowing as one down the alley.
"What the hell?" Faith asked as she held up her crossbow in a shrug.
"They seem to be…" Willow began as she craned her neck to see what they were heading towards. "Angel!" Willow yelled.
"Fang? Where?" Faith asked looking around.
"There!" Willow pointed, running in his direction.
They were only a few feet away when a demon stepped in front of them ready to attack when Willow held up her hand.
"Consto tempus temporis." she said, before falling to the ground.
"Willow!" Faith said as she kneeled beside her. Willow was out cold.
"Damnit Willow, what‘d you do?" she asked as she took in her surroundings. Everything had ceased moving. Faith looked back down at Willow.
Further up the alley…
"What in the bloody hell is goin’ on here?" Spike yelled. "Can’t a bloke get in a good slaughter before the ‘Powers that are pains in my undead arse’ interfere?"
Illyria’s icy blue eyes narrowed as she cocked her head to the side studying the demons. "I did not do this."
"Yeah, no shit Sherlock what was your first clue." Spike shot back annoyed but on guard. He knew Illyria couldn’t stop time, only slow it down. The ex-demon-god turned her head sharply to the left ignoring the blond vampire.
"Only one with great power could do this." she stated as Angel
ran up to them.
"Uh, what happened guys?" Angel asked perplexed. Spike rolled
his eyes.
"Hmm, let’s see. I was standing right here about to take this guys head off," he pointed to the demon in front of him with his sword as he went on, "and Illyria was doin’ some right arse kickin’ of her own, while you were prancin’ about like the magnificent poof that you are and then HELL froze over!"
Faith watched her friend’s eyes flutter as she laid there in the alley.
She knew she was there again. She just didn’t know what for this time. Slowly Willow rolled from her stomach and over onto her back and opened her green eyes to a set of brown.
“Hey there Rosenberg.” The figure said as Willow scrambled back.
“Jesse?” Willow whispered as she placed her hands into the soft grass. Jesse smiled at her and extended his hand out to help her up. Willow took it graciously as Jesse pulled her to her feet.
“You know he’s waiting for you to wake up.” Jesse said as he folded Willow’s hand into the crook of his elbow and began to walk through the lush grass towards a running brook. Willow just looked at him in confusion.
“Who’s waiting for me?” Willow asked looking down at her feet as they sank into the grass.
“Well who else? The one that’ll love you.” Willow’s head snapped to the side as she came face to face with a smiling Cordelia.
“Cordy?” Willow asked as she reached out to touch her face. Cordelia smacked her hand like a child.
“You know I’m real. No need to make with all the touchy feely.” Willow smiled. That was the Queen C she recognized. The two kept walking silently to the brook. Finally arriving Willow looked over and found Cordelia had been replaced with Wesley. This time she wasn’t as shocked but just nodded her understanding as she looked at the water flowing.
“Miss Rosenberg. There will be one that falls. Once they fall…” Wesley began as he unhooked her arm and took a step back.
“…another will rise. The cycle will repeat.” Willow looked up and found Tara. Tara opened her arms and Willow went into them as fresh tears began to glisten in her eyes.
“Don’t cry baby.” Tara said as she ran her hand along the back of Willow’s hair threading her hands through her long red hair.
“Tara, I love you. I don’t understand what’s going on.” Willow said pulling back from Tara to look at her.
“In time honey…in time. You need to wake up.” Tara said softly as she placed a kiss on Willow’s cheek.
“But I don’t wanna wake up. I wanna be here. With you. With all of you.” Willow said as a single tear ran down the side of her cheek as she looked passed Tara and saw Jesse, Cordelia, and Wesley standing behind her. Tara shook her head.
“Your place isn’t here my love.” Tara said as she backed up to stand with the others. Willow reached out and saw that they were fading away.
“Remember me this way.” Tara said smiling at Willow. Willow let her hand fall slowly to her side and nodded.
“I will Tara. I love you.” Willow said as they faded away and she was alone again. She looked down into the brook and saw the faces of her friends before closing her eyes as she returned to the present.
Back to Angel, Spike, and Illyria…
“Stop calling me that, I am not a…” Angel began to argue. “‘Poof.’ ” he mimicked Spike’s accent very poorly as he continued making quotation marks in the air.
“Sure as hell look like one to me, Peaches.” Spike replied with a smirk.
“I am not a Peach!” Angel growled. Spike just chuckled shaking his head and walked over to the demon he had been fighting, waving his hand in front of the demon’s face.
Illyria ignored the bickering vampires as well as the searing gash on her forehead. She instead focused her attentions to the pleadings she could hear to her left. Cocking her head more to the sound she began to slowly follow it.
“Wills, come on wake up.” Faith pleaded worriedly, as she carefully moved a few strains of hair from Willow’s forehead.
“This one is drained of life.” Illyria said flatly as she took in the scene before them. Willow’s breathing had become slow and shallow. Faith’s head shot up as did her body in a fighting stance.
“Who are you?” Faith asked as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. Taking a closer look at the blue figure before her, her eyes widened.
“Fred?” Faith questioned
“I am Illyria. The one you call ‘Fred’ is dead. Her body is my vessel.”
“Fred is dead? When did this happen? How could Angel let you take her body like that?” Faith demanded. Illyria disregarded her questions and sharply turned her head to the side as Willow let out a slight moan.
“She is a strong one.” Faith’s eyes flew over to Willow never noticing the dark form standing in the shadows watching them.
“Willow?” The Slayer called as she dropped to Willow’s side.
“You sire, are the biggest Poofter that ever lived, well,” Spike shrugged, “unlived in this whole bloody world!” the blond shot back stepping closer to Angel clutching his sword tighter.
“Don’t…” Angel started but was interrupted when a crackling sound could be heard echoing through out the alley. Both Spike and Angel’s brows furrowed as they looked around for the source of the sound when an unexpected earthquake took place. The demons started to dry out and crack apart before exploding into pieces and dust. The vampires took a stage dive to the ground covering their heads. Faith crouched over Willow, covering her body with her own protecting the witch from the debris as Illyria kept her place looking around the alley. Willow’s eyes shot open once the dust started to settle and smiled.
“Thank you Faith, you can get off of me now.”
“Wills?” Faith moved quickly off of her friend and smiled back. “You’re ok?” Willow nodded.
”Good now I can kick your ass for pulling that kind of mojo when you know what it does to you.” Faith finished as she sissy slapped the redhead.
“I didn’t do this,” Willow looked around as she carefully sat up. Faith arched her eyebrows not sure what to think. “I-I mean I stopped the demon-y things from moving but I didn’t destroy them.”
“Then who did?” Faith asked meeting Willow’s confused gaze.
“The good fight, yeah? You never know until you've been tested. And you, my friend, have been tested enough.” The cloaked figure stated as it disappeared into the darkness. “I need a drink.” He sighed.
Illyria looked at Willow with an unreadable expression when she realized the rest of her group may have injured in battle.
“The dark and white haired vampire may have fallen,” she stated then gave Faith a dark look. “You may not harm them Slayer. They are under my protection.” She declared before taking off in their direction.
“Okay?” Faith said baffled, staring after the blue demon. Willow looked down at the concrete then at her hands before slowly standing up, hoping Angel was alright. Then what the mysterious demon had said finally sunk in and her brows scrunched up as she thought about it.
“White haired vampire?!” Willow exclaimed turning to Faith.
“What the hell?!” Faith said. Both girls ran to catch up with Illyria. Before Faith and Willow rounded the corner Illyria stood before Spike and Angel.
“We do not have time for this. There is one powerful among us.” Illyria said just as Angel punched Spike in his face knocking him on his ass. Spike smirked as he looked back up at Angel and then looked at Illyria as he wiped the blood off his lip with his thumb.
“Peaches…” Spike started to say as Angel cut him off and pointed at him to stay down.
“Please, Illyria, we don’t have time to go through this again. We need to figure out…” Angel started to say just as Willow and Faith caught up with Illyria. Willow and Faith skidded to a halt right behind Illyria, as Illyria and Angel blocked Spike from their view.
“Fang!” Faith yelled as she walked into Angel’s arms. Angel smiled as Faith embraced him tightly. If he could have blushed he would have.
“Faith? Willow? What are you doing here?” Angel asked as he pulled back and looked at Faith. Faith realized her position and immediately blushed and took a step back from Angel. Illyria reached out and grabbed Willow by the elbow and thrusts her towards Angel.
“This one. She is the one with the power.” Illyria says as she walks behind them and extends her hand to help Spike up.
“Hi Angel.” Willow says meekly. Angel wraps his arms around the small girl.
“Hello Little One. It is good to see you again.” Angel says squeezing her as Willow looked up and ran her hand across the side his face. Spike takes Illyria’s offered hand and nods his thanks.
“Bloody hell Peaches. Don’t smother the girl.” Spike said as he dusted off his coat. Angel heard Willow’s heart beat speed up as she froze in place. Faith looked around Willow and Angel and saw Spike.
“Junior! I thought you were dead?!” Faith said as she walked up to him and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
“Well, Slayer. You know I just can’t die. Never was one to disappear and all that rot.” Spike said smugly. Angel lightened his hold on Willow and the two both turned to face the others. Spike nodded at Faith before looking up and finally catching Willow’s gaze. Tears filled Willow’s green eyes as she launched herself from Angel and into Spike’s arms.
“Hello to you too, Pet.” Spike whispering so only she could hear as he wrapped his arms around her. He tilted his head and smelled her hair. She still smelled of strawberry and almonds. Faith coughed nonchalantly and Angel smirked.
“I will carry the fallen and return him to where he will lay at peace.” Illyria said ignoring the others as she picked up Gunn.
“Thank you, Illyria.” Angel said as everyone watched Illyria pick up Gunn’s broken and battered body.
“We will lay him and Wesley to rest.” Illyria said turning and heading to the hotel with Gunn’s body.
Spike immediately realized what he was doing and pulled back a bit uncomfortable. Willow quickly wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.
“We certainly have a lot to talk about huh?” Willow asked as she looked down at her feet. Spike turned them towards the Hyperion and started to walk as Willow fell in step with him.
“We sure do, Luv. We sure do.” Spike said quietly as he picked up his dropped sword. Angel picked up his sword and started up behind them. Faith still stood in awe. All she had heard was that Wesley was being laid to rest. Angel slowed and looked behind him.
“Faith are you coming?” Angel asked as he came to a complete stop. Faith shook her head to remove the thoughts from her head and wiped the tear away that rolled down her cheek before Angel could see it.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” Faith said as she picked up her crossbow and began to walk towards Angel. Slowly the two walked with one another with their heads hanging low from being tired and from grief of their lost friends. Everyone filed into the Hyperion one after another. Faith was the last to come in. She looked out into the alley as she held the crossbow in one hand and the door in the other.
“Home sweet Home.” She said as she closed the door.
Fade to black.